Ouachita Trail - Section 8 - Hwy 7 To FR #152 & Section 9 (partial) FR#152 to Hwy 9 - 31.4 miles

 

My slackpacking of the OT has been so full of everything I expected from the beginning.  I have met so many interesting people, stayed in some quaint places and got such a satisfying taste of Arkansas.  It ranks as one of my favorite states.  This particular trip to hike Section 8 and a little of Section 9 added a new twist to the phrase "Day Time Hiking and Nighttime comforts" due to staying in our truck camper with my supportive, non-hiker minded husband.  There are a couple of Airbnbs in the area, but thought it would be fun to primitive camp in the truck.  Last fall, I stayed a few nights in the camper at state parks while on fall retreats and it is was surprisingly comfortable.   My favorite nighttime comforts after a hike are a nice hot meal, hot shower, my toasty toes slippers and a warm bed with my Serta pillow.

Night one - we stayed at a pullout off the Auto Tour/FS 132 in Jessieville, Arkansas.  The weather was mild.  As I rummaged through my cooking tote, I realized I brought Keurig coffee k-cups but not my maker.  I PANICKED, how could I face tomorrow without COFFEE.  I can get very resourceful when it comes to having my morning coffee.  I quickly came up with a solution to pour coffee grounds in a paper towel and twist the top, heat water on the hot plate and pour over my my paper towel coffee pod and let it steep for a few minutes.  Once the coffee problem was solved we had a 

 light dinner and got cozy in the camper.  I brought old wool Army blanket that we have had for 30+ years, a buffalo print blanket my mother, Carolyn, made back in the 80s' that is fondly called our Carolyn blanket, and a worthless sleeping bag.  I felt equipped to stay warm and the first night I had such a wonderful sleep.   When we woke up the next morning, the windows were heavy with condensation from our heavy breathing.  We decided cracking a window would have helped.  I had two cups of coffee and quickly realized bad coffee is better than no coffee.  I was sure I would have coffee grounds in my teeth.  The pre-made breakfast quesadillas were a perfect breakfast for this trip. My coffee kicked in and I was excited about getting Section 8 started.  Mark, Jodie and Bella (they were in their 5th wheel on a primitive site not far from us) stopped by and picked me up and we met Kristy at Highway 7 Trailhead.  Scotty messaged me soon after we started the hike.  He had gone to Dollar General to get more water and they had a one cup Keurig coffee maker.  I now have three of them, one in my house, one in our RV and one in my camper tote.  He was happy to find it as well, because I had brought hot chocolate K-cups for him.  I would now be able to rise, shine and bring order to my mornings before the hiking begins.  

 

We started at Hwy 7 Trailhead at 7:30 a.m.   I am always full of "piss and vinegar" in the mornings when a hike begins, by afternoon I am no longer counting miles I looking at the FarOut app trying to figure out how many 10ths of a mile I have left.  I was curious of where the phrase "piss and vinegar" originated and found out the exact origin of the phrase in unknown, but it has been around a long time.  Some think it is actually just a corruption of a more polite phrase "vim and vigor".  The first recorded use of the exact phrase was by American author, John Steinbeck, who used the phrase in his 1936 novel, In Dubious Battle and his 1938 novel, The Grapes of Wrath.  The phrase has also been used in a 1994 episode of animated television show, The Simpson.  Another more polite version of it is "pep and vinegar".  I have started packing Nuun (electrolyte energy tablets) and chocolate in my backpack for an afternoon pick-me-up and it seems to work.  

The first photo above is a friendly looking burl with a blue blaze eye.  The second photo is a sign carved on a tree that Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT) have been working to clear trail of some fallen trees. The third photo is Mark giving me a lesson in pine knots.  

The four photos above are things found in shelters on Section 8.  The wooden craved dog was in memory of a hiker dog. It was in the rafters of the shelter and I am sure the person who put it there had spent some fun times with his dog on the trail.  The coffee pot would be hard for me to use without being able to wash it out with extremely hot water.  There were so many mouse turds in the area and a slight smell of urine.  The green feminine pee funnel above was a shocker of a find.  I am sure it was left behind because the owner discovered it was not the best way to pee in the woods or to pee anywhere at all.  The saw that apparently was made by a hiker appeared it would serve it purpose if need be.  I am glad I didn't have a need and have to find out.  

Jodie aka "Sparkplug" and Kristy aka "Topo" have been so supportive of me finishing the OT.   They are an example of the friendly people I have met in Arkansas.  Scotty, Mark and Bella joined us on a portion of our hike.  Mark is very familiar with the area and was great at shuttling us on the last several sections.  Scotty rode his bike a little over 10 miles on the FS roads and wants to go back and ride some more.

My plant id app was unable to id the first photo.  The 2nd photo looked like a chia rock.  The 3rd photo Hydnoid fungi.

I keep my phone always handy and stay ready to snap a cool photo.  The sights of fungus, algae and lichen always make me think of "A Little Lichen" saying: 

A fungus and an algae got married.  They had a little lichen.  And their marriage was on the rocks (or in this case a tree).

Lichen me some forest hearts!

These two know their stuff.  

I dozed off a little bit during our lunch stop and tried not to think about Crystal Prong Creek running swiftly to the left of me.  I decided I would cross that creek (no bridge) when I got there.  As we approached the creek, I got a little nervous.  Kristy and Jodie crossed as I put on my water shoes and put my phone in a baggie.  Kristy reminded me not to buckle my backpack.  Jodie suggested that extending my trekking poles would give me more stability.  Excellent advice from both of them.  The water was knee deep and bitterly cold.  We didn't fall in and the cold water was refreshing to our feet.  Kristy filtered some water while I was getting my boots back on. I snapped the cool photo above of her with a rainbow effect.  We had spend close to an hour for lunch and crossing the creek and were soon back on track.

The 2nd night Scotty and I stayed on Oak Mountain.  The view from the mountain is one of the prettiest I've seen in Arkansas.  We visited Jodie, Mark and Bella and sat around the nice campfire Mark had built.   

We will definitely revisit Oak Mountain.  Breathtaking.  One of Scotty's favorite songs is "God's Front Porch" and he played it as he stood looking off Oak Mountain.

Forked Mountain vista was a short distance from our Oak Mountain camping spot. 

The 3rd night we stay at Lake Sylvia State Park which is nestled between scenic pine and oak mountains in the northeast corner of the Ouachita National Forest.  The serene 18-acre lake is noted for its swimming opportunities only 38 miles west of Little Rock.  The trail system offers visitors an opportunity to hike, enjoy an easy nature walk, connect with the Ouachita National Recreation Trail.  It is $25 a night and would be cheaper if you have a senior discount. The bathhouse was so clean and the park is beautiful.  There was no ATT phone signal in the park, but we were able to drive to the top of the hill to call home and check in.

What may have been lacking on this slackpacking trip was made up in getting more connected with nature.  I had my Serta pillow and the memory foam mattress in the camper was comfortable.  Thank goodness the Dollar General in Jessieville had a Kuerig coffee maker.  My husband had a portable toilet we brought along and I am happy to report I didn't use - let's just say I got pretty close to nature on those issues.  A hot shower at the end of the day was replaced with total protection body wipes.  They left me feeling sticky, but I didn't stink....I don't think I did anyway.  My backpack plunder I pack each day includes toiletries and an extra baggie to carry out my trash.  The lady pictured above in the plastic tote tub came up with a solution if you don't have a bathtub, but I think I would have to get a little larger one to stretch out my legs.  I waited until I got home to enjoy a Dr. Teal's Epsom salt bubble bath.  If I didn't have a tub in my house, I would definitely get a tote tub.

When we ended at Hwy 9 Trailhead there was some folks from the Ozark Trail Association.  They offered me some chocolate which was a nice end to our day.  Chocolate is great trail magic.  

On our way home, Scotty and I stopped at Fat Daddy's Bar-B-Que in Russellville and I had smoked chicken nachos.  I did a little stretching on the dash in the truck on the way home and when I got out I was stoved up big time.  I was glad to get home and sleep in my own bed.  It doesn't take long to get rested up and want to head back for some more.