Backpacking Lite in MS

We planned a 2 night trip to Sipsey, but (tornadic) storms Wednesday cut right through that idea.
So, we went west of the weather to Tombigbee National Forest for a shakedown trip

This kid,  Born backpacker, I can't wait until she's old enough to take a serious distance.

We talked to a ranger, who had apparently never been down more than one trail in the whole system and that one was 'flat'.  So, armed with a map and his suggestions, we parked and headed down a closed road to a creek crossing.
Then after looking around for a decent spot to camp that was not boggy or covered in poison oak, we hiked back out to the cars.

Then we checked out several 'hunting' camps before ending up at the trailhead campsite on Sheep Ranch Road.  It was just a few feet from the cars, but we still got to try out all the gear, recipes and there was plenty of hiking right from the site.

D got a fire going with a knife and magnesium!

Sammy played for us a while.

I tented with Ben the first night, he bailed for the van the second night (really strong winds and low temps) so I had to make do with my hammock chair for lounging instead of the full hammock!

Picnic tables make everything SO much easier.

We were camped right next to a cemetery, on the way to check it out we saw a snake!

Leap year baby!

We walked about 10 miles the whole trip, it was very laid back.  We mostly hung out at camp.

Thursday was SO windy and chilly!  We did not want to go straight home, so we veered over to the Natchez Trace and drove on that for about an hour, until we hit Tupelo.  Then we took 78 back across to Alabama.

hop clover

daisy fleabane

sorrel

buckeye

road trip weather!

Back home, Nia had nearly died of neglect

And after a long search for Batman, I found him.  Face down in the gravel after falling out of my window!  I was horrified!  He has a scuff now.  His besties, purple Catwoman and Peter Parker have tried to cheer him up, but it was a bad fall. 

Hiking Season

The winter is the best hiking season because you don't get so hot, there are no bugs, fewer snakes, no poison ivy and oak, it rains less often-even if the rains tend to last for days on end when it does rain-and there's usually no burn ban in the winter, so a lunch break campfire is possible.  Water is easier to find, the views are wide open, the sky has color, sunrise and sunset are crazy vivid, the clouds are more dramatic and the trails are less busy.

Melissa has latched on to hiking part of the AT next spring and I was all for seeing her off on her crazy early-March plan.  Hiking is one thing, camping quite another.  Now she's move the date to later in April and well...I'm thinking about it.

I ordered a custom made quilt from Enlightened Equipment that should arrive in late February (done screwing around with cold sleeping issues).  I upped my rehab (foot has been really painful of late) and bought Essential Wipes (https://www.essentialwipes.com/).  So basically, I am trail ready. hahaha!

I have been walking the 11 miles Richard Martin once a week, or more.  Last week I walked it twice.
Yesterday we knocked out 8.5 miles on a 15 mile trail over at Tim's Ford.  Melissa had to be home by 4 or we could have done the whole thing time-wise.  Not sure energy-wise.  Climbs are just harder than flat trail.  Karen and I carried 15 pound packs, Melissa planned to and her water bottle leaked and soaked it through.  So we kept our spirits up by making fun of her slacker ways.  I have been doing the treadmill and the local track some.  What I need is our trail to be opened back up!  We let the pasture grow over because we were told it would be bushhogged 'in 6 weeks' from that date and here it is...18 weeks later and nothing.  Grrr.  So that's going to be a full day of solid work to cut the path through those briars again.  So far, I have found other places to go just so I can put off the hand shredding.

Tims Ford is on a lake, it's a state park (TN) and it has a long trail that I have never heard of and last year, the rangers built a campsite on it.  So we went to check it out.  We did not make it to the campsite, despite being a fairly easy trail, the up and down terrain was more taxing than we'd anticipated (especially with a pack on!) and the rocks made us have to watch every step, no one had poles because no one thought ahead...anyway, we got about 4 miles back and had to turn around.  The trail is a lollipop trail, one long path in and out with a long loop at the end.  We got to just before the loop.

We got back to here, where we started and Melissa and I opted to hike on to the VC and Karen was going to drive around.
That worked out really well because there were 2 swinging bridges on that 1.3 mile stretch and Karen does not like those!  Melissa and I do.  :)

 

Panther Run 2016

Elan messed up his ankle, so Isaiah joined the team last-minute

There they go!

This year there were 32 obstacles, you can only see 8 or so from where spectators are allowed.

It's not a high tech place!

We went to dinner afterward, crossing the road was a little more exciting than necessary!

Then walked to the park tha thad way too many rules

And a final goodbye, it will be 2 whole days until they see each other again.