April 6, 2014
I hiked a bit of the eastern end of the Elk River Trail today with the Hendersons; Wendy was under the weather. I’d hoped to hike at Table Mound, but the overlook was closed, so we drove down to the dam to clamber about on the end of the Elk River Trail.
We found the trees at the trail head all decked out, with blossoms adorning their branches.
Springtime (click image for slideshow)
Someone had replaced the board across the creek with a new set of boards with concrete abutments. The Hendersons posed for me in the rock corridor on top of the ridge. Along the trail we saw several nice red buds and blossoms on the trees.
Blossom
Lake Shore
We’d had a heavy lunch at Brothers Railroad Inn in Independence and the forecast said rain was likely in the mid-afternoon. So when we reached the gravel road from the dam, we took it down to the lake shore, where I found a tree that made a nice bench. We then bushwhacked amidst the driftwood for awhile and followed a deer trail back to the road and walked alongside roadways back to the trailhead with its welcoming blossoms.
It was a short but enjoyable early spring walk, and the Hendersons led me back to Caney along old roads through Elk City and Havana, where we passed by John’s mule, which he will be riding at Robbers Cave next month.
Back Roads to Caney
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