Exploring some old trails, Irish Wilderness, April 2025
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A trip exploring a couple of old trails, looking for water sources, and seeking another campsite overlooking the Eleven Point River.
More >Trip Reports
Berryman Trail, Missouri, Revisited, March 2024
I experienced some health issues during my last hike on the Berryman Trail, and the same issue canceled my next planned trip there. Finally, it’s time to hike the trail again.
More >Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness, February 2025
My first plan for four days hiking the Berryman Trail was dashed. I decided to spend three days on the Big Piney Trail at Paddy Creek Wilderness instead. It was a good hike, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
More >Hercules Glades in the snow, January 2025
I’ve never been backpacking or camping in true winter conditions with snow on the ground. A forecast winter storm in Southwest Missouri on January 9 and 10 was just what was needed to let me get some time out when the trail conditions would be a bit more challenging.
More >Four days hiking the Berryman Trail, Missouri, December 2024
This was my last backpacking trip of 2024. I got nowhere near my goal of hiking 240 miles in 2024, but spending four days hiking the twenty-seven-mile Berryman Trail near Potosi, Missouri, got me a bit closer. However, the trip didn’t start quite as smoothly as I anticipated.
More >Four days hiking the Whites Creek Trail, Irish Wilderness. December 2024
There was a break in the weather and even some rain in the forecast. I went to Irish Wilderness and hiked the Whites Creek Trail counterclockwise, taking a leisurely four days to do so.
More >Getting outside my comfort zone, Paddy Creek Wilderness, December 2024
I’ve not spent much time on the trails this year, so I decided to get outside my comfort zone and put in some miles with the daytime temperatures below freezing.
More >2024 January – June Backpacking Round-up
The year started well with two trips out in January, followed by another four trips by the end of April, including a three-day outing to the Mark Twain National Forest to watch the total solar eclipse. Read on for links to all the trip write-ups, plus notes on my gear changes.
More >2023 Backpacking Round-up
A quick roundup of the backpacking trips I managed to fit into 2023. And, of course, some pictures.
More >Video: Hiking to the Trailhead via Long Creek. Hercules Glades Wilderness, March 2023
Video. Part way through a recent Hercules Glades five-and-a-half-mile hike back to the trailhead, I decided to make a rough video of the remainder of my hike for my family in the UK. I’ve never done this before and may not bother again, but here are the final three-and-a-half hours of my hike, compressed into 14 minutes.
More >2022 Backpacking Round-up
A quick roundup of the few backpacking trips we managed to fit into 2022. And, of course, some pictures.
More >One-night stay in the Devil’s Backbone Wilderness
We try out some new gear, and once more I manage to break something … Trip write-up: three-minute read.
More >Roundup of my 2020 backpacking trips
With my final trip of 2020 over it’s time to sum up what I did and where I went.
More >Trip Report – three days in Piney Creek Wilderness
Rain, thunder, a flooding lake, wading, and bushwhacking make for a different start to a weekend’s R&R. Piney Creek Wilderness. Trip write-up: Ten-minute read, 45 pictures
More >Two nights and a superb sunrise on the Bell Mountain Trail
Two nights and a superb sunrise on the Bell Mountain Trail – Many years ago I read about hammock camping on Bell Mountain and the beautiful dawn vistas to be had looking out over Shut-in Creek. Ever since I read that article I’ve wanted to camp there and watch the dawn. Trip write-up: 12-minute read. 38 pictures.
More >February 2020, Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness
February 2020, Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness – It was time for me to get out and clock up a few more miles. We first planned to visit Paddy Creek Wilderness in late December 2011, but with high winds in the forecast, we decided to go to Piney Creek instead. Somehow Paddy Creek Wilderness never featured in our plans after then. Now was a good time to put that right. Trip write-up: 24-minute read. 69 pictures
More >January 2020, Three Days At Devil’s Backbone Wilderness
January 2020, Three Days At Devil’s Backbone Wilderness – I visited old haunts and hiked the last of my un-trod trails in this wilderness. Trip write-up: 17-minute read. 48 pictures
More >Piney Creek Wilderness – January 2020
Piney Creek Wilderness – January 2020 – A three day, two night, relaxing stay by the lakeside in Piney Creek Wilderness. Trip write-up: 11-minute read. 54 pictures.
More >This can only mean one thing …
After a seven-month break, I’m finally back on the trail with my last hike of 2019. This is going to be a shake-down hike, with lots of new gear to check and test, plus I need to get back into the swing of hiking and camping.
More >Hercules Glades – Visiting the Bluffs, Exploring Long Creek, and a Visit to ER
Despite my best intentions, I’ve been too busy to get out on the trails since my last trip in March. This weekend I decided to fix that with three days hiking at Hercules Glades. My plan was to catch a sunset from the bluffs and do some exploring down Long Creek. Things didn’t quite end up how I’d planned though.
More >Trip Report – ‘Wet Feet Hike’
I was determined to get out on a couple of free days no matter what the weather was. The forecast was for rain and as it had been raining a lot the past few days I was expecting the trails to be wet.
More >Trip Report – Four Days, Three Nights, and Two Wildernesses
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.
More >Trip Report – When a Backpacking Trip Goes Wrong
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.
More >Trip Report: Three Days Solo Backpacking in Late January
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.
More >Trip Report: Four Days Backpacking at Hercules Glades
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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