hiwayman

Hey everyone,

Just did a little backpack trip to Black Fork Mountain in Ark. We knew it was going to be cold but we did not know there would be ice! Anyway, it was a great trip with good friends. The forest was beautiful with the ice. If you do not know of BFM. it is near Rich Mountain, AR. The trail goes up the ridge into the edge of BFM Wilderness. It stops at on old homestead on top of the ridge directly north of Queen Wilhelmina SP.The homestead has an eerie feel to me. Why would anyone build a house directly on top of the ridge? I was told they had orchards in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The neat thing is an old mule trail gets you down the mountain much quicker and right in front of the Rich Mountain Country Store for a wonderful breakfast and tales of big bears ripping down the bird feeder's and eating the seed. I guess it was not a tale . The owner had to get Fish and Game to trap and remove the bear so it would not hurt campers at the store. We did not see a bear though. I have wanted to, but have only seen bear tracks on trails in this area. The photo of the bear is the one at the store. Much larger than the typical AR bear.

Anyway, take a look at the photos
http://community.webshots.com/album/266055020mewfGK?445

lost_but_found

That is a beautiful area. I did the Eagle Rock Loop (which is little further southeast) last Memorial Day and it was like walking through an acient rain forest or something. Sounds like you guys had a good time regardless of the ice!! And thankfully there's no banjo stories!!!

copuswalker

I agree with the rainforest description on Eagle Rock Loop. Even had a watermocassin floating in the river where we were to cross. Had to throw rocks to get him to move?
Of course all I could notice was the poison ivy... Me and it do not do real well together.
I have hiked from Winding stairs Ok to Queen Wilhelmena but am not familiar with Black Fork mountain. Perhaps i stopped short of there?

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There are those that hike and those that don't and those that say they will but won't.

ploddinTod

Hope Shannon doesn't mind us talking about AR trails. Oh well, here goes.
Black Fork Mtn is the one you see if you're at the Lodge of Queen Wilhelmina State Park and looking north. It appears to be just as high as Rich Mtn which is 2680 feet. If you're hiking the Ouachita Trail eastbound from QW, you eventually come to the intersection of the Black Fork Mtn trail.
I don't know if it was the same owner or not, but we called that country store to have him shuttle us to the Winding Stair Trailhead as we were going to hike back to the lodge. Yeah, he had some tall tales alright and drove like a bat out of Hades.
One thing that we noticed was the stunted growth of the trees on the north side of the ridge due to the prevailing winds and ice. Hiwayman's photos bear this out.
And there is bear activity in this area. Our first night on the trail, we were standing around the dying embers of our campfire, looking at the billions of stars overhead when we heard a thunderous rustling of leaves and snapping twigs coming down the hillside across from our camp. My partner whistled and suddenly there was silence. We took our flashlights and shined them all around the area of the noise. Nothing!! Quickly we assembled the largest bonfire in the annuls of camping.

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PloddinTod