Alley Springs

Alley Springs. 

Photo by

  
Lora Noll  

Written by 
LeRoy Walls 
CEO 

Our picnic lunch was packed and as soon as the Sunday service was over at Mt. Pisgah Church, Uncle Warren’s, Uncle Floyd’s and our family were on our way to Alley Springs. Each family drove their own car but I squeezed into Uncle Warren’s 1941 Chevy with my cousins - Dennis, Dean and Gary.

It was early September and there was a touch of autumn in the air as we pulled into the National Park area. The old red mill was open. After a quick look at the spring, which powers the mill, we went inside. The guides were using the mill to grind corn and explaining to the adults how all the belts, pulleys and shafts were turned by the water wheel.

After going through the second floor of the mill we headed out around the spring. The spring is like a big perfectly round and clear pond with a small river running off of it.

Having finished our picnic lunch, my sister Carolyn and cousins Dennis, Dean, Gary and Barbara started following the rough trails near the spring and spring branch. These led up and over huge rocks and up and up into the rough woods. Alley Springs is along the Jack’s Fork River valley. Jack’s Fork River is known for being a great canoe floating river as it winds its way through a literal Ozark canyon.

Going up the Ozark mountain was mighty slow but pure joy as we pulled ourselves onward and upward. It was with a sense of achievement that we reached the top for a deserved rest. Even with a restricted view from the underbrush it was a "mountain top" experience for these 8-12 year olds.

Unfortunately, the trip back down was a borderline nightmare for some of us. The momentum and drive that worked so well going up worked against us heading down. In some places we scooted down on the seat of our britches and in other places we zigzagged back and forth hanging on to the roots and saplings.

In the worst spots the youngest ones took the attitude of a kitten on its first tree climb and refused to come down. It became one of our best examples of teamwork among Walls cousins as we teamed up to get everyone down. By joining together with wristlocks we all got back down the mountain to proudly tell our folks. It sure was a rough old hill but nothin’ we couldn’t handle!

12/31/1999