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
Gary Allman
Pictures of Gary Allman — If you don’t see me in one of the pictures below it means I’m featured in a picture in the post.
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
Good Morning. Hercules Glades – Day Two.
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.
Ginger & Gary December 2020
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.
Gary (without Ginger) on the Berryman Trail – The caption refers to a picture I took in March 2011, about three-quarters of a mile from where this picture was taken. 2 pictures
Morning Tea. Berryman Trail – Day Two, December 2020.
26 miles to go – The Ozark Trail Association keep this trail well maintained. There are regular blazes and distance markers every half-mile.
Open Wide – Attempting to resurrect my ailing PC with one of Ginger’s dental tools (she uses them for sculpting and texturing). Two-minute read
Gary – Hike finished and a tad damp – For the second time, my hike of the Big Piney Trail ends with rain. But I don’t mind with two nights out on the trail, over twenty-three miles hiked, 2,116 ft of elevation under my belt, and the last of trails in the Paddy Creek Wilderness hiked, it’s been a good weekend.
Lunch Break on the Big Piney Trail – here I am, sheltering from the rain by some small falls, while I have a cup of tea and heat up my lunch. 2 pictures
Ready to go – all packed up and ready for the five-mile hike back to the parking lot. Once again there is rain in the forecast on the final day of my hike.
Getting started – It was good to be back on the trail. 2 pictures
At my desk – November 2020. 2 pictures
Gary, back at the trailhead. Trip total, twenty-one miles and 2,000 ft. of elevation. I hiked a lot further this weekend than I expected.
Gary by the cab on the Pees Hollow Trail (October 2020) – A detour along the Pees Hollow Trail, lunch by ‘Cab Creek’ and another ‘Cab Selfie’ One-minute read
Gary at the junction of the Pilot and Devil’s Den West Trails – I encountered the second and last person I met during my three-day sojourn at Hercules Glades, here at the junction of the Pilot and Devil’s Den West trails. One-minute read
Gary, beanie, puffy, and hammock & the unexpected problems of losing weight – On this trip I was trying out new backpacking clothing options, and while I was checking how well my choices were working, I was slow to make changes when things weren’t. And that was a problem. Three-minute read
Gary at the Pole Hollow Cairn, October 2020 – what can I say? It’s become a tradition to take a selfie here.
Night, night, Tubby – Today we helped Tubby cross over the ‘Rainbow Bridge.’ It’s amazing how these little furry people manage to worm their way into our hearts. Even irritating ones like the Tubbmiester. Tubbs was the last man standing of our four cats and managed to see in eighteen years. One-minute read, 3 pictures
Hike over – Time for a quick selfie sitting in the back of the car. All in all, I hiked 11 miles and climbed 1,100 feet. Considering I’ve not done any exercising since my last trip (and that was only six miles), I’m happy with that result.
First trail junction of Day Two – This is the junction of the Pilot (Tower) Trail with the Devil’s Den East Trail (Upper Pilot Trail). 2 pictures