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Michael R - The Compulsive Hiker
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Author Archives: Michael R
Smith Creek Loop backpacking
What is likely to be my last backpacking trip around here until autumn was a one-nighter on the Smith Creek Loop southeast of Columbia MO this weekend. I and two others started at the Boydsville trail head and hiked around … Continue reading
Ozark Highlands Trail – Ozone to Big Piney
I’ve returned from a 4 day trip to hike section 5 of the Ozark Highlands Trail – from the Big Piney trail head west to the Ozone campground trail head.
Kaintuck Hollow #3
I spent another weekend in the Kaintuck Hollow area – this time with a small group from the local Sierra Club’s semi-annual “Backpacking 101” class. We hiked-in to the natural bridge Friday, set up camp, and explored the watershed feeding … Continue reading
Hercules Glades in the Spring
I spent the weekend in the Hercules Glades Wilderness with a small group from the Sierra Club. It was my third visit but the first in the spring. I was hoping there would be a lot more water in Long’s … Continue reading
Irish Wilderness
St Patrick’s weekend found me visiting the Irish Wilderness for the third time. It was essentially a repeat of the second trip with a different group and different weather. It was the first backpacking trip for the GoLite Jam 70, … Continue reading
Kaintuck Hollow Trail
The Kaintuck Hollow Trail is actually a system of trails in the Mill Creek Recreation area southwest of Rolla MO. It was the site of my first backpacking trip almost two years ago, and where I spent this past weekend … Continue reading
MTNF – Cedar Creek District
There is a 15000 acre piece of the Mark Twain National Forest southeast of Columbia MO that features the Pine Ridge and Dry Fork Recreation Areas (with decent-looking campgrounds), 22-mile Cedar Creek trail, 5-mile Smith Creek loop, and about 5 miles … Continue reading
Shawnee Mission Park trail work
Work on the “red” trail at Shawnee Mission Park has resumed and for the first time in a long time, my schedule permitted me to participate. There’s one final piece about a mile long to build and it’s mostly going … Continue reading
A Wintry Irish Wilderness
The winter storm on Christmas left a lot of snow over northern and central Arkansas and vetoed my original plan for a 5-day New Year’s weekend trip in the Ouachita Mountains. One of several “Plan B” trips was the Irish … Continue reading
Shores Lake & White Rock Loop
The Shores Lake & White Rock trail is a bit east of Ft Smith AR and connects Shores Lake and White Rock Mountain in a 13-mile loop. The northern part of the loop is shared with the Ozark Highlands Trail. … Continue reading
The Compulsive Hiker 