Wakefield Wanderings

NEW… We have created a map set and trail guide for the McGee Creek Natural Scenic Recreation Area that is now available in our Store

On this backpacking trip, Jana and I wanted to see what kind of good mileage we could make, now that we had reduced our pack weights greatly. We were both in GoLite Jam2 packs, and using 2 trekking poles each. Shawn’s pack was at 16.5 lbs total – with gear and food for 4 meals. Jana’s pack was at 11 lbs. These were drastic weight reductions since our summer 2008 trip, where we both had packs over 20 lbs – actually closer to 30 lbs.

We carried 1.5 L of water each, since we had to hike over 7 miles to a campsite near the lake. Jana had newer trekking poles, fewer than 9 oz for the pair. Shawn’s poles are cheaper, and should probably be replaced, weighing in at over 22 oz for the pair. We did receive the new Thermarest Neo we ordered for Jana just before the trip. This new inflatable sleeping pad can inflate to over 2 inches, but only weighs 9 oz for the short (4 ft) version. This is only slightly more than our closed cell pads, which are just over 8 oz for a trimmed 4 ft length, but the closed cell pads are much harder to sleep on.

We took the GPS in order to track our distance very carefully. We are planning 3 nights on the Ouachita Trail in May. We intend to cover over 50 miles on that trip, so knowing our hiking speed is necessary to plan correctly.

April 9, 2009

We left the parking lot at 3:45PM, which is at 835 feet elevation. We are trying a new routine where we hike for 45 minutes or so, then take a 10 to 15 minute break. During the break, we remove our shoes and sometimes our socks to help keep our feet from getting too sweaty or damp. Damp socks and feet will cause blisters much more quickly. We used a 2 layer cool mesh sock that should allow rubbing within the sock layers rather than between our skin and the sock. So far, so good – no blisters that evening.

We hiked the Little Bugaboo trail, the South Rim trail, the North Rim trail, and finally the North Fork trail. The North Rim trail ran along a ridge on the north side of Wildcat Canyon. The elevation was around 950 to 1050 ft for most of the North Rim trail.

As we hiked west, we saw clouds building in front of us, but they ended up moving north and we did not get any rain or close lightning. Also, we saw and smelled significant smoke from the south. We were concerned about where the grass fire was located, but it seemed to be several miles south. Since we were on the north side of the lake, we felt like we were pretty well protected from it moving our way. We decided that camping close to the lake shore, but still on the north side of the lake, would provide a good buffer from the fire possibly moving our way. However, we did notice at our dinner stop that when we unrolled the tops of our packs, some small amount of ash had accumulated in the rolled top. The weather forecast called for a wind shift bringing winds more out of the north and west, rather than the south, which would push the smoke away from us. It did stay quite windy both days, with gusts to around 30 mph. Most of the hike was in tree cover, so the wind did not blow directly against us too hard. Hearing the wind through the pine tree tops was a wonderful sound.

We stopped along the North Rim trail for dinner. We heated 2 cups of water on the aluminum can stove and made freeze dried Chicken Teriyaki. Our snack earlier that afternoon had been cereal and trail mix.

Our total mileage of 7.6 miles over 4.25 hours that first afternoon gave us an overall speed of 1.8 mph. Once we left the north fork trail, we had to hike off trail through a lot of thick brush and briars and this hurt our time quite a bit. This leg of the trip broke out to be about 1 hour and 10 minutes of rest and just over 3 hours of hiking.

We did not have to camp at C2, but we put that on our permit, so we thought it would be best to camp very close to C2. On future trips, there were some considerably nicer campsites near the North Fork trail that could be used. It was dark by the time we found a place setup our tarp tent, but we were able to find a suitable tent area, although it was more sloped that we would like.

We filled a 1L bottle with water at the lake shore and added a Katadyn MicroPur MP 1 tablet. This is a new water treatment method that we are trying. One tablet will treat 1L, and the tablets are extremely lightweight. They release chlorine dioxide, which is supposed to be effective against viruses, bacteria, giardia, and cryptosporidium. The only down side is that you must wait 4 hours for them to be completely effective. In our situation, we just added it before we went to bed and let it sit all night.

Jana used the new Thermarest Neo sleeping pad, while I was still on a shortened closed cell foam pad. We used the silk liners as a bag for each of us, and then covered those with the down quilt. Temperatures got down to about 45 degrees that night, and we stayed pretty warm. The wind did pick up and start gusting, so from time to time it would blow up under the quilt. Had it gotten much colder, we would have simply put on socks or cinched up the foot area of the quilt. Jana used foam ear plugs, which really seemed to block out the loud frogs and other noises. Shawn thinks he will try that next time as well.

April 10, 2009

We woke up around 6:30, and thought about leaving camp by 7 or 7:30. We got dressed and heated water for coffee. We had some liquid instant coffee concentrate to try that morning. It was easy enough, but did not have great flavor. We plan to look at other options for our morning java juice. After coffee, we heated water to make oatmeal with raisins. After eating breakfast, we started packing our sleeping gear, other gear, and then the tent. We also needed to fill up our water bottles and treat water. Since we were going to be drinking it soon, we used our Polar Pure water treatment on water collected from the lake. Polar Pure is an iodine based product that only takes 20 minutes to work. The negatives on it are some iodine taste and a heavy bottle for the product itself. We were finally ready to start hiking around 7:55 AM. We talked about ways to improve this departure time. Possible options could be to eat a dry or non-heated breakfast or to just eat on the trail at our first rest break.

We wanted to get some extra miles in the second day. So, instead of coming back to the ranger station following the same route we took the evening before, we turned off of the Little Bugaboo trail onto the West Branch trail. We hiked the West Branch trail hoping to find another backpack campsite, but we ran out of time before we made it that far. We turned back, so that we could get some tasty Mexican food in Atoka

When hiking in the previous night, we saw a concrete structure that appeared to be the location of the spring near Box Spring camp. As we came back through this next morning, we stopped and looked at it more closely. It was a spring, and although it was flowing very slowly, it did have a concrete cistern like structure that contained 10 or more gallons of water – just an estimate. We filled another 1L bottle, and the water was very clear. We treated this with Polar Pure and then added some sugar free flavoring to mask the iodine taste.

This day’s hike covered 9.23 miles in 4.25 hours for an overall average of 2.17 mph. Combined with the day before; our overall trip average was right at 2 mph. In terrain with more elevation gain and loss, we would likely drop below 2 mph. For our May trip, we need to cover about 16 miles per day. If we hike 12 hours per day (includes taking rest breaks), then even at 1.5 mph we can cover the necessary distance.

This trip, although short, was a great test run for some new gear. It also gave us a good idea of a daily mileage rate. After returning home, we were tired, but not sore or hurting – that’s a successful backpacking trip!

Happy trails…

- Shawn

Appendix

We really put the trekking poles to use on this trip, and as we hiked, I thought a lot about how best to use them. One school of thought is to not use them at all if you pack weight is light enough. I like using the poles to push myself along, taking some of the work off of my legs and knees. Trekking pole videos I have seen show moving the pole every time the opposite foot moves. I have tried this, and it seems to add a lot of work. A good way of using the poles seemed to be to move the poles on every other step, and push slightly as the pole tip gets behind me. This seems to help propel me along as I hike. If my arms are more tired, then I can simply push less. When going uphill, I place the pole tip a little further in from of me, and push down on the pole to help pull me up the hill. When hiking downhill, I can still plant the pole tip further in front of me, but it can help ‘catch’ my body weight as I am descending. This takes a lot of abuse off of my knees. When hiking, there can be a tendency to watch the ground right in front as I hike. But in doing so, I miss a lot of great scenery. The reason we do this is to prevent us from tripping on the rocks, logs, etc. on the path. However, when using trekking poles, if I do trip, I don’t fall because the poles are helping to keep my balance. Knowing this allows me to keep my eyes looking out, further down the trail. It helps me to look more side to side and see wildlife and other wonderful things in the forest. Trekking poles are just an aid to help make the journey more enjoyable and pleasant.

So maybe you don’t live at the foot of the Rockies, or in other locations with hiking and backpacking at your back door. If you are anywhere within a day’s drive of Arkansas, then you are in luck. The Ozark Highlands Trail in northwest and north central Arkansas may be just what you are looking for.

The Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT) winds 165 miles from Lake Fort Smith State Park on the west end to the Buffalo National River on the east end. The trail crosses some of the most scenic and remote areas of the Ozark Mountains. And if solitude is what you are after, then the OHT is your trail. It is not heavily hiked, and even on a nice weekend you will rarely see more than a few other hikers.

The OHT meanders through some beautiful scenery, with creeks, streams, and waterfalls all along its route. Dogwoods and redbuds abound, along with many other wonderful hardwoods in this scenic forest. Take a camera, because no matter what time of year, there will be something from the OHT worth remembering. Other than the extreme heat of July and August, most any other month has great hiking along the OHT.

There are more than 50 forest road and highway access points, making section hikes or day hikes very convenient. There are also nine public campgrounds spread along the OHT route. Camping is allowed anywhere along the OHT, and no permits or fees are required to hike it – unless you plan to camp in one of the public campgrounds. If you prefer a few more amenities, plan to get a cabin at White Rock Mountain or Lake Fort Smith State Park.

The trail is well blazed, and mile markers are at every mile. The OHT is supported and maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers known as the Ozark Highlands Trail Association (OHTA). Consider donating to the OHTA, a 501c3 organization, if you hike the trail, in order to preserve it for future generations. Their website offers a lot of very good information on the OHT, including trail conditions and maintenance information.

Plans are in place extend the trail to Missouri and connect it with the Ozark Trail. This would create a trail system of nearly 1000 miles when completed.

My wife and I hiked a portion of the OHT in June of 2008. Although it was warm at times, then scenery was wonderful and water was plentiful. We needed to make some kind of loop to get back to our vehicle, so we started at the Shores Lake Recreation Area. We hiked north 6 miles to White Rock Mountain the first afternoon and camped at the campground there. White Rock has 30 to 50 foot bluffs around many edges that provide wonderful views. The next day we headed east on the OHT across Salt Fork Creek, up across Potato Bald, and then down toward Spirit Creek – our turn around point. Just before Spirit Creek we saw a small black bear cub up in a tree just ahead of us, and we could hear a larger bear scratching as well. The undergrowth was fairly tall, so we could not see exactly where the adult bear, presumably the mother, was at. We decided not to disturb them, so we turn around there and hiked back to Salt Fork Creek to setup camp for the night. The third day, we hiked south back to the Shores Lake Recreation area. Our total mileage for the trip was 20 miles. Although June was not the best month to hike the OHT, we found water frequently and did not see anyone else the entire hike!

Perhaps you are considering hiking the OHT. If so, the best, and perhaps only, trail guide is the Ozark Highlands Trail Guide by Tim Ernst. Tim has donated more than 15,000 hours of volunteer labor towards the OHT and other trails and projects. He lives in Arkansas and has hiked there most of his life. He is certainly an expert when it comes to the OHT.

As of this writing, the 5th edition of the Ozark Highlands Trail Guide, published in May 2007, was the most recent version. The paperback book is 136 pages, has a plastic laminated cover, and is notch bound. It is 5.5 x 8.5 inches and weighs 7 oz, just in case you wanted to carry it with you. I typically just photo copy the few pages I need if only hiking a section or two. The book divides the trail into 8 sections and has a detailed description, mileage log, map, and elevation profile for each section. The 5th edition added GPS coordinates for most road and stream crossings, which were not in the previous edition.

Introductory information at the front of the book includes topics such as: history, low impact use, wildlife, shuttle services, glossary, weather by month, and a complete mileage log. Following these topics, there are detailed, mile by mile, and sometimes turn by turn, descriptions of each of the eight sections of the OHT. Tim does an excellent job of describing each turn, climb, descent, and scenic view along the trail. He points out frequent special scenic spots, or SSS, as he calls them.

Whether you are out for a day hike, or plan to thru-hike the OHT, it is well worth purchasing the Ozark Highlands Trail Guide by Tim Ernst. You can purchase a copy directly from cloudland.net.

There are some other great trails in Arkansas, with the Ouachita National Recreation Trail being another long trail (223 miles) in central Arkansas. I will post more information on the ONRT soon, as my wife and I are planning to hike a couple of sections in the near future.

In the meantime, consider hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail sometime. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

Happy Trails.

- Shawn

Everyone needs a hat to keep their head warm in cold weather. Here is my favorite…

Product Information:

The Mountain Hardwear Micro Dome is a fleece hat, sometimes called a beanie. The manufacturer’s website describes it as a: "Lightweight, snug dome for use under a helmet or hood." I have not used it under a helmet, but I have used it under the hood of a wind or rain jacket. It is made out of very lightweight fleece. The bottom band that covers the ears is a double layer of the fleece material. The Mountain Hardwear logo is on the front. There is a seam up the back of the hat to the top, and then three seams near the top to gather the fleece material into the dome shape. The hat comes in one size.

Field Testing:

I have used the micro dome hat on my last five camping trips. Temperatures at night got as low as 22 F (-6 C) on a four night trip, and below freezing on three of the other trips. I have worn the hat many additional days when on short hikes, out walking, or just outside in the cold and wind.

I don’t like my head to get cold when camping or backpacking, so I have worn the micro dome several times for most of a day, especially when just around camp or not doing much physical activity. I have worn the micro dome while sleeping for 8 of the 9 nights I have been out with it. Even when sleeping, the seams are not bulky enough to bother me during the night. It does a great job of keeping my head warm when in my sleeping bag.

When out walking or doing light activity, the micro dome blocks the wind and keeps my head warm without any problem. I have worn the micro dome under the hood of my wind or rain jacket without any problems. It is still very easy to hear while wearing the micro dome, and it actually reduces wind noise in my ears versus not wearing a hat.

Evaluation:

The fleece is very soft. While other hats I have tried were too tight, had scratchy fabric, and were too bulky, the micro dome is comfortable and soft. I have also not noticed the a lot of sweat or dampness in my hair or under the hat, so I believe that the micro dome does a good job of wicking moisture away from me as well. It covers my ears well when it is pulled onto my head, but after some activity it can move up slightly and expose part of my ears. This is not a big problem, as I can just pull the hat back down snug again. This would not be an issue if I was wearing it under a helmet that held it in place.

One of the best features, at least for me as a lightweight backpacker, is how little it weighs. At less than 1 oz (28 g), it is one of the lightest hats I have seen. I carry only the micro dome on trips with me now, as it does the job very well and does not weigh my pack down when I am not wearing it. If I get warm, I can fold it up, and it is small enough to put in my pocket and keep right on walking.

I have washed and dried the micro dome about a dozen times during the winter season, and it still looks very good. I cannot detect any fading, shrinkage, or other issues.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Very soft
• Comfortable for sleeping

Cons:

• Could be a bit larger to cover my ears better

Summary:

The Mountain Hardwear Micro Dome is a very soft, extremely light, fleece hat. It keeps my head warm in temperatures below freezing, and it is very comfortable while wearing to sleep at night. For me, it is a great combination of weight, fit, comfort, and cost.

- Shawn

This site was started in response to an apparent need for backpacking and camping information for ‘normal people’. Those of us with a job, families, etc.

My goal is to provide useful information for anyone interested in camping, lightweight backpacking, or family trips. Sometimes all three can even be combined for a family camping and backpacking trip

I will work hard to provide useful gear reviews on affordable equipment. I will post trip reports and trip planning information. I will report on camping with kids, backpacking with kids, and travelling with kids.

There are so many great things to see, so let’s get outside and enjoy ourselves.

Happy Trails.

- Shawn Wakefield