Black Fork Mountain

Posted on March 30, 2025 by ozarkmountainhiker

Kerry, Bob, and I wanted to hike Black Fork Mountain. It would not be our first time on this trail, but several years had passed since any of us had been up that trail. Our plan was to begin at Queen Wilhelmina State Park and hike down to where the trail crosses the Ouachita River. There we’d pick up extra water and hike to the Black Fork Shelter for a couple of nights.

Our first night was at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. We were “Glamping” with nice campsites, access to restrooms, and a restaurant close by. I almost felt guilty in my truck camper while Bob and Kerry tent camped but both options gave a good night’s sleep. I look forward to using this campground and the nearby Winding Stairs Campground again. Rich Mountain and the Queen Wilhelmina area are great camping destinations.

As we walked, I thought back to a thru-hike on the Ouachita Trail in the winter of 2018. Back then, flakes of ice hung from the trees and littered the ground. Quite a different scene now as a warm sun beat down on this spring day.

The next morning, we began working our way up Black Fork Mountain through alternating pine groves, hardwood forests, and scrub oaks along high ridges. The hardest part was following a reroute down below a rockslide. Every step down meant another uphill step later to regain the elevation lost.

The views across the valley to Rich Mountain kept us engaged as we tried to identify roads, Queen Wilhelmina Lodge up top, and a little Country Store down below.

Thanks to occasional survey tape we were able to follow the trail without difficulty. Greenbriers clawed at us on the high ridges and we agreed this was a “long pants trail.”

We were pleased to find an old chimney still in place along with a few rusty artifacts. I had a close look at the blade of what looked like a small hoe before returning it to where I found it. Bob found what looked like pieces of a horse or mule shoe. All items were left as we found them.

We were pleased to finally arrive at the rock outcrop that marks the top of Black Fork Mountain.

I filled my water bottle at a small murky pond less than a mile from the Black Fork Shelter. I ran that water through my Sawyer filter when we returned to the shelter and it was good! Water options up on Black Fork Mountain are limited unless there’s been recent rain so the pond is a treasured little resource.

The hike back down the mountain included that long uphill from the reroute around an old rock slide. We were thankful for every little cool breeze that came our way as we worked our way back down to Black Fork Shelter for the night. Everyone had a good appetite after their Black Fork workout.

Ouachita Trail: Hwy 71 to Queen Wilhelmina State Park

Posted on February 20, 2023 by ozarkmountainhiker

It’s good to be back in the saddle again after a too-long break. Following hernia surgery, I was limited to day hiking for six weeks, so I did a lot of day hiking which helped speed my recovery. Once backpacking was back on my menu, I put some books in my bear canister for weight and walked the Lake Alma Trail with a loaded pack for a couple of weeks.

After some of the climbs on this section of the Ouachita Trail I was glad I did that preparation work. We had a great time!

After recent rains the creeks were all running clean so water wasn’t a challenge as it sometimes is on the Ouachita Trail.

Now that we’re retired, we’ve gotten in the habit of “weather shopping” and heading out during good weather windows. I felt guilty recently and purposely suited up and carried my pack on a rainy day hike just to stay in practice since hiking in rain adds a new set of challenges. On this trip we were expecting cold temperatures at night, but we never dipped below freezing.

Kerry packed out some empty plastic water jugs left in the area by previous hikers.

We enjoyed hearing trains and owls during the night. We crossed these railroad tracks close to Hwy 270 as we hiked west. Bob is in the distance stepping across the rails.

As we approached Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, I stopped to enjoy the view. I found myself walking slowly and wishing the trip wouldn’t end. This was a good time to give a respectful nod to the Ouachita Mountains and pause in thanksgiving for the beauty of creation, good friends, and good health. We had a great time on the Ouachita Trail!

Edgar Whitney’s Challenge

Posted on March 15, 2020 by ozarkmountainhiker

Pre-dawn hike on Hunt’s Loop (Ouachita Trail)

When I met Edgar Whitney over thirty years ago, I was immediately captured by his passion for life and art. Later I found a copy of his book, revisiting it many times over the years. The words of Edgar Whitney apply to other crafts like photography, drumming, writing, and even walking.

After twenty-five years as a commercial artist, Edgar Whitney told his boss he was going to pursue watercolor painting. With the boss’s laughter ringing in his ears, he worked and studied, eventually becoming a leader in the watercolor world.

This morning I felt strength in my careful pace while walking in darkmess on Hunt’s Loop Trail in the Ouachita Mountains. Edgar Whitney’s words came to mind and challenged me again as I realized my time on trails had led me to new thoughts and much more than increased skill.

Each step now holds a depth and richness that my once mindless and hurried trudging through the woods lacked. I’m thankful that my concerns today are not “precisely what they were five years ago.”

Early morning stream on Hunt’s Loop

Edgar A. Whitney

A few of Edgar Whitney’s words:

“There are certainly differences in students’ potentialities, but the differences are very rarely because some can and some cannot; more often they are because some do and some do not.”

“Thoughtful production and sincerity will put qualities into your work which trained eyes can recognize.”

“No talent can survive the blight of neglect.”

“There are no gimmicks in the learning process. You sweat, digging deeper, or your knowledge is superficial.”

“The artist practicing his craft sometimes understands the most profound truth of all: results are unimportant. The value is in the activity. Are these things the craftsman learns worth knowing?”

The answer “none” to the question “What words have I been thinking with?” means you are making a thoughtless painting.”

The Urge for Going

Posted on February 18, 2019 by ozarkmountainhiker

High ridge on Hare Mountain

I awoke today and found the frost perched on the town
It hovered in a frozen sky, then it gobbled summer down
When the sun turns traitor cold
And all the trees are shivering in a naked row
….
I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown

~ Joni Mitchell, excerpt from the first verse of her song, Urge for Going

Winter is such a wonderful time for hiking in the Ozarks! I like it so much, I wrote “Walking Through Winter” for Do South Magazine.

Frost flower on the Ozark Highlands Trail

Hiker-dog at the base of Senyard Falls

McWater Falls on the Lake Alma Trail

Slideshow for the 223-mile Ouachita Trail

Posted on December 22, 2018 by ozarkmountainhiker

Previously, I did a slideshow for the first 160-miles of the Ouachita Trail. When we completed the 223-miles, I never updated the slideshow to include the last 63 miles. It was a wonderful experience so please enjoy traveling along with us for 223-miles on the Ouachita Trail in five minutes.

If you’d like to read the reports of our hike, begin with Ouachita Trail’s First 51 at the (Im)Perfect Time.

My First Trail

Posted on August 17, 2018 by ozarkmountainhiker

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.

WordPress Photo Challenge: Favorites

Posted on May 31, 2018 by ozarkmountainhiker

WordPress Photo Challenge: All-Time Favorites

Fireworks at Lake Alma

Sometimes a “favorite” photo is associated with my pleasure at getting the shot or some technical aspect as with the fireworks above or the waterfall below. The waterfall photo has been on a magazine cover and is on the back cover of my Ozarks guidebook.

Shepherd Spring Waterfall

More often, a “favorite” photo is more about the experience or emotion I felt when capturing the image. The photos that follow provide anchors to memories.

Breakfast at Wanda Lake (John Muir Trail)

Selfie from the top of Mount Whitney

Reflections from sunset over Lake Alma

Ouachita Trail thru-hike 2018

Ozark Highlands Trail thru-hike 2014

Is it a coincidence that the only two heart-shaped frost flowers I’ve ever seen were alongside my two Arkansas long trail thru-hikes? Even with all of the expansive views on these two trails, the frost flowers are significant anchors to my memories of these long treks.

Photo Challenge: Ending of the Day

Posted on March 29, 2018 by ozarkmountainhiker

WordPress Photo Challenge: Rise/Set

This sunset brings back memories of a recent evening on the Ouachita Trail. Love those moments of reflection while waiting for water to boil.

Lake Alma Trail

This is a favorite place to view the end of the day on my evening walk. I enjoy the always varied painting of the sky.

Lake Alma Trail close to the edge

Reflections from sunset over Lake Alma

Lake Alma Trail at sunset.

More about the Ouachita Trail Ouachita Trail: Just Add Ice

To read more about the Lake Alma Trail (including driving directions) A Trail for All Reasons

Icy Home Trail

Posted on January 6, 2018 by ozarkmountainhiker

Years ago we asked my youngest daughter about vacation ideas. This young lady is now more widely traveled than her father, but at that time she named several options that we’d already visited. When asked why she liked these places, she said, “Because we’ve been there.”

After 160 new miles on the Ouachita Trail, I understood my daughter’s feelings and looked forward to a walk on my “home trail.” The familiar Lake Alma Trail is comfortable, but continues to provide new sights or sounds. Today was no exception.

McWater Falls

With temperatures in the low 30s, ice remained from the previous days of temperatures dipping into the teens.

McWater Falls

Ice patterns at the edge of Little Frog Bayou fascinated me. I ended up spending some time along the shore while Hiker-dog enjoyed some leash-free time. I’m thankful for the comfort of a familiar trail and my little hiking partner’s energy. Below are a few ice patterns I noticed while on our home trail walk.