Caveman, Lance, GoSpidey, Easttex and I left from DFW for the mountains of Arkansas around 8:30. We arrived at Albert Pike parking area (closed since the life-taking flood of 2010) around 3. We either ignored the TomTom GPS or it didn’t know how to find the East Parking area on the ERL near the Winding Stairs area. We finally found it around 4. Caveman, having hiked the trail once already, led us into the woods. And we promptly got as lost as we had been by his TomTom GPS. Once we found the trail, we headed into the Winding Stair area. We were able to hike three hours on the Winding Stairs area and the Viles Branch trail and found a nice camp site next to a flowing creek just at sundown (7:15). We set up hammocks, filtered water and ate the meal Caveman had packed in for us. I think he knew his TomTom and himself would get us lost finding the trail and this was his make-up to us. We talked around GoSpidey’s candle until around 10 PM and turned in with a bit over 6 miles of the 26.8 miles hiked. The predicted rain began in earnest at 11:20 PM. We awoke at dawn on Friday to steady rain and 75 degrees. We all ate a bit, packed up and were hiking by 8:25. Within a mile, we intersected the next trail. Caveman said something like “turn right, we have six mountains to climb in the next 8.4 miles”. Within 4 steps, the Athens-Big Fork trail took us up at a 30 to 40 percent grade. We reached the top of the first mountain in the rain, and walked out to the overlook and took some photographs. Onward into the fog and rain we went. By 4 PM, we’d all reached the northern point on the trail. We found Caveman sound asleep in his hammock, while his friend Lance sat on a camp chair, hunkered down in the rain under a hat and poncho. GoSpidey, Easttex and myself stopped long enough to wake Caveman up, eat a snack and for the group to decide to hike the 4 miles to the parking/camping area at Little Missouri Falls, on the Little Missouri trail. The four of us (Caveman went back to sleep) arrived and filtered water, used the privy, and some ate dinner. Out of the woods came the call of “COOKIE COOOOON” and we knew the Caveman had awaken and hiked out to us. We decided to hike on at least another mile to find a good campsite for hammocks. While we hiked on, the rain finally quit and we were able to set up camp without rain. We all collapsed by 9 PM. But over Friday night, more rain fell, but by 4 AM we were awakened by the full moon shining at us. Saturday dawned cool and fantastically clear, around 55 degrees. We hit the trail with 6 miles to get us back to Albert Pike and then on to the truck. We lost the trail at Albert Pike; it was hard to spot at a road crossing due to high weeds. We reached Albert Pike by 10:30 AM, having hiked along a rock wall with two mountain springs flowing out of it. Except GoSpidey didn’t show up for a time. Caveman dropped his pack and hiked back in, giving the “COOKIE COOOON” yell until GoSpidey answered……from the other side of the river! I’d also almost been deceived by a double blaze that looked like a turn. GoSpidey took the turn, forded the river and was attempting to find the trail when Caveman hollered for him. Once we were all back together, we had one hill and two miles to go to get back to the truck. With sore feet, aching backs, throbbing thighs and caves, we reached the truck at noon. We headed back to civilization, after finding “real FOOD” first (can we call Mickey-D's real food???).
Good Times
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Originally Posted by sargevining
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