Day One
For once, I was ready to get on the road before nine. That was just as well, as it’s 160-miles to the Berryman Campground and Trailhead.
By the time I was ready to get on the trail, it was eleven forty-five, overcast, and damp. I wanted to get to camp well before dark to find a spot reasonably close to the trail and spring, but far enough away not to have to deal with or be seen by anyone.
After taking some pictures of the trail signs, I set off at a fast pace (for me). I kept a check on my heart rate, which didn’t go above 130 BPM, which was good.
I love how this trail winds in and out of the hollows through the mixed oak and short-leafed pine forest.
The trail was just as I remembered it: an easy-going surface that is great for bikes and hikers alike, easy to follow despite the leaf-off, and with regular Ozark Trail blazes and Berryman Trail mile markers. However, it would seem that many blazes and mile markers have been damaged or destroyed by animals chewing on them and the effects of wildfires and prescribed burns.
I love how this trail winds in and out of the hollows through the mixed oak and short-leafed pine forest. It makes for a much more interesting hike than, say, the Whites Creek Trail, which features long straightish runs through oak woods with little variation. The inclines are generally easy with well thought out switchbacks that make keeping up a good pace simple.
I noticed my heart was skipping every now and then
A couple of hours into the hike I took a break for a drink and snack, and I noticed my heart was skipping every now and then. I’ve recently adjusted my meds, and my heart has not been running as fast during exercise and has been recovering (slowing) more quickly since the change. I had run over three miles twice earlier in the week with no ill effects, so I was confident I was fit enough to hike at a respectable speed. My watch heart alarm hadn’t triggered either, so I decided to press on regardless and run an ECG check once I’d found a place to camp.
Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.