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Lost Valley
I first went to lost valley for a spring break bicycle ride some number of years ago. I had intended to go to Redding Campground on the Mulberry River, but after several days of rain, it wasn't an option. I decided instead to go to the Buffalo River. I left later than I would have liked, and reached Kingston at around sunset. With a lot of climbing, the downhill section was very welcome. My headlights had dwindled to just the Petzl LED lamp on my helmet. It was enough to make out the stripes on the edge of the highway in the otherwise pitch black Ozarks. The downhill I'm referring to is a 3-mile stretch of curves at an 11% grade. The speedometer on my bike quickly read more than 40mph as the generously packed Bob trailer rolled behind me. I couldn't watch the speed though while it was difficult just to see which way the road was curving with the limited light. I just let go for all it was worth after all the climbing. A spoke in the rear wheel broke at some point causing the back wheel to skip while leaning through the turns. Lost Valley was not too far down the road to the left at the bottom of the hill, but there was one campsite left open. It was between a creek and a stream that were flowing well after the week of rain. I crossed over the stream and pitched the tent. There was no more rain on the way, so the spot should stay dry. By the next morning, the water had gone down considerably. Some rednecks parked at the trailhead with a loud stereo woke me up; pissing me off quite a bit. I just packed up and went back home.
The next time out to Lost Valley was with three French exchange students. We had gone for a weekend of camping and hiking in the Buffalo River Valley and stopped to walk the short trail at Lost Valley. It was the first time for all of us to see the trail.
Campsite of the first trip to Lost Valley.
This tree is hollow, yet still alive and healthier than the others of its kind there.
Climbing up into a cave
Anaïs under a rock
Group photo via the timer
Exploring Lost Valley
Lots of water
Amidst some waterfalls.