Conditions:Armadillos Escondidos (Lost Valley)-20241029143149
Latest: |
26 Oct 2024 (5 mos ago) |
|---|
| Reported by: | Metaconid (6 reports) | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality: | Great |
|
| Waterflow: | Dry |
|
| Wetsuit: | None |
|
| Water temperature: | ||
| Difficulty: | Normal |
|
| Time: |  4 hours
|
|
Team: 2 people with experience level Advanced
Trip report URL:
Comments: The three falls you’ll descend in the westerly hollow are called “Armadillo Falls” by the waterfall photographing community. The more easterly of the hollows has no nickname. So, we’ve called these two hollows the “hidden armadillos,” since they are right next to a well-trodden trail but seen by few people. October is typically a pleasant transitional month in Arkansas and October 2024 was no exception. September was a record-setting dry month (less than 0.2” in Ponca) and October was bone dry before we hiked. In fact, when we hiked, we were still adding days to the record-setting longest period without rain in northwest Arkansas. The week prior to this descent saw record setting high temps on Tuesday and Wednesday (nearly 90 degrees). Not surprisingly, there was no water in the easterly hollow and only a trickle emanating from a spring in the second one. The day we hiked was a bit cooler than the prior days, with a high temperature in the lower 70s and occasional cloud cover.
You can complete either hollow as a standalone hike, but it may be too short to warrant a trip out just for one. However, this loop is easy to do and both hollows are stunningly beautiful and feature lots of geological bang for the buck, especially if you hike upstream to see Eden Falls and the other interesting features in Lost Valley. Thus, I give this loop a fairly high rating despite its short length.
All condition reports
| Date | Quality | Waterflow | Wetsuit | Difficulty | Time | Team | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great | Dry
| None
| Normal | 4 hours
| 2 people Advanced | Metaconid (6 reports) | |
Comment: The three falls you’ll descend in the westerly hollow are called “Armadillo Falls” by the waterfall photographing community. The more easterly of the hollows has no nickname. So, we’ve called these two hollows the “hidden armadillos,” since they are right next to a well-trodden trail but seen by few people.
October is typically a pleasant transitional month in Arkansas and October 2024 was no exception. September was a record-setting dry month (less than 0.2” in Ponca) and October was bone dry before we hiked. In fact, when we hiked, we were still adding days to the record-setting longest period without rain in northwest Arkansas. The week prior to this descent saw record setting high temps on Tuesday and Wednesday (nearly 90 degrees). Not surprisingly, there was no water in the easterly hollow and only a trickle emanating from a spring in the second one. The day we hiked was a bit cooler than the prior days, with a high temperature in the lower 70s and occasional cloud cover. You can complete either hollow as a standalone hike, but it may be too short to warrant a trip out just for one. However, this loop is easy to do and both hollows are stunningly beautiful and feature lots of geological bang for the buck, especially if you hike upstream to see Eden Falls and the other interesting features in Lost Valley. Thus, I give this loop a fairly high rating despite its short length. | |||||||
