Waking up
For once we didn’t hang around too long drinking coffee and eating breakfast,
Along the way we saw a very large black snake sunning itself. This was obviously the weekend of the ticks, mosquitoes and snakes. Just before we arrived back at the trail head, I’d decided I’d had enough and it was about time the hike stopped, so my timing was quite good. We chatted for a couple of minutes with a guy who had three horses out on the trail, and then it was time to pack up and leave. Well if we hadn’t got a flat tyre we would have left. I couldn’t be bothered to swap the tyre, so I got out our portable compressor/jump start machine which Jim and Carol had given us for Christmas with just this sort of eventuality in mind.
It put air in the tyre alright, but it took a long time. The motor overheats and cuts out after a while, so you have to let it cool down before proceeding. It took 30-45 minutes to get the tyre up to pressure. It was nigh on one pm before we finally left the trail head.
Distance hiked: 15 miles and a total of around 1,000 feet of elevation climbed.
On our way to pick up Lanie from her grandparents we went to Theodosia to see the Bull Shoals lake. The campsite and buildings there were completely under water, which was just a foot or so short of the bridge deck. very impressive.
Today’s alternate shots & extras
Waking up in the tent without the fly sheet set
At the end of the hike
Ginger enjoying her blow up pillow
Missouri Primrose
Flat tyre - Tower trail head, Hercules Glades
Highway 160 Bridge at Theodosia, Missouri
30 May 2011 | 365:150 | 365 Days blog | Hercules Glades | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Lunch by the bluffs on Long Creek
Today was hot,
We stopped for lunch by the bluffs on Long Creek, and decided camp at the western campsite at the falls if it wasn’t occupied. All we had to do was get there. We hiked the Rock Spring trail back to Long Creek trail. Near where the East Devils Den trail meets Rock Spring trail there’s an old stock pond, which had frogs that sounded like electronic sheep it. I named them ‘Sheep Frogs’. Back home we discovered that there are indeed frogs called sheep frogs – because of their bleating call.
Along Rock Spring trail we tried to spot the place where theres an old stock pond, spring box and small decrepit hut. But we couldn’t spot it. That’s twice we’ve failed to find it. Neither the spring, stock pond or building are marked on any of the maps.
Back at the falls the upper campsite was occupied so we stopped and enjoyed the view for a while. Sunning itself near the falls was a large 4 foot plus Midland water snake. Very pretty, looking in the falls we saw another three much smaller snakes swimming. I’m glad I didn’t spot it yesterday when I was frolicking in the water. We decided to camp at the site we’d spotted yesterday a mile or so up Long Creek. When we arrived we found the site had been used the night before, but it had been left if fairly good condition. Search around for access to Long Creek we found a second campsite further back in the brush. The creek here had an overhanging shelf to the West and a small set of foot high falls to the East. We set up camp, picked up our dinner, stove and chairs and went down to the creek to refill our water, bathe, eat dinner and sit and enjoy the view.
It wasn’t long before the voracious mosquitoes got the better of us and we headed back to the bug free haven of the tent. I was already covered in large welts from earlier encounters with the beasts. Again we didn’t set the fly, it was just too hot.
Today’s alternate shots & extras
Two baths in as many days, that's a bit excessive. It was darned cold again too.
Relaxing by the creek after dinner
Midland Water Snake
Keeping the water cool in my water bottle
Long Creek, Hercules Glades
29 May 2011 | 365:149 | 365 Days blog | Hercules Glades | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Just before I stuck my head in the falls behind me
Invigorating was one word for it,
I don’t have a picture taken after my encounter with the falls; I am trying to be a bit more careful with the camera around water nowadays. Especially as we currently only have one working camera between us.
Despite our best efforts we lazed around over our morning coffee and breakfast and didn’t get going until gone ten.
Our efforts to lighten our packs have paid off. Ginger’s weighed in at 27lbs and mine at 29lbs both including food and water. We took Pole Hollow trail down to Long Creek. The trail started easily enough in glades but the lower end was very dense with vegetation and some fallen trees were blocking the trail. The trail, in common with most of the trails we walked (with the exception of the popular long creek trail) didn’t appear to have been walked much recently. Away from long creek, the trails seemed almost deserted, we saw four people on horseback on our first day and that was it.
We both picked up loads of ticks along the way. This set the scene for the entire trip. We lost count of the number of ticks we removed, both attached and running free. There were small seed ticks, deer ticks and the aptly named lone star ticks. Deet didn’t seem to discourage them much. We were both wearing shorts which at least made it easy to spot the darned things before they could go too far.
Poison ivy was also prevalent along the trails, mainly in forested areas in patches where the cover had been cleared. Hiking in bare feet and shorts I worked on honing my poison ivy spotting skills. Though primarily I avoid contact with any triple leaved green thing. I must be doing something right as over the weekend we bushwhacked a fair way, and encountered a lot of poison ivy, and I didn’t get afflicted by it.
The lower end of Pole Hollow Trail has moved a few hundred yards to the west of the route shown on the trail head maps.
Once on Long Creek Trail we headed west to the falls. About a mile from the falls we spotted a campsite just off the trail, which we noted for future use, knowing that the falls area is very popular and tends to get more than a bit gross. With all the recent rain Long creek was running well, and has to be crossed several times. With all the new growth in some places it was quite tricky to spot where the trail picked up on the opposite side of the creek. At the falls both camp sites at the falls were occupied, our plan was only to stop for lunch so we sat out by the falls which were running quite well. I used the wood burner to boil water for lunch (slow but successful), and took advantage of the deeper pools to bathe. Gosh it was cold! And that was where today’s picture was taken.
We filled up with a massive (and heavy at over 12lbs) 6 litres of water as we were headed North behind the Upper and Lower Pilot knobs for the night and we weren’t sure if we’d find water there.
After lunch we rearranged our packs so I wasn’t carrying too much weight, headed back along Long Creek Trail and then up Cedar Trail, which was quite rocky going, the recent rain has cleared out any loose material on the trail. It was a nice hike uphill through a fairly densly wooded area. Once back up on Pilot trail we headed West, finally camping well off trail to the North near the junction with West Devils Den trail.
After dinner I tried using the wood burner as a campfire with mixed results. We decided not to set the fly, spending the night under the open sky.
Today’s alternate shots & extras
Gary boiling water for lunch on the wood burner
Cairn at North end of Pole Hollow trail - Hercules Glades
13 year periodic cicada
Ginger Crossing Long Creek - Hercules Glades
Creek crossing, Long Creek, Hercules Glades
Rock shelf by a creek crossing on Long Creek, Hercules Glades
Typical Hercules Glades trail
Long Creek falls, Hercules Glades
Ginger filtering water at Long Creek falls
28 May 2011 | 365:148 | 365 Days blog | Hercules Glades | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Off backpacking for the weekend
I don’t know where my head was today,
Have I mentioned that the Van’s AC has packed up again? It’s not quite so bad this time as the fan is jammed on, full on. Even when the AC is turned off it runs full blast. At least this means we still have AC which is a lot better than last year. Ginger had done some research on the Internet earlier in the day. Pulling out the glove box she managed to reach inside and disconnect the wires leading to the running amok blower. This enabled us to enjoy the drive without a gale blowing at us.
It was gone seven pm by the time we’d finally arrived at our destination, the Tower trail head at Hercules Glades, which is where today’s picture was taken. We were finally ready to start our weekend’s backpacking. Well almost. I left my pedometer on the back bumper of the van, and had to go back for it. We hiked around a mile along Pilot trail. Just before the point where Pole Hollow trail joins we went a short distance off trail to find a nice quiet camping spot. By the time we’d finished putting up the tent it was dark. Just time for dinner then bed.
I took three luxury items on this trip. A book, my wood burning stove and it’s pot. I wanted to give the stove a try out on the trail. Tonight though we used the good old Coleman Exponent stove. It’s a tad heavy but is proving to be very reliable and easy to use.
27 May 2011 | 365:147 | 365 Days blog | Hercules Glades | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
