Wakefield Wanderings

The McGee Creek Natural Scenic Recreation Area (NSRA) in southeastern Oklahoma is a very convenient place for us to hike, since it is not far from where we live. The NSRA is located near Atoka and Antlers in Oklahoma, and it offers backpacking, hiking, and equestrian camping opportunities with many miles of trails.

I am working on developing a trail guide for the area, since little information is available. The brief trail map offered at the trail head is generally accurate as far as the trail location, but many of the distances are incorrect. I use a GPS data logger as I hike to correctly measure position and distance along each trail.

When doing a short hike with our kids back in December, the map at the permit station indicated that two new trails had been opened. We were anxious to try them out, and this holiday gave us that chance.

For this hike, it was just Jana and I with a light day pack. Temperatures was 45 to 60 degrees, and it was partly cloudy, which provided very good hiking conditions. From the trail head, we hiked north and then took the South Rim trail.

Before we reached Box Spring camp (near the junction of South Rim and Bog Spring trails), a new trail left toward the east. I will call it the Bog Spring trail, although no name is listed at the permit station. This trail provides much easier access to the east side of the McGee Creek NSRA, which had been a long hike north and around to a couple of camp areas on the southeast corner in the NSRA. The Bog Spring trail was in good condition, and allowed us to hike side by side for much of the trail. This new trail connects to roughly the middle point of the Hog Camp trail, near the equestrian camp E2.

We turned north onto the Hog Camp trail and followed it up until it came to a junction with the Hunters Cabin trail and short trail to the east which went to the east boundary. The boundary trail now is also open around the northeast corner of the NSRA boundary. We did not take this boundary trail, but it looks to be in decent shape and well blazed.

From the junction, we followed the Hunters Cabin trail toward the northwest. You will notice on our map a very small spur trail we took near the middle of the Hunters Cabin trail. This used to go to an old hunting cabin and outhouse. However, the cabin and outhouse have been demolished and removed. The area is now cleared, with two picnic tables and charcoal grills. I wonder if there are plans to put another equestrian camp here, but no information was available. The Hunters Cabin trail was in good shape, mostly double track, and nice hiking.

We continued on the Hunters Cabin trail until we came to the junction with the Coon’s Way Trail. This trail leads to the northern boundary of the NSRA, and it also connects with another trail called Wolf Creek as indicated on the state of Oklahoma map. However, as we hiked the Coon’s Way trail, there were no indications of the Wolf Creek trail, so it apparently is no longer marked or used. After reaching the northern boundary, we returned south on Coon’s Way, back to the Hunters Cabin trail and continued west on it.

Hunters Cabin connects to the northern end of the South Rim trail, and there are good backpacking camping areas there as well (B5 on the state map). We took the South Rim trail south to return us back to the parking area. The South Rim trail is also in good shape, with easy double track hiking through pine trees. The trees at the edge of the Bugaboo Canyon were too tall to see much from the overlook, but it was still very enjoyable as we made good time along the trail.

There had been some rain the previous week, so most of the creeks and streams were flowing, which is somewhat unusual for this area. Water sources are often limited to the lake on the west side of the NSRA, the Box Spring near Box Spring Camp, or the permit station at the trail head.

Our overall hike was 12 miles. We saw a few horses near the trail head, but once on the trail, we did not see anyone at all. Another great feature of the NSRA is the wooded environment. The tree cover helps to keep the hot sun off of you when hiking in the warmer months. The NSRA also does not have large elevation changes, so hiking with your family or kids would be an option as well.

Click on either graphic below to see a larger overview of our route on either a topographical or satellite map.

Happy Trails,

Shawn

What do you do when the temperature in Oklahoma drops to below freezing for days on end?  Well, if you happened to get some great airline ticket pricing several months ago, you head for sunny Phoenix, Arizona.  We had planned to go visit our good friend Bob of Click and Learn Software in early January, and the weather could not have been nicer.  It was sunny and about 70 degrees every day of our trip to the Phoenix area.

We decided to take advantage of the trip out and the great weather to get in some good hiking in the Phoenix area. First, we stopped by the Arizona Hiking Shack. The helpful folks there provided some great advice. They also sell maps and other hiking and adventure gear. The Shack is well worth a stop when in Phoenix.

Our first hike was at the Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area. We wanted to get high enough for some great views of the area, so the Summit Trail to Piestewa Peak (formerly Squaw Peak) was our trail of choice. This 1.1 mile (one way) trail from the parking area to the summit at 2608 feet was steep but manageable. We saw people of all ages hiking up and down from the summit. As you can see in our photos, the view from the summit was great!

For our second hike that day, we chose a trail with less elevation change, but very representative of the desert environment and landscape. The North Mountain Preserve area offers some trails to higher peaks, but many of the trails are fairly level. This allows hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers of all ages to enjoy the desert surroundings. We hiked portions of a few trails resulting in a 2.35 mile outing in this park.

Between the previous two hikes, we stopped by REI for some quick bargain hunting (I’m in the market for new trail runners). The next morning, we headed to the west side of Phoenix. White Tank Mountain Regional Park on the west side of Phoenix offers 25 miles of trails ranging from less than a mile to about 8 miles in length. The nearly 30,000 acres include peaks rising to about 4000 feet from the desert below. We would have loved to hike some of the longer trails in the White Tanks, but due to time restraints could not do lot of hiking that morning. We decided to try out the Mesquite Canyon trail. Although the trail can be hiked for many miles, we ended up doing a 2.1 mile round trip hike. The morning air was cool, and the sun was shining. Once we started up the canyon, it felt like civilization was far away.

We had a great few days in the Phoenix area, and we would love to have had more time for hiking and shopping We discovered Trader Joe’s food store, and we ended up buying a bag to carry back some of the items we purchased there! We bought a daypack by ChicoBag. It is a uniquely designed daypack made of 89% recycled content, and it weighs less than 6 oz. Not far from Phoenix, Arizona are many other hiking opportunities including the Prescott National Forest and Coconino National Forests north toward Sedona and the Tonto National Forest northeast of Phoenix.

Happy Trials,

Shawn

We were out hiking this morning in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area near Sulphur, Oklahoma. This area was given to the Department of the Interior by the Chickasaw nation in 1902 for protection. In 1906, it became Platt National Park. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built many features in the park, including pavilions, trails, waterfalls, and roads. In 1976 some additional land and other areas were all combined into the Chickasaw National Recreation Area we know today.

Travertine Creek, a major park feature, is fed by many springs, some of which are mineral and sulphur water springs. Our hike followed Travertine Creek toward the east from the Travertine Nature Center. We hiked a total of nearly 4 miles on trails including the Antelope and Buffalo Springs Trail, the Prairie Loop Trail, the Tall Oaks Trail, and the Dry Creek Trail.

The trail to Antelope and Buffalo Springs is a wonderful, wide, and easy walk. These two springs produce a flow of about 5 millions gallons a day that flows into Travertine Creek. Branching off of the Antelope and Buffalo Springs Trail are 3 other trails to allow a wide range of hiking distances to be taken.

Buffalo Springs has a circular rock walkway and seating built around it (by the CCC), while Antelope Springs is unaltered, coming directly out from the rocks in the hillside.

The Prairie Loop Trail crosses the Travertine Creek and up the hillside into an area that once was a large mixed grass prairie. Most of the dominant vegetation  now is hardwoods and cedar.

The Tall Oaks Loop Trail also crosses the creek and meanders through an area with stands of cedars and hardwoods, including oaks, elm, sycamore, and others.

The Dry Creek Trail crosses a large rock bridge built by the CCC and up through limestone covered slopes and into an area with patches of mixed-grass prairie and invasive cedars.

Nearly all of these trails are in the shade under wonderful hardwoods, and the proximity to the creeks provides a cool walk in the morning hours, even in the summer time.

I have hiked this area many times, and there is always something new to see. Our trip today did not provide any views of big wildlife, but we did encounter several turtles, frogs, and small snakes. If you are ever near the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, it is definitely worth a visit. The spring-fed creeks are even good for wading and a few deeper swimming holes are waiting to be enjoyed.

Happy Trails,

Shawn

Trapper Lake Trip – June 12-13, 2009

This trip was the first backpacking trip with all three kids, and they would be carrying much of their own gear. We were in Grand Teton National Park for a total of 10 days, and we had already done several day hikes before this trip to get acclimated. This overnight trip began at the String Lake trail head. Backcountry permits are required for overnight stays in the Grand Teton National Park backcountry, and we had picked up our permit the day before for the one campsite (#18) at Trapper Lake. The hike to Trapper Lake is relatively level and 4.5 miles from the trail head to the campsite. The minimal elevation change makes this a great trip for families with kids or for those new to backpacking.

We left the trail head Friday afternoon, June 12, and the weather was cool and pleasant. Jana and I regularly use trekking poles (Backpacking Light Stix for her and Gossamer Gear Lightrek 4 for me), so as we hiked the kids decided they wanted a hiking stick too. As we continued hiking, they looked along the trail for that perfect stick – and this gave them something interesting to do as we went along. The boys both had sticks selected in just a short time. (Note: In an effort to ‘Leave No Trace’, the sticks were dead wood found along the trail on the ground, and the next day the sticks were left near the trail not far from where they were found.) Something else that kept them interested was to take turns letting one of the kids lead the group. An adult was always second in line to help watch for bears and other wildlife, but they certainly enjoyed taking their turn at the front of the line.

The hike followed the shore of String Lake, then along the shore of Leigh Lake. It went around Bearpaw Lake, and then finally ends at Trapper Lake. Being so close to several lakes allowed for great views over the water and into the woods, and the kids look for and saw several different birds and small animals. We bought each child a disposable camera for the trip so that they could take pictures of anything that they wanted without risking damage to our nice digital camera. Giving them control and letting them make choices in this way allowed them to feel more in control of their experience.

All three of our kids weigh under 100 pounds right now, so we kept their pack weights low. The lightweight backpacking philosophy works so well for Jana and I that it only makes sense to help the kids go light. They each have their own pack – the women’s size small GoLite Jam2 pack – which is a good size for their body right now, and their empty pack weigh less than a pound. I have seen so many "kids" packs that weigh three, four, or five pounds, and it just does not make any sense to me to start with an empty pack that is so heavy. We found synthetic sleeping bags for them at around 2 pounds (and under $100) for a 35 degree bag. This is a lightweight bag, but is still durable and inexpensive. As they get more experience and do more backpacking, then we can look into a lighter down bag. So, they carried their backpack and sleeping bag, along with a coat, jacket, poncho, base layer, extra clothes, LED light, and water bottle. Even with this amount of gear, their total pack weights were still under 8 pounds, or less than 10% of their body weight. Jana and I are just over 10% of our body weight with our pack (fully loaded with 3 days of food and water, so keeping them under 10% of their body weight was a good target. I have read other sources stating that kids can carry 20 to 25% of their body weight, but with a 20 or 25 pound pack, they would almost certainly be miserable. Jana and I carried their sleeping pads, both tents, cooking gear, and all of the food. These light packs let all of us travel faster and more comfortably – ultimately increasing our enjoyment of the trip. We covered the 4.5 miles to Trapper Lake in about 3 hours – not a bad pace with kids.

On the way to Trapper Lake, we stopped on the shore of Bearpaw Lake to boil water for dinner. Our philosophy has been to eat dinner on the trail before reaching our campsite for the night. This keeps food and cooking odors away from camp, and greatly reduces the likelihood of bears or other wildlife being attracted to our campsite. We let the kids pick out which Mountain House dinners that they wanted before we packed for the trip. This was a way to include them in the trip planning process, and it helped to avoid cooking something they did not want to eat. They also each have their own spork, in their color choice. This lets them have equipment that they feel like is their own.

As we hiked past String Lake, Leigh Lake, and Bearpaw Lake, we had great views of the Teton Range. But, we really enjoyed seeing Trapper Lake and camping there. The small lake is at the base of a mountain, and it has a stream with a couple of small waterfalls that runs into the lake. It was just a wonderful, beautiful setting. It is also very secluded, being the last campsite on the trail, so we did not see anyone else during our time at Trapper Lake. Two beavers were active and swimming all around the lake – our kids affectionately named them Roseanne and Clark. Several Canadian geese were at the lake when we arrived. The kids really enjoyed being able to explore the area around the lake and near our campsite. This gave them some freedom after being restricted to the trail for the previous several hours.

We took a card game with us, so as it got darker and the mosquitoes came out, we all went into the larger tent to play cards for an hour or so. This allowed the kids to wind down and gave all of us a chance to enjoy being together as a family. It was a relaxing end to our day of hiking. I would suggest to others that are planning a family camping or backpacking trip to take a game or cards or something for the kids to do in case you need to spend some time inside a tent due to weather or darkness.

Although there are 5 of us, we are able to fit into two tents. We have an older Kelty Teton 2 tent that weighs about 4 pounds – this was a tent we bought sometime back when we started backpacking again. At about $100, it is a good first tent that does not weigh too much. We also have a Tarptent Rainshadow 2. We purchased this tent when we transitioned to lightweight. It weighs around 2.5 pounds and is a cross between a tent and a tarp – basically a tarp with netting and a floor. It can sleep three people if they are not too large. With this setup, we can sleep our family of five. The boys used the Tarptent, and the girls were in the Kelty Teton 2. I used a Therm-a-Rest Neo Air pad with a sleeping bag, and the boys used foam pads and sleeping bags. The girls used our Jacks R Better Mt Rogers down quilt and silk sleeping bag liners – this is the lightweight setup that Jana and I use when we are by ourselves.

We woke up early Saturday morning (June 13), since it started getting light quite early. I think that waking up early and getting on the trail early are some of my favorite things about backpacking. After getting up, the kids enjoyed watching several Pikas scampering around the rocks near camp. We made breakfast (bagels and hot chocolate), broke camp, and were on the trail by 7:30 AM. We enjoyed wonderful views of the mountains across Leigh Lake and arrive back at the trail head around 10:30 that morning. The kids really enjoyed the trip and had a positive experience – so it was certainly a success in my book. I always want them to have a great time in the outdoors, so that they will want to go backpacking, hiking, or camping again.

Jana and I were testing some new equipment on this trip. The most interesting new item was the StickPic. The StickPic is an ingenious device to let you take self-portraits with your camera at the end of an extended trekking pole. After using it, I said to myself "Why didn’t I think of that!" It works great. You simply attach the StickPic to the threaded tripod mount on your camera, attach the StickPic and camera to the bottom of your trekking pole, set the camera’s timer, and hold the pole at arms length. You can get a picture of everyone in your hiking group, or you can get a picture of yourself even if you are hiking solo. The other item that Jana and I were testing was the Montbell Extremely Light Down Jacket. Knowing that it would be cold in GTNP in early June, we had been searching for a warm down jacket that was also lightweight. After some research and looking, we both purchased one. These jackets worked very well. They kept us warm, but stuffed small and weighed 4 to 6 ounces, depending on the gender and size.

I carry a GPS data logger on our trips, so here is the track displayed over a topographical map.

Overall, I thought it was a fantastic trip – both for us, and for the kids.

Happy Trails,

- Shawn