Journal: Exploring some old trails, Irish Wilderness, April 2025 — A trip to explore a couple of old trails, looking for water sources, and seeking another campsite overlooking the Eleven Point River. Journal: 27 42
Backpacking trip journals
More detailed write-ups of our backpacking trips. On the more recent trips, you can choose to read a write-up of the trip or just look at the pictures.
Journal: Berryman Trail Revisited, March 2024. I had some health issues on my last hike of the Berryman Trail, and the same problem canceled my next planned trip there. Finally, it’s time to ‘get it done.’ Journal: 25 21
March 23, 2025 18:00
Journal: Paddy Creek Wilderness, February 2025 — My first plan was dashed. I decided to spend three days on the Big Piney Trail at Paddy Creek Wilderness instead. It was a good hike, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.Journal: 8 24
March 1, 2025 17:00
Journal: Hercules Glades in the snow, January 2025. A forecast winter storm in Southwest Missouri on January 9 and 10 was just what was needed to let me get some time out when the trail conditions would be a bit more challenging. Journal: 15 45
January 11, 2025 16:00
Journal: Four days hiking the Berryman Trail, Missouri, December 2024. This will be my last backpacking trip of the year. Journal: 15 42
December 30, 2024 16:05
Journal: Four days hiking the Whites Creek Trail, Irish Wilderness. December 2024. There’s a break in the weather and I’m going to hike the Whites Creek Trail counter-clockwise, taking a leisurely four days to do it. Journal: 10 36
December 15, 2024 15:00
Journal: Getting outside my comfort zone, Paddy Creek Wilderness, December 2024. Things have conspired to keep me off the trails this year. I’ll be pushing my comfort zone as I don’t normally venture out if the daytime temperature is going to drop below 40°F. Journal: 10 20
December 5, 2024 16:20
Journal: Five days R&R in Piney Creek Wilderness, September 2024 — After my last backpacking trip in April, the weather got too hot, and then we spent August in the UK. I was overdue for some lakeside R&R. With the minimal three-mile hike and five days of lounging around. It was more hammock camping and hardly any backpacking! Journal: 5 17
September 17, 2024 16:45
Journal: Two days solo backpacking in Hercules Glades Wilderness, April 2024 — I decided to get out for a one-night trip to Hercules Glades. Apart from our Eclipse Trip I’ve not been out this month. An overnight stop at my camping spot near Deep Hollow would be just what the doctor ordered. Journal: 2 8
April 21, 2024 17:30
Journal: 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. Ginger, Lanie and I camped in Mark Twain National Forest to see this, my third and (most likely) last total solar eclipse. 1999 in France and 2017 in Missouri being the first two. Journal: 5 12
April 8, 2024 15:00
Journal: Three days hiking the Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness, March 2024. I spent three days hiking the sixteen-mile loop of the Big Piney Trail in Paddy Creek Wilderness, which I managed to extend to twenty-two miles. I also managed to break some more gear and, at the end of the hike, needed to call out a tow truck to get me home. Journal: 10 45
March 29, 2024 19:00
Journal: Four days R&R in Piney Creek Wilderness, February 2024 — It’s been almost a month since I was last out on the trail on my trip to Irish Wilderness. I toyed briefly with a four-day hike of the Berryman Trail, but I settled on some downtime by the lake instead. Journal: 5 15
February 28, 2024 18:00
Journal: Four days solo backpacking on the Whites Creek Trail, Irish Wilderness, clockwise, January 2024. A break in the weather means I’m off on a four-day hike of the Whites Creek Trail, South and North Loops at Irish Wilderness. Journal: 8 40
February 2, 2024 18:00
Journal: Three days solo backpacking in Hercules Glades Wilderness, January 2024 — I’m off out for three days, blowing away the cobwebs and walking off some holiday season excesses. Journal: 4 10
January 4, 2024 18:00
Journal: Four days hiking the Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness, December 2023. I spent four days on a hike of the 16-mile loop of the Big Piney Trail in Paddy Creek Wilderness. This is a follow-up to my trip back in May. Journal: 10 38
December 7, 2023 16:00
Four days by Table Rock Lake at Piney Creek Wilderness, July 2023. It’s time I took a short break, watched the lake for a while, did some navel-gazing, and maybe some journaling. Journal: 10 15
July 9, 2023 18:00
Journal: Three days hiking the Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness, May 2023. I plan on spending three days on a slow hike of the 16-mile loop of the Big Piney Trail in Paddy Creek Wilderness. Unlike previous trips, it is forecast to rain on the first day, not the last. Journal: 10 43
May 21, 2023 18:00
Journal: Three days hiking at Hercules Glades Wilderness, April 2023. My original plan for the weekend was scrapped. With some time on my hands, I decided to head down to Hercules Gades for a couple of nights. Journal: 8 25
April 30, 2023 18:00
Three days hiking the Ridge Runner Trail and Devil’s Back Bone Wilderness, March 2023 This is the last of my ‘Must do’ winter hikes before spring takes off. Journal: 6 27
March 19, 2023 18:00
Journal: Four days hiking the Whites Creek Trail, Irish Wilderness, March 2023. I plan on spending four days hiking the 20-mile loop of the Whites Creek Trail in Irish Wilderness. I’m hoping there will be a bit of a view from the trail’s only scenic overlook. A recent storm that passed through the area may make the trail a tad tricky. We’ll see. Journal: 10 53
March 11, 2023 18:00
Journal: Two nights and three days taking it easy at Hercules Glades Wilderness, February 2023. Journal: 15 35
February 13, 2023 19:00
Journal: Four days on the Ridge Runner Trail & the Devil’s Backbone Wilderness, December 2022 – Work has been keeping me off the trail for too long. I took three days of comp time to get out in the wild and put a few miles under my belt. I’ve been wanting to revisit the Ridge Runner Trail North Fork Loop ever since I first hiked the trail in May 2020. Journal: 10 42
December 4, 2022 18:00
Three nights and four days relaxing by the lake in Piney Creek Wilderness. Except, someone had stolen the lake. It was very low. I’ve not been to my favorite campsite in over a year. It was well overdue a visit. Journal: 10 43
September 10, 2022 12:00
Three days backpacking in Hercules Glades, August 2022. Journal: 6 20