Trip Report: Piney Creek, Three Days Solo Backpacking
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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.
More >Campfire Chat
Hammock Test Setup
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.
More >Busiek Silver Trail – January 2018
We took advantage of some days with reasonable weather in January and went hiking in Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area. Busiek is just 20-minutes from Springfield, so for us, it’s a great place for a quick day hike.
More >C’mon Baby Light My Fire (or, How Do You Light Yours?)
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 […]
More >Gear Review: Cooking System: 2016 – To date
In 2016 we took a serious look at why we weren’t getting out backpacking as much as we’d like. Work was one of the major obstacles, but we also identified several gear issues that caused problems. One of those ‘pinch points’ was our cooking system. We wanted something lighter, smaller and simpler. I love both […]
More >How did we get here, and where are we headed?
Back in 2010 our outdoor recreation goals very quickly evolved. Within three months of our first weekend camping trip we’d bought kayaks to get out on the lakes, and in less than six months we went from car camping to backpacking and hiking. From the start we had difficulty finding campgrounds and sites as they […]
More >Trip Report: 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Backpacking
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 […]
More >A short hike and some hammock gear testing
The weather this weekend has been wonderful (especially considering it is still February). However, we’ve not had a chance to get away backpacking as we had commitments in town on Saturday. Today we went on a short hike at Busiek, hiking a little over three miles with around 700ft of elevation climbed. Remaining true to our recent experiences, […]
More >Pinch Points
When we stopped hiking / backpacking, we didn’t mean to. It started with a family wedding that coincided with our annual spring break trip, then work got busy, and all of a sudden years had passed. We tried to get out last year. We managed three short day hikes. In marketing you look to removing […]
More >If wishes were ponies
I’d have a whole lot of pack horses by now. This time last year (2015) we thought we were getting back into our hiking / backpacking stride, and we lost it. After about three hikes we stopped. Lots of work came in and we both spent most of the year tied to our desks and […]
More >Short hike at Busiek
We wanted a fairly quick and dry hike. Ginger didn’t want a repeat of Saturday’s wet and muddy trail.
More >Late Afternoon Paddle on the James River Above Lake Springfield
I decided to ignore the temperatures in the high nineties and take the kayaks and our youngest daughter out for a short run on the James River. The plan was to put in at the Southwood Access point, go up river and drop back down-river and take-out at Lake Springfield.
More >Caught on Google Earth
We found our van on Google Earth, it’s parked at the Coy Bald Trailhead, Hercules Glades.
More >Missouri Department of Conservation Tick Advice
MDC have published their latest advice on how to protect yourself from ticks and tick-borne illnesses.
More >A new look for the Ozarks Walkabout website
We’ve been updating the Ozarks Walkabout website with a new design developed to work seamlessly on all screen sizes from cell phones to giant desk-top monitors. Now you can read our site from home, the office, and out on the trail too.
More >Afternoon on Lake Springfield and the James River
Today I managed to break away from my desk and actually get out into the air. I picked an excellent day to get out. The temperature was fine, and we had a fantastic blue sky to contrast with all the greenery.
More >Getting Started: Hiking
Want to take part in the 100 Missouri Miles challenge? Here are some tips on how to get started.
More >The President joins all 50 States in proclaiming June 2013 as Great Outdoors Month
On May 6, Arkansas proclaimed June 2013 as Great Outdoors Month. Missouri issued a similar proclamation on May 16,
More >Sailing on Stockton Lake, Missouri
Sailing isn’t one of Ozarks Walkabout’s normal outdoors activities. In fact, despite looking a few years ago, I didn’t know that you could rent a sailboat in the Ozarks until last week.
More >100 Missouri Miles Challenge. We’ve signed up, have you?
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
More >Hammock Paddling
How about this idea for combining Hammock camping with paddling?
More >Link: Outdoor fun and learning at MDC Women’s Spring Fling
Women are invited to go into the wild with Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Experts will teach them how to shoot a bow and arrow, paddle a canoe, or pick some greens for dinner from woodland plants at Discover Nature Women’s Spring Fling on April 26-28 at Lake Doniphan Conference & Retreat Center near Excelsior Springs.
More >Link: To Heaven and Back on the Upper Jacks Fork
We love the Jack’s Fork River. Probably because our first camping experience was at Blue Spring Campground, by Jack’s Fork, near Mountain View, Missouri.
More >We’re packing for a different sort of trip
Spring Break 2011 we hiked the Berryman Trail. Spring Break 2012 we hiked Bell Mountain, got spooked at Rock Pile Mountain, stayed at Marble Creek campground, spent a couple of nights at Johnson’s shut-ins State Park at a campsite with a built in balcony, visited Taum Sauk and hiked the Mina Sauk trail and I […]
More >Visit a wildlife area and check out the animal tracks in the snow
