Outdoor Activities

Time spent in the great outdoors hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, paddling, and shooting. Anything well away from the madding crowd.

There go my backpacking plans – Things started to get a bit surreal as it dawned on me that I was the “Cardiac Emergency” just announced on the hospital PA system. Five-minute read, 2 pictures

Uphill – Day Three and out … It seems that most trips finish at the top of a climb. One-minute read, 4 pictures

Campfire under the overhang. 2 pictures

Long Creek – a few pictures from around where I camped Monday night. 4 pictures

Another Overhang Campsite and my Home for the Night on Monday – I had just worked my way around the edge of a big deep pool when I spotted what looked like another overhang behind the trees. Two-minute read, 7 pictures

Campsite Under an Overhang – This charming spot has ready access to the creek, and I could have easily hung my hammock between a couple of the trees. I was keen to see where the trail led, so I spent a few minutes scouting around and took a couple of pictures before carrying on. One-minute read, 3 pictures

Day Two – and another six-mile hike. From the Bluffs to The Falls, and onward. Two-minute read, 5 pictures

Prickly Pear – I found a whole bunch of these. The new shoots almost match the color of my rain poncho! 2 pictures

View from the bluffs overlooking Beaver Creek at Hercules Glades. Video: 22 Secs. 2

Camped behind the Bluff at Hercules Glades. 5 pictures

Sunset from the bluffs overlooking Beaver Creek – massively processed to make a ‘meh’ sunset look average.

Sitting on the top of the bluff – It’s a six-and-a-half mile hike from the trailhead to the bluffs overlooking Beaver Creek on the western edge of Hercules Glades. I’ve been wanting to get a nice sunset picture from here for ages. One-minute read, 3 pictures

The Hunchback of Hercules – While hiking west on the Pilot (Tower) Trail to the bluffs I was caught by a thunderstorm. Finally a real chance to try out my rain poncho! It worked fine, but with the temperatures up in the mid eighties it was hot and humid with it on. One-minute read, 2 pictures

Despite my best intentions, I’ve been too busy to get out on the trails since my last trip in March. This weekend I decided to fix that with three days hiking at Hercules Glades. My plan was to catch a sunset from the bluffs and do some exploring down Long Creek. Things didn’t quite end up how I’d planned though. Journal: 11 23

Gary Allman resting on the Long Creek Trail at Hercules Glades, Missouri.

Taking a break – Catching my breath on the long climb back up to the tower.

Eight Creek Crossings – Just for fun I thought I’d take a picture of each creek crossing I made. 8 pictures

Looking up Long Creek – Long Creek, Hercules Glades.

Long Creek, Hercules Glades.

Lunch Break at The Falls – Gary and The Falls on Long Creek at Hercules Glades – And no, I wasn’t tempted to take another shower. 6 pictures

The Falls on Long Creek at Hercules Glades 3

Abandoned Building at Rock Spring. 3

Photograph of Gary Allman at the Rock Spring (Long Creek) and Devil's Den West (Lower Pilot) Trails at Hercules Glades Wilderness, Mark Twain National Forest. March 2019.

About to get started on Day 2.

Camped in the Devil’s Den. Video: 21 seconds & 5 pictures

Twin Falls at Hercules Glades. Video: 13 seconds

Scroll to Top