good to hear im helping ya keep in shape.
nothing weird happening with my foot today.i think im in the clear.

 

Atoka OK,McGee Creek Natural Scenic State Recreation Area 2-24&25-2016

hey guys! it's back over to McGee Creek but this time im leveling up my hiking finally from just a day hiker to occasional backpack camping hiker too!



so the first time camping along the trails,i couldn't think of a better place than back over to McGee Creek as this is really the most practical way to go about hiking in here as the trails can take you so deep into the woods.
so lets gear up and do this.we gotta get in there miles deep and setup camp before the sun goes down.grab a pack,a tent and at least a cold weather sleeping bag for this one guys,cus she's gunna be fairly cold tonight.let's do this!

so this trailhead here will take us in from the overnight camping parking,to meet up with the south rim trail.


here we are at the south rim trail and we seem to have a couple tagalongs.which one of you brought the dogs? nobody? ok then,
well hopefully they give up pretty soon and go home.



ok so here we are back up to the box spring camp where we came across last time hiking here.this time,were going deeper in the woods to camp so lets hang the second left here onto whiskey flats.these dogs ever gunna turn back?




this trail is nice.we gotta kinda move along though cus the sun is starting to go down.




ok guys here we are at campsite B2 but we really wanna get in deeper to camp B3.it's about 1 more mile in but the sun is going down.what ya think? yeah,let's just pick up the pace and hustle.we can make it!
(yeah,hind site is 20/20 lol)

 

ok guys we really gotta hustle! i think i underestimated the speed i can do with this much heavier pack than my day pack! oops! i don't think we're gunna make it!


here's a semi open small field.it's getting dark in the woods.almost too dark to see.sorry about the blurry pic but i was hauling lol.


ok.i just went up ahead back into the woods i can't see campsite B3 anywhere and not knowing how much further it is,we can't risk keep going or we just wont make it in time to setup.this field is gunna have to do.not being used to this pack and the speed i can do with it,i slipped up lol.we gotta get setup cus it's gunna get dark and fairly cold as soon as that sun drops for good!

so i setup and these dogs are several miles in here with me.they're not going anywhere obviously.they are sticking right with me.so i sacrifice my jacket for them to lay on and they curl up together to stay warm in my tent with me down by my feet.
hey,it's alright with me.i love dogs anyway so it's all cool.i'll watch over them and bring 'em back out with me tomorrow.
i guess they belong to whoever lives at the gate.i wonder how often they tag along with hikers lol.

so let me show ya my new gear.
the pack! i decided on an external.i wanted to keep the pack away from my back because i hate a sweaty back and i never find myself on super tight trails.least not where id be taking this in.glad i picked this one.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004R7L7YU
and a sleeping pad;

now going in overnight,you really want a few basic items you don't necessarily need in a day pack.these are the items i added;

that's handy! super for the price! i toyed around with it last night.super white and right light.nice am/fm and being able to hear the weather was handy even though i checked everything out before.being able to charge up my cell phone or my mp3 player,awesome.a must have little bugger for overnight backpacking.
in the morning i saw the light was on (indicating charging) from the sunlight through the tent.

then a few other little things that you hope to never need but will be some thankful that you have if you ever do;
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004356WLY
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004356WLY

then a couple handy items to toss in,that you don't wanna be without.

my tent is just a wal-mart special.

so it was too dark and i was too rushed to snap anymore pics last night but this was home sweet home last night.



coyotes came out in the field about 50-75 feet away at most last night and starting howling.......i love to hear coyotes.it was awesome.
the little dogs got scared and started growling but i told 'em it was ok in a calm voice and they settled right down and were ok with them.
i debated taking my lighter sleeping bag or or subzero.holding them both,the weight difference wasn't much so i opted for the subzero.thank goodness i did.instead of camping it would of been surviving instead without it.
the next morning the dogs are up at the crack of dawn.i let 'em out and they go do their business and lay in the sun as i lay around in the warmth for a bit getting some more shuteye.several miles in,but plenty of time to get out and back to the trail head so no rush.this is vacation after all.
so pack things up guys we gotta head out! the little white male dog likes to lead.the little pug is a bitch and she stays right on my heels.


once in a great while,she'll go ahead with the male but she quickly hangs back.


ah after a cold night,and even though only in the low 50's (a bit cooler than it's been here lately) the warm sun sure feels nice today.
here it is! camp B3 about another half mile.yup.no way.would of never made it.would of been pitch black and a pita to setup camp once we got there by flashlight.so good call hanging back in the field.
now i know though,this big pack really slows ya down compared to a day pack.so i learned my lesson.in order to reach a designated camp area on time,be sure to plan on the pace with the pack you've got.hey,it was close for my first time.now i know lol.


alright lets keep moving on here.it's turning out to be a nice sunny day.a bit cooler feels nice while hauling a big pack.


though it sure does work the shoulder and leg muscles on these inclines! feel the burn baby! feel the burn!


alright,so moving on here we reach the north rim trail.we'll take a right here to head back out now.

 

how you little buggers doing?
as i then precede to share some of my trail and granola mixes with them.



we made it out as far as camp B4.still a few more miles to go.but no rush.plenty of time.


lets just enjoy the day....but whoa this pack sure is a workout!



hey,back out as far as the box spring camp guys.


so we hang a left here and head out the south rim,same as last time only this time we've got company to bring back out lol.


and iv showed ya this section but another on the way back to the car and get these dogs back home.
was a nice first time experience going miles deep into and away from it all.not for those afraid of the dark.this is real camping.it was kinda cool having the local dogs tag along for the journey too.they probably had as much of a good time as i did.


hope you guys enjoyed the journey here in the native state.im going to have a lot of fun experiences hiking this way.it's a whole lot different.i didn't expect the whole dynamics of hiking to change like it did.i see the pro's and con's hiking both ways.this was very enjoyable.definitely right up my alley.

see you guys at the next trail head.

 

That was fun! But, I'm sure glad you went with the heavier sleeping bag. It was cold last night! And, I brought along my Swiss Army tool, only mine has a ratchet instead of the L-shaped wrench: SwissTool CS Plus | Victorinox Swiss Army

 

yeah it sure got nippy lol! wow 39 functions! that's a nice one.

 

Yup, it is nice! Saw the one in the link when we were in Europe 3 years ago but balked at the price, thinking I'd get it cheaper from Amazon when I got home. However, I quickly discovered that there was a model up that had the ratchet, so that's what I wanted. But, no one had them available for on-line ordering. Or, maybe I should say "in stock", although they would take your money.

So, when we went back last fall my goal was to find one of them and bring it home. We'd been on the Continent 30 minutes when I found it, but at list price. That gave me a concern as we had another 2 weeks to go, so what if I found it cheaper? But, having missed it the previous trip I went ahead and bought it. As it turned out I didn't find it again in stock, but had it been it would have been at list price. So, I was really happy to have found it and bought it.

And, I've now used it many times and find it very, very useful.

 

2-29-2016 - Hodgen - Horse Thief Spring Trail

hey folks.who's up for a 12 mile day hike? we're headed back over to the Ouachita National Forest to tackle a strenuous big loop trail,so pack your bags and lets head out!

so Sunday night,i head over to Cedar lake campground and stay overnight here,near the trail head.very nice pretty campground.





so parked over here means we need to add a couple miles.1 mile each way to reach the Holson Valley Road and back after.


so after a mile we reach the road and the more official trail head here.



it turned out to be a fantastic day.into the 70's and sunny.being a bit warmer out now means we've got to keep an eye out for rattle snakes guys! keep your eyes and hears open just in case.this trail goes up and down all the large hills here.she's a tough one.


so i read online it's easier to hang a left here and do the big loop clockwise.being a long trek let's not get silly and just turn left lol.


here we can get a good idea of what we'll be going up and down throughout the day here.

 

so moving on here,we pass along creeks,hilly and rocky terrain and for those unfamiliar with Oklahoma,i'll just add that there is such a wide variety of birds here that the forest is just always so alive with singing birds it almost seems like added in soundtrack that you would find in a cartoon.that's how over the birds sound in here.




oh man,this is tough on the leg muscles.it's up,down,around and it seems to go on and on lol.we just have to find a good steady pace guys because this will take hours.
where else would you want to be today really? this is living.i mean look where we are guys!




so my camera battery is going flat.i dunno if the cold got to it last night or if i forgot to charge it or a bit of both but i just manage to power it up and get one last snap off right at the middle/beginning of the loop,depending on where you start.so looks like they are doing a controlled burn here.

wouldn't of made the best of pics through the next couple miles anyway i suppose.a few miles after there would of been some more decent ones though.
good thing i didn't see big foot! wouldn't of been able to catch him in action lol.
so in this last pic,you can just see at the end,the opening.this is where there is parking and the springs.
here's a google search image of it;
http://www.exploresouthernhistory.co...ef-250x166.jpg

then the trail loops back around from here and back to where we hang a left,according to online the loop i took in total,is over 12 miles.felt like it too.then we cross back around and back to the campground.so i just ordered a spare battery to carry so i don't miss any highlights.kinda too bad because there was some nice scenic shots of the mountains i could of shared but for the most part,it was covered well.long walk back,but i tackle this one in about 5 hours.she's a tough one.


hope you guys enjoyed.i need to rest the legs a bit now lol.see ya at the next trail head here in Native America.

 

3-16-2016 - Broken Bow - Beavers Bend State Park - Indian Nations Trail



hey guys it's time head back to the park after some rain that moved across the state.no flooding thankfully like they got down in Texas.

lets head back over to beaver bend state park.it's now into the upper 70's,low 80's on occasion here in south Oklahoma.after the rain things are really starting to green up and the buds are coming out on the trees.springtime here for sure.

here's a little section in the park at a turnout.





here is the view at a turnout and parking for the trailhead of indian nations trail.




this is a 5 mile trail but today im just kinda goofing off and site seeing more than hiking so i don't feel like a 10 mile total today.still,lets head on in here a couple miles for a 4 mile round trip little hike guys.


very hilly here and as you can see,things are starting to green up! it's in the 80's today so we'll pace it.this heat is all the sudden like Maine's mid summer haha! a lot less humid though that's for sure.



such a beautiful park over here.the place is huge.you can drive all around it in here for miles with multiple rv camp sites,hiking trails,boat rental places like we can see from up here,rivers and the lake.there are people camping,hiking,walking,fishing,out boating all over the place here now.the place was much more alive compared to the last visit over here.just a wonderful,pretty place.perfect for the whole family.a fantastic vacation could be had right here.

 

alright,lets keep moving up the trail here on this bright,sunny hot day.
here you can see the trees budding out good.


up on top of the hill here now.


hold up guys.listen! whats that?!.........i see 'em! we just jumped a couple deer.i didn't get a snap off in time but they just ran down the hill to the right.


so we're a couple miles in here all easy.im gunna head back here.im gearing up for the journey home soon,so i don't want to overdue it.lot's to see and do on the way home.

hope you guys enjoyed the walk in the park and some of the indian nations trail.
see ya at the next trailhead!

 

Beautiful! Looks similar to up here. Thanks.

 

3-18-2016 - Wilburton - Robbers Cave State Park - Rough Canyon Trail

hey guys,lets take a little trip up north a touch to robbers cave state park.


here we are at the cave.



what is this place anyway?
This park is a favorite of rappellers, equestrians, hikers and outdoor lovers. The park and adjoining wildlife management area covers more than 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) and includes three lakes. It offers visitors acres of discovery and enjoyment including trout fishing in season, boating, hunting, mountain biking, trails for hikers and horses, sandstone cliffs for climbing and rappelling, and fall foliage viewing. In addition, Robbers Cave is historically notable as a former hideout for infamous outlaws Belle Starr and Jesse James.

read more:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbers_Cave_State_Park

so lets take the nature trail up around.








here is the cave.


this is pretty neat to do on a rainy day hey guys? so lets go in and check this out........

 

here's inside the cave looking out.hey move over a little would ya.


devils slide.im glad we didn't run into him playing today.


hey,it's the little $ saver.....how we all fitting in this thing on all our adventures anyway? it's like a magic bus lol.


ok so over here by the car is a 3 mile loop.lets go in and hike it.bring a rain coat!


might be an overcast day but being a bit cooler makes for easier hiking.



anyone bring a fishing rod? cast out there,see what ya get.



try this hole too.


we're only in 1 mile? i dunno about that.felt like 2 lol.well ok.2 still to go.here we are at a little pond.do ya suppose someone stocked it with some bass?



1.2 miles back and i hear thunder! i think we're gunna get a bit wet boys.



cross the river,we made it up around the entire loop and back out the short trail in.........hurry! the sky's gunna open up!





and it did and i got good and soaked lol.ah well i didn't melt i guess but it felt good to get back and in some dry cloths.

hope you guys liked the hike.i'll see ya at the next trailhead!

 

Loved the hike! But, next time let's take a bigger vehicle - you smell like a wet goat.

Seriously, I've never been to that park, but it is beautiful and you are making it tempting. Unfortunately right now I'm fighting off an upper respiratory infection, acquired from my offspring when we were with them in Nicaragua for the last two weeks. So, I'm happy to explore vicariously for the moment. Thanks!