I had received a phone call from my wife earlier in the day informing me that we needed to "Go do something." After a brief online search I decided that we would attempt recovery of the triangulation station designated JAMES. It was on the high point of Dutch Creek Mountain.
We've always enjoyed driving the back roads of Arkansas. I can hardly pass by a dirt road without wondering where it goes. I discovered long ago that simply turning off the pavement will lead to unexpected adventure and discovery.
My wife arrived at home mid-afternoon and we quickly loaded the cooler in the car which I had packed with sandwiches and drinks. With the kids in the back and the GPS set to our destination we set off.
The drive along Highway 80 was very pleasant. One of the best things about an afternoon drive is simply the time for everyone to talk. My wife and I planned our upcoming camping trip while the kids played in the back seat. My daughter even decided to share ownership of her new "rock star" with me. (A Ken like N-SYNC doll she had acquired at a yard sale recently.)
We turned south on what we thought was the right road and began our slow ascent.
The large pines and beautiful scenery entertained us as we drove up searching for the correct road to take us west along the ridge line. After traveling up and over the mountain we knew we had missed our turn somewhere. A quick discussion and it was decided to turn around and attempt it again.
I hurried our pace along the dirt road a little due to the late hour and the approaching clouds which promised more rain. After exploring a couple of roads that proved wrong We sat idling in the middle of the road as my wife and I stared at an overgrown track road heading in the general direction we needed to go. I looked at my wife and said that we should just call this one and head to the house. I could hear almost constant thunder and it was getting even later. She gave me that little wink and stated the obvious. I wanted to go for it.
I cautiously began negotiating the old road which turned out to be in much better shape than I had thought. A few small mud holes but nothing too hard to get around. The scenery was spectacular! Interesting rock formations on the north side of the road and a fairly steep drop to the south kept everyone glued to the windows as the kids looked for wildlife and my wife kept an I eye out for anything of interest.
We continued heading west along the road as the thunder grew louder and the flashing lightning became ever more frequent. Rain began to lazily collect on the windshield as I watched the distance to our target gradually get smaller.
After driving for a little while it was becoming obvious that JAMES was going to elude us today. The lightning was almost constant now. The intensity surprised me and as I was thinking that the top of a mountain wasn't the best place to be in a severe thunderstorm, the wind showed up.
I found a place to turn around and we began to make our way back the direction we had came. The trees all around us were swaying back and forth as the rain decided to fall in sheets. I was worried that the kids would be scared but they are accustomed to such things and were instead trying to convince me to turn on the radio so the trees could dance to some music.
As we traveled back at an admittedly hurried pace, with my wife calling out left or right depending which side of the road I needed to be on to avoid obstacles, I saw something that made me stop.
My wife looked at me in a puzzled way and asked what was wrong. I pointed over her shoulder and told her, "Look. It's a stop sign." She turned in disbelief and there it was. In the middle of nowhere was a clearly legible stop sign. We both started laughing when I informed her that I had to stop. It was the law!
After laughing for a few minutes and getting a photo or two we decided to play outlaw. So with clear criminal intent, I backed up and then ran the stop sign. We may have to make our leather jackets now.
As the storm continued to grow we eventually made our way back to the main road and then on to the highway.
Although JAMES eluded us that day we had a great adventure! We'll revisit the area later and succeed where we had failed. There are many miles of dirt roads in Arkansas and they are eager to share their secrets with any who decide to explore them.
Benchmarking is fun! If the weather and time cooperates this weekend I'm going to pay a visit to 