Outdoor Adventures in the Ozarks

     Last spring after hiking at Tyler Bend,  we pulled into  Grinders Ferry just to see what was happening and noticed the white blazes nailed to trees on both sides of the access road.  Knowing that ‘white’ trail markers are used for both the Buffalo River Trail and Ozark Highlands Trail, while ‘yellow’ indicates horses allowed, and ‘blue’ blazes are for spur trails.  What we didn’t know was that Grinders Ferry has a trailhead, it isn’t shown on any map I’ve seen, maybe they’re trying to keep it a secret. near Illinois Point      For more about that ‘discovery’ read: ( 94 Tyler Bend Loop ), today we’re parking at Grinders Ferry and hiking east on the BRT/OHT.   That’s right this is the Buffalo River Trail  and  the Ozark Highlands Trail, for years at mile marker 164 about where Richland Creek flows into the Buffalo River is where the OHT officially ended, now  the OHT is open for continuous hiking from Lake F...

     I never considered 'The Slatey Place' as a day-hike destination, mainly because of the elevation change, r ound-trip from Steele Creek about 10 miles is over 600 feet of elevation gain, and f rom Kyle’s Landing only about 5 miles, but even more elevation gain, over 800 feet.   Many people park a car at Kyle’s then drive a second car over to Steele Creek and hike the  nearly 8 miles on the BRT in a long one-way  hike, I think I'll pass.      But then I was looking at some maps recently and saw a horse trail just a mile north of Low Gap logically  named ‘Low Gap Trail’.   This looked like just the ticket for a couple older hikers looking to explore deep into the Ponca Wilderness without a lot of altitude change.   We park off the road near a locked gate, with the Low Gap Trailhead and the boundary to the Ponca Wilderness at an elevation of almost 1650 feet. fall, in all its glory    Low Gap T rail was once a r...

    We’re going back to Sam’s Throne Special Interest Area in the Ozark National Forest, it’s finally starting to feel like fall with temps this morning in the low forties.  P ulling in at the main entrance,  we notice there are lots of people here, it’s Monday morning, it turns out most of these folks are packing up getting ready to go.  Past the entrance we turn north and in 100 yards or so park in a big campsite which could probably be three campsites. looking south at 2 Rock Vista and beyond     West of the campsite we head down a rocky trail which is actually a dry creek bed, soon at the end of this little spur and the top of the bluffs.  Turning right we follow the bluffline north, mostly on a good volunteer trail, it does fade out here and there, we just keep heading north along the top of the bluffs stopping occasionally at some of the many fabulous views.  At one vista stop, on the edge of the bluff are side by side boulders, we name...

     I never thought we would be going swimming at the end of September, but it has been a long hot summer and with highs today predicted to be in the low nineties this may be our last chance this year.  Four days ago,  on our first hike of the season we  found Blue Hole, a beautiful swimming hole upstream from river mile 78 and Woolum landing.    At that time,  I promised myself to come back to go swimming, I just didn’t think it would be this soon.      We cross the Buffalo at the same spot as before, I’ll call this ford the ‘relocated’ Woolum Ford.  The crossing today is just over a foot deep but there are a few bigger rocks we need to avoid, still an easy crossing.    Up a short sandy hill on the south side of the river then we stay straight (west) where the road turns to the south and up another sandy hill.  Now we’re on a cobblestone road I’m calling 'Volunteer Road' which meanders along on the ...