No sooner had I returned from my last hike of the Berryman Trail in December 20024, than I was planning another. I had a score to settle. On the first day of that trip, I experienced a bout of AFIB, and realizing I hadn’t packed enough medication, I had to take it slow and easy for the remainder of the four-day hike.
Then, in February, I was all packed and ready to leave for the Berryman Trail rematch when my heart started playing up again! The weather wasn’t suitable for a delayed trip, and I was wary of the trail length and distance from home following my AFIB, so after a couple of days’ rest, I spent three days hiking the Big Piney Trail instead. That hike didn’t go smoothly either. I got gout (of all things) in my left foot and what I thought was a nasty blister on the heel of my right foot. It took a couple of weeks for the gout to go away and for my heel to recover.
So here I am at the end of March, getting ready to go back and show the Berryman Trail ‘what for,’ with a four-day counterclockwise hike, and hopefully put these health demons to rest.
Embedded in the strap material was a small sharp stone shard, which had been sawing away at my heel.
I had been so discouraged by my trail shoes, which I thought were causing the blister on my heel, that I left them stuck behind the front door where I had taken them off after my last hike. Finally, getting ready for this trip, I cleaned them and inspected the heel strap. Whoa! Embedded in the strap material was a small sharp stone shard, which had been sawing away at my heel. No wonder my heel had been painful and bleeding. The problem is fixed, and the shoes are exonerated!
After all of the above, I could be excused for thinking that my recent hikes have been a little jinxed!
The Berryman Trail
The trail runs through short-leaf pine and oak forests and generally follows the contour lines into and around the hollows. You’ll enjoy this trail if you like the Ozark’s crinkly bits with deep hollows. The Berryman Trail is not in a designated wilderness and is open for hikers, equestrians, and cyclists. Motor vehicles are not allowed on the trail but can be encountered at the trail’s many forest road crossings.
The trail is divided into two segments: east and west. In December, water was available on the West Segment at the spring at the abandoned Beecher Campground, Harmon Spring and Trailhead, Little Brazil Creek, and Brazil Creek. The East Segment has a reputation for being dry — I’ve seen caches of water at the point where the trail crosses Floyd Tower Road. However, I have found a low-output spring on the trail a mile or two south of Floyd Tower Road.
The Weather
The above image is courtesy of my subscription to windy.com (Check out the free version, it is the best weather site I’ve found. If you are a weather nerd, subscribe! I’m not an affiliate; I just want to see them remain in business).
It had been very windy, which was another reason for delaying this trip. I didn’t fancy being out among the trees when it was gusting at fifty-plus miles per hour. I expected to find a few trees down along the trail. Day One — Thursday and Thursday night were going to be cool. The wind was still going to be quite gusty every day except Friday. Saturday night and Sunday morning were forecast to have rain, wind, and thunderstorms. I’m no stranger to finishing my trips with a hike back to the trailhead in the rain.
Gear
I decided to take a gamble that the overnight forecast wouldn’t be too far off, and I packed my summer 40°F quilts
Hiking Berryman counterclockwise, I had to start my hike carrying enough water for the night and to get me to Brazil Creek on the second day. To make more room for the water, I decided to take a gamble that the overnight forecast wouldn’t be too far off, and I packed my summer 40°F quilts. Just in case, I also packed my waffle-weave base layer, some track pants, and a Merino wool shirt. For the warmer days, I had my running shorts and a lightweight T-shirt. I also took my latest acquisition, an 850-fill down, hoodless jacket, which weighs in at just eleven ounces and compresses well. Yes, I know I said I was getting an artificial fiber filled jacket, and I did. It was too heavy and not very compressible, but I like it, so it is doing duty as my winter ‘about town jacket.’ I packed my rain jacket and rain skirt, mainly for the last day, the jacket can also keep the gusty wind off of me at other times.
For my shelter, I took my lighter fair-weather tarp (without doors); I could use my rain skirt to keep an end of my hammock dry if it started blowing in on Saturday night.
With four days’ worth of food and fuel and over 3.5 liters of water, my pack was almost maxed out at 34 pounds.
Food is going to be the next item under the microscope for weight savings. I love my trail mix, Pop-Tarts, and hot chocolate, but golly those items are heavy. There must be lighter and better options for the trail mix and hot chocolate at least — I’m not sure I am ready to forego the Pop-Tarts!
I also, somewhat stupidly, packed my wood stove (yet again). With the gusty wind conditions in the forecast, that could have been left behind.
The Plan
It’s very simple. I’m hiking counterclockwise from the Berryman Campground, camping at exactly the same places I did in my December trip.
- Day One. Hike the six miles to the spring I found by the trail on the East section of the trail.
- Day Two. Hike seven miles to where I camped on December 29, filling up with water at Brazil Creek as I go by.
- Day Three. Hike eight miles to Beecher Spring and find somewhere sheltered from the wind and rain to camp for the night.
- Day Four. Hike the eight miles back to the trailhead in the rain.
There are considerable advantages to revisiting campsites I’ve already used. I don’t have to waste time searching for suitable trees to hang my hammock or food bag, and I know what to expect. There are also disadvantages, primarily, missing even better sites that may be in the vicinity.
Needless to say, once I got out in the woods, I came up with an alternative plan, and we’ll find out what that was in due course.
Day One
I managed to get on the road by ten and, with only a stop for gas, arrived at the trailhead at twelve-forty. It was 45°F and a bright, brisk day with a gusty wind. I decided to be brave and stick with shorts, paired with my Merino wool shirt. And, as long as I kept moving fairly briskly, I was fine.
It wasn’t long before I came across the first of many trees across the trail I was to encounter over the four days. That’s not a criticism of the trail maintenance, but rather an observation about how windy it has been recently. The trail maintenance is excellent, and several trees further along the trail had already been cleared. Anyway, maneuvering around the tree was easy enough.
I arrived at my campsite in just under three hours (with a moving average of 2.4 mph) and proceeded to set up camp and settle in to enjoy the evening. There was water in the creek, and the spring was running, so I could have saved myself a lot of effort carrying water. Oh well, those are the breaks.
One day, I’ll decide not to carry water, and the spring will be dry.
By eight-forty I’d had dinner and put everything away for the night. The temperature was 36°F. It was going to be a chilly night with my 40°F quilts. I put on all the clothes I could, draped my down jacket over my top quilt, and settled in to read before lights out.
Day One Map and Stats
Day Two
I slept well. Until I didn’t. I woke up feeling chilly around six, went and grabbed the food bag, and had a hot drink. I then vowed to stay put in my hammock until it warmed up. It had dropped to 25°F overnight.
There was a strong, acrid smell of wood smoke on the wind, and the gusts were increasing in strength as the sun started to rise. I scanned what I could of the horizon and idly contemplated what I would do if there was a wildfire. I have recently seen a large prescribed burn and spent a night downwind of it, so I was aware of what to expect and confident I could tell if anything was amiss. Whatever was causing the smoky smell was not near me or a threat. Given how cold it had been overnight, it was probably just someone warming up their home. Nonetheless, I decided to keep an eye on things as the day wore on.
A Pop-Tart accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate was my wake-up breakfast. I then served myself Mountain House Biscuits and Gravy for my second breakfast. After a bit of lollygagging, I packed up camp and, shortly after eleven, was on my way.
A change of plans
I stopped at the spring to fill up with a liter and a half of water to last me until I reached Brazil Creek. While I was waiting for the water to be filtered, I amended my plans for the trip. If I got to Brazil Creek before three pm, I’d carry on and hike to Little Brazil Creek — another four miles (two hours hiking). This would set me up nicely for Day Three, allowing me to camp closer to the trailhead, possibly even close enough to wait for the rain to clear and hike out in the sunshine. And I would still be home in time for a (late-ish) dinner!
My contemplations of the change in plans were interrupted by a trail runner “Coming through!” More on that later… By eleven-thirty, I’d got my water and was hiking towards Floyd Tower Road and the Brazil Creek. With only a brief stop to change clothes (I was too hot), I arrived at Floyd Tower Road just after midday.
Ooh! There was blood!
Fifteen minutes further down the trail, and my left foot was feeling a bit warm and sticky. I’ve encountered that feeling before. A quick glance confirmed my suspicions. There was blood! 🙂 In light of my recent experience of the repercussions of not stopping and fixing things before they escalate (remember my heel blister that was actually caused by a sharp stone cutting into me?), I found a downed tree trunk to sit on and dealt with it.
The observant might wonder how my compass became involved in my first aid efforts. It’s there because it has a mirror, allowing me to determine where the cut was (and wasn’t). I should add that it also has a magnifying glass, which is helpful for seeing tiny splinters, a use to which it was put later in the trip.
My hand sanitizer and the ever-handy baby wipes made quick work of cleaning things up. The cut itself was tiny. I must have caught a stick hidden in all the fallen leaves I was shuffling through. I didn’t feel it. With a sticking plaster from my first aid kit applied, I was ready for the trail again.
Aside: By the way, many, many years ago, I was a qualified first aider. All I can say is that there’s nothing quite like reviving an unconscious and non-breathing casualty to put a spring in your step.
From my trail journal:
1220-ish Blood! Tiny scratch on LBT [Left Big Toe] Stopped & cleaned it & plaster.
1240 Back on trail
1402 Road Crossing (Brazil Creek). Water stop.
14? Back on trail
1530 Trail Runner — again. Scouts, lots!
I’d arrived at Brazil Creek well before my 1500 deadline, so I grabbed a liter and a half of water and carried on.
If I had arrived later, I would have filled up with three or more liters of water and camped at the spot a mile or so along the trail I discovered on my last visit.
He was obviously running the entire trail — twenty-eight plus miles in a few hours — and there was me taking four days!
Just before three-thirty, I met a large group of scouts on the trail. By large, I mean I gave up counting them. Fifteen or more? Plus, their accompanying adults. They were very polite, as I stood on the side of the trail saying ‘Hello’ as they filed past.
A few minutes later, my old friend “Coming through!” went past again. Dang it. He was obviously running the entire trail — twenty-eight plus miles in a few hours — and there was me taking four days to do the same!
I can take some slight solace in that I’m not a total couch potato, I mean, I’m out here hiking at a reasonable lick, and I do run three miles a couple or more times a week (recently only a couple of times a week because I’ve injured a tendon and need to rest it between runs). But 28+ miles?! And he had the nerve to look pretty fresh, too. Sigh.
Anyway, it was time to grab a snack and a drink, console myself, and carry on.
At four-fifteen, I arrived at the junction for Little Brazil Creek. Time to leave the Berryman Trail and find somewhere to stop for the night. I hiked down to the creek and then headed north, looking for an easy crossing point. It was very scrubby and full of briars. After wandering around for a while I gave up and headed back to the trail where I knew there was a crossing point. I crossed the creek and headed north again to find a spot to camp.
Again, it was very scrubby, laced with briars, and trees suitable for hanging my hammock were in short supply nonexistent. I searched further and further away from the creek before finally finding two trees, strong enough, with no nearby widow makers, and nothing growing between them. My hammock was at last up and ready by five-thirty. It had taken me over an hour to find a suitable place to camp.
The weather was looking good, so I didn’t bother setting my tarp. When it got dark, I was visited by a couple of armadillos snuffling through the leaves. Dinner was Chicken and Dumplings, and after I had dispatched that and my Pop-Tart dessert, I laid back in my hammock and watched the stars and satellites. With over ten miles under my belt today, it wasn’t long before I fell asleep.
Day Two Map and Stats
Day Three
I had a lazy morning. Breakfast was … different … I had my normal cup of hot chocolate and Pop-Tart for first breakfast, followed by a second breakfast of spaghetti bolognaise. It’s a left-over pack I had earmarked for breakfast, and why not? 🙂
This morning I studied the maps again. I had checked the weather yesterday. The rain was due to start between midnight and two am, and it would continue until sometime after one pm on Sunday. There were going to be heavy thunderstorms, and lots of wind gusting around forty mph from the southeast.
I’d seen several ridges south of Beecher Spring that looked like they’d offer good shelter, and I marked a couple of likely spots on my trail map. Now, I just needed to get moving.
Twelve-forty saw me back on my way, though my start was very inauspicious. I totally missed my way back down to a good crossing point of Little Brazil Creek I’d found the previous night. I ended up going way too far north along the creek before I could cross and then had to make my way back once I was over.
I finally arrived back on the main trail just before one, where I met three guys on bikes. They headed off down the trail down the trail I’d just come up. They seemed to be enjoying themselves; I heard them whooping their way down to the creek. They had good reason to celebrate, as I found out much later.
It was a hot day, but that didn’t stop me making good time. The trees have been cut back a lot along this section of trail, making it hot going in the sun.
By two-ten, I was up on the ridge at the survey marker, where there was a reasonable cell signal, giving me a chance to chat with Ginger and check if there had been any changes in the weather forecast — there hadn’t.
Carrying on I passed a small group of hikers, two adults and two children. They had massive packs. They were taking a break in the shelter of the trees by a stock pond. I kept going, intent on staying in front of them.
I arrived at Beecher Spring at three-fifteen and set about getting enough water for the night and Sunday’s hike back to the trailhead. While I was doing that, the group caught up with me and continued, heading south down the trail. That was the last I saw of them.
At four pm I was on my way again, and twenty five minutes later I arrived at the first place I’d identified as a potential area to camp in. It wasn’t going to work. It was near what looked to be a very popular forest road frequented by ATV users. I saw several parked a couple of hundred yards up the road, along with various campers. There was a huge muddy area near the trail crossing, which they obviously enjoyed splashing through — and getting stuck in.
I carried on to the second spot I’d marked on my map, arriving around five pm. I was peeved to find that there was water in the creek at the bottom of the hollow. Once more I’d been carrying extra weight when I didn’t need to. Oh well.
I wanted a spot away from the trail fairly high on the ridge, which would provide lots of shelter from the southeast. A lot of the trees were shortleaf pines, and quite tall. Hmm, nice in a wind and when heavy thunderstorms are on their way 🙂
It took me half an hour to find a good spot without any nearby widow makers or heavy brush between the trees. I ended up higher on the ridge than I’d intended, but a dense planting of cedar trees provided a windbreak along the top of the ridge. The wind was forecast to swing around a bit. I reckoned I had my hammock set across the worst of it. I set the tarp low to the ground on the windward side, and with a low ‘porch’ on the downwind (and downhill) side.
I was surprised to discover I had cell service. That was useful as I’d be able to check the progress of the storm on Windy’s weather radar.
Day Three Map and Stats
Day Four
I’ll let my trail journal set the scene.
0000 Started raining (hard) Setup working well – lots of wind. Good spot.
0300 Lots of thunder & lightning
0630 Wind changed. Windy. Adjust tarp. 43°F
1030 Still raining! 45°F
1200 — ” —
It was a noisy night, but I kept snug and dry. Apart from having to reset my tarp when the wind shifted, it was fine. The thunder and lightning were very impressive. After eating both breakfasts, I spent the morning reading and dozing. I estimated I was two and a half to three hours from the trailhead. I planned to start packing up around twelve to be on the trail by one. From the radar, it still looked like it would be raining, but I wanted to be home by around six thirty. Except. Except I picked up my book, started reading, and fell asleep again, and woke up to sunshine at gone one-thirty!
I set to packing up and decanting my water, a liter and a half, for the hike out. It was two-ten by the time I’d finished packing away.
After taking the above pictures and getting my pack on and comfy, it was two-twenty before I was ready to go. I had ten minutes of bushwhacking to get me back to the trail, and then I was on my way.
It was surprising how quickly things had dried up. Most of the creeks I crossed had a small trickle of water in them, but not a lot. I was expecting to see a lot more. The rain must have sounded a lot heavier than it was.
I kept watching the sun for when it shifted from being on my right to behind me, an indication that I was on the last leg of the hike, and it felt like it took a long time coming. I stopped once to change my shirt when I started getting hot. I did a quick GPS check shortly before the end of the hike and discovered a half-hour gap in my track.
I arrived at the Berryman Campground Trailhead just before five pm. There was one other vehicle. A couple of guys were loading up bikes. They were in the group I’d met when I was leaving Little Brazil Creek. There were five in the group, and they had been out celebrating a birthday.
“Those flip-flops seem to be popular,” said one of the guys. “I’ve seen another guy hiking in them this weekend.” I explained that they were hiking and trail running shoes, and, no, that was me too, up by Little Brazil Creek on Saturday.
With all the chit-chat, I forgot to take an end-of-trip selfie/picture.
Hike over, I’d covered nearly thirty miles with a tad short of two thousand feet of elevation (29.78 miles and 1,995 ft.). Not bad, no AFIB, and apart from one very minor cut, no injuries.
Day Four Map, Stats, and end of hike thoughts
Once home I had to use my previous track (from December 2024) to get a more accurate mileage figure for the last day — 6.2 miles.
What Worked
I think I’ve got everything dialed-in at the moment — not that there isn’t still room for improvement — so, here are some special mentions:
- First Aid Kit. That’s two out of two trips I’ve needed to use it after carrying and not needing one for over 15 years! I’m not sure if I’m being careless or if it’s just a matter of luck. For now, I’m sticking with the latter.
- Down Jacket. It was great. It kept me warm and worked well as an additional blanket, too.
- Bedrock Sandals. They deserve a mention after my unfounded concerns that they were causing blisters. They were fine.
- Clothing Layering. I’m very glad I packed my base layer for the colder night and mornings. I’d have been miserable without it.
- Windy.com. My weather App. It is exceptional.
- Sheltering on the lee side of a ridge. I’ve done this several times when storms or high winds have been forecast. It’s easy to do and works.
- My Revised Hiking Plan. Camping closer to the trailhead on the final night worked well, especially considering my late start. I’m glad I made the decision to do it.
What didn’t work, and what I didn’t use
- Wood Stove. Once again, I brought along my wood stove and didn’t use it.
- Carrying Extra Water. I’m not sure what the solution is to this one. A lot of the creeks and springs are seasonal, and there’s no way to get up-to-the-minute data on these tiny, remote water sources.
- Spares Bag. I’m going to review my spares bag. I’m sure I don’t need all the bits of string, straps, and two additional ways of starting a fire I’m currently carrying around.
- 40°F Under Quilt. It’s just not toasty when the temps drop to 25°F, nor should it be. I should have packed my 10°F under quilt.
- Track Pants. I thought they might make a viable option vs fleece pants. No, that didn’t work for me.
Lessons
- Stop and address minor issues before they escalate into a bigger problem is a more effective strategy. I’m stubborn and keep on going when I should take the time to deal with things before they get out of hand.
- Take the 10°F under quilt when the temps may drop below freezing.
- I need to review my overall strategy. I’ve realized that my trips are becoming more mileage and stats driven. I’m (supposedly) doing this mainly for funsies, not to gain bragging rights for setting records for the most miles, feet of elevation, speed, or endurance. My tendency toward late starts drives this to an extent, as does my food-carrying capacity of around four days.
- I’m going to review what I pack and examine why. I want to simplify what I carry and reduce weight. Which leads me to:
- Research lighter, higher-calorie, and protein-dense foods — without leaving the Pop-Tarts behind!
All in all, it was a great hike. The Berryman Trail is a bit more popular than I’m comfortable with, but the great trail surfaces and clear, well-blazed trail more than make up for that minor inconvenience.
Hopefully, I’ve put the health problems behind me. It’s time to head back to Irish Wilderness, there are some places off trail I want to explore before the bugs and poison Ivy get too prolific.