I’ve been remiss in posting lately, but my excuse is the new book, Gift From the Ozarks. In this little full color book I tell a story that was too good not to share. This book is available at Chapters on Main in Van Buren and Bookish in Fort Smith or you can order it from Amazon.
I’m pleased to share this story so grab a copy of Gift From the Ozarks.
Part of the pleasure of having written Five Star Trails: The Ozarks is revisiting the trails to look for changes and needed updates. The book currently has a rating of 4.8 stars out of five!
Since there will eventually be a second edition, we visited Roaring River State Park for a couple of nights in the campground and some good day hiking. The fall colors were beginning to pop in this southern Missouri location.
For these trails, Hiker-dog had to wear a leash, but she handled it beautifully as long as I gave her the chance to run off-trail before starting our “formal hiking.”
We walked the Tower Trail, Deer Leap, Devil’s Kitchen, and River Trails that combine to make an out-and-back figure-eight. We found it necessary to walk a different part of the Deer Leap Trail because of construction around the vent of the spring that feeds Roaring River. This was an easy adjustment and construction is a temporary thing, which was a relief.
I was impressed all over again by these trails, and it was a treat to see them in early fall colors.
I poured out water for Hiker-dog on a couple of flat rocks as we walked. Though the trails surround Roaring River, drains were pretty dry. We were pleased to arrive at a small spring. The water seeps from under the rock ledge above and is crystal clear.
The area labeled as Devil’s Kitchen is a gnarly bluff area.
Our hike’s last stretch included the River Trail and a walk along a beautiful bluff before arriving back at the end of this trail at the Ozark Chinquapin Nature Center.
After making the guidebook trail, I investigated Eagle’s Nest Trail to see if it might make a bid for inclusion in the next edition of my guidebook. It was a nice hike but included more road walking than I would expect to see in what would qualify as a most scenic trail in Missouri.
This trail’s destination is an old homesite location, but doesn’t include cabin footings or historic artifacts to explore. What I found was a beautiful location for a homesite. This is a great little trail just under three miles, but it won’t make the guidebook list. One of the hardest things about writing a guidebook to the Ozarks’ best trails is determining which trails make the cut.
While we hiked the trails, Becca enjoyed exploring along the Roaring River and reading.
Becca was a truck camper pro on this trip, having prepared food without need for refrigeration. Our Four Wheel Popup Camper gave us flexibility on accommodations and a light load. Ours is a shell model that is light and simple. The awning is essential and gives us a protected outdoor space for meals, reading, and resting.
We enjoyed camping and found our neighbors to be friendly and welcoming. We wished for more space between sites and found the highway noise unfortunate for such a beautiful river location.
If you want to hike some beautiful trails and or do some trout fishing with like-minded folks, Roaring River State Park is the place!
If you want to pick up a copy of Five Star Trails: The Ozarks, you can get it from Amazon, but if it’s available at your favorite independent bookstore, get it there. Chapters on Main in Van Buren, Arkansas, and Bookish in Fort Smith, always keeps copies on hand. While you’re there, have a cup of coffee and browse.
Shack outside of Amarillo, Texas
We escaped the Arkansas heat and humidity by driving west. We enjoyed a break from the humidity, but only during the evenings did the heat subside.
Rest stops were our friends on the long drive. We enjoyed seeing the historic Sierra Grande rest stop on Highway 87 southeast of the Capulin Volcano National Monument in New Mexico. It was perfectly placed because we stopped here going and coming.
We stopped to see the Arkansas River not far from her headwaters. It was strange to touch water there and know it would eventually run close to our home in Arkansas.
Arkansas RIver in Colorado
On our drive through Westcliffe, CO, we visited a great little store, All The Range Mountaineering and Outdoor Gear, and picked up a few maps. The owner advised us to avoid lower elevations that evening due to the heat. So, we adjusted our plans a little and continued west past Gunnison, where we came upon a nice campground alongside Mesa Reservoir close to sundown.
The evening temperatures were cool, and it was nice to be camping in the arid environment. The campsites were generously spaced with lots of empty sites, so we felt like we had the landscape to ourselves.
The next day, we continued west and passed a neighboring campground full of large RVs, so we felt fortunate to have stopped where we did the evening before.
We’ve had the Four Wheel Camper for just over a year and love it! The Raven model fits the short bed F-150 truck, and you quickly forget it’s there. Our shell model weighs about 650 pounds. If you get one loaded with accessories, the weight (and price) goes up, but the shell has what we need and gives more space to move around in there. It takes about 2-minutes to raise or lower the top and is perfect for planned or unplanned camping itineraries.
Becca suggested we visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison River National Park. We left wishing for more time. A camping trip to this location would be worth the trip by itself.
The established trails are on the rim with backcountry permits available for the adventurous who want to scramble down to the Gunnison River.
Black Canyon
A highlight of our trip was a three-day stay at Secret Garden B&B in Ouray, CO. Billy and Charolette were great hosts and made us feel right at home. Our biggest challenge was selecting from the long menu of places to explore in Ouray. It is a tourist town, but we found it welcoming and friendly. Best of all, Ouray Bookshop was walking distance from Secret Garden. It’s always a treat to explore independent bookstores!
The Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tour was a good outing. Their answering machine was out of date, saying tours were canceled which wasn’t reflected on their website. When I called a few minutes later, someone answered and said they were open. Confusion aside, the tour was excellent, and I recommend it for kids and adults.
The huge electric motor below powered a two-piston air compressor and sent pressure to operate air hammers deep within the mine. When the mine was in operation, lights dimmed throughout Ouray when this motor started.
Our Alpines Scenic Tours truck
We wanted to visit some of the area backcountry, but didn’t want to get in over our heads and end up with auto damage. The Trails of Colorado is a great resource. Without it, I might have naively ended up on some rough roads without the skills or equipment needed. I have a 4-wheel drive truck, but as we got into the Yankee Boy Basin, I realized we’d made the right decision in booking a tour with Alpine Scenic Tours.
One of many scenic views in the Yankee Boy Basin
Our driver, Sam, was excellent. He had spent years driving through the area, hunting and exploring and, as a bonus, he was a nice guy. If we’d been driving, we would have passed through without recognizing much of what we were seeing. The bucket seats and open-air seating are perfect for seeing the views securely. Well worth the cost!
Back in Ouray, it’s an easy walk to Box Canyon on the south edge of town. The City of Ouray operates Box Canyon, and it’s well worth the $5 admission. Julia McIntyre sold the land to the Ouray for $75 because she wanted it to be protected and enjoyed by others.
Walkway in Box Canyon
View down into Box Canyon
From Box Canyon, you can walk through a tunnel and easily hop onto the Perimeter Trail for a longer walk and views down into town from the surrounding mountainsides.
Tunnel on the Perimeter Trail
A short loop trail next to Box Canyon includes many native plants. I enjoyed the tall canopy of this Ponderosa Pine.
We left Ouray feeling like we’d only scraped the surface. The truth is that every Colorado town we passed through deserved more exploration but that would have to wait for future trips.
Once on the road again, we drove Hwy 550 from Ouray to Silverton then Durango making several stops along the way.
Remnants of old gold and silver mines dot the landscape along Hwy 550
The view into the Weminuche Wilderness north of Durango brought back memories of a great backpacking trip with friends several years ago.
Our plan had been to camp in the Durango area, but the heat changed our minds. We found a hotel and enjoyed catching up on messages and finding lunch at a 5-star taco trailer close to a trail system. While waiting on our order and watching cyclist and walkers, I resolved to be there before dawn the next morning to beat the heat and the crowds.
Our dinner that evening in downtown Durango included live music, which was quite a treat. Everyone wore masks and the restaurant took care to separate guests in outdoor dining.
The next morning was a great hike up into Big Canyon with headlamp. Because of my early start, I had the trail to myself out and back. It was fun to walk the sun up and watch colors come alive in this rocky canyon.
The drive back toward home was a long one. Becca posed for a photo at the state line to share with relatives in Texas. I sat on a railroad nearby for a photo before continuing to Amarillo.
The next morning, we drove out to Palo Duro Canyon State Park, so Becca could see it for the first time, and I could see it for a second time in over twenty-five years. The ranger was very nice and allowed us to drive into the overlook at the Visitors Center for a quick look even though there were restrictions due to COVID-19 and even day visitors were required to have advanced reservations as a way to control numbers.
B.H. Warnock and Benny Simpson at Capote Falls
After returning to the entrance gate the ranger and I talked for a few minutes and I gave him a copy of my trail guidebook, encouraging him to visit the Ozarks anytime other than summer. He saw my name and asked if I was kin to a Barton Warnock. Dr. Barton Warnock, was a well-respected botanist, specializing in the Big Bend region. Dr. Warnock died in 1998 at age 86. An environmental center at Big Bend carries his name along with twelve plants named for him.
His father’s first name was Arch which was also my grandfather’s first name. We don’t know of any concrete connections, but I’m claiming him as family anyway. I like the description from Kirby Warnock’s article about Dr. Warnock. “His cowboy dress and independent attitude projected an image that didn’t quite fit the ‘tree hugger’ or ‘nerd’ stereotype usually associated with botanists or lovers of wildflowers.”
We enjoyed our drive home with heads full of images and memories. This little prairie dog spotted during my final morning’s walk seemed to be saying, “Come see us again.” We’ll definitely be back out west to scratch some more at the surface and see what we can learn.
Happy Birthday to Chapters on Main
Here in the River Valley, sandwiched between the Ouachita Mountains to the south and Ozarks to the north, we have the luxury of two wonderful indie bookstores. They’re each unique! You won’t find another Bookish or Chapters on Main anywhere else on the planet.
Looks like it’s time to reorder!
Full disclosure: Both of these bookstores carry my trail guidebook, but I’d still love them if they didn’t!
Chapters on Main celebrated their third birthday May 6-11, so I’ll share a short photo tour of their store in this post. They’re only 15 minutes from my home and a favorite destination.
Stop in for a cup of coffee and good conversation. Need a book you don’t find on the shelves? They’ll order it for you and call when it arrives. Want to share great books? Join one of their book clubs. Want to write or meet writers? Chapters has you covered.
View from the front door.
The front entrance across the street from the train depot draws you in and presents you with lots of options. I usually start in the back at the coffee bar. Nothing goes with books like a good cup of coffee or hot tea.
I like the Kids Loft upstairs from the coffee bar for its view back toward the entrance.
View from the Kids Loft. Notice the Easter egg hunt leftover.
Kim Tucker, a local author, picks up my guidebook.
Indie bookstores can become hubs for the community. The photo above shows a recent event that involved several book authors with local connections. It was a great time of fellowship and sharing!
I was pleased to share Five Star Trails: The Ozarks with hiking enthusiasts and some of the excellent writers I met in Marla Cantrell’s Short Story Writing Workshop.
If you want to get lost in the books, head downstairs. I’ve found a few jewels hiding among the collections there!
A new back entrance provides a relaxing place to read and sip coffee. Plans are to open a room next door for public events and presentations.
It looks like there will be more wonderful chapters to come for this indie bookstore! To learn more about Chapters on Main, check out “Best Chapter Yet” by Marla Cantrell from Do South Magazine.
Hiker-dog and I needed a nice long dayhike. The expected rain began about one hour into our hike. The temperature hovered around 44-degrees. Just perfect!
Dogwoods provided accents across the forest understory. I paused to take a photo of a single bloom, causing Hiker-dog to return and do her head-cocking routine as if to say, “What are you doing and why aren’t you making a better pace?”
Dogwood on a chilly cloudy morning
In spite of the thick foliage, I was able to see Spy Rock bluff on the next ridge and looked forward to being there soon.
Spy Rock bluff in the distance
The trail route is clearly marked and signs give good guidance in spite of the ax damage to the Spy Rock sign on top.
Rain increased a little and temperatures seemed to drop though it was probably the strong winds that made if feel colder. I stopped on the spur to Spy Rock to retrieve my windbreaker and a snack when a trail runner approached in the opposite direction. She seemed happy to see Hiker-dog and flew by. She would be the only person I saw on the trail on this day that many would call a bad weather day. For us, it was just perfect!
View from Spy Rock
Spy Rock didn’t disappoint even on this overcast and hazy day. Distant pine groves and new spring foliage provided colorful accents across the expansive forest. Hiker-dog found fresh water pockets on the flat rocks atop Spy Rock Bluff. She seems to always have proper respect for high bluffs, stepping with care when she’s close to the edge.
Speaking of pine groves. On this 8.3-mile loop hike, you’ll pass through several patches of pine, a treat for the feet because of their thickness and the soft pine needle forest floor. Smooth, easy walking!
You’ll see several open fields above the trail providing food for deer and visual variety for us humans. I want to do this trail before dawn and sit quietly at the edge of one of these fields to see what wildlife comes around.
Small streams contained water today, but waterfalls were mere trickles since new rains were just beginning. When I passed Redding Loop Falls, I thought of an earlier trip when we were writing Five Star Trails: The Ozarks. Taking photos of this little waterfall for the book was a special memory because Hiker-dog was totally puzzled by my decision to hang out in this hollow for 30 minutes. One of the resulting photos from that time made it into hike #5, Redding Loop Spy Rock Trail.
Photo from page 44 of Five Star Trail: The Ozarks
I enjoyed every part of doing this book and was especially proud of the maps and accurate route descriptions.
Trail map from Five Star Trails: The Ozarks
Several times during today’s trek I heard the distinctive call of a pileated woodpecker. I never saw the bird but did see evidence of a variety of woodpeckers on several pine trees next to the trail.
As we got closer to Redding Campground, I leashed Hiker-dog to be sure she didn’t greet any unsuspecting campers. In the photo below, we’re both appreciating the work of trail maintenance volunteers. This trail is always in excellent condition! Thank you, Chris, Steven, Mike, or one of several other sawyers in the Ozark Highlands Trail Association.
Redding Campground was empty which led me to wonder if the gate was closed, but it was open as were the restrooms. I guess the cool temps and rain discouraged campers, but I thought it was pretty perfect! While walking the road back out to the truck, I noticed this broken boulder, reminding me of the work accomplished by time and weathering. The patient work of nature is just perfect!
A stop at Turner Bend Store is always a highlight when I’m in this area. I was craving one of their filling fresh sandwiches and was pleased to see my book on the shelf along with many other great titles. Good food and good books? Just perfect!
If you can’t make it to Turner Bend Store for a sandwich and a copy of Five Star Trails: The Ozarks, check any of these locations or your own area bookstores or order online.
I’m looking forward to sharing on Sunday, March 10th, from 2-4 p.m. at the beautiful Fayetteville Public Library.
Thank you for letting me share my love for the Ozarks. I sometimes describe this blog as my online scrapbook. I enjoy looking back at previous trips, sometimes to check my memory or relive the joy of the trail. In one of these posts, I reflect on the loss of a friend and the positive impact of his life.
Below I’ve listed the top ten viewed posts from 2018. I hope you’ll sample some of these posts and be inspired to take a hike. – Jim Warnock
1. Hiking Rush, an Arkansas Ghost Town Photo Tour
2. Walk…Eat…Sleep…Repeat – The Ozark Highlands Trail
3. Loss of a Friend A tribute to Roy Senyard
4. How to Prepare for a Multi-Day Backpacking Trip
5. Rock House on the Ozark Highlands Trail
6. Buffalo River from Boxley to Pruitt in “Typical” Arkansas Weather
8. My Morning Brew: Great Coffee on the Trail
9. Coloring Our World: 88 Miles on Missouri’s Ozark Trail
10. My book – Five Star Trails: The Ozarks
A wet Hiker-dog waits patiently as I photograph a waterfall in Missouri’s Hercules Wilderness
In November of 2012, I began this blog as an online scrapbook to record my adventures on the trails. I hoped it would help solidify memories of good times and lessons learned. It has more than fulfilled this wish. Sometimes I skim back through posts to relive the joy of previous trips and get inspired to explore some more.
An added benefit of writing is that others have chosen to virtually travel with me on the trails. Some have been inspired to hike as a result of this blog, and that gives me great satisfaction! This site is now approaching 150,000 hits and has more than 1,600 subscribed followers.
A couple of months before beginning my blog, I wrote my first article for @Urban Magazine, now Do South Magazine. That portion of my writing journey is in a post entitled “When in Doubt, Write.”
In October of 2014, my blog opened another door. I received an email from Tim W. Jackson, an acquisition editor with AdventureKEEN/Menasha Ridge Publishing. He said they were looking at adding an Ozarks guidebook to their Five Stars series and asked if I was interested in authoring the book. I quickly did a Google and Twitter search and confirmed that Tim was a real person. I then realized I owned several Menasha Ridge publications. Tim began to answer my questions and thus began our long-distance work on a guidebook that would consume every extra moment of my time for the next two years.
At first, writing this book felt daunting. My mother says, “When in doubt, take a step” so I began. There was research, hiking, recording GPS tracks, writing, and photography, then the cycle continued, building in ever-expanding layers. There was also lots of driving with Hiker-dog in her crate. She loved exploring the new trails and revisiting the familiar ones.
Even at its most difficult stages, I found great joy in this work. The team at Menasha Ridge Press was wonderful and helped make Five Star Trails: The Ozarks an amazing resource for exploring the very best trails in the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri. I take great pride in this book’s accuracy, readability, photographs, maps, and the wonderful routes included.
After the book’s publication, Marla Cantrell shared some of my story in an article entitled, “When in Doubt.” Marla had been a coach and mentor to me ever since my first published article in Do South Magazine.
I hadn’t anticipated how much fun it would be to share adventures and backpacking skills while promoting Five Star Trails: The Ozarks. Presenting at the Arkansas Literary Festival was a treat as well as various state parks and hiking groups.
Presenting to a group of 90 at Hobbs State Park
After the Arkansas Literary Festival, I learned that my book was included in the 2017 Arkansas Gems List. It was a thrill to see Hiker-dog’s cover photo on the poster.
It’s been a fun ride with Five Star Trails: The Ozarks and the journey continues. Enjoy your trails! Jim Warnock
While it’s a pleasure to see The Ozarks on bookstore shelves, the real thrill is seeing it in use! These young hikers shared this photo from one of their Ozarks trips. Thanks Trey!
Watch for the November issue of Do South. It includes my article, “Walking Through Winter,” one of our best seasons in the Ozarks.
REI in Dallas
View of Lake Alma from the dam
This cool rainy morning was perfect for picking up trash on the Lake Alma Trail. The sight of trash in the Ozarks sometimes interrupts my enjoyment of the walk. I try to contain my emotional response to seeing an abandoned cup because it confuses Hiker-dog. She’s always happy in the woods and worries if I’m not enjoying my time, too.
I’ve wondered what folks are thinking when they toss trash on the trail, so I decided to Google it. Didn’t find any explanations of the litterbug’s inner thinking, but the Journal of Applied Social Psychology published a study that confirmed something I’ve long suspected: “The littering rate was…lowest in a clean environment.” I was surprised to learn that positive (“Pitch-In”), and negative (“Littering is Unlawful”) signs had the same minor effect on reducing litter. It’s sad to see anti-littering signs in natural areas.
Since they are not likely to stop, I decided to list a few pieces of advice for litterbugs. If you know anyone guilty of littering, please pass these along.
Hiker-dog on top of the LAT Dam
We only saw a few pieces of trash on the trail this morning, but cooler temperatures reminded me that Arkansas’ hiking season is just around the corner. I’m looking forward to sharing Five Star Trails: The Ozarks at several fall events. I might even include a few Leave No Trace reminders just in case any litterbugs wander in by accident.
Five pieces of trash were found on the trail with the remainder found in the picnic area.
This kind post from my Cousin Sue took me back in time.
Absolutely still very proud of my cousin Jim Warnock on the publication of his book, Five Star Trails: The Ozarks. I re-read Ms. Cantrell’s review and realized that I was one of those friends who shared Jim’s love of “the Cherokee Trail” at the back of his folks’ home on Calion Highway in south Arkansas. While I did not do any overnights on the trail, I can still smell the pines and hear their needles rustle in the wind. Magical memories! Thanks, Uncle Jimmy, for cutting the trail, and congrats again, Jim!
1970s photo of “my trail” with my Kodak Instamatic
That little trail and adjacent woods were a palette that colored many childhood memories. There was time for climbing trees, swinging on vines, and looking at the sky in wonder. I once lay flat on my back in pine straw and gazed at a blue sky while strong winds bathed the swaying pines above. My heart felt light, and my mind soared with thoughts of a hopeful future.
As it turned out, my teenage mind couldn’t comprehend how wonderful life would be and the undeserved gifts that would come my way. Hardships? Yes, but by comparison, they were cluttered corners in a large room filled with blessings.
Walking the Ouachita Trail in 2018
Giving thanks.
Ozarkmountainhiker 