Horseshoe Canyon Ranch over 4th of July Weekend

Hey all - I'll be headed to HCR for the first time for the long weekend over the 4th of July. Just looking for suggestions for how to make the best of our time there.

I'm still new to outside climbing and will probably stay on stuff in the 10a and below range, maybe some 10b (Sour Girl perhaps?) if I'm feeling confident toward the end. Right now I was planning on spending most of my time at the North Forty and maybe getting over to the Far East to hop on Orange Crush. I know it will be hot and buggy - are there areas other than North Forty that would be better shaded or are otherwise better for the summer?

Also a non-climbing question: I'm currently training for a marathon and would really prefer to not miss my 15 mile run scheduled for that Saturday...I'll be staying up in the Harrison area (halfway between HCR and Branson). Does anyone know of any good running routes/roads in that area? Even something like a short running path that I could loop 5 times would be okay and preferable to figuring out a sketchy route on roads I'm not familiar with.

Hey Eric! I was at HCR last weekend and the weather was tolerable. The North40 is your best bet for the summer - it has the least amount of overgrowth and you can generally chase shade. Plenty to do there that is under 10a as well. The East side can bake in the summer so if you decide to head over there get an early start.

Don't forget that the Buffalo River is nearby and a great place to cool off in the afternoon.

Have fun!

Man, where were all you guys? We only saw one other pair of climbers the entire day on Sunday! Thursday and Friday were a little more populated but there were still no lines for any routes, even Green Goblin, Crimp Scampi, Cotton Candy, etc. Maybe 20 climbers in total at the North Forty those days. I know it's summer but I thought a holiday weekend might bring in some more crowds.

Perhaps I'm more tolerant of heat than most people but I was perfectly comfortable even in the afternoon if we picked routes in the shade (which 75% of the North Forty seemed to be). Only got one mosquito bite the whole time too!