Interesting signage today. There was an OT spur in “real life” that wasn’t on the map. I ignored it and shrugged. Then OT markers disappeared for quite a long time and I was primarily following pink flagging. The trail was clear with no intersections, so it wasn’t a problem — but made me just a little nervous because OT signage on average is frequent and clear. Then I reached a kiosk and popped out onto a road, but there was nothing on the other side. I searched for awhile and still came up empty, so I decided to walk down the road. I saw a sign posted on a tree up ahead, so I went to check that out. Turns out it was a notice about a missing person. Uh, disconcerting. But just a minute later I ran into the real OT road crossing — I must have gotten off on a spur trail somehow, though it was marked with regular OT markers. All’s well that ends well.

While I was eating lunch a backpacking couple came by. The man had lost his fleece on the trail and gave me instructions to leave it by their car at the parking lot if I found it. I did, and I did. Nice to be able to help someone out.

At that parking lot, Blair Creek ended and Karkaghne began. I camped just after the Highway TT crossing. I could hear road noise from my tent — but given how far out I’ve felt until now, the road noise was oddly comforting.

Saturday, October 21, 2017
Day 9: Middle Fork
Miles: 15.0
Bonus Miles: 1.0
OT Mile: 152.3

These were 15 really hard miles.The miles weren’t that hard, really — but I hadn’t slept. I eventually gave up on sleep at 5AM. I packed up in the wind and night-hiked to the spur trail to Brushy Creek Lodge. This place is a godsend for hikers – they are half a mile off the trail and accept mail drops. Although I had a ton of food left over from my Powder Mill cache, I was excited to get my mail drop.The spur trail down the lodge is very much down — down, down, and then down. But very well-marked and easy to follow. I got my box, was able to drop off what little trash I’d accumulated in the last day, and was allowed to call Mom and Dad. It was good to let them know that my box had arrived as planned.That spur trail to the lodge was a lot less fun going up — I had 6 days of food in my pack plus all the leftover food. Despite leaving a big pile of food at the lodge (like an entire package of tortillas), my pack was bursting.Luckily, the next miles were gentle, hugging a contour line. Even so, every hour I had to lay down in the middle of the trail to rest. And I mean really spread-eagle in the dirt, halfway passed out from exhaustion.I left Karkaghne today and entered Middle Fork/John Roth Memorial Section. Beautiful tribute to John Roth on this section.With a storm blowing in and crazy wind, I looked at maps to try to find a sheltered place to camp. I knew I could not stay on a ridge tonight; I needed to sleep. The only place that looked suitable was a hollow near Barton Fen. When I got to the hollow, I was thrilled to find a flat place. It was only 4:00, but I was completely done in. I took special care in staking out my rainfly, knowing that tonight was supposed to be a big storm.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Day 10: Trace Creek
Miles: 16.8
OT Mile: 169.1
Mile remaining: 61.7The storm hit late — 3AM as opposed to midnight as I’d heard. It rained and thundered and the lightning put on a show, but I was able to mostly sleep through it. I woke up at daybreak and read until I was sure it was over. I managed to get on-trail only half an hour “late.”It was a joy to hike without rain this morning. Barton Fen was very pretty to hike through, though I didn’t see dragonflies, endangered or otherwise. I pulled over to eat an early lunch, and I’m glad I did, because as I finished it began to mist. It slowly got more intense, until my last 4-5 miles which were in rain.It was a good section to hike in rain — few rocks to make slippery. Very well maintained.My goal today was to get to the Council Bluffs Lake spur, and I nearly stopped there — it was flat enough. Instead I carried on another mile or so. The trail was doing the “hug the contour line” thing again, with nowhere to pull off to camp, until I saw a majestic pine below me next to a pool of water. It looked too good to be true. I could see evidence of other hikers bushwhacking down there, so I did the same. Nazarenko Spring, I later learned — the nicest, most pine-needly campsite on the entire trail.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Day 11: Courtois Creek (barely)
Miles: 16.7
OT Mile: 185.8
Miles remaining: 45I woke up in the middle of the night to the most amazing noise: Nothing. No rain against the tent.I packed up with patches of clear sky winking at me and I felt a huge cloud of my own lift: for the past couple of days the weather has felt unsettled, and I have been nervous about maintaining my pace each day if the weather were any more dramatic. But it seems like it’s over.

Light wind. Sun. Fluffy clouds. Cold… but good.After my first mile, a big noise in the woods startled me. A huge black pig was running up a hill to get away from me. I knew pigs were around from the markings along the trail. But I’ve seen only a few in all my travels. I like it when they run away from me.I felt kind of in a daze the whole day — like I was just meandering through the forest. The Hazel Creek ford wasn’t half as dramatic as I was expecting. Everything just kind of felt muted.Half a mile before stopping for the day I ran into thru-hiker Mike heading southbound. We chatted just a few minutes. As we parted, I felt relief and joy that I am northbound and the end is in sight — while it has been a good journey, I am exhausted. I’ve gone nearly 200 miles. I’m thrilled to be on this end of a thru-hike.I set up my tent near Snapp’s Branch and settled in. As I was in my sleeping bag reading, I watched a tree fall over on the ridge near my tent. All the trees around me seemed stable. But the howling wind was back. At least I was low and out of most of the wind.
Tuesday, October 24
Day 12: Courtois Creek
Miles: 19.2
OT Mile: 205
Miles remaining: 25.8The highlight today was a cool spring. I’m always impressed by the water on this trail. It’s cold, clear, and delicious.There were a lot of miles today — I hit the Berryman Trail loop, which feels optimized for mountain bikes. Big, sweeping contour-line hugging swoops. It was easy to cruise on it, but not so great for finding a spot to camp at the end of the day.Meanwhile, it was the windiest day yet. I just wanted to crawl into a small space and hide from it, but it’s safer to be out hiking in it and there’s no point in waiting it out. On the plus side, it made me hike much faster!

CUTEST TINY NATIONAL FOREST SIGN EVER!

I found a nice flat pine-needly spot just before the wildlife pond. I hadn’t been settled in more than 10 minutes when a southbound thru-hiker came by. I hollered at him and we chatted for awhile. Gene has a lot of Ozark Highlands Trail experience and is interested in a trail I know very well, so perhaps our trails will cross again soon.When the moon rose, it was so bright that I thought someone was in the woods with a headlamp shining it on my tent.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Day 13: Courtois Creek
Miles: 16.6
OT Mile: 221.6
Miles remaining: 9.2!I woke. I walked. I choked down some tuna.Then, on a bluff above the Courtois, I got reception for the first time since leaving St. Louis. I texted Mom to confirm that I’d be done a few hours earlier than planned, then I called my partner Elliott who I hadn’t talked to in weeks.The roadwalk through Bass Resort was strange — no one was around so it felt like the end of the world, but then finally I saw some signs of life.My last water source of the day was a bust — too much life in the water to drink it. A filter would have been able to handle it, but my Steripen couldn’t deal with it. This is the only water source that was a bust for me due to using a Steripen and not a filter — pretty great odds. I’ve been happy with Steripens for seven years now. Anyway, rationing water overnight felt like the tiniest, most minor inconvenience. I was in the home stretch. It was gonna be fine.There weren’t many good camping spots, so I went uphill. No wind to speak of, so I didn’t mind climbing to the top of the ridge to camp. In fact, I found a fire ring -I wasn’t the first person to head uphill there!

My last view from my tent

As I settled in, 20 turkeys visited my campsite and a distant cow mooed. That was a new noise I’d not heard on this trip!
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Day 14: Courtois Creek
Miles: 9.2
OT Mile: 230.8I woke, as usual, at first light and packed up for the last time. Ahead of me was the easiest day since I started: under ten miles!My last day was incredible. Views from a bluff greeted me in the morning, and soon I was walking across The Narrows. In leaf-off, I’d have had views to my left and right as the trail was routed atop a narrow ridge. I got glimpses of views — enough to remind me where I was.I soon entered Huzzah Conservation Area, a fitting name for the end of a journey. I descended to the Bat Cave (so cool!) and forded Courtois Creek (so cold!).I saw more little caves today than the rest of the hike combined. It was so interesting. I was grateful to have this on my last day. It’s like the Ozark Trail wanted to surprise me just a few more times.I saw my third and final snake of the trail, but it was on a road crossing, so does that even count?I flew through the last handful of miles in a blur. Ends of journeys always feel strange. I reached the northern terminus around noon, 2 hours before I told Mom and Dad I would be there. I had given myself some cushion so I wouldn’t be late. I had my journal and Kindle to keep my company. But 15 minutes after I arrived, I saw a familiar white car drive by. My mother in the passenger seat was reading some nearby signs and didn’t see me sitting in the shade. I watched as they drove away. Luckily, they came back, and I flagged them down. It could be a tricky place to find: the name of the trailhead is “Onondaga,” but there’s no sign with that name on it there. But it all worked out!We then had a fantastic trip back to Minnesota. We went grocery shopping so I could get salad-in-a-bag, potato salad, broccoli, peppers, hummus, and local beer. The roadtrip home was a wonderful way to ease back into civilization. I couldn’t be more happy or grateful that my parents wanted to come on an adventure to the Ozarks to find their wayward daughter. Thank you!

Day 7: Karkaghne
Miles: 18.5
OT Mile: 118.3I woke up and immediately felt the benefit of last night’s All You Can Eat Foodbag. I felt human again.A few other things contributed: noticing fresh chainsaw work (thank you!), swapping out my shoes in the middle of the day, having 2nd lunch/early supper at 4PM, drinking as much as possible, and 5 or so flat, rock-free miles along a tram line. Interesting? Eh, not particularly. But an utter joy to cruise for a little while.Interesting signage today. There was an OT spur in “real life” that wasn’t on the map. I ignored it and shrugged. Then OT markers disappeared for quite a long time and I was primarily following pink flagging. The trail was clear with no intersections, so it wasn’t a problem — but made me just a little nervous because OT signage on average is frequent and clear. Then I reached a kiosk and popped out onto a road, but there was nothing on the other side. I searched for awhile and still came up empty, so I decided to walk down the road. I saw a sign posted on a tree up ahead, so I went to check that out. Turns out it was a notice about a missing person. Uh, disconcerting. But just a minute later I ran into the real OT road crossing — I must have gotten off on a spur trail somehow, though it was marked with regular OT markers. All’s well that ends well.While I was eating lunch a backpacking couple came by. The man had lost his fleece on the trail and gave me instructions to leave it by their car at the parking lot if I found it. I did, and I did. Nice to be able to help someone out.At that parking lot, Blair Creek ended and Karkaghne began. I camped just after the Highway TT crossing. I could hear road noise from my tent — but given how far out I’ve felt until now, the road noise was oddly comforting.

Friday, October 20, 2017
Day 8: Karkaghne
Miles: 19.0
OT Mile: 137.3It’s my favorite niece’s birthday! I couldn’t call and sing because (surprise) I still have not had reception.This morning I hiked the most amazing stretch of trail — I swear it must have been leaf-blown. I know there was a recent trail race, and I can see its effects.I arrived at Bee Fork ford before noon. It was the deepest ford yet — over my knees. But very easy and not technical at all. Like many OT fords, the approach was in a river bed and very rocky. I would not want to attempt any ford like this in high water!The descent down Sutton Bluff was incredibly mountainous. Very impressive trail-building. I cannot fathom running on terrain like that. In some places, one wrong move would… well… you’d probably survive and wish you hadn’t.The OT goes by a campground where I was able to throw out a week’s worth of garbage — a serious chunk. I also got water, charged my Kindle, and tried to figure out how the pay phone works. Turns out the pay phone was broken, but Steve the concessionaire (think campground host but more important) let me use his phone. I was able to call Dad and let him know that I’m still alive. It was the first time in over a week that I talked to someone I knew. Not knowing if I would be able to communicate with him again, we arranged a pickup time for Thursday with a Friday backup plan. The forecast didn’t look good, so a backup plan was important. I cannot thank Steve enough for letting me use his phone.I made it a few more miles but the sun was setting quickly and I got stuck on a really long section of sidehill — meaning no flat anywhere. I didn’t want to set up my tent on the trail itself due to this section being open to bikes and horses… just seems like a bad idea.So I did the only thing I could: I went uphill. I found a decently flat place on top, but the wind was blowing so hard that I couldn’t sleep. The rain wasn’t supposed to start for 24 hours, but a couple times sprinkles started. The sprinkles, even rain, I could live with, but the howling wind made sleeping completely impossible. I amused myself by reading The Hobbit and watching a walking stick crawl all over my tent.

Monday, October 16, 2017
Day 4: Current River
Miles: 17.1
OT Mile: 67.0On trail by 7:20 and made decent mileage despite numerous rocky sections. The rocky sections here are rocks just smaller than my fist. Bigger rocks are fine — you can step on them solidly. Smaller rocks are fine — you can step on them without twisting an ankle. But the rocks on the Ozark Trail are that in-between size, which tend to really slow me down.I was excited to run into two dayhikers. They’ve been hiking the whole OT and only have Between the Rivers and Eleven Point left. Very cool!The viaduct under Highway 60 was a neat experience. On the north side of it, I saw my first snake. It’s really hard to see, as it was slithering into the rocks by the time I got my camera. It was a non-venomous snake but didn’t want to be friends.I’d been thoroughly warned about the Pikes Creek ford. The water was low, so the only hard part was navigating the bottomlands. At some point the markers disappeared and I had to guess where to go across. Once on the other side, however, I saw fresh footprints and followed those. I soon found OT markers.My next water source was Mint Spring and when I got there, two backpackers were getting ready to leave. We chatted a few minutes and they carried on. It took a long time to collect water from the shallow spring, so they were long gone by the time I was ready.I planned to camp at the fenceline of Peck Ranch, since I can’t camp within the ranch, but about 3/4 of a mile before the fenceline, there was a large clearing where the two backpackers had set up. They invited me to camp with them, and although I first declined, I changed my mind. Good decision. This ended up being my only night with other people on the entire trail.Robert and Allison also started their hike at Eleven Point, but unlike me, they are ending at Taum Sauk. This isn’t considered a thru-hike but I suspect that it’s a better hike than what I’ve got planned. Also a better hike idea: they are tackling reasonable mileages, meaning each day I’ll be going 6-8 miles farther than they will. I won’t see them again. That’s too bad. They are super cool.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Day 5: Current River
Miles: 16.4
Bonus Miles: Oh, I don’t even know.
OT Mile: 83.4Last night it got below freezing — I had ice in my tent. I didn’t sleep well — I wasn’t awake enough to put on another layer, but I wasn’t asleep enough to actually sleep. I felt more tired when I woke up than when I went to bed.But there was a lot to look forward to. Today I entered Peck Ranch. At the fenceline I picked up a free map of the area, which was a really good move.The trail followed a service road for a bit before popping into the woods. The turn was well-marked, but after a minute of hiking, the trail completely disappeared. I could see where I’d come from and the road; there was no chance of getting lost — but the path forward simply didn’t exist. Worst yet, everything was overgrown with briers that were clawing at me with every step I took. Peck Ranch is closed on many weekends for hunting, which makes getting volunteers in there really difficult.I spent 20 minutes walking back and forth, trying to find some trace of the trail. I’d never known it to disappear before like this. I will admit that I got pretty frustrated. I yelled a swear word, and up out of the briers leaped an elk, who ran off into the bushes.Well, that was interesting.I admitted defeat. I was a little rattled by the pop-up elk, I had a 3-inch bloody gash in my leg, and my shoulder was also bleeding. I retreated to the service road and used the map I’d grabbed to find my way around this short stretch of trail.Later that morning I saw another elk, eating in a field. I didn’t get close enough to get a good picture though. He’s somewhere in that picture. I swear. I know it doesn’t look like he is.
I stopped for water at Roger’s Creek on the other side of Peck Ranch, and then prepared for the hike up Stegall Mountain.Stegall Mountain, though probably the single biggest climb on an OT thru-hike, felt gentle and fun. I ate lunch on top in the sunshine and despite seeing three cell towers in the distance, could not get a hint of cell reception. But the views made up for it.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Day 6: Blair Creek
Miles: 16.4
Bonus Miles: 0.5
OT Mile: 99.8Ouch. This was my emotional and physical lowpoint of the trail, although I didn’t know it at the time.I suppose because yesterday was so epic, and today started with miles of briers along the Current River, I was in a funk. Don’t get me wrong, the Current was gorgeous — but dang, did I end up with a lot of scrapes. I have to put it into perspective, though — there was devastating flooding along the OT earlier this year, and that fact that the trail is open at all is inspiring.

I was beyond relieved to find my food cache was untouched. Spiffyguy had provided a bucket that we’d hidden near the road bridge at Powder Mill.  I loaded all that food into my pack, which was probably a solid ten more pounds than I was used to. Ow.The food cache location is also where the Current River section ends and the Blair Creek section begins. I cannot stress enough about how dramatic and impressive the Current River section is. Even with the briers I tangled with and the blood I lost, the Current River is the premier section. I would re-hike this if I were ever in the area again.To say I hiked slowly at the beginning of the Blair Creek section is an understatement. I struggled to do more than a mile an hour. I really wanted to hit 100 miles today, but I fell short, setting up camp just before sunset on a small patch of flat land near some really interesting rock formations.I felt so terrible. I was exhausted, hadn’t even hit 100 miles, and felt cut off from humanity. Then I remembered that my little MP3 player which I carry religiously* can get FM radio. I found the least twangy radio station and declared the night’s supper to be All You Can Eat. After all, I was carrying way too much food and had surely been calorie deficient for days.*You’d carry an MP3 player too if you spent an entire week once with Sound of Music showtunes in your head. I make no apologies.

Thursday, October 11, 2017
Day 7: Karkaghne
Miles: 18.5
OT Mile: 118.3I woke up and immediately felt the benefit of last night’s All You Can Eat Foodbag. I felt human again.A few other things contributed: noticing fresh chainsaw work (thank you!), swapping out my shoes in the middle of the day, having 2nd lunch/early supper at 4PM, drinking as much as possible, and 5 or so flat, rock-free miles along a tram line. Interesting? Eh, not particularly. But an utter joy to cruise for a little while.Interesting signage today. There was an OT spur in “real life” that wasn’t on the map. I ignored it and shrugged. Then OT markers disappeared for quite a long time and I was primarily following pink flagging. The trail was clear with no intersections, so it wasn’t a problem — but made me just a little nervous because OT signage on average is frequent and clear. Then I reached a kiosk and popped out onto a road, but there was nothing on the other side. I searched for awhile and still came up empty, so I decided to walk down the road. I saw a sign posted on a tree up ahead, so I went to check that out. Turns out it was a notice about a missing person. Uh, disconcerting. But just a minute later I ran into the real OT road crossing — I must have gotten off on a spur trail somehow, though it was marked with regular OT markers. All’s well that ends well.While I was eating lunch a backpacking couple came by. The man had lost his fleece on the trail and gave me instructions to leave it by their car at the parking lot if I found it. I did, and I did. Nice to be able to help someone out.At that parking lot, Blair Creek ended and Karkaghne began. I camped just after the Highway TT crossing. I could hear road noise from my tent — but given how far out I’ve felt until now, the road noise was oddly comforting.

Friday, October 20, 2017
Day 8: Karkaghne
Miles: 19.0
OT Mile: 137.3It’s my favorite niece’s birthday! I couldn’t call and sing because (surprise) I still have not had reception.This morning I hiked the most amazing stretch of trail — I swear it must have been leaf-blown. I know there was a recent trail race, and I can see its effects.I arrived at Bee Fork ford before noon. It was the deepest ford yet — over my knees. But very easy and not technical at all. Like many OT fords, the approach was in a river bed and very rocky. I would not want to attempt any ford like this in high water!The descent down Sutton Bluff was incredibly mountainous. Very impressive trail-building. I cannot fathom running on terrain like that. In some places, one wrong move would… well… you’d probably survive and wish you hadn’t.The OT goes by a campground where I was able to throw out a week’s worth of garbage — a serious chunk. I also got water, charged my Kindle, and tried to figure out how the pay phone works. Turns out the pay phone was broken, but Steve the concessionaire (think campground host but more important) let me use his phone. I was able to call Dad and let him know that I’m still alive. It was the first time in over a week that I talked to someone I knew. Not knowing if I would be able to communicate with him again, we arranged a pickup time for Thursday with a Friday backup plan. The forecast didn’t look good, so a backup plan was important. I cannot thank Steve enough for letting me use his phone.I made it a few more miles but the sun was setting quickly and I got stuck on a really long section of sidehill — meaning no flat anywhere. I didn’t want to set up my tent on the trail itself due to this section being open to bikes and horses… just seems like a bad idea.So I did the only thing I could: I went uphill. I found a decently flat place on top, but the wind was blowing so hard that I couldn’t sleep. The rain wasn’t supposed to start for 24 hours, but a couple times sprinkles started. The sprinkles, even rain, I could live with, but the howling wind made sleeping completely impossible. I amused myself by reading The Hobbit and watching a walking stick crawl all over my tent.

Amazing water during the second half of the day — Rocky Creek was gorgeous, and Buzzard Mountain Shut-ins looked like something that belongs out west. Klepzig Mill was quaint and picturesque, and I ran into a backpacker heading south for a night on Stegall. He was sure to have a great night sky up there!I managed to make it to what looks like my first established OT campsite — it has a bench and a fire ring. I’m right on the edge of a bluff overlooking the Current River. I set up my tent as far from the edge as possible.

Despite my trail issues at Peck Ranch, today was a stunning day. This is without a doubt the most stellar, interesting, dramatic day of the OT. Amazing!

Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Day 6: Blair Creek
Miles: 16.4
Bonus Miles: 0.5
OT Mile: 99.8Ouch. This was my emotional and physical lowpoint of the trail, although I didn’t know it at the time.I suppose because yesterday was so epic, and today started with miles of briers along the Current River, I was in a funk. Don’t get me wrong, the Current was gorgeous — but dang, did I end up with a lot of scrapes. I have to put it into perspective, though — there was devastating flooding along the OT earlier this year, and that fact that the trail is open at all is inspiring.

I was beyond relieved to find my food cache was untouched. Spiffyguy had provided a bucket that we’d hidden near the road bridge at Powder Mill.  I loaded all that food into my pack, which was probably a solid ten more pounds than I was used to. Ow.The food cache location is also where the Current River section ends and the Blair Creek section begins. I cannot stress enough about how dramatic and impressive the Current River section is. Even with the briers I tangled with and the blood I lost, the Current River is the premier section. I would re-hike this if I were ever in the area again.To say I hiked slowly at the beginning of the Blair Creek section is an understatement. I struggled to do more than a mile an hour. I really wanted to hit 100 miles today, but I fell short, setting up camp just before sunset on a small patch of flat land near some really interesting rock formations.I felt so terrible. I was exhausted, hadn’t even hit 100 miles, and felt cut off from humanity. Then I remembered that my little MP3 player which I carry religiously* can get FM radio. I found the least twangy radio station and declared the night’s supper to be All You Can Eat. After all, I was carrying way too much food and had surely been calorie deficient for days.*You’d carry an MP3 player too if you spent an entire week once with Sound of Music showtunes in your head. I make no apologies.

Thursday, October 11, 2017
Day 7: Karkaghne
Miles: 18.5
OT Mile: 118.3I woke up and immediately felt the benefit of last night’s All You Can Eat Foodbag. I felt human again.A few other things contributed: noticing fresh chainsaw work (thank you!), swapping out my shoes in the middle of the day, having 2nd lunch/early supper at 4PM, drinking as much as possible, and 5 or so flat, rock-free miles along a tram line. Interesting? Eh, not particularly. But an utter joy to cruise for a little while.Interesting signage today. There was an OT spur in “real life” that wasn’t on the map. I ignored it and shrugged. Then OT markers disappeared for quite a long time and I was primarily following pink flagging. The trail was clear with no intersections, so it wasn’t a problem — but made me just a little nervous because OT signage on average is frequent and clear. Then I reached a kiosk and popped out onto a road, but there was nothing on the other side. I searched for awhile and still came up empty, so I decided to walk down the road. I saw a sign posted on a tree up ahead, so I went to check that out. Turns out it was a notice about a missing person. Uh, disconcerting. But just a minute later I ran into the real OT road crossing — I must have gotten off on a spur trail somehow, though it was marked with regular OT markers. All’s well that ends well.While I was eating lunch a backpacking couple came by. The man had lost his fleece on the trail and gave me instructions to leave it by their car at the parking lot if I found it. I did, and I did. Nice to be able to help someone out.At that parking lot, Blair Creek ended and Karkaghne began. I camped just after the Highway TT crossing. I could hear road noise from my tent — but given how far out I’ve felt until now, the road noise was oddly comforting.

Friday, October 20, 2017
Day 8: Karkaghne
Miles: 19.0
OT Mile: 137.3It’s my favorite niece’s birthday! I couldn’t call and sing because (surprise) I still have not had reception.This morning I hiked the most amazing stretch of trail — I swear it must have been leaf-blown. I know there was a recent trail race, and I can see its effects.I arrived at Bee Fork ford before noon. It was the deepest ford yet — over my knees. But very easy and not technical at all. Like many OT fords, the approach was in a river bed and very rocky. I would not want to attempt any ford like this in high water!The descent down Sutton Bluff was incredibly mountainous. Very impressive trail-building. I cannot fathom running on terrain like that. In some places, one wrong move would… well… you’d probably survive and wish you hadn’t.The OT goes by a campground where I was able to throw out a week’s worth of garbage — a serious chunk. I also got water, charged my Kindle, and tried to figure out how the pay phone works. Turns out the pay phone was broken, but Steve the concessionaire (think campground host but more important) let me use his phone. I was able to call Dad and let him know that I’m still alive. It was the first time in over a week that I talked to someone I knew. Not knowing if I would be able to communicate with him again, we arranged a pickup time for Thursday with a Friday backup plan. The forecast didn’t look good, so a backup plan was important. I cannot thank Steve enough for letting me use his phone.I made it a few more miles but the sun was setting quickly and I got stuck on a really long section of sidehill — meaning no flat anywhere. I didn’t want to set up my tent on the trail itself due to this section being open to bikes and horses… just seems like a bad idea.So I did the only thing I could: I went uphill. I found a decently flat place on top, but the wind was blowing so hard that I couldn’t sleep. The rain wasn’t supposed to start for 24 hours, but a couple times sprinkles started. The sprinkles, even rain, I could live with, but the howling wind made sleeping completely impossible. I amused myself by reading The Hobbit and watching a walking stick crawl all over my tent.

Saturday, October 21, 2017
Day 9: Middle Fork
Miles: 15.0
Bonus Miles: 1.0
OT Mile: 152.3

These were 15 really hard miles.The miles weren’t that hard, really — but I hadn’t slept. I eventually gave up on sleep at 5AM. I packed up in the wind and night-hiked to the spur trail to Brushy Creek Lodge. This place is a godsend for hikers – they are half a mile off the trail and accept mail drops. Although I had a ton of food left over from my Powder Mill cache, I was excited to get my mail drop.The spur trail down the lodge is very much down — down, down, and then down. But very well-marked and easy to follow. I got my box, was able to drop off what little trash I’d accumulated in the last day, and was allowed to call Mom and Dad. It was good to let them know that my box had arrived as planned.That spur trail to the lodge was a lot less fun going up — I had 6 days of food in my pack plus all the leftover food. Despite leaving a big pile of food at the lodge (like an entire package of tortillas), my pack was bursting.Luckily, the next miles were gentle, hugging a contour line. Even so, every hour I had to lay down in the middle of the trail to rest. And I mean really spread-eagle in the dirt, halfway passed out from exhaustion.I left Karkaghne today and entered Middle Fork/John Roth Memorial Section. Beautiful tribute to John Roth on this section.With a storm blowing in and crazy wind, I looked at maps to try to find a sheltered place to camp. I knew I could not stay on a ridge tonight; I needed to sleep. The only place that looked suitable was a hollow near Barton Fen. When I got to the hollow, I was thrilled to find a flat place. It was only 4:00, but I was completely done in. I took special care in staking out my rainfly, knowing that tonight was supposed to be a big storm.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Day 10: Trace Creek
Miles: 16.8
OT Mile: 169.1
Mile remaining: 61.7The storm hit late — 3AM as opposed to midnight as I’d heard. It rained and thundered and the lightning put on a show, but I was able to mostly sleep through it. I woke up at daybreak and read until I was sure it was over. I managed to get on-trail only half an hour “late.”It was a joy to hike without rain this morning. Barton Fen was very pretty to hike through, though I didn’t see dragonflies, endangered or otherwise. I pulled over to eat an early lunch, and I’m glad I did, because as I finished it began to mist. It slowly got more intense, until my last 4-5 miles which were in rain.It was a good section to hike in rain — few rocks to make slippery. Very well maintained.My goal today was to get to the Council Bluffs Lake spur, and I nearly stopped there — it was flat enough. Instead I carried on another mile or so. The trail was doing the “hug the contour line” thing again, with nowhere to pull off to camp, until I saw a majestic pine below me next to a pool of water. It looked too good to be true. I could see evidence of other hikers bushwhacking down there, so I did the same. Nazarenko Spring, I later learned — the nicest, most pine-needly campsite on the entire trail.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Day 11: Courtois Creek (barely)
Miles: 16.7
OT Mile: 185.8
Miles remaining: 45I woke up in the middle of the night to the most amazing noise: Nothing. No rain against the tent.I packed up with patches of clear sky winking at me and I felt a huge cloud of my own lift: for the past couple of days the weather has felt unsettled, and I have been nervous about maintaining my pace each day if the weather were any more dramatic. But it seems like it’s over.

Light wind. Sun. Fluffy clouds. Cold… but good.After my first mile, a big noise in the woods startled me. A huge black pig was running up a hill to get away from me. I knew pigs were around from the markings along the trail. But I’ve seen only a few in all my travels. I like it when they run away from me.I felt kind of in a daze the whole day — like I was just meandering through the forest. The Hazel Creek ford wasn’t half as dramatic as I was expecting. Everything just kind of felt muted.Half a mile before stopping for the day I ran into thru-hiker Mike heading southbound. We chatted just a few minutes. As we parted, I felt relief and joy that I am northbound and the end is in sight — while it has been a good journey, I am exhausted. I’ve gone nearly 200 miles. I’m thrilled to be on this end of a thru-hike.I set up my tent near Snapp’s Branch and settled in. As I was in my sleeping bag reading, I watched a tree fall over on the ridge near my tent. All the trees around me seemed stable. But the howling wind was back. At least I was low and out of most of the wind.
Tuesday, October 24
Day 12: Courtois Creek
Miles: 19.2
OT Mile: 205
Miles remaining: 25.8The highlight today was a cool spring. I’m always impressed by the water on this trail. It’s cold, clear, and delicious.There were a lot of miles today — I hit the Berryman Trail loop, which feels optimized for mountain bikes. Big, sweeping contour-line hugging swoops. It was easy to cruise on it, but not so great for finding a spot to camp at the end of the day.Meanwhile, it was the windiest day yet. I just wanted to crawl into a small space and hide from it, but it’s safer to be out hiking in it and there’s no point in waiting it out. On the plus side, it made me hike much faster!

I found a nice flat pine-needly spot just before the wildlife pond. I hadn’t been settled in more than 10 minutes when a southbound thru-hiker came by. I hollered at him and we chatted for awhile. Gene has a lot of Ozark Highlands Trail experience and is interested in a trail I know very well, so perhaps our trails will cross again soon.When the moon rose, it was so bright that I thought someone was in the woods with a headlamp shining it on my tent.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Day 13: Courtois Creek
Miles: 16.6
OT Mile: 221.6
Miles remaining: 9.2!I woke. I walked. I choked down some tuna.Then, on a bluff above the Courtois, I got reception for the first time since leaving St. Louis. I texted Mom to confirm that I’d be done a few hours earlier than planned, then I called my partner Elliott who I hadn’t talked to in weeks.The roadwalk through Bass Resort was strange — no one was around so it felt like the end of the world, but then finally I saw some signs of life.My last water source of the day was a bust — too much life in the water to drink it. A filter would have been able to handle it, but my Steripen couldn’t deal with it. This is the only water source that was a bust for me due to using a Steripen and not a filter — pretty great odds. I’ve been happy with Steripens for seven years now. Anyway, rationing water overnight felt like the tiniest, most minor inconvenience. I was in the home stretch. It was gonna be fine.There weren’t many good camping spots, so I went uphill. No wind to speak of, so I didn’t mind climbing to the top of the ridge to camp. In fact, I found a fire ring -I wasn’t the first person to head uphill there!

As I settled in, 20 turkeys visited my campsite and a distant cow mooed. That was a new noise I’d not heard on this trip!
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Day 14: Courtois Creek
Miles: 9.2
OT Mile: 230.8I woke, as usual, at first light and packed up for the last time. Ahead of me was the easiest day since I started: under ten miles!My last day was incredible. Views from a bluff greeted me in the morning, and soon I was walking across The Narrows. In leaf-off, I’d have had views to my left and right as the trail was routed atop a narrow ridge. I got glimpses of views — enough to remind me where I was.I soon entered Huzzah Conservation Area, a fitting name for the end of a journey. I descended to the Bat Cave (so cool!) and forded Courtois Creek (so cold!).I saw more little caves today than the rest of the hike combined. It was so interesting. I was grateful to have this on my last day. It’s like the Ozark Trail wanted to surprise me just a few more times.I saw my third and final snake of the trail, but it was on a road crossing, so does that even count?I flew through the last handful of miles in a blur. Ends of journeys always feel strange. I reached the northern terminus around noon, 2 hours before I told Mom and Dad I would be there. I had given myself some cushion so I wouldn’t be late. I had my journal and Kindle to keep my company. But 15 minutes after I arrived, I saw a familiar white car drive by. My mother in the passenger seat was reading some nearby signs and didn’t see me sitting in the shade. I watched as they drove away. Luckily, they came back, and I flagged them down. It could be a tricky place to find: the name of the trailhead is “Onondaga,” but there’s no sign with that name on it there. But it all worked out.

We then had a fantastic trip back to Minnesota. We went grocery shopping so I could get salad-in-a-bag, potato salad, broccoli, peppers, hummus, and local beer. The roadtrip home was a wonderful way to ease back into civilization. I couldn’t be more happy or grateful that my parents wanted to come on an adventure to the Ozarks to find their wayward daughter. Thank you!