It was this stretch of trail where just 15 months ago I began my first section hike of the Ouachita Trail (completing it twice in 5 months!). This time I had a shuttle so it was just a one-way trip (eastbound). Much of the scenery was familiar, and even many of the pictures I took look similar to last time. One new thing was the side-trip to climb North Fork Pinnacle. As usual, I saw no other backpackers.
The OHTA had another work weekend, this time centered around the Ozone area.
My third hike of section 6 of the Ouachita Trail (maps 17-19). I actually went west-bound, from AR-298 to AR-27, and used the shuttle services of Bluebell Cafe so it was a one-way trip this time. It was so nice to get to the end and not have to turn around and hike all the same stuff again in the other direction to get back to my car.
Though I’ve been a member of the Ozark Highlands Trail Association for over 4 years and done numerous work trips with them, I’d never been on one of their backpacking trips until this weekend – a one-nighter with 7 other members on the west half of section 4.
I did an inspection hike of the eastern 10 miles of the Ouachita Trail – from Lundsford Corner to Pinnacle Mountain State Park – with another of the FoOT maintainers (M.S.). It was a bit chilly in the morning but quickly warmed and was a great day to be outdoors. There was a lot of small debris to throw/kick off the trail and only one obstruction that will require a chainsaw.
The Big Brushy Recreation Area serves as one of the major trail heads for the Ouachita Trail but there are 4 shorter trails that can be combined with the OT to create varying length loops. I hiked the 3.6 mile Brushy Creek Trail about a year ago, but covered the rest of them this time. Mountain bikes are allowed on all except Brushy Mountain Trail.
My first hike on the Black Fork Mountain Trail was more than 2 years ago and I decided it was time for another visit. This is in the western part of the Ouachitas – in Arkansas but pretty near the state line. This time it was an overnight trip, with the night being spent at the new Black Fork Mountain shelter, just 0.2 miles from the junction with the Ouachita Trail. As usual, there was much familiar and some not so much. With a high temp in the low 70’s and an overnight low of 55, it was another January trip that sure didn’t feel like January.
I last hiked section 5 of the Ozark Highlands Trail between the Ozone and Big Piney trail heads in the spring of 2013 in the opposite direction. I think this is probably the best scenery-per-mile section of the whole trail. About 8.5 inches of rain fell earlier in the week so just like last time every little creek was flowing and waterfalls were everywhere. Also like last time, this was a 4-day trip with friends from the Kansas City area.
I’ve never done one of these posts, and I guess they’re usually done on 12/31 but I was out hiking, ya know. According to my records, I spent 20 days on day hikes, 41 days on multi-day trips, and 33 days doing trail work. 94 days on the trail altogether – almost exactly a quarter of the year. Not bad, I think.
Part 2 consisted of hiking the Womble Trail west from the AR-298 trail head, where part 1 left off, to the end at North Fork Lake, then back. A central feature of this segment is Mauldin Mountain. On the south side of the mountain, near the east end, was the old town of Mauldin, which figures prominently in Sawmill: The Story of Cutting the Last Great Virgin Forest East of the Rockies. It was the population center of Montgomery County and the hub of operations for the Caddo River Lumber Company for many years but was basically disassembled and moved elsewhere after the last tree was cut in 1937. Only some concrete footings remain.
Michael R - The Compulsive Hiker
The Compulsive Hiker 