Ozarks ECT

“Hey Steve Hiker, what is the plan for the Ozarks hike in January?”

“The big Ozarks ECT will be Jan. 27-29. Trail plan is not set, but so far we've suggested that some of us can get there Thursday night, hike Friday and meet up with the rest Friday night or Saturday morning, with most people leaving Sunday.

We should definitely do Hemmed-In-Hollow but on Saturday so everybody can see it. In a recent thread it was suggested we do Ponca to Kyles Landing, or vice versa. Some people can do the upper trail and some the old river trail, or a combination of the two. A side trip up to Hemmed In Hollow would be easy from the Horseshoe Bend area. The trails meet or come close to each other to where you could set up camp together. Slaty Place or down on the river at Horseshoe Bend.

At last count a couple months ago, the following folks were interested:

Leatherneck MS Jan. 25-27 ok
Trlhikr AR Jan. 25-27 ok
Mozark AR Jan. 25-27 ok
Wjgiles AR Jan. 25-27 ok
Bacpac AR Jan. 25-27 ok
TXWoodswoman TX Jan. 25-27 ok
Walkindude TN Jan. 25-27 ok
Bpbaby KY Jan. 25-27 ok
Stalker KS Jan. 25-27 ok
Steve Hiker LA Jan. 25-27 ok
Jerbear OH Avail after Xmas; keep informed
ChuckD TX interested
Radagast GA interested
Evergreen NC interested
Grunt maybe”

“That trail was what I suggested, but I don't remember the mileage. It would be good because of different intersecting trails, leaving several options. I just don't know if it will be long enough. Not that I am a power hiker or anything.”

“Ponca to Steel creek-2.3 miles, veiws of river high and low bluffs.
Steel Creek to Kyles Landing-7.9miles, Hours required 8-10 total.Panoramic veiws of river and side-canyons. Two 1/2 mile uphill stretches.”

“I'm still in.”

“in what dude............. womans underwear?”

“Well, actually I'm not wearing anything at the moment.”

“LOL.....



I go to another thread and look what happens!”

“You think I'm kiddin don't ya?”

“Nekkid man alert!!! LOL”

“Don't laugh..........pleeeeease.”

“it's an inney!!”

“Not my belly button ya putz!
LOL

BTW, Sorry for the severe thread degeneration.”

“did somebody say nekkid!!!!!!

uh WD mebbe ole pete ain't tawkin 'bout your bellybutton....

LOL........shew.......”

“I might be interested in joining you...”

“Welcome aboard Wade.”

“Are you the Wade Baker that I see on the OHTA site from time to time?”

“I'm still in as far as I know. Not laughing at you WD, you look gooood!!! Just wait till I get 20 years younger. LOl”

“I'm still in. Thur. night through Sun. All I need to know is where. Steve and Mozark, when ya nail down the particulars shoot me an e-mail.

I should have skipped the deer hunting and came down in Nov. Sounded like you all had a good time, and pics were great.”

“so..what's Mozark up to these days?? Hey jgeils, you two gonna do the NC trip (Linville) or what??

Drop me an email please and lemme know - k? Do ya think your better half can make it this time??

Tex”

“I'm pretty sure about Linville. I think Mozark is also. My better half won't go out when it is that cold. I'm going to try and do three trips that month. Early Jan. on the Ozark Highlands Trail with Mozark and the OHTA. The Linville Gorge trip and the Ozarks ECT. I'm going to have to grovel quite a bit for this.”

“Hey Mozark,will Steve Hiker want to hike with us hillbillies again?LOL”

“That is a good question JG! You are right about so many trips in January. I CAN'T WAIT!

Yes, Tex I'm going to Linville with you and JG. I may borrow a joke book from Lizard for your personal entertainment in the car.LOL When do we leave?

JG I'm thinking about dragging Jerbear down Section 7 of the OHT. That way I'd be caught up with the rest of you guys.

I gotta go play in the snow in Nebraska for a couple days.

Catch ya Later,
Moz”

“Don't try to camp at Slaty place - its just gravel and a frog pond I wouldn't drink from if it did have water. Lots of room for a big group on the river at the bend. I recommend that high trail too.”

“"Not my belly button ya putz!
LOL

Who's talking belly buttons!!!”

“Watchu talkin bout willis?!?!”

“Just keeping this in the limelight. Anyone else interested? Jan. 25-27.”

“Steve Hiker, maybe I have a foreign calendar, but the 27th is a Sunday and the 29th is a Tuesday. I am a bit confused, which is normal, but I would be interested in joining ya'll on this trip. Check your dates and let me know if I need to acquire a
new calendar. Are dogs permitted on the trip?”

“Steve, it would do me good if I would read all the messages. I see that you corrected the dates, so, disregard my last message. I'm not confused anymore, darn. I rather enjoy sharing my confusion, another time. Yes, I am interested in the trip. How bout my pooch, he is too.”

“bpbaby, what is your timeline for traveling west to the park? We could Kalaka, (thats car pool in ancient mesopatamian). Will you be traveling on 412?”

“Dawgs are OK -- as long as they don't eat me.”

“just read the rules from the park, no dogs on the trails. I'm getting tired of not being able to bring him. Sometimes I really dislike authority.”

“No dogs allowed in the Ozark N.F.? Didn't know that.”

“will the hike be in the forrest or the Buffalo National River. I was assuming the BNR, have I erred and made a poor assumption. The BNR does not allow dogs on the trails. Its too dangerous..."Danger Will Robinson, Danger !!!!" I don't think that the Forrest folks care.”

“I'm pretty sure some or all of the planned hike is in the Buffalo National River area. That's where we went in November. However I'm not from Arkansas and maybe jgiles (of J.Giles Band fame) or mozark can confirm how much of the trek will be in dog-begone country.

Funny you should mention it, because a dog followed us around for a full day on the November trip. Just showed up at Granny's Cabin and followed us to camp.”

“Stikmon, everything points to the hike being in the BNR area. There are so few people in the area in January that I doubt that anyone would notice a well behaved dawgy!

The camp grounds on the river are virtually vacant. Plus chances are we won't stay in any of them anyway. But, I'm leaving that up to SteveHiker. It is his trip!

Slaty Place is one cool place to camp. You can hear the wind howling all night long. The pond is basically full of horse urine. Yuck! I normally camp a 1/4 mile down the trail. Plenty of firewood, wind breaks and the ground is a lot softer to rest on. In January there will most likely be small drainages with water close by.”

“#$%# the rangers. I'm bringing Khatru. Coolest dog in Missouri. I'm in!!! By the time those dates get here, I'll be going nuts to get out. Keep me in the loop. My email is listed on my profile. are you guys in and around Little rock. I'm over in the bootheel of Missouri and I would like to meet someone to hike around with. Van Buren and the Ozark trail are my stomping grounds.”

“That's the spirit stikmon. Bring that doggie and fuk the rangers!”

“Stikmon you need to meet JGiles. He is from Jonesboro and hikes all over northern Arkansas.

If you are up for it try to meet us the first weekend of every month on the Ozark Highlands Trail. He and I with other backpackers are trying to do the entire trail this year. Contact me via email for details.

BTW - The rangers are very friendly in the BNR area so don't worry Be Happy!”

“Mozark, I will put the OHT meetings on my calendar. I hope I can make the trip in the Spring.”

“now that I have found some local hikers, I might be moving. I can;t predict the future, but there is an outside chance that I will soon be departing the scene (phooey). but I will hopefully be around for the BNR hike in late Jan. that might wind up being my last foray into the ozarks (boo hoo). will keep you in the loop as the future becomes clearer.

Jgiles, do you hang at gearhead in Jonesboro? I recently found it and have spent way too much $$$ there. they are moving to a new location on Main St and the shop will have a climbing wall. Cool, and now I might not be here to enjoy it.”

“Yeah, I buy some stuff from Gearhead, but he just doesn't carry much backpacking gear. Ted is a good guy though. Looking forward to his new store.”

“Ted is a great business person...wiling to special order whatever...he special ordered a pair of Merrills for my mother, crimey, now I got my mom shopping at an outdoor store...wonders will never cease.”

“I've had several emails about this trip which is coming up real soon, so here's the latest as I understand it. Keep in mind that I've lost my maps (gotta dig 'em out under piles of paper), so this may or may not be doable:

Friday evening -- Ponca trailhead to Steel creek (2.3 miles).

Saturday -- Side trip to Hemmed-In-Hollow. Steel Creek to Kyles Landing if time permits (7.9 miles). This may be a little too ambitious esp. with Hemmed-In-Hollow thrown it. So maybe camp someplace closer Sat. night.

Sunday -- Hike out.

Also, Mozark mentioned that Slaty Place Slaty Place is a cool place to camp. You can hear the wind howling all night long. The pond is basically full of horse urine but you can camp a 1/4 mile down the trail. Plenty of firewood, wind breaks and the ground is a lot softer to rest on. In January there will most likely be small drainages with water close by.

Comments from anyone with maps or who's more familiar with the trails?”

“Also the folks with an extra day could arrive Thursday night and do a trail Friday before meeting at Ponca.”

“I never found water at Slaty Place.

Horse Urine sounds Yum.”

“The water is not very close. Unless it is pouring rain.”

“If you want to go to hemmed in hollow then you might want to just camp on the river at horseshoe bend. Then on Sunday hike to Kyles via either the BRT or the ORT, depending on the river level. That would be a better place to camp than Slaty Place. Just my two cents.”

“What time do you recommend arriving on friday? is this going to be a nite hike? If so, I better go a get the headlamp that I added to my "gear I gotta have" list. Whats a good headlamp?”

“Steel creek is a campground. If you arrive late it would be better to just drive in to Steel creek. Not really any reason to carry a pack when there is no need to.”