A Little Closer To Heaven

I thought I’d give everyone a REALLY quick update as to my life at this point. Christmas was awesome! It was my first married Christmas and it was waaay smoother than I thought it would be. It couldn’t have been any better. Plus, I got tons of awesome outdoor gadgets and goodies. I’ll be filling you in on all of the details soon, and I’ll follow up with gear reviews in the very near future.

Tomorrow, I’m heading to Branson, MO with the church youth group and we’ll be at a winter conference for a couple of days. I’ll update again when I return and should definitely be back into the swing of things after the new year. See ya then!

Derek

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There’s a very special place in Southeast Missouri that I’ve been to several times. Though it’s been reported about in Backpacker Magazine a few times, it still sees very few visitors. I’ve been there several times and never seen anyone else. It goes by several names…I call it Dark Hollow though I’m pretty sure it’s officially called Lower Rock Creek. It’s truly one of the most beautiful places in America, and yet very few people know about it or visit it.

To get there, take Highway 67 North from Southeast Missouri, or South from St. Louis. Just south of Fredericktown, MO go west on Highway E and turn right on County Road 511. Stay straight on 511 until you cross a low water bridge. There is a little unnamed road on the left almost immediately…take it. It’s actually more like a four-wheeler trail and I would recommend a higher clearance vehicle because I just about ripped the bottom off of my Honda Civic the first time I drove down it. Park in the parking area and the creek is just a short hike away.

Once you get there…take the trail on the left and it will lead straight to the creek in about a mile. The creek is absolutely beautiful. It’s surrounded by sheer cliffs and makes a great place for an adventure. Though there is a trail that follows the creek, it’s pretty much impossible to follow the trail because it fades in and out and crosses the creek several times. It’s an absolutely beautiful place to spend the day or even an overnight camping trip alongside the creek.

If you go when the creek is dry…just turn left and follow the creekbed as far as you like until you hit private property. If the creek is flowing pretty well…it’s a great place to fish. My cousin and I took an overnight camping trip there while the creek was up one time and the fishing was amazing. We would hook a fish everytime we would cast simply because the area is never, ever fished. Whatever adventure you have in mind…this is one of my favorite areas in Missouri. Perfect for solitude, and absolutely beautiful. If you’re ever in the area…you’ve just gotta see it for yourself.

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Hey all my faithful readers…just a quick update. Sorry I have been really sporadic with my posts lately, but it is the Holiday season and I’ve been terribly busy. I’m not sure it’s gonna get any less sporadic until after the New Year. I’m leaving for Southeast Missouri on Saturday morning and then heading to Branson, MO for a conference right after my holiday. I’ll be back on New Year’s eve, and then probably will go back to my regular daily posting on January 2. I’ll try to squeeze some posts in between somewhere but I’m not making any promises until after the new year. So…you’re patience and faithfulness are greatly appreciated. Check back often as I will try to update a couple of times a week, even during the Holidays.

I’ve got a lot of really great stuff I’ll be posting about VERY soon. Seeing as I’m from Southeast Missouri originally, I thought I’d spotlight a couple of the beautiful areas near where I grew up. I’m hoping to get away to one of them while I’m home for the holidays. Believe it or not…there’s a lot of beauty to be seen around there. That way, if you’re ever in the area, you’ll know a great getaway, even if only for a couple of hours. Also, very soon, I’ll be giving my outdoors year in review…It’s been an exciting one. And I’ll be letting you know about all my new Christmas gear and goodies and giving a lot of reviews in the coming weeks.

Thanks so much for all of the support everyone’s given me. I’ve been surprised at how many people read this regularly and care about what I think. Thanks for making my writing worth while! I continue to write because I just cannot keep my love for God and everything outdoors quiet! But without all of my faithful readers…I’m writing in vain! Thank you and God bless! And if I don’t post again before Christmas…well…have a very, very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Yeah…I know the Christmas picture is cheesy…and it’s from last year…and I wish I was still that tan!

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We had our first snow of the year this weekend! It wasn’t much…but it was so exciting! We got about a half-inch here with a little more than that in the Buffalo National River. I love the first snowfall of the season. There’s so much excitement the first time you look out the window or step outside and see the ground turning white and the snowflakes falling all around. It didn’t last very long though. Most of it melted off today and the rest will melt off tomorrow (typical ozarks snowfall).

I feel like I have not stepped foot outside in forever. Probably because it’s been raining for the past few weeks. The great thing about the rain is that it has brought the river up tremendously meaning canoe season for me has started yet again. I just have to find time to get on the river during the holiday season. All of this rain is causing me to gain some weight because I haven’t been able to run. This week looks better, so I’ll be back in the routine before I know it. I gotta get in shape for those 14ers!

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I know this has nothing to do with the outdoors, but I’m hyped! LOST season 3 came out on dvd today and I bought it. I’m just hoping this writer’s strike ends soon so there will be a season 4! It’s the only show I watch on TV! As a matter of fact, in honor of the writer’s I will not blog today…crap…I just blew it.

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