Begin MM 45.5 ---7:15 a.m.
End MM 46.3 --- 9:25 a.m.
Last night we all dove into our tents to get away from the bugs (flies, mosquitos, bees, no-see-ums, etc.) to have our dinner, such as it was {for me- 2 slices Cabot Sharp Cheddar, 4 Oreos, and the last of a baggie of trail mix which was pretty crumbled up by this time}. After hanging our food/toiletries bags on a high limb, we are still in bear country, I crawled into my sleeping bag for the night at 7:00 p.m.
I knew we needed to get an earlier start this morning so last night I called out to Tundra and Titmouse that we should aim for a 7:00 a.m. hike out time for today. Both of the last two days, hiking out at 10:35 a.m. and 9:05 a.m. had us hiking more thru the heat of the afternoon trying to get our miles done. Since Tundra and I have waited each morning for Titmouse to get organized and packed up ready to leave camp, I thought if I suggested getting on the trail by 7:00 a.m., maybe in actuality we would hike out by 8:00 a.m.
Well I was shocked this morning at 5:15 a.m., I crawled out of my sleeping bag to get up and go pee, when soon after I got back into my tent I could hear Titmouse awake and packing up her gear!
Needless to say, we were all three packed up and ready to leave camp and hike out by 7:00 a.m.
However it was so foggy we could not even find the trail! So we stood around, waiting a few minutes for it to get a little lighter, when Titmouse commented "All dressed up and no where to go"!
By 7:15 a.m. though, we were heading up the Ouachita Trail once again, in a thick fog, still anxiously looking for that new Stateline Shelter. It has been a hard three days for Tundra and Titmouse! Challenging terrain while lugging 30+ pounds on their backs, filtering pond, creek, and ditch water for drinking, sleeping on the ground, no showers or toilets, eating "whatever" out of their food bags, plus enduring the tremendous thunderstorms the very first night, and a lot warmer weather than we anticipated every day. I never told them that backpacking was easy. It is not!
So minutes after we began our hike this morning, as we were finishing our climb up Rich Mountain, I looked back at Tundra and she did not look good at all. I could see in her eyes that she must be in pain. We stopped for a few minutes while Tundra sat on a boulder, sick to her stomach, experiencing waves of nausea. We decided for Titmouse to go on ahead and I would stay with Tundra. We hiked a minute, then rest a minute, just try to make it to the Stateline Shelter. We knew we couldn't be too far from it. Once again Tundra told me that she did not sleep well last night. This is three nights in a row of her not sleeping, then going thru strenuous exercise each day while hiking. I think she is suffering from extreme exhaustion.
We soon made it to the State Line/Upper Kiamichi Wilderness Trailhead Registration Box.
These were some delicate looking pink flowers at the State Line.
When I got to the shelter, Tundra was sitting on the Shelter floor while leaning back on her backpack. She looked totally spent! We discussed it and decided to end our Shakedown Hike right there.
I volunteered to walk uphill to the Talimena Scenic Drive and start walking toward Queen Wilhelmina State Park, hoping a car would come by and pick me up, to get Tundra's vehicle, that we had left there on Sunday, then drive back to the Shelter to pick up Tundra and Titmouse.
After walking along very quickly on the Talimena Scenic Drive, in the heavy fog for about 40 minutes, I had not seen one single vehicle. I guess it is too foggy for anyone to be out here sightseeing! And it is still about six miles to the Park! Luckily I was carrying a bottle of water and my cell phone, so I called Titmouse and asked her to call the State Park and see if someone would come to pick me up. After a couple of minutes, Tundra called me back and said someone was on the way. Hallelujah! I continued walking, making it to the Mountain Fork Vista before the State Park Police car arrived to pick me up.
After retrieving Tundra's vehicle, I drove back to the State Line and picked up Tundra and Titmouse. It is still really foggy as Titmouse drives us down to Mena, Ark. for a shower and lunch, in that order.
We rent a motel room at the Budget Inn, a cheap motel in Mena, (I would never sleep there, reminds me of the Relax Inn at Atkins, Va. on the A.T.!), so we can take a shower, wash our hair, put on clean dry clothes. Next we went to The Chopping Block Steakhouse in Mena for a scrumptious burger and fries lunch!
Thankfully, Tundra is already feeling much better! Nothing like a hot shower, dry clothes, and a good town meal to perk a body up! She is feeling so much better, she is driving us back home (about a 4-5 hour trip). Thank you so much Tundra for having your vehicle waiting at the end of our hike. And a big thanks to Pyro for getting us to the beginning of our hike!
----AFTERTHOUGHTS----
During the drive home I had plenty of time to think about the last four days of backpacking with Tundra and Titmouse, who were novices to long distance backpacking.
As we were preparing for this little adventure into the woods, I told Tundra and Titmouse that this would be a leisurely hike, covering only about 5 miles per day, giving them a chance to test their newly purchased gear, get used to setting up camp each night, packing back up each morning, purifying their drinking water, and carrying everything they need to survive on their back up and down mountains each day.
I think by day 2, Titmouse had her doubts about long distance backpacking. She said she wanted to take her time and smell the flowers along the way. Titmouse did not like the concept of hiking from point A to point B, setting a goal for each day, then hiking a steady enough pace to make it happen. On our way home Titmouse told us she likes backpacking and camping out, but maybe for only a couple of days at a time, plus taking all the time she wants along the way. I assured her that is fine for her. Enjoy backpacking on short day or two trips. Long distance backpacking is not for everyone, in fact it is enjoyed by only a very few folks!
On the other hand, Tundra seemed to me to be a strong hiker. She definitely needs to take Advil/Tylenol PM before crawling into her sleeping bag each night, because the human body cannot sustain the strenuous effort involved in backpacking without restful, restorative sleep each night.
Tundra was very organized so she was quick to set up her camp in the evening and pack it back up in the morning. Plus she can build an awesome campfire!
I enjoyed our little trek through the woods! It was great to hike with friends and observe them as they discovered the world of backpacking. Having Thru-Hiked the A.T. previously, I certainly feel like I had an advantage in that I knew first hand what to expect--climbing mountains, descending mountains, over sometimes overgrown trail, boulder-strewn trail, while carrying 20-30 pounds on your back is not easy. It is truly a day's work to cover 10 miles or more in a day also. A lot of times it is all mental, convincing your feet and legs to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and keep a steady pace, taking short breaks, snacking and staying hydrated, until you reach your planned destination for each day.
I found the Ouachita Trail to be quite beautiful and challenging. I appreciate all the hard work of all the Trail Maintainers, all the volunteers who build those nice shelters, and the entire membership of FoOT for their dedication and tireless efforts in keeping the Ouachita National Recreation Trail available for hikers like me.
Tom "Pyro" and I are happy and proud to be a part of the FoOT organization as Trail Maintainers and volunteers!
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