Another trail building season at the Buffalo River is over with no actual building to report. This time it was all maintenance due to the private property and archaeological obstacles that remain. We lopped brush and removed all the fallen trees we could from the Wollum Ford to AR-14 – about 35 miles in all. Some big trees remain for the Park Service to deal with and a few other areas that need reconstruction were noted.
Another work weekend on the OHT with the Ozark Highlands Trail Association. The primary target this time was a bunch of trees on the trail east of the Richland Creek Wilderness between mile markers 141 and 142 – south of the landslide area. Seven of us were able to remove those trees, reroute about 100 yards of trail, and trim the brush along 1/2 mile of trail in that general area on Saturday, exceeding expectations.
We’ve had a couple nice weekends since my trip to Wyoming and I spent them doing trail work on both the Ozark Highlands Trail and the Ouachita Trail. This weekend, however, it was time to kick off the local backpacking season – with a one-nighter in the Hurricane Creek Wilderness. The fall color was just starting in that area and added a bit of visual interest.
It’s my first hike in Wyoming and what a way to start! The Wind River Range is a 100-mile long mountain range in western Wyoming (just south of the Tetons) that includes most of the state’s highest peaks and is probably on most backpackers’ to-do list.
Some friends and I were in Lander WY with an afternoon free before beginning a trip in the Wind River Range so we visited Sinks Canyon State Park. The main feature here is a large canyon where the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River disappears (sinks) into a cavern and then reappears (rises) about 1/4 mile away.
Fall seems far off but it’s time to start making some plans! Work on the Buffalo River Trail between Tyler Bend and Red Bluff Road is set to resume Oct 16 2015 and run through Nov 1. American Hiking Society will have a crew there Oct 18-24 with BRT alumni slated for Oct 25-31. We’ll be camping at Tyler Bend, as usual, where the flush toilets and hot showers are much appreciated and our camping fees are waived. Look for our “headquarters” – a big white canvas wall tent – around the north west corner of the regular campground, not the group campground.
Here’s my summary of the Spring 2015 session. The archaeological and private property obstacles in the area between Red Bluff Road and South Maumee Road remain, so it looks like we’ll mostly be clearing brush along already-finished trail, constructing rock steps and cribbing, fixing erosion problems, and working with the OHTA to build a small bridge across a gully west of the Grinders Ferry trail head.
Whatever your abilities, we’ll find something for you to do and provide the tools.
The largest known cave system in the world. It’s pretty big. One might even say it’s mammoth, and it was kinda on my way home from Virginia so I figured I had to stop at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
The one stop I planned during my drive back home from Virginia was the Red River Gorge Geological Area (RRGGA) in eastern Kentucky. This is 29000 acres of the Daniel Boone National Forest protected since the 1960’s when it was to be flooded by a dam. Combined with the 12600+ acre Clifty Wilderness to the east and Natural Bridge State Park to the south, there can be found over 100 natural bridges and arches along with numerous rock shelters, cliffs, caves, and other formations. It’s definitely a geological wonder, and has been on my to-do list for a while. In the one day I spent here, I barely scratched the surface.
I planned one stop on the way back from Virginia but added two more. The first was New River Gorge National River – a 72,000 acre national park that encompasses 53 miles of the New River. The area is chock-full of hiking, camping, floating, fishing, and other recreational opportunities as well as driving tours if you don’t feel like doing anything. Nearby is the Gauley River, which is a popular destination for whitewater enthusiasts.
My brother and I hiked through part of the Thunder Ridge Wilderness, across Apple Orchard Mountain, and down to Apple Orchard Falls. It was just under 8 miles for the round-trip, a bit more than half on the AT and the rest on the Apple Orchard Falls Trail.
Michael R - The Compulsive Hiker
The Compulsive Hiker 