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Published: April 2nd 2008
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Setting out on the trail
Here we are near the Highway 259 trailhead sign for the Ouachita Trail May 16, 2008. Hello all! This is the beginning page for our great Appalachian Trail hike we are planning to take in late May.
We decided to hike on the Ouachita Trail because the trail is close and provides more elevation than we could ever find in Stillwater Oklahoma. This hike is to test our gear and bodies for the grueling but exciting trip ahead of us. Here is how it went....
We arrived in Poteau Oklahoma and enjoyed on last sleep on a bed. When we woke the next morning, ready to get moving, the car wouldn't start. It was Sunday, so prospects for obtaining professional help were low. We knew what was wrong with the car because we had had the problem before, but we lacked the tools to deal with this frequent problem. We walked to an Auto Zone, bought tools and fixed the car.
We got on the trail around 11:00 am. We forgot our walking poles. Brian took off his pack and walked back to the car to get the poles while Jessica played with the camera.
The weather was wonderful and it seemed as though all of our rough times were behind us. We hiked
up a mountain that either has a name and I don't know it or it is a nameless big hill. Lunch was peanut butter and honey tortillas, fruit and beef jerky. After the food we felt ready to hike again.
That night we slept near the Kiamichi River. It was a lovely camp, but was surrounded by briars. These briars made it hard to hang the pack later that night and it had gotten dark faster than we had anticipated. Sunday night was a quite one.
Monday morning we ate oatmeal to-go bars and cereal. It was a hazy cloudy day. We packed up camp and headed east toward the Kiamichi crossing. The trail down to the river crossing looked to be a tiny creek itself. When we arrived at the crossing we weighed our options. Before we left we checked the forecast and knew that it would rain Tuesday. Not wanting to be stuck on the opposite side of the river from our car, we decided to turn back and hike the mountainous big hill again.
We hiked until our breakfast was long gone and our bodies were beginning to revolt. We stopped for lunch on
Brian and the poles
We got a little way down the trail and realized we forgot our walking poles. This is Brian returning to the spot where he left me with the poles. top of our big hill. Our feet were killing us. Jess took her shoes off to fix the moleskin that had migrated during the hike. The sky turned weighty and the wind picked up. We wanted to get off the mountain as soon as possible to avoid being up there in a storm. We really pushed ourselves down hill and made camp before any real rain started.
We even got to have a hot meal. As Jess cleaned the cheesy rice pan Brian was gathering wood for a fire. We felt the first few drops and began buzzing around the camp getting things put away and ready for rain. We hung the food pack and as we did the rain really started to fall.
The rain slowed as we played gin rummy in the tent. As the storm became louder we stopped playing cards and laid down to listen to the storm. At first it was wonderful to hear and I don't know about Brian but I fell asleep. Then I couldn't get to sleep for anything. The rain would quite down a bit and I would nod off. Then with no transition the rain and thunder would
Jessica and a creek crossing
This was the first beautiful picture worthy water crossing we came to. be deafening.
Tuesday morning we waited for the rain to slow down long enough to pack up the tent. We hiked back to our car in little to no rain. There were many puddles and the creeks we had pasted on Sunday were bubbling and forecasting the flood to come.
As our car came into sight the rain was turned on full blast. Sheets of rain beat at us as we tried to take off our rain gear and get in the car. It rained all day. It never stopped raining. On the drive to Krebs Oklahoma we were bombarded with rain and it made us glad we had chose to leave when we did.
The food at Pete's Place cured our hunger and rewarded us for our hard work although it was cut short. The beer was good too. When we were done with our meal we were greeted outside with a car that would not start once again. It was still raining, though not very hard. Jess suggested we tighten the battery post we had loosened at the beginning of our trip. That fixed the car right up. I was the last wrench thrown into
The larger view
A wider view of the creek. our plans and we made it home in no time.
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mika matzen
non-member comment
good luck
Looks like a blast. Count me as envious. Remember: Don't eat wild potato seeds. : )