ISLAND HIKING/KAYAKING EXPEDITION!

This is a photo of me at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain Island, the first time I visited there, in June, 2016.

 

That experience was made possible, because of the free boat shuttle being provided by Fairfield Bay Marina.  They were partnering with the Fairfield Bay Chamber of Commerce (www.ffbchamber.com) , for an event called "Surf the Bay Watersports Festival", which was celebrating a 50-year anniversary of the formation of the Fairfield Bay Community. 

The shuttle transported us to the boat dock, that is located on the east side of the island.  As we approached, we could see there was another boat moored there, so that its occupants could explore the island.  Our shuttle boat dropped us off, then told us they would be back to pick us up, in 3 hours.

 

 

   A short distance from the drop off location, one sees a sign that shows a satellite view of the island, with markings showing where the trails are located, as well as other features, such as benches. If you are interested in making this trip, but have no boat of your own, you can contact the Fairfield Bay Marina (501-884-6030), to find out the hours and fees for the island shuttle service they operate.  Also, you can read about their rental boats and other amenities on their website at www.visitfairfieldbay.com/marina

The sign at the trail head also has boxes to hold print copies of a map of the trails, but there is good cell phone service on the island, so you can also see maps on your phone. 

This photo shows our 2016 group, starting up the trail, that leads to the top.  As you progress up the trail, you will see several more of these signs, indicating you are on a National Recreation Trail. 

In some places, the terrain and elevation change,  necessitated the building of wooden staircases :

Other improvements along the trail had wooden crossbeams, to prevent trail washouts from heavy rains. The photo above shows that some of these also have handrails. 

Although the crossbeams take some energy to step over, they are a vital aspect of trail building.

I was very thankful to make it to the top of this island mountain in 2016 (because it was on my Arkansas bucket list for a long time!), so I wanted a photo of me with hands uplifted in gratitude to God.

The next time I went to the island was in September, 2022, and  it was via self-power,  paddling my kayak!  My WHOYAKER group carpooled in trucks, to haul all these  kayaks down to the closest public ramp to the island, (which is not Fairfield Bay Marina).  Rather, it is in  a Corps of Engineers public launch, with concrete ramps, and ample parking.  

This photo below shows our group, on September 29, 2022, preparing to paddle to the island behind us.  We were all very thankful it was a sunny day with no rain!  One can tell our group members are smart and safety conscious, as we wear life jackets when we are paddling.

 

We paddled across the lake for about 45 minutes, then landed at the island shore.  It was refreshing to see how clean the shoreline was, and I found out later the reason for this:  It is because the first public, organized shoreline clean-up in the NATION, was held here in 1969.  It served as the national model for environmental cleanliness.  It was the model for the "Great Arkansas Clean-up", and the nationwide effort called "Keep America Beautiful" and "National Public Lands Day". 

When I was here in 2016, I barely noticed the part of the sign indicating the trail we were on, was part of an Eagle Scout Project, spearheaded by Riain Andrew Florczak of Batesville.  So a big THANK YOU to him and his team for taking on such a worthwhile endeavor!

An interesting feature you will see along the trail is this curved tree.  It has an official sign on it, to make sure no one misses it.  Often when trails are being laid out, they purposely route the trail to go by interesting/unusual natural features, and this definitely qualifies!

I asked for a volunteer to pose on the tree, and Diane M. kindly volunteered:

Then she asked if I wanted my photo with the tree, and of course, I said "YES!".  Our fellow hikers waited patiently while we took advantage of this photo opportunity. 

Stairs have been placed strategically, so that no actual "bouldering" (hand over hand climbing over big rocks)  is required. 

My friend, Penny, is shown posing for me, on one of the stair landings.

Once on the top, the views are stunning, and you see why it earns the name on the sign: The graphic shows mountains, shore, and water, and spells out USA.  National Recreation Trails (www.nps.gov) are existing land-based and water-based trails that provide recreation opportunities on Federal, State and local lands.  National Recreation Trail designation promotes some of our country's highest-caliber trails with the intention of providing recreation access to rural and urban communities, economic development through tourism, and healthy recreation opportunities. 

These two ladies are enjoying a view that is unbelievably gorgeous, and FREE for all to enjoy.  It is a "Million Dollar View", but you do not need a million dollars to enjoy it,  for (almost) as long as you want!  (I say "almost", because overnight camping is NOT permitted on the island). 

When you are at the top of the mountain island, you have a "bird's eye view", of the many marinas that service Greers Ferry Lake. 

In the photo below, Laura is pointing to some trees just below her that have already changed to their "autumn auburn" leaf color, although most trees still have on their summer green "outfits"!

Greers Ferry Lake has 340 miles of shoreline, and much of it can be seen from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain Island!  The fact that there are TWO Sugarloaf Mountains in this area can be confusing to tourists.  This blog article is about Sugarloaf Mountain Island.  I wrote about the hikes our group did on  the other Sugarloaf Mountain (closer to Heber Springs, Arkanasas), in a blog dated December 26, 2020, that you can find in the Archives.

Greers Ferry Lake was formed when a dam was constructed across the Little Red River in Cleburne County, Arkansas.  It opened in 1962, and was dedicated in October, 1963, by President John F. Kennedy.  It was his last major public appearance before the president's assassination in November, 1963.

The jubilant gestures the hikers show in the photo above, express our joy in getting to have this magnificent experience together, in such magnificent weather, and with such magnificent views!

The Hebrew word for praise means "HANDS UPWARD TOWARD GOD", and that is the meaning I want for the photo of me, shown above.  When I reach a summit after a hike, and lift my hands, let the interpretation  be praise to God, NOT praise to Tricia!  One of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses from 1 Corinthians 1:31 says:  Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."   I do not want to boast about myself or my accomplishments, but rather boast about the undeserved grace of God on my life. 

I saw this graphic below on social media, and it captured my feelings about living a joyful life, where God is at work, with every step taken!

MILES OF SMILES!  Tricia