I got into hammock camping for one reason, and that was to lighten the load while mountain bike camping. It's been on my bucket list for some time. Finally took a week off during the typical Indian summer days in Missouri and loaded up for an adventure on the Ozark Trail. I used my son's Warbonnet Blackbird hammock, Yeti under quilt, top quilt from Mid-Atlantic Mountain Works and a homemade silnylon tarp. I packed it on my Yeti ARC using a Freeloader rack in the back to which I mounted a drisack full of camping gear and a Revelate Designs handlebar harness with the under quilt lashed on. I also used an Osprey Talon pack with backpacking food and water.
I got a late start so ended up camping on the high ground at a place known as The Narrows. This is a piece of mountain between the clear-flowing Huzzah Creek on the west and Courtois (pronounced Cord-A-Way in Missourian) to the east. The forecast called for thunderstorms that night so I had hoped to be off the high ground. About 2:30 am the storms rolled in as promised and I experienced my first storm while hanging from two tall trees. Figured it was 50/50 whether a bolt of lightning got me or a limb fell on top of me. Instead, I made it through the night OK. Despite a torrential downpour, it was dry under my tarp. While setting up the hammock, I tripped on a guy line from the tarp and nearly did a face plant into the rocky hillside. I caught myself at the last second on the tarp and a tree, only managed to skin my right leg.
Next day I rode through some amazing single track covered with a wet new-fallen blanket of leaves. Of course the best campsite on the trail was 200 feet past where I camped. It had an amazing view of the Huzzah below. On the OT, if you aren't going down you are going up. Despite the load, my bike handled well. I did brush against a tree, amazing the damage that will do to your skin.
I rode 8 miles to Bass Resort, a float outfitter on the Courtois. Here I borrowed a picnic table and ate a lunch of salmon and crackers. I got another couple of miles in on the OT, then doubled back. I decided to float back to my car instead of riding. This is a pretty well-known trip and is one of the featured trips on the OTA website. However, I don't know any other bikers who have done it. Bass set me up with a canoe, and with the sun getting close to the ridge tops, I slipped into the current and pointed the helm downstream. I didn't have any rope, so I tied the bike in by wrapping the straps around the seats and the frame. I also used my helmet for this purpose.
It's just a 5 mile trip, so I planned on doing 2-3 miles and then setting up camp. I had to be extremely careful as the Courtois is really shallow. In the summer, I wouldn't hesitate to step out if I got stuck. But in late October, with only one pair of socks and shoes, I was determined not to get my feet wet. That meant hitting the riffles perfectly and also missing the many obstacles in the stream.
With darkness fast approaching, I opted for a spot on a gravel bar that was marginal for hammock camping. I had passed on several nice sites because there weren't two trees the right distance apart. This one had two trees that were really too close together, but I made it work. I got a fire going, whipped up some food and turned in just as it turned dark, exhausted from the sleepless night before.
It wasn't long before coyotes started howling on the ridge tops. There were at least 2 packs, answering each other. My rational mind told me I was high enough up the food chain not to worry about them. However my active imagination had them dragging me from the hammock and making a meal out of me. That was compounded when I heard the first footsteps in the gravel, followed by a splash through the water. This went on all night. I finally realized it was a major deer crossing spot, but this didn't' help me rest any easier. About dawn, when I was beginning to think I was OK, the pack caught something and the death throes of the unfortunate left me in a cold sweat.
Speaking of cold, I was not well prepared for camping on an Ozark stream. My Seneca from Mid-Atlantic Mountain Works is rated for 35 degrees. It served me well the first night. But here the fog rolled in off the river, and as the night wore on the down in my top quilt was picking up moisture. By morning, it was pretty ineffective. Even the inside of the tarp was dripping water from the dense cold fog. Compounding this, my face was cold and when I pulled the quilt over it the moisture from my great was getting the quilt wet. I can see a need for using synthetic insulation around the top edge for this reason.
I finally crawled out of the hammock and set about getting a fire started. Everything was wet, even the large piles of sycamore leaves. Fortunately, I learned campfire prep from an expert, a firefighter. He taught me that hand sanitizer is your best friend when you need to build a fire. Spread a little on your pile of tinder, touch it off, and you have heat in short order. This worked and in 5 minutes I was warm again.
The sun returned, it warmed up to 55 degrees, and I finished the rest of the float. My car was at Huzzah Conservation Area. I left my packs there and continued another mile to the Huzzah and the take out at Scotia landing. Without the packs, the front end of the canoe was super light. A strong wind picked up and the canoe refused to answer the helm despite my best efforts. This was a challenging run through lots of "root wads". After a couple of close calls, I slipped into the wider Huzzah and the end of my water journey. Now I just had a 1-mile ride on gravel roads to my car.
It was a great adventure for me. I plan a longer trip from Bass to Berryman and back to Bass on the Courtois. That one will have to wait for higher water in the spring. Meanwhile, I will probably add a frame bag and a seat pack from Revelate and maybe one of the Saltyrolls for my quilts. I'll also find some better food, that was the low point of the entire trip.
Hammocks are the way to go on bike trips, IMHO. Here's some photos, enjoy!
Start at Huzzah Conservation Area. Bikes are off limits for the first mile south of here. This start point was the only way to make this trip work, so I pushed my bike until I made it to the multi-use segment.
Feet to the fire!
First night camp under my big tarp. On the Ozark Trail, tents don't work so well since it is so steep. Hammocks are perfect.
Gorgeous singletrack! Several big events have been held on the OT and that has helped with trail maintenance.
The storm dumped most of the leaves on the trail. It was slick, but not bad.
Awesome view of the Huzzah valley.
A look at my Yeti ARC bike, loaded. I call her "Joan of ARC."
Biek loaded on the canoe, ready to tackle the Courtois.
Limestone bluffs along the Courtois. Never saw a soul in 2 days of biking and floating.
A little fall color remained.
Take out at Scotia landing.
The end of a great adventure!
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