2021 Backpacking Round-up
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A quick roundup of our 2021 backpacking trips and a rundown on our gear changes. And, of course, some pictures.
More >Places We’ve Been
Trip Report: Piney Creek, Three Days Solo Backpacking
Ninety-degree temps, and three days spent by Table Rock Lake at Piney Creek Wilderness. Some much needed rest & Recuperation time.
More >Busiek Orange Trail
A warm break in the weather sent us scurrying out to get some miles on the trail, this time we opted for Busiek’s Orange Trail.
More >Trip Report: Backpacking on the Hercules Glades Pees Hollow Trail
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 […]
More >Short Hike on the Yellow Trail at Busiek
We decided to fit in a quick hike at Busiek this weekend. We were originally planning on going backpacking at Hercules Glades, but life (this time in the form of pet-sitting for friends) threw a spanner into that plan. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to test some of the new backpacking gear we’ve bought, […]
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 >Another Short Hike at Busiek
We’re still working on getting back in condition. Today, we wanted to increase the distance and elevation climbed while, not getting too wet and muddy, and not driving too far. We settled on hiking the complete Silver Trail at Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area.
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 >An Afternoon Hike at Compton Hollow Conservation Center
I have a confession. We stopped hiking in 2013, it wasn’t deliberate. First we missed our ‘annual’ Spring Break backpacking trip, then we both got tied up with work. I abandoned my semi-retired state, and getting out just faded away. No backpacking, almost no hiking, kayaking or fishing. It all stopped. We made an attempt […]
More >Glade Top Trail – Mark Twain National Forest – Taney County & Ozark County Missouri
The Glade Top Trail is not a recognised hiking or backpacking route. It is a spectacular drive of over 23 miles on unpaved roads within 60 miles of Springfield and Branson. It’s especially worth visiting in the fall.
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 >What does your MO look like?
Hercules Glades Wilderness – Pees Hollow Trail Day Hike
We’ve not been getting out enough of late so we grabbed a chance on Saturday to see some fall color and hike the Pees Hollow Trail at Hercules Glades Wilderness.
The Pees Hollow Trail runs north from the Hercules Tower Trailhead off of Highway 125.
More >Trip report: Backpacking in Hercules Glades – September 2012
Taking advantage of a long weekend, we took Lanie with us on a three day backpacking trip to Hercules Glades. Our plan was to map some of the western trails with the GPS, try to find the Spring we think Rock Spring Trail is named after, and show Lanie the falls.
More >Trip report: Memorial Day weekend backpacking at Hercules Glades Wilderness
Memorial Day weekend 2011. We took advantage of the long weekend to go backpacking at Hercules Glades Wilderness and spent three nights in the wilderness.
More >Photo gallery: Sac River Trail
Welcome to our gallery of photographs taken on the Sac River Trail.
More >Photo gallery: Hercules Glades
Welcome to our gallery of photographs taken at Hercules Glades Wilderness. Click on a picture to see a larger version.
More >Photo gallery: Big Bay Campground
Welcome to our gallery of photographs taken at Big Bay Campground.
More >Two nights camping at Big Bay Campground, Table Rock Lake, Missouri
We braved the 100°F plus temps to spend some time by Table Rock lake. What we found were hot sunny days, a lot of forgetfulness, rain filled nights, and a villainous squirrel…
More >Berry Bend Campground – Harry S Truman Lake, Missouri
Berry Bend Campground. sits on a promontory reached via short causeway on the Osage River Arm of Harry S Truman Lake, 29 Miles from Clinton Missouri, 18 miles from the junction with Highway 13 and 11 miles from Warsaw Missouri.
More >Red Bluff Campground, Davisville, Missouri
Red Bluff Campground, is situated in the Huzzah Valley about a mile from Davisville, Missouri and 18 miles from Steelville, south of Cuba and I44. How to get there.
More >Big Bay Recreation Area, Shell Knob, Missouri
On the shore of Table Rock Lake, near the town of Shell Knob, Missouri, lies the Big Bay Recreation Area. Unique on Table Rock, it’s the only campground owned by Mark Twain National Forest. It’s a primitive campground, meaning there is no electricity, no drinking water or showers, though there are flush toilets. But most of the 35 campsites are along the shore of the lake which can be accessed by a short path. Screening between the campsites is quite good, so it’s a great place to have your own little private summer lake holiday.
More >Places to go: Piney Creek Wilderness
Right off the bat, the most unusual thing about this Wilderness area is that its boundaries circumscribe the entire drainage of Piney Creek. So you always start on a ridge and go down into the valley of the same creek system. There isn’t a lot of up and down all day hiking. Once you’re down in the valley it’s flat. Piney Creek opens into Table Rock Lake on the east, allowing access to and from the lake…
More >Ozarks Hikes: Sac River Trail
There’s a little-known trail just north of Springfield, within the city limits, that will give you miles of moderately rugged hiking and exposure to streams, woods, and open fields. The Springfield-Greene County Park Board owns the 300 acres that contain well over 8 miles of natural surface single track. The trail is rocky in places, muddy in places, and winds back and forth an amazing amount. There are no steep climbs but the trail goes up and down enough, and has many small seasonal stream crossings and plenty rugged rocks to give you a decent hiking workout.
More >Trip report: Hercules Glades day hike with MDC
We wanted to backpack in the Hercules Glades Wilderness, but we’d never been there. We decided to reconnoiter the Wilderness first, in preparation for our first ever backpacking trip. We found out that MDC’s Springfield Nature Center was organizing a ‘Hiking Club’ trip to Hercules Glades, so we signed up to go. The group is limited […]
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