The best example of a genuine slot canyon here in Arkansas is very difficult to get up into, and after three trips there I have only managed to make it a couple hundred feet up in from the entrance. I went there this afternoon hoping to find it mostly dry so that I could have an easier time of it (this canyon gets really slick!), but I found not only running water, but also a 10' tall waterfall. On my last trip I had made it in to a point where a six-foot-tall boulder blocked the canyon. Today I was able to climb up and over that boulder and found a beautiful emerald pool and this waterfall dumping into it (Hey Randy, have you been up and over the boulder and to this falls yet?). My progress today was only actually another 20 feet into the canyon farther than I had ever been before, but it provided me with this view of the falls, and I was one happy camper. By the way, I know the water in this pool today was at least five feet deep...
Posted by Wayne Rhodus on May 19, 2007 at 11:06 PM
And you know it was only five feet deep because ........
I see all the pictures and still can't fatham the diversity and true beauty of the state of Arkansas, simply amazing beauty around every bend!
Hey Tom, I have no secrets! But it probably won't be in any future waterfall guidebook since we are not exactly sure if it is on private property or not - GPS units won't work in there and it is right on the line between private property and park service property (and I don't put private property waterfalls in the guidebook except once in a while if we have the owner's permission). It is on Shop Creek, up above triple falls. The new book that I am working on is a waterfall picture book so there won't be locations or directions other than a caption. It is kind of hairy getting up to this location and not recommend for the faint of heart. One of these days I'm going to come in from above, but will have to get the land owner's permission to do so since I know that end is on private property. Won't be able to get all the way through due to this waterfall blocking the way - and there is no way down from up there - the walls are 50-100 feet tall in this area, although I don't think you can see all of that from down on the creek as they do slope away so are not sheer cliffs, but nearly so and no way to hike/climb across them.
And Wayne, of course because I fell in, or at least my tripod did! The only real way to measure the depth of the water...
There is another shot from this location (looking immediately downstream) in today's Cloudland Journal, plus another shot from near the entrance of the canyon in the spring waterfall gallery that I just updated with a handful of new photos...
What an amazing place! Hats off to you Tim for sharing this one. From your description, it sounds like it was a real challenge to get into, and a place few people will be seeing. What about rappelling in?
Rappeling in would be the only way when the water was really high, although I don't know how you would ever figure out exactly where to start, and you would need a really long rope. This may be the best of the canyon, however I'll make a trip in from the upper end one of these days and see what else I can find...
Posted by Randy Wilson on May 21, 2007 at 10:04 AM
No, Tim, I haven't made it over the boulder yet, although if I had known that this was waiting on the other side, I would have been trying to think of a way to do it. Glad you got there. Beautiful shot.
You know, a two-person team with a ladder might be able to make it up those falls from below. You think?
Anyway, I was there a few weeks ago and got a few shots in the canyon downstream from the boulder:
I loved your shots from back in April (which is what reminded me about this). Yes, I was thinking of hauling a ladder in there and then trying to scale the falls and see what is upstream, but then would have to stash it somewhere for when the water is really running (instead of hauling it out and back in again), although with high water this falls would really be tough to get up and over - there really are no hand holds on that slick wall. Perhaps a trip in from the top will solve the mystery, and the problem (it may just peter out up there and not be worth visiting). Of course, we still have the private landowner to deal with since this far up is most likely on private property. We should get together sometime and have a go at it (won't be until mid-June though for me)...
Posted by Randy Wilson on June 12, 2007 at 3:00 PM
Tim,
Yeah, I'd like to have a go at that, whenever you're ready. I'm not the athlete you are, though, and can't do a lot of the things you can; so I don't expect to be able to keep up with you.
Discussion
8 repliesI see all the pictures and still can't fatham the diversity and true beauty of the state of Arkansas, simply amazing beauty around every bend!
And Wayne, of course because I fell in, or at least my tripod did! The only real way to measure the depth of the water...
There is another shot from this location (looking immediately downstream) in today's Cloudland Journal, plus another shot from near the entrance of the canyon in the spring waterfall gallery that I just updated with a handful of new photos...
You know, a two-person team with a ladder might be able to make it up those falls from below. You think?
Anyway, I was there a few weeks ago and got a few shots in the canyon downstream from the boulder:
<br><a href="http://comp.uark.edu/~jrwilson/journeys.htm">http://comp.uark.edu/~jrwilson/journeys.htm</a>
I loved your shots from back in April (which is what reminded me about this). Yes, I was thinking of hauling a ladder in there and then trying to scale the falls and see what is upstream, but then would have to stash it somewhere for when the water is really running (instead of hauling it out and back in again), although with high water this falls would really be tough to get up and over - there really are no hand holds on that slick wall. Perhaps a trip in from the top will solve the mystery, and the problem (it may just peter out up there and not be worth visiting). Of course, we still have the private landowner to deal with since this far up is most likely on private property. We should get together sometime and have a go at it (won't be until mid-June though for me)...
Yeah, I'd like to have a go at that, whenever you're ready. I'm not the athlete you are, though, and can't do a lot of the things you can; so I don't expect to be able to keep up with you.