Bee Bluff

My 12-year-old and I enjoyed a cool early-morning hike Sunday along the Buffalo River Trail from Ponca to Bee Bluff. It didn't seem like August at all, what with all the lush green moss on the forest floor and the cloud-like fog overhead. We took in the view from Bee Bluff for half an hour before hiking back.

John, great shot and view. I really like the saturation in this shot and the fog adds to the overall scene. Thanks for sharing.

What a beautiful beautiful view John. It is hard to believe the weather we've had this year - really pleasant for August.

Obviously a shot you will treasure for years. Thanks for posting.

Very nice, John - thanks for posting!

This is a really nice shot John. But it's one I'll never get because my vertigo would never let me that close to the edge! Thanks for sharing!

Great shot. Fog and spectacular bluff, and a river and lush forest far below. What more could you ask for? I like the contrast between the warm tones of the human subject and the slightly cool landscape, too.

My recollection of this spot is that the ledge is pretty narrow and the land back behind it slopes down to it, making it even less inviting than your average 100 ft. bluff. The wide angle probably makes the ledge look roomier than it really is, and it also helps capture the height of the bluff by making those trees look even farther down than they actually are.

I have a couple of rules about bluffs that I try to stick to, and they are that I want to stay far enough from the edge that even if I fall down I won't fall off, and that if I have to get closer than that, I'll do it sitting down. I'd say you had to violate both of those rules with this shot.

Hey Randy, you will probably live longer by following those rules! I will often use a rope on both me and my tripod when I need to get really close to a bluff. In the case of Bee Bluff, you can actually scramble down a bit farther than this, and there is a ledge down there where you can stand on, kind of safely. Not wanting to steal John's thread, but here is a shot I took from below his position a few years ago, so where he and his son were was really was pretty safe, and they had a good bit to tumble before reaching the edge...Bottom line is that us bluff dwellers are nuts sometimes - but I've always heard that the view is better from the edge!

Bee Bluff in the fall

I have another rule about bluffs. If it takes ropes, a harness, and pulleys to get the shot, let Tim Ernst get it. That's probably one among many reasons why you'll always be #1, at least until someone comes along who's willing to use a hang glider to get the shot.

I remember that fall photo well, and it was and continues to be the standard against which all other Bee Bluff photos must be judged.

Hey man, with all of you guys doing such great photos and hot on my heels, I have to go to great lengths just to keep up! I do often rig up so that I have to lean out to the end of the rope in order to frame a shot, but often I only use the rope in case I fall off - and only then because I am getting so old - in my younger, single (and less smart) days, I would have never used a rope. But I do find there are some shots I just can't get without one, and for the others, a rope puts me more at ease...

great perspective, it looks like a great place to get out with your son

Very nice image John! I like the mood created by the fog. I stay away from the edge now days. Age will do that to you. I found out one day on Roarks Bluff that those damp rocks can be slippery. One slip on the very edge and I woke up to the reality of it. But anyway thanks for sharing a nice image.