Words and pictures featuring Missouri
Packed and Ready to go – The Bishop’s staff were delivering the second of two training events for new vestry and church leaders this Saturday morning. Like most meetings nowadays, it was on Zoom. I got to be slide master, and we all gave 10-minute talks to introduce ourselves and let the folks know how we can help them. As soon as we’d finished delivering the morning’s training I was ready to get changed and head out of here! Two-minute read.
Snow February 2021 – The snow was really fine and fluffy. Very easy to work with. Though I must confess, Ginger cleared the pathway down the drive. +1
Snowy Feat – I just couldn’t resist giving it a try. Despite it being around 13°F (-10°C) it wasn’t too cold. I ended up spending around 20 minutes outside clearing the snow off the front deck and path.
Snowy backyard with chairs gathered around the fire pit – It got cold. -13°F (-25°C) cold. Yes, we had a couple of short power cuts, but they were a minor inconvenience. Fortunately a week or so before the cold snap we had our furnace replaced with a new high-efficiency model. +1
Hike over, back at the trailhead – That’s my hike over, and it’s just before 4:15 p.m. Not bad, and still daylight. I should be home by 5:45 p.m. I completed today’s hike of six-plus miles in a little over three hours. I’ll take that.
Back at the Pole Hollow Cairn – It was too dark on the hike out Friday night for my obligatory Pole Hollow Cairn selfie, so I decided to slip one in on my return hike. +1
Nothing to see here, move on… View? there’s supposed to be a view… +2
All packed up and ready to head home – and it’s only six-and-a-half miles of fairly flat going.
Hot chocolate to start the day. +1
Camped above ‘Deep Hollow’ – Despite exploring for several miles yesterday, this appears to be the only place near a water source. Oh, and it rained (a lot) overnight.
Settled in for the night – somehow, despite arriving in daylight, I ended up setting up my hammock in the dark (again).
Bearing Tree & Land Survey Monument – Marking a corner of the Hercules Glades Wilderness. +1
Puffy jacket hood malfunction – What can I say? You would think I could dress myself by now. At least I didn’t fall out of my hammock this time.
First hike of 2021 – Camped at ‘Twin Falls Hollow’ – I didn’t start packing my gear until I finished work, and so it was dark when I left home. I started my hike at 7:40 p.m., there was some light from the risen half-moon and the sky was clear. Following the trail was easy, and I kept my headlamp on its lowest setting — which proved to be a mistake when I accidentally took the Cedars Trail in the dark. Two-minute read, +2
Final trip of 2020 over — Not the most flattering of pictures. A quick summary of my hike out. 1
Tales of stupidity — Camped overlooking ‘Twin Falls Hollow’ – This trip had been dogged by a series of stupid mistakes. My final mistake could easily have been fatal, but as is usually the case when I do something stupid, I was lucky and got away with it. Until possibly, one day I won’t. 5 4
Gary at the Blair Ridge Trailhead – The hike from the Falls to the Blair Ridge Trailhead is supposed to be around three-and-a-half miles. I’d say it was nearer to three. It was a cold, dull, gray day, so no pictures. Anyway, it was just standard Ozarks ridge trail scenery. That’s my last unhiked trail in Hercules Glades completed. One-minute read, +3
Vertigo – Watch your step, it’s a fairly steep drop of around 100ft and a very narrow trail. I made sure I didn’t drop a hiking pole while taking a picture here.
Small Falls on Long Creek. +1
Meet the Flintstones – Looks like somewhere Fred, Wilma, and Pebbles might live. It’s another overhang campsite, but this one has more home comforts and a rock-edged path down to the creek where there is a wide pool. +2
Long Creek. Hercules Glades – Day Three – This is the spot nearest to my campsite and where I drew my water. What you can’t see in this picture are the frozen bits.
Overhang Campsite – When I camped here in May 2019 I ended up in the ER the next day.
Getting ready to break camp on Day Three.
Lower Pilot – from the Coy Bald Trail, Hercules Glades Wilderness. I started my day camped about three-quarters of a mile to the west (left) of the Lower Pilot. Taken with my 14-year-old Fuji Finepix digital camera. 1