Rock shelf over Long Creek, Hercules Glades Wilderness.
Backpacking
Everything backpacking: our gear, trip write-ups, and individual pictures.
Spot the trail … (Stereo image). +1
February 13, 2023 13:37
Hiking to the Trailhead via Long Creek. Hercules Glades Wilderness, March 2023. I was a little over a mile into my five-and-a-half-mile hike back to the trailhead when I decided to make a rough video of the remainder of my hike for my family in the UK. I’ve never done this before, and may not bother again, but here’s the final three-and-a-half hours of my hike, compressed into 14 minutes.Video: 14 minutes
February 13, 2023 13:30
View from the Cedar Trail, Hercules Glades Wilderness (Stereo image). +1
February 13, 2023 13:15
Filtering water ready for the day’s hike. My revised plan is to take the Cedars Trail down to Long Creek, then the Long Creek Trail and Pole Hollow Trail back to the Pilot Trail and the trailhead. That way I can bag a few more miles from what has been a low-mileage trip so far.
February 13, 2023 12:32
Gary and hammock, ‘Twin Falls Hollow,’ February 2023. Hercules Glades Wilderness.
February 13, 2023 10:29
Morning view from my hammock.
February 13, 2023 10:16
Morning hot chocolate – I folded back my tarp so I could enjoy the view and the morning sun.
February 13, 2023 10:11
Day Three — Morning sunshine, camped at ‘Twin Falls Hollow’
February 13, 2023 9:53
Dinner time, camped at ‘Twin Falls Hollow.’ A change of plans was needed… +2
February 12, 2023 19:24
Trails snacks for the day and some exploring. +1
February 12, 2023 12:10
Day Two – Camped above ‘Deep Hollow,’ in the sunshine this time — everything is pretty much as I left it when I was last here in August last year. I was late to sleep, so I slept in this morning. It’s almost noon already.
February 12, 2023 12:00
Dusk at Hercules Glades Wilderness and some Shenanigans on the trail — On the Pilot (Tower) Trail at Hercules Glades Wilderness. Definitely time to turn on my headlamp. No more pictures, because — darkness — but my night hike was not without incident, and you’ll have to read the full post to find out what happened. 10-minute read.
February 11, 2023 18:23
Sunset Glow — On the Pilot (Tower) Trail at Hercules Glades Wilderness. I’m going to have to turn on my headlamp soon.
February 11, 2023 18:11
Dusk at the Pole (Pete) Hollow Trail cairn — Right on target, 25 minutes from the trailhead.
February 11, 2023 17:57
Sunset on the trail — Five minutes into my hike and the sun has almost dropped below the horizon.
February 11, 2023 17:36
Setting off — Here I am back at the Hercules Glades Tower Trailhead about to set off on my first backpacking trip of 2023. I am planning on spending two nights in the Hercules Glades Wilderness, starting with a six-mile night hike.
February 11, 2023 17:31
Packing for my first backpacking trip of 2023 — The temperature is forecast to vary from the mid-twenties overnight Saturday to the mid-sixties on Monday, so it is a full winter load-out plus some spring additions. The whole lot including food, water, and fuel weighs in at around 26 lbs. +4
February 11, 2023 15:00
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
End of trip selfie – and a summary of the trip. Three-minute read, +4
December 4, 2022 15:31
State Highway CC Wrangler Trailhead, Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri. +2
December 4, 2022 15:27
McGarr Ridge Trailhead, Devil’s Backbone Wilderness, Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri – Approaching the McGarr Ridge Trailhead. Almost at the end of my hike. +2
December 4, 2022 15:17
Looking up ‘Camp Hollow,’ the hike out, and more horses – It took me an hour to get to this spot, about two-and-a-half miles from McGarr Spring. I’ve named this hollow ‘Camp Hollow’ because, surprise, surprise, I’ve camped here a couple of times.
December 4, 2022 14:40
McGarr Spring, and on my way again – I had plenty of water for my hike out, so I didn’t need to collect any. The main Spring is located up the hill a ways and it drains down into this pool which is slowly filling with debris. It was a lot more ‘pool-like’ when I first came here a couple of years ago.