Freezing – Big Guy Hiking

DNSed

Today I was suppose to run the Trail Madness 16K at Turkey Mountain Urban Area in Tulsa, OK. I really wanted to make the four and a half drive and get in a good run. I checked the weather a for two weeks and the forecast was getting worse and worse. The predicted temperature was going lower and the snow and freezing precipitation prediction was growing. I have run in freezing conditions and snow so not a problem but the travel concerns me. I do not think it was a wise or safe idea to drive that distance on possible icy roads. Plus, it was a SUnday race so I had no choice to return the day of because of work. The RD sent several emails earlier this week to update the trail conditions and giving the go ahead for the race. The final email stated the race was on the only thing that would stop the race would be excessive mud. Mud would not be a problem since the trails are frozen. I am assuming that some of the roads are not in great shape since the race entrances have been changed and the parking has also been changed. There are arguments among the trail running community of which is worse., a DNS or DNF. I feel really bad about this DNS and I have not had a DNF so I would say a DNS is worse. I am glad the race did not sell out and I took someone’s spot so I guess the registration fee is a donation.

In two weeks I will run my second half marathon, I have no plans on a DNS or DNF.

Kingfisher Trail

This short 1.1 mile flat trail is on the outskirts of Pinnacle Mountain but inside the state park. The trail offers some great views of Pinnacle Mountain and also the Little Maumelle River. The sign says it is only a half mile but when I finished I got over a mile over hiking/walking/strolling completed. This trail was very different than most trails I like to hike but enjoyable nonetheless. I do like water features and mountains so it was not too bad even though it had no elevation change. The trail was also concrete and crushed gravel. I am not used to hiking on concrete trails.

Another great time at Pinnacle Mountain State Park but I still have not hiked up the east side. Next up back in Texas is a 5 mile race that went surprisingly fast.

Pinnacle Mountain West Summit Trail

I am back at Pinnacle Mountain State Park in Little Rock, Arkansas. The last time I hiked to the summit, it was on a crowded weekend. I liked the hike but not the overcrowding of people. Plus I never got to where I really wanted to be at the peak. This time I was the first to the mountain and started the hike alone. The hike was peaceful and I got to enjoy the trail more than the first time. The trail is steep and taxing on the legs. The temperature at the start of my hike was 24 degrees and I still was sweating going up the mountain. There was ice on the trail but luckily the rocky part was dry. I was ready for the bouldering/scrambling near the summit. I got to pick my course without waiting for someone to move out of the way. It seemed easier to get to the top. I say easier but still not easy. This is still the most difficult hike I had ever done, twice. I have hiked to the summit of several other mountains since but this one tops them all. I loved the view from the summit this time. I was up there all by myself and got to walk around a bit. The views of the hawks below and seeing miles in each direction. This is also a hike that tested my ankle. I slipped once and my ankle held up so I feeling confident I will be able to run on the trails again.

I still have an interest to hike the east trail but after seeing it from the summit, I do not think I am ready. I will be back in the state later this year and I might give it a try.

Next up is a very flat trail in this state park.

Devil’s Den State Park Part 3

The last day at Devil’s Den SP was another frozen hike. The water in my water bottle actually froze on this short hike. The trail started right off the front of my cabin. I had passed it up the entire time I was here. I finally went on the trail and it lead to the waterfall over the dam. This is one of the park’s bigger attractions and I forgot all about it. It was easy to forget because of all of the other hikes grabbed my fascination. The buzzards were out on all hikes but especially this morning. The hike had a nice bridge which I always like and of course the waterfall. The trail was relatively flat with one big decline and incline at the beginning and the end. The temperature never got out of the 20s and that really affected my picture taking ability. I did get to see a beautiful sunrise. I did not get a picture though. The sun did make the crystal clear river water sparkle.

I had a great time here and already have plans to return to the region to visit the other close by state park. This was hike 45 in my 52 Hike Challenge Explorer Series.

I have seven more hikes to complete the 52 Hike Challenge. Stay tuned to see if I can do it.

Devil’s Den State Park Part 2

My next hike in Devil’s Den State Park was on the trail of the same name. This trail was shorter but had plenty of scenic spots and parts of the parks history. The rock formations were amazing and the bat caves although they were closed due to disease, were also a nice sight. There was a frozen waterfall and a natural cove to walk under. The trail did not provide an overlook of the park but it was up close to all of the natural features that the trail passed.

This was hike 44 in my 52 Hike Challenge Explorer Series. I really enjoyed this semi frozen hike and learning about the history of the park.

The next blog is my final hike through this park. It was a nice trip and I want to return to this area of Arkansas again.

Devil’s Den State Park Part 1

Devil’s Den State Park is located 30 minutes south of Fayetteville. AR. The park is located in the Ozark Mountains but right outside of the Ozark National Forest. I missed the leaves color change by two weeks and most of the leaves have already fallen off the trees. The area was still full of fall colors and leaves falling and branches too. The time of the trip coincided with a 30 degree average drop in temperature. The hike on the Yellow Rock Trail was in freezing temperatures. The temperature was about 29 degrees at the start and the temperature only rose about five degrees. The trails were marked great like all Arkansas SP trails. I took the three mile loop and turned it into a five mile lollipop. The yellow rock overlook was amazing. The views were spectacular but I could not get great pictures. I was the only one on the trails at the time but the sun was affecting my camera. The fog was cool to see but also affects my pictures. The fog was mostly created by the difference in the air temperature and water temperature. This is also a CCC park and the hike to the lookout had a nice CCC pavilion at the top. This trail also had some great rock formations lining the trail.