Monthly Archives: February 2025

Coffee on the Trail

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I haven’t shared my current coffee on the trail. I like both of these options that leave me with a small pice of packaging to pack out. The Starbucks is more expensive and taste slightly better to me. The Mount Hagen is cheaper and taste pretty good, too. Both taste great on the trail when made with filtered water from an Ozarks stream. Until doing this post I’d never noticed the weight. Starbucks is 3.3 grams and the Mount Hagen is 2 grams. I’d have to pack a lot of coffee before weight was a factor in my decision.

I used to put espresso grind in a ziplock bag. After pouring the hot water, I’d put a teaspoon of coffee on top of the water and let it sit a minuet before stirring it and letting it settle. This was the best tasting coffee in my opinion but not as simple to make and you have to be careful not to drink the sludge at the bottom of your cup. I dispersed the sludge by adding water and spreading it over foliage.

Four-star hotel and gourmet coffee next to Briar Branch

Day Hike to Cedar Creek on the OHT

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Cedar Creek is a favorite feature of the Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT). I decided it would be a good first real hike in over a week for my dog who recently had minor eye surgery. She’s been held prisoner by an Elizabethan Collar for 24-hours a day for the last full week. Elizabethan Collar seems overly poetic for something so inconvenient.

Monday morning I unceremoniously removed the plastic collar and gave Hiker-dog her freedom. Once we got on the trail, she was one happy dog!

Since this is a hike I plan to use in the second edition of Five Star Trails: The Ozarks, I took my time and made notes during the drive out to Rosetta Trailhead. I’ve driven to this trailhead before, but writing directions that others can follow requires thought and decisions about which details to include.

I enjoyed the whole walk down to the creek while watching Hiker-dog dart through the woods and occasionally following close by. We spent some time at Hobo Falls and Cedar Creek before hammering our way back to the trailhead.

Story has it that Hobo Falls picked up the name because remnants of a hobo camp were found nearby. Next time I visit, I plan to be a hobo and spend a couple of nights in the area. I noticed a nearby cave that would make an easy shelter as long as a critter hasn’t already claimed it.

The next few photos are from 2016 when a great group of trail friends camped here. Hiker-dog and I had been together for a couple of years by that time. She’s at least 12 years old now but still going strong.

The left and center photo below are Hiker-dog in 2016 when she was around three years old. The photo on the right is gray bearded Hiker-dog in 2025.

A Sacred Place in the Ozarks

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My Arkansas trail friends probably know exactly where I was when I took this photo. It’s a special place in the Ozarks and one I’ve visited many times. Today was overcast with a slight drizzle and cold…perfect trail conditions when hiking Spirits Creek!

After rock-hopping across Spirits Creek I walked downstream to the established campsite where I’ve camped many times. While spending a few minutes out on the creek I thought about previous trips to this spot and time spent there with friends.

Spirits Creek next to the established campsite.

The drizzling rain increased making me nervous about getting my camera wet. I placed a plastic bag over it and hiked back upstream to the crossing where I enjoyed remembering a morning in 2014 when the swollen creek was verging on dangerous. No worries today but there was still enough water for the creek to be beautiful and create ribbon falls from the nearby bluffs.

You’ll pass several places where water pours over the bluffs.

Before heading up and out of the valley back to Ragtown trailhead, I spent some time with one of my favorite waterfalls a short distance upstream from the V-shaped cascade cover photo for this post.

The climb from Spirits Creek wasn’t as difficult as I’d anticipated. I credit the views I continued to think about for making the hike up and out easier. As I got close to the end, I nodded toward the valley and said a soft, “Thank you” for the beauty that I was able to enjoy this day.

Hiker-dog at Alum Cove Natural Bridge

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It doesn’t seem possible that Hiker-dog has been part of our family for over ten years now. She must be around twelve years old now but she still loves the trails and exploring.

Recently we visited Alum Cove Natural Bridge and had the whole trail to ourselves for a little while, so I let her go off leash for a few minutes, especially around the icy spots in the trail. I had visions of her pulling me across the ice as a sled and wanted to avoid that fun.

She provided me with some entertainment underneath the natural bridge as she danced and skated across the icy stream that runs through and down the bottom of the cove. As temperatures warmed, we avoided being underneath massive ice formations that could fall with the impact of small boulders.

View from on top of the natural bridge.

We took a little time to explore the areas around this natural wonder. I always marvel when facing such complex but artistic views formed mostly by water and time.

Hiker-dog liked this little cave on the other side of Alum Cove. Nice view and protection from the elements. I’m pretty certain these caves were shelters for early inhabitants of the Ozarks. While inside, we had to keep an eye overhead to be sure we weren’t walking under icicles hanging from above.

Spotting Becca at the entrance of this cave helped me realize the size.

Hiker-dog says, “Thanks for joining us.” If you’d like to read how Hiker-dog joined up with our family at mile 138 of the Ozark Highlands Trail, it’s available at Chapters on Main in Van Buren, Bookish in Fort Smith, and Amazon.com online.