Ouachita Recharge

Placated. I hadn't camped since May. My work-home life balance was askew, I was overwhelmed to the point of getting stress headaches, and I was snappy with everyone, especially my husband. I needed a get-away, but finding the time was the problem. I just had so much going on. The last week of July I finally had enough, threw my camping gear into my car, loaded up Callie and my newest little pup, Ghost, and hit the road. I had wanted a cool respite from the hot and humid Texas summer and there was only one place to get a break: mountains.

I'd visited the Ouachita Mountains in central Arkansas before, and knew I could go there for some solitude, bright green tunnels of trees, and cool, clear mountain streams. It was the perfect place to run away to, especially with my little white adventure dog and my new adventure dog in training. On the four hour early morning drive I daydreamed about little creeks, pitching my tent alongside a babbling brook, and maybe taking a dip in one of the many swimming holes that dot the mountainsides. I could feel the knots in my shoulders release as I turned off the paved highway onto the dirt forest service road, and they loosened ever more as I dove deeper into the trees, following the winding mountain road until I found a place to stop and swim for a bit.

Callie, of course, shot straight for the water, chasing sticks and leaves that swirled on the lazy current. Ghost, on the other hand, wasn't so sure what to think about the cold wet stuff on his paws. He only ever got about elbow-deep, but it was a start! I had intended to camp at Bard Spring, a recreation area with established campsites, but as I travelled through the forest I found a wonderful little spot right next to a little creek and pitched my tent on a patch of springy moss. I knew I would be the only one there that night, and that suited me just fine. The dogs wandered around a bit while I sat in my chair and read a book, though Ghost decided to wander too far and had to be put back on leash for a while.

Sitting down in the forest, listening to the birds and the creek, watching my dogs splash and play; it was exactly what I needed. I had needed a recharge, a break from day to day life, and this trip had done it. After our evening walk along the forest service road, after we had eaten dinner, and the evening had closed in around us, Callie, Ghost, and I crawled into the tent and I fell into the deepest sleep I've had since backpacking in the Grand Canyon. It was bliss.