Hiking Trails: Ouachita Trail in Arkansas

In preparation for our 2011 Appalachian Trail section hike in New Jersey and New York, we have started improving our hiking fitness by hiking sections of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail here in Arkansas. The trail is about 223 miles long and runs from just west of Little Rock into Oklahoma.

Our wife is a historical re-enactor and was taking a Dutch oven cooking class, so we tagged along, as the Ouachita Trail begins/ends less than 50 yards from her class. We were surprised at how far we were able to travel in just four hours. We completed all of the Ouachita Trail in the state park and then several more miles. If we hadn't needed to return to the park, we'd have been a third of the way around Lake Maumelle, a large watershed lake adjacent to the state park.

Starting at the Pinnacle Mountain State Park visitor center, the Ouachita begins a steep downhill towards the Big Maumelle River. The water bars in this section are railraod ties with considerable vertical distance. After crossing a park raod and making several turns on the way down, the trail is very flat and follows the river course. Several over-blazed stones identify a turn southwest, which also is flat and crosses under a large powerline and a railroad track. After crossing the tracks, the trail makes a sharp turn south and crosses the road intothe East Summit parking area. We took a quick rest stop at the parking area on some boulders, checked the fit of our boots, gulped some water and loaded our pants pockets with snacks.

From the East Summit parking lot, the Ouachita Trail merges with several park trails and circles north and west around the base of Pinnacle Mountain. The trail exits the state park at the intersection of Highway 300 and the main access road. The trail then follows Highway 300 across several bridges. The old highway bridge has been left for hikers. The steel barricades provide great seating for a quick break and contemplation.

After crossing the last bridge, in a traffic lane, the Ouachita Trail makes a sharp turn west and follows the overflow spillway to the lake. The trail here is flat and meanders a bit at first. We passed behind a church, which caused us to consider asking them to start a weekend evening hostel/camping ministry as there is no legal camping in the area of the trail. After leaving the church, the trail follows the spillway and adjacent Spillway Road. We noted an access point with official signage on Spilway Road just about a quarter mile from the spillway dam itself. Atop the dam there is a concrete butress that provides seating for one with good views of both sides of the spillway. This was our turn around point.

You can find a good description of part of our walk along with several good photos on the Ouachita Hiking Journal. So, we now have less than 220 miles left to complete the Ouachita Trail.

Trail Food: Starkist Tuna Salad

Restocking the office pantry a week ago, we grabbed our usual half dozen pouches of tuna. We like tuna pouches for both office and trail due to their ease of use. Just rip open a pouch, add condiments to taste, and eat! While we have seen the new flavored tuna pouches, we noted a new tuna product from Starkist - tuna salad. We tossed a pouch in our cart for review here on the blog.

Starkist tuna salad is premixed tuna and condiments in one convenient pouch. The ingredients list tuna, water chestnuts, celery, dill relish, white vinegar, sugar, salt, onion powder and egg yolks. With the exception of the water chestnuts and vinegar, the ingredient list reads much like the tuna salad our mother made for us many years ago.

We ate our tuna salad much like we would on the trail. We started with some hot pork ramen soup, which we always have with trail dinners. We then ripped open our pouch of tuna salad and dug in. Crunchy. Definitely crunchy. We could taste the celery and the bitter bite of the vinegar. As we hadn't yet read the ingredients, we assumed the crunch was celery, of which we are not fond. It was only when we paused to examine a fork full of tuna salad we discovered the pearly chunks of water chestnuts and relatively little celery. We decided today at lunch that we are not a fan of water chestnuts in our tuna salad. In fact, we decided that we would rather stick with packing pouches of plain tuna in water or oil and then seasoning the enclosed tuna with mayonnaise and pepper to our own taste. Sorry, Charlie. We like you just as you are/were.

As we know that individual tastes differ, Starkist tuna salad maybe just what you want in a trail food. We can see the advantage of one piece of trash to pack out versus multiple condiment packets. As the cost of Starkist's tuna salad is about a dollar, we recommend you buy a pouch on your next grocery run and give it a taste.

Disclosure: We select and purchase the product(s) reviewed. We have no material connection to either the manufacturer nor the retailer(s).

Section Hike: Delaware Water Gap, PA to Graymoor, NY

My 2010 section hike went so well that I'd like to continue north along the Appalachian Trail. Although I stopped at Carlisle, PA, the remaining distance in PA is more than I can likely hike in two weeks. So, I've planned to start at Delaware Water Gap (DWG) and hike to Graymoor in mid New York. This distance seems easy to make and provides nearby transportation to and from the Appalachian Trail. Ending at Graymoor also sets me up to continue sectioning from Graymoor, completing New York and Connecticut, and ending near public transportation in southwestern Massachusetts.

The basic plan is to Greyhound to New York City, switch to a Poconos casino bus, remain overnight at the Presbyterian Church of the Mountain hostel, hike north, resupply in Unionville, hike north some more, clean up at Graymoor, ride the train back to New York City and Greyhound back to Arkansas.

Based on our 2010 experience we alternated long and short days to average about 11 miles per day for the two weeks. Day one is ten miles from DWG to the Mohican Outdoor Center. Day two is shorter with an early stop at the YMCA camp. Then two nights at shelter areas and an anticipated bear encounter. We plan to use an Ursack instead of a traditional bear bag. We also might experiment with a mail drop of dehydrated goodies like chili, chipotle black beans, tuna packets, and pork ramen at Highpoint State Park.

We read this morning that a Major Brooks in the Marine Corps Reserve Force Recon is planning to thru-hike the AT next spring to raise funds for wounded veterans via the Semper Fi Fund. His online schedule puts him in the same section during mid-May. We'll try to adjust our schedule to position ourselve slightly ahead of his arrival as his schedule has him making tremendous distance each day and finishing the AT in early summer.

Camp Fuel: Harpers Ferry

We note considerable interest by visitors wanting information on obtaining camp fuel along the Appalachian Trail. So, we start a series of posts on camp fuel availability with information on obtaining fuel at Harpers Ferry.

Alcohol Fuel

As we used a SuperCat alcohol stove for our section hike from Harpers Ferry, we located several sources for alcohol camp fuel. One source is the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) office in Harpers Ferry itself. Alcohol fuel is stored outside on the front porch in a box. Fuel is by "donation". Denatured alcohol is $6/quart from the Walmart in Martinsburg some distance away, so be fair, if not generous.

Alcohol fuel for your camp stove is also available from the Outfitter at Harpers Ferry. Just go inside and up the stairs to the register and ask for fuel. You provide the container. Fuel is $.50 per ounce and we had several ounces of leftover fuel at Boiling Springs from our 20 ounce pop bottle. The only problem with using the Outfitter for camp fuel is they are usually closed by the time you arrive in Harpers Ferry by train.

Alcohol fuel is sometimes available at the hostel located about 2 miles north of Harpers Ferry. The hostel is just off the Appalachian Trail making a quick stop for NOBOs a possibility. Call ahead to confirm alcohol fuel is available.

Butane Fuel

Butane fuel cartridges are available from the Outfitter at Harpers Ferry. Several varieties were available the day we stopped.

Butane fuel cartridges are also available at Walmart in Martinsburg, as are small lightweight, folding butane stoves.

Propane Fuel

We can't imagine anyone carrying a steel bottle of propane up the trail, but if you need propane camp fuel, you'll find some at the KOA store just outside Harpers Ferry. Propane is also available at Walmart in Martinsburg.

Appalachian Trail MD: PennMar Park

The last sightseeing stop in Maryland along the Appalachian Trail is PennMar Park. PennMar is a popular starting point for those wanting to do a short 3-4 day section of the Appalachian Trail. Numerous regional Boy Scout troops and patrols use the PennMar to Harpers Ferry section of the AT for the basis of their 50-mile hiking badge program. Our section hike over the Memorial Day weekend proved the norm. We met three southbound scout groups in less than 24 hours of the weekend beginning and several smaller groups of three somes and five some starting south from PennMar.

PennMar has an interesting history as a recreation center for the Baltimore and Washington region for over a hundred years. Gone are the old hotels, ice cream parlors, dance floors and other favorite pursuits of yesteryear. Today stands a large city park looking above and towards Pennsylvania.

North bound hikers will arrive at PennMar after first descending from High Rock down a boulder field. The trail opens wider into a worn gravel road. One starts to see homes and hear vehicles off to their left. Minutes later one hears children and sees playgrounds on the right through the trees. At the end of the gravel road, the trail makes a sharp right and you are in PennMar Park proper. There's a large pavilion ahead with some picnic tables between it and the turn into the park. If you can resist the urge to stop at this first set of tables, wander a bit further around to the other side of the pavilion.

On the opposite side of the first pavilion one finds the smaller famous pavilion which overlooks Pennsylvania. Just further and up a slight rise one finds the restrooms and water. Here's a secret that many AT hikers never discover when passing through. The first sink in the men's room has a large goose neck spigot for filing water bottles and hydration bladders. (Guys, offer to fill the ladies water containers!)

If you've read my TrailJournals.com log entries, you'll know that I had been unsuccessful trying to get a cold soda at every opportunity in Maryland. Fortune smiles upon hikers at PennMar. There are two working soda machines just south of the restrooms and pavilions. Just look up the rise to that other brick building and you'll spot the machines on the north trail-side end. We bought two. One for lunch and one that we stuffed inside our foam pad for later up the trail. (Our foam pad road flat atop our pack. Shove the bottle in and then stuff the ends with your pack cover and a spare trash bag.)

From PennMar the trail continues north behind the restrooms by the pavilions. You start descending a gravel road bed with telephone poles along the right side. You are hiking down the old trolley car line. At the bottom of the gravel road, you'll make left turn, cross a paved road, and then cross some railroad tracks. Someone has removed the famed Mason Dixon Line sign, so remember the train tracks are the roughly boundary. Cross the tracks and you're in Pennsylvania.

The trail will continue down a bit to a beautiful wooden footbridge and then begin a steep climb back up. There are two boxed spring along the road crossing about halfway up the hill. Bailey Spring is the next water hole after the boxed springs, then a series of double shelters built along springs.

On our section hike, we got a late start (9 a.m.) off raven Rock and then dawdled too long at PennMar and thus made it only to deer Lick Shelters that evening. Get moving sooner and try to get up the trail to either Antietam or, even better, Tumbling Run Shelters. Tenting is also better at Antietam and Tumbling Run shelters.