Note to self: waterfalls are best enjoyed when there is … water.
Second note to self: a monsoon in Location A, does not guarantee that any water has fallen some 90+ miles away in Location B.
Third note to self: when driving, there is nothing worse for me than making a lefthand turn or going in reverse. I am not kidding. Unless, of course, I have to put ‘ole Lex into 4WD and take him straight down a cliff. 😟
Whose idea was this anyway?
Really though, it couldn’t have been more perfect. It poured ALL NIGHT on Friday and most of Saturday, but by Sunday, the weather was beautiful, the heat had broken, and AT had a free evening. The stage was set for chasing waterfalls. The question though, was which one of the 200+ waterfalls in this beautiful state were we going to head to?
The Bible for Arkansas Waterfalls was written by Tim Ernst. The man has documented details on hundreds of waterfalls – including maps, descriptions, pictures, hiking distances, difficulty, etc. – that make discovering every waterfall in the state seem like an adventure. I pored over his book and suggested a few (relatively close) options, and AT chose Triple Falls.
She came over after work, we noshed on some chicken wings, RJ may or may not have eaten a bone (EYE ROLL … although he seems fine a few days after the fact), and we headed out.
The drive alone, was worth it. I’m always a little surprised – and often sentimental – that the windy back roads of Arkansas remind me so much of where I grew up in NY. Ninety-ish miles of the drive were perfect; the last 2 miles of the drive were horrifying. (As noted in the third note to self above.) But we made it.
We got to the trailhead with an hour left of daylight and followed Tim’s directions to the falls. “There will be another trail that comes in from your right, but just keep going STRAIGHT AHEAD and you will come to the falls (you might be able to hear the falls from the parking spot).” [emphasis added].
Radio silence.
The subsequent conversation went something like this:
“Do you hear any water?”
“No…? I mean, maybe?”
“Well, the sign says, ‘Waterfall,’ so I’m sure we’re close.”
What I had neglected to read while poring over Tim’s book was the Introduction where he says that, “You will not find waterfalls running during the summertime and early fall! Let me repeat – do not go looking for waterfalls in July, August, September, and October and expect to see them running!” <– I copied that verbatim (emphasis included) from page 10 in his book. Yes, he pretty much yells (those exclamation points!). He repeats. He emphasizes. And … I completely missed it.
Regardless, we got out of the car – which still smelled like burning … brakes (?) – and hightailed it to the waterfall. The expectations were huge. Remember, it had literally poured for 36 hours beforehand, and we had formed this mental image from pictures and online reviews, that this was going to be an amazing 48-foot waterfall! Until … it wasn’t.
Wump, wump.
#nailedit
Perhaps the sign should have said, “WaterFAIL.” 🤣 I think I laughed until I cried. Looking at the pictures has me laughing right now. From here on out I might just have to put “waterfall” in quotation marks, because it was really more like a water … drip? (But I can assure you, there was water!) We hiked to the top, walked underneath it, got some pretty cool pictures, and laughed. Yes, we laughed.
It was an epic fail, but then again, there are no fails in life. Only more harrowing opportunities for my brakes to seize up. So why not check out nearby Kyles Landing since it’s only 3.4 miles down another rockface? As dusk turns to darkness. With no cell service. And no one knowing where we are. What could go wrong?
More like, what could go right?
What is that famous quote, something along the lines of, “life is about the journey, not the destination?” Famous in the fact that when I try to look up who said it, there are approximately 3,528 different people who claim it – or some iteration of it – as their own (I believe though, it was originally credited to Ralph Waldo Emerson). I mean though, it’s true. There really are no (water) fails in life. I’ve always been a glass half full person. Because, what’s the alternative? Constantly feeling let down? Eternal disappointment? Feeling overwhelmed? There’s enough heavy shit out there in the world – I don’t need more of it in my own little bubble. So usually, I simply choose fun. And laughter. And … silliness, I guess. Speaking of, I happened to capture this gem of AT.
(I did not know that she is so terrified of … bugs. 🤣)
This was what we were aiming for …
The perfect example of the journey being where the fun was at. The story behind the pose. Before she frantically scrambled down because of … the bug (she’ll claim there were TWO).
So, what’s next?
More waterfalls. Certainly not waterfails. But more than likely, the trip in getting there.