Gary and Ginger at the Pole Hollow Cairn — Ginger is never one to miss the chance to ham things up. There are several outtakes.
Outdoor Activities
Time spent in the great outdoors hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, paddling, and shooting. Anything well away from the madding crowd.
Gary and Ginger at the Pole Hollow Cairn – I know how to treat Ginger to a good time, I made sure she had plenty of exercise, time to relax, and her own room with a forest view. 2 2
June 4, 2021 17:10
Back to the start and some notes – From here there is just a short thirty-minute hike, south, down the Ozark Trail to get back to the trailhead. That’s it, trip over, though there’s still the two-hour drive home to complete.
May 23, 2021 14:25
Ready for the trail – Don’t come to me for outdoor fashion guidance. I hike to my own tune, and I like mixing my metaphors!
May 23, 2021 13:41
The view from my chair – Stereo image.
May 23, 2021 13:35
And very tall trees too.
May 23, 2021 13:33
Trees, trees, and more trees.
May 23, 2021 13:31
Lunch break, and I’m showing a bit too much thigh – I had a choice of routes to take today. The short route takes the North Fork Loop east back to the Ozark Trail, where I could get back to the trailhead. The longer route goes south, and into the Devil’s Backbone Wilderness, and returns to Highway CC via the McGarr Ridge Trail. One-minute read
May 23, 2021 12:57
Day Three – Back on the North Fork Loop Trail
May 23, 2021 11:54
Nothing but trees – Camped in Mark Twain National Forest, it was a wonderful morning in a rejuvenating spot.
May 23, 2021 10:16
Dappled.
May 23, 2021 10:15
Hammock Camping. +2
May 23, 2021 10:13
Stereo Image – Just Trees – It’s difficult to see the trees for the woods in a normal forest photograph, you need your full 3D vision to be able to separate things.
May 23, 2021 9:29
Breakfast comforts – A cup of tea and Mountain House South West Breakfast Skillet, followed by a cup of coffee, and all enjoyed from the comfort of my camp chair. I did a lot of staring into space, admiring the view, as the trees swayed, shining dappled sunlight while the breeze blew. I doubt this spot has seen a human visitor in many years.
May 23, 2021 9:21
Eight O’Clock and I’m finally camped for the night
May 22, 2021 19:48
Glimpse – A glimpse of the sky, and the river can just be seen through the leaves. +2
May 22, 2021 17:50
Steam Mill Creek Crossing – This is where the main North Fork Loop Trail crosses the creek in Steam Mill Hollow. One-minute read
May 22, 2021 17:33
Overhang, not very spectacular, but the sides of the hollow were impressively steep. It looked a bit too low and damp to make a good camping spot for anyone with a tent.
May 22, 2021 17:09
Spring on Steam Mill Hollow – closer inspection of the map showed that I’d missed this spring when planning my trip. It wasn’t a raging torrent, but it was putting out several gallons a minute.
May 22, 2021 16:59
Lunch break by the creek in Steam Mill Hollow. Not that I knew it was the creek in Steam Mill Hollow at the time. It seems I need to learn several more lessons in checking my compass and map before I assume I know where I am. 2 2
May 22, 2021 16:04
Nice Trail (but you may have trouble following it) – The map I was using was slightly under twenty years old (and the best I could find online). I should have cross-checked it against the trail map at the trailhead. If I had, I would have seen that the objective for my day’s hike was no longer on the trail system. One-minute read
May 22, 2021 12:31
Trail junction, there goes the Ozark Trail – Here I leave the Ozark Trail. +1
May 22, 2021 12:26
Cairns, cairns, and more cairns – there were lots in this area, but I couldn’t see any side trails or other blazes.
May 22, 2021 12:17
Dry creek bed – So much of my hope for finding water on the eastern side of the loop. +1