Final trip of 2020 over — Not the most flattering of pictures. A quick summary of my hike out, and my year’s backpacking efforts. One-minute read, 2 pictures
Backpacking
Everything backpacking: our gear, trip write-ups, and individual pictures.
Tales of stupidity — Camped overlooking ‘Twin Falls Hollow’ – This trip had been dogged by a series of stupid mistakes. My final mistake could easily have been fatal, but as is usually the case when I do something stupid, I was lucky and got away with it. Until possibly, one day I won’t. Five-minute read, 4 pictures
Gary at the Blair Ridge Trailhead – The hike from the Falls to the Blair Ridge Trailhead is supposed to be around three-and-a-half miles. I’d say it was nearer to three. It was a cold, dull, gray day, so no pictures. Anyway, it was just standard Ozarks ridge trail scenery. That’s my last unhiked trail in Hercules Glades completed. One-minute read, 4 pictures
Vertigo – Watch your step, it’s a fairly steep drop of around 100ft and a very narrow trail. I made sure I didn’t drop a hiking pole while taking a picture here.
Small Falls on Long Creek. 2 pictures
Meet the Flintstones – Looks like somewhere Fred, Wilma, and Pebbles might live. It’s another overhang campsite, but this one has more home comforts and a rock-edged path down to the creek where there is a wide pool. 3 pictures
Long Creek. Hercules Glades – Day Three – This is the spot nearest to my campsite and where I drew my water. What you can’t see in this picture are the frozen bits.
Overhang Campsite – When I camped here in May 2019 I ended up in the ER the next day.
Getting ready to break camp on Day Three.
Lower Pilot – from the Coy Bald Trail, Hercules Glades Wilderness. I started my day camped about three-quarters of a mile to the west (left) of the Lower Pilot. One-minute read
The Pilots – Seen from the Coy Bald Trail.
Looking up Long Creek (east). Hercules Glades – Day Two.
I stopped for lunch and to refill my water bottle, and I learned a lesson while I was about it. One-minute read
View out of Hercules Glades Wilderness to the north. 2 pictures
I get my day’s breakfast and trail food out first thing so I don’t forget to unpack it before I break camp and put everything in my backpack.
Good Morning. Hercules Glades – Day Two.
Camped by ‘Deep Hollow’ – After years of camping down in hollows to be near water, I am now learning the advantages of going higher and putting up with a longer trek to fetch water. 2 pictures
Ice in ‘Deep Hollow’ – Okay, so I managed to let one of my hiking poles fall into the hollow while taking the previous picture. Which meant I had to climb down and retrieve it. While I was there, I took this picture.
Ice falls – In ‘Deep Hollow.’ One-minute read, 3 pictures
A rather sluggish grasshopper.
Unexpected ice – there was a lot more ice on the trail than I expected. Hercules Glades – Day One. 2 pictures
Last Backpacking trip of 2020 – I’m planning on staying out three nights, finding my way to Beaver Creek to the north of the bluffs, and hiking the only trail here that I haven’t hiked yet. Hercules Glades – Day One.
End of trip selfie – Day Four – In total I’d hiked 27.5 miles and climbed over 2,600ft. I’m still not particularly fit, but my averages are rising.
Splashes – As anticipated, the hike out was cold and damp. So I ‘poured on the coal’ again and got moving. I wanted to get to the warmth and heated seat in the car as soon as possible.