After my earlier ill-fated trip to Devil’s Backbone Wilderness I was eager to go back and complete the hike. I also wanted to get out and try to meet my goal of two nights and 20 miles backpacking per month. To do this my “Four days, three nights, and two wildernesses” trip was conceived.
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There is no one quite as lost as the person who is mistakenly convinced that they know exactly where they are. There was a predicted break in the weather before this year’s polar vortex was due to descend again upon the Ozarks. The temps were going to be reasonable, and there would be sunshine. I decided to venture a bit further afield for three days solo backpacking at the Devil’s Backbone Wilderness, near Dora, Missouri. It ended up in a bit of a mess.
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This is my current base winter pack, which has kept me comfortable down to 23°F.
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Three Days Solo Backpacking in Late January – The weather had turned warm, and the recent snow had disappeared, so I headed off to Hercules Glades with the intention of spending some more time contemplating Life, The Universe, and Everything.
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A short look at what we’re doing/adapting to get out and about in the Ozarks in the colder weather.
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Hercules Glades Backpacking in November. Van problems forced me to select a nearby trail for a late fall break. Another visit to Hercules Glades was on the cards. [53 Pictures, lots of words and one short video]
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My cook pot, stove, and food (ready-made dehydrated meals) have been working well for both backpacking and camping. But the wind screen and pot stand are a little bulky and weighty – between a quarter and half a pound. So, in an idle moment, I thought I’d check and see what other options there might be. Read on to see what I found to replace them.
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When I last went backpacking I mentally earmarked three things to fix before my next trip. Here is what I’ve done.
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Ninety-degree temps, and three days spent by Table Rock Lake at Piney Creek Wilderness. Some much needed rest & Recuperation time.
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At some point I’ll write reviews on my hammock, underquilt, tarp and all the other paraphernalia involved in setting up for hammock camping. For now, I’ll share some of the things I’ve learned so far.
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A two-day hike at Hercules Glades to try out my new tarp and underquilt for my hammock. By taking a long route, I hiked 10 miles from the Coy Bald trailhead to Long Creek Falls and back.
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The last time Ginger and I went backpacking together was in August 2017. Family events, work, and lethargy has gotten in the way. For this trip, Ginger chose the trail — Hercules Glades Wilderness, Pees Hollow trail, and I chose the route — Counter-clockwise.
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An unplanned two-day hike at Piney Creek Wilderness.
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Pees Hollow Backpacking Trip – My new Hammock arrived last week and I couldn’t wait any longer to try it out.
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It was time to go out on my long awaited backpacking trip with a hammock. Plan ‘A’ was for us to go on a quick, one-night visit to Hercules Glades Wilderness. When Ginger decided she wasn’t going, I quickly came up with Plan ‘B’ which transformed the quick one-nighter into a solo three-day, Friday through Sunday trip.
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I’ve been wanting to try hammock camping for quite a while. I’m reluctant to purchase all the necessary gear unless it’s something I’m sure I will be comfortable with — and in.
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Just to manage expectations – if you want detailed instructions on how to make and light a campfire mosey on over to YouTube – there are hundreds of videos that’ll give you ideas. Here I’m just going to chat about fire lighters, share some fire making tips, and mention the tools we use when car […]
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We went eclipse backpacking on the Ozark Trail. The eclipse was more popular than I anticipated. My plan had been to wait until seven days before the event and pick a destination. I picked seven days because the weather forecast would be more reliable. Unfortunately, waiting that late meant that everything was already booked (and […]
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The next couple of months are going to be very busy for us, and opportunities for getting out hiking or backpacking will be limited. The prospect of a spell of warm Ozarks winter weather gave us a chance to squeeze in a midweek backpacking trip. We rearranged our work schedules and took off to Hercules […]
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MDC have published their latest advice on how to protect yourself from ticks and tick-borne illnesses.
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The 100 Missouri Miles challenge is to complete 100 miles of walking, running, biking, rolling, paddling or hiking on the trails of Missouri by the end of the year. You can register to take part
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We love campsites with spectacular views, who doesn’t? We hoped we’d managed to find a fantastic camping spot on top of a set of 260 ft. high bluffs overlooking Beaver Creek, in Hercules Glades Wilderness, we just needed to get there and check it out.
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We had a great three-day backpacking trip. We wanted to map and explore some trails we’ve not had time to hike before. Studying the maps, we found what we thought would be a fantastic place to camp for the night. It was. But where in the Ozarks is it?
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Eager to find a new sort of ground to cover, we turned our attention to the St. Francois Mountain area for our Spring Break trip. The St. Francois Mountains are an ancient granite mountain range that stands, literally, as an island in the limestone and dolomite former sea beds that are the Ozarks Plateau.
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