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Waking back up my face was still gigantic, Maggie could barely walk, but we were determined. Pretending a second show of the town stop would diminish our distress, we each rinsed off again. Unfortunately for Maggie, I used all the hot water and she was left with a miserable shower experience. We threw our stuff together, left the hotel room and waddled to the local grocery store. My eyes were nearly swollen shut and her feet were mangled, so together we nearly resembled a functional hiker. At the store we added to the mobile pharmacy in our packs and then got a ride back to the Bluebell Cafe for breakfast. Lori is the owner of the cafe and an absolute angle. She helps hikers with rides on the ENTIRE trail. That is 220 miles of possible shuttle territory. In fact we didn’t even meet her because both days she was assisting hikers in getting back to civilization. She truly embodies the culture that surrounds this trail. We were back on the trail by 10:15am and hiking to outrun a storm. Nearly every person we met in town had warned us about thunder, lightning, rain and high winds in the mountains, so we set our sights on staying in a shelter. The shelters out here have been so nice we figured we couldn’t go wrong weathering a storm in a three sided cabin. The trail was gentle. We only planned on going 12.2 miles and we took our time. Views of the Ouachita Lake and river far off on our right glistened in the sunlight. It was our most peaceful day of hiking until we neared the shelter. After a bathroom break I ambled the last 3/4 of a mile downhill and suddenly herd what sounded like a big lawn mower. As I neared a road I stepped to the side of the trail and lay an ATV pass me with a hunter hitting the throttle. The four wheeled vehicle could barely make it through the corridor. A quarter mile later I crossed a road and saw a huge hunting camp. Trailers, canopies and tents covered a small pullout on the dirt road. From the camp to the shelter nothing happened. At the shelter I made a quick fire, simply for the novelty and sat by it until the rain began to fall. A hunter walked by our shelter and took refuge from the storm. It was a huge storm and we had a nice chat with him. Every year he comes out for three weeks to hunt. He even showed us some photos of the bucks he had gotten in the past. He was another kind Arkansas gentleman and only left when the rain lessened. From the moment he left until dawn thunder clattered and rain poured out of the sky. Our tin roof was priceless and we could only hear the malaise outside. It was our most unique night in the Arkansas wilderness. #OuachitaTrail #backpacking #Arkansas #Blog #thruhikinginarkansas #backpackinginOklahoma #pinnaclestatepark #whatisathruhike #howlongistheouachitatrail #LittleRock #howtothruhiketheouachitatrail #backpackinginarkansas #howtobackpack #backpackingtheouachitatrail #backpackinglocationsinarkansas #Oklahomathruhike #hiking #thruhiking

I had been having a mile allergic reaction so something in Trail, and when I woke up it had just blown up. My entire face was swollen and my eyes were extremely puffy. It was a bad look for me. I do a lot better when people can see my full eyes instead of a thin window of visibility between the puffiness of the top and bottom eyelid. I looked real bad. While hiking Maggie and I equated it to a character in Harry Potter when a spell goes wrong and their face explodes. I guess today my trail name is Dudley Dursley. We hiked in the morning under clear skies. The terrain was mild and we saw two other thru hikers getting water at one of the many streams and rivers we crossed. Our goal was Story, Arkansas and with my new face configuration, I was leaning toward a hotel room and trying to figure out my malady. The Ouachita Trail is an amazingly constructed trail and even more so when the creativity is acknowledged. Every spot where a bridge crossing of a stream or river is needed, the trail joins a road for a quarter mile and uses the already constructed bridge. I am sure this saved time and money in building the trail. Now my less pretty face was not the only thing wrong with our duo. Maggie could barely walk on the bloody blisters that leaked puss with every step. We were a sad group for being an aspiring power couple in the outdoor industry. I could barely see and Maggie could barely walk. I swear that hiking is glamorous! We stopped twice on our 17 miles for the day, called ahead to the Bluebell Cafe and had a ride waiting for us! I swear I have impressed Maggie so much between the cooking at night, coffee in the morning, arranging rides, and even finding her a new sleeping bag. I fear I may have set the bar too high. We got a ride with a nice older gentleman to the Bluebell cafe and had a burger and tots. It was the old fashion grease dripping burger that you dream about. One of the best burgers I have had any where on the trail! By this point my face had gotten so bad that Maggie was taking photos of it to show to all her friends, so I made the executive decision to stay in Mt. Ida for the night. A hot shower couldn’t hurt my ailment, and her feet likely needed to be cleaned. The same older gentleman shuttled us into town and Maggie quickly ran for the shower. That left me on my own to wander around town with diminishing eyesight under swollen eyelids to find us nearly every item in the first aid section to aid with her feet and my allergic reaction. Once I had visited three stores I had enough to contemplate opening a pop up pharmacy in our hotel room and headed back. As soon as I got there Maggie filled the garbage can with hot water and epsom salt and started soaking her feet. I popped allergy meds and took a hot shower. Way too early to feel good about I swallowed benedryl and felt sleepy. This tiny down didn’t have the non drowsy kind. It was another perfect day if thru hiking (minus all the above stated ailments). #OuachitaTrail #backpacking #Arkansas #Blog #thruhikinginarkansas #backpackinginOklahoma #pinnaclestatepark #whatisathruhike #howlongistheouachitatrail #bluebellcafe #LittleRock #howtothruhiketheouachitatrail #Mtida #backpackinginarkansas #howtobackpack #backpackingtheouachitatrail #backpackinglocationsinarkansas #Oklahomathruhike #thruhiking

It was my turn to make a mistake. When we went to bed it was clear. But I startled awake at 1am sensing a change in the weather. I woke Maggie and we closed the sides of our single wall tent. In fact, we timed it perfectly and were all set for the rain that came only minutes later. We both rustled awake at 4am. The rain had stopped and we were warm all sealed inside our tent. I chose to open the doors on my side and let some cool air in. It was a big mistake. 30 minutes later the rain started again and was blowing in my side of the tent. My sleeping bag was quickly a soggy mess. At 630 we both groaned and knew the weather would not let up, so we packed and started hiking. Everything I had was now wet due to a dumb mistake. We powered through 8 wet and cold miles to Brushy Creek Mountain Shelter. I made us both a very needed cup of coffee and alerted Maggie to a surprise that was waiting for her 4 miles ahead at Big Brushy Trailhead. Her feet were sore and mangled, but she popped right up, spurred on by the thought of a surprise. Now I just hoped it would all work out. We hustled through the 4 miles, Maggie’s giant Walmart sleeping pad hitting every branch near the trail, and got to the day use area of the campground. A lady hollered at us and Maggie asked, “Do they know us?” I didn’t say anything and walked over. I had been texting a Trail angel for a couple days and she had brought out a much more functional sleeping bag for Maggie. On top of that, our trail angel had tacos and soda for us! The best trail magic ever! Maggie was on the verge of tears with her surprise and we got to talk to a great and crucial piece of the Ouachita Trail community. We had a wonderful conversation and somehow during it the rain went away for good. The rest of the day was without precipitation. After leaving our trail angel and the surprise trail magic for Maggie behind, I went ahead, trying to log some miles in front to get a run in later in the day. I huffed it to Fiddler Creek shelter, hung out my soggy gear and started running back up the hill. I met Maggie after about 1.5 miles but kept going. It was a tough but rewarding run with the sun peaking out under the clouds as it set in the sky. This trail has some especially gorgeous spots. After 30 minutes I turned around and ran back to the shelter. Inside Maggie had her shoes off and a foot full of swollen sausages sat in the pea gravel of the shelter. Her feet looked rough. I said we could stay in the shelter, but she was determined to hike 4 more miles, so we did. On this day Maggie showed her real toughness, although maybe the surprise trail magic had something to do with it too! #OuachitaTrail #backpacking #Arkansas #Blog #thruhikinginarkansas #backpackinginOklahoma #pinnaclestatepark #whatisathruhike #howlongistheouachitatrail #LittleRock #howtothruhiketheouachitatrail #backpackinginarkansas #howtobackpack #backpackingtheouachitatrail #backpackinglocationsinarkansas #Oklahomathruhike #thruhiking

The weather was clear when we started, and then immediately became not clear. Fog came in first, drenching us simply with its touch. We put on our rain gear not a moment too soon because then the rain fell. It was a constant soaking, and my rain jacket is not the most waterproof thing in the world. Luckily, Maggie was well prepared for the rainy portion of the trip, so she stayed pleasant and dry. While walking slowly through the dense fog a yelping came up from the valley below. It most definitely was a hunter’s dog, but we paid it no mind. We trudged along in our sorry state. Then two dogs appeared. The circled around us, running up the hill and back down, hoping to find the scent of a deer. One of the dogs quickly became bored with our meager speed and disappeared back to his owners. But the other dog was a true hunting hound, ready to stick out the bad weather with his two new companions. We will call him Buck. Buck kept running circles around us, making us feel like we were moving at a snails pace. I assumed Maggie’s back was sore from sleeping on the Walmart pad, because she kept bending down, stretching to pet Buck. He stayed with us for four miles and was very bad at keeping his spot in line. He didn’t stick to the trail, and would step on the backs of my shoes when he wanted me to step aside and let him run by, only to suddenly sprint up the side of the hill covered in briars. Buck was great. We had fun with him for over two hours before a man clad in blaze orange came down the trail 100 yards from the highway complaining about how far he had to walk to get him. The man’s name was Randle and said the dog belonged to his friend. When I inquired as to the dog’s name, he didn’t know. So our four legged friend remains Buck in our memories. We crossed Highway 71 and climbed up to Foran Gap Shelter for a break and a snack. The shelters on this trail are immaculate. The trail is well blazed and the people are so kind! We have truly been impressed with this OT experience. Now back from that tangent. I made us both coffee, made a quick phone call (work never stops 😑), and ate a wrap. All this was while watching a stick bug (walking stick?) slowly crawl Along the wooden porch of the shelter. It was somehow mesmerizing. When we packed up, some climbing and the impending waterless stretch awaited. We walked five miles to the start of what was a 20 mile dry stretch. Maggie took her shoes off to air out her feet and I waved a quick goodbye and went off on a run. It was a hard, intense run. When I got back, Maggie was ready to go, so I chugged some water, squeezed some more water through the filter, and then packed up and jumped right in behind her. With Maggie’s new addition of the Walmart sleeping pad, she is a bit wider than she is used to. As we enter the thorny section of briars around Blue Mountains, she continually caught the side of the large foam tube on every low hanging branch. I could feel her frustration in the air, and stifled any laughs by capturing the moment with pictures. The thorns tore up my legs, but my sleeping pad escaped the scratches and mangled chunks that hers acquired. Just past Turner Gap shelter we came to a road with a few gallons of water left out for hikers. This was amazing, simply because it afforded us enough water to cook a real meal in the evening. We had a snack and then a man in sandals and a sport quilt came jogging down the trail. He though we were his friends. But even though we weren’t, he chatted with us for a while. Tex Willis was retired infantry in the army, and you won’t meet a kinder gentleman. He was hoping to see his friends because he needed an iPhone cord, so I gave him the one I had. I know the anxiety of not keeping the device that houses maps and communication, and we had an extra cord between us. Tex also had an amazing shirt of the Ouachita Trail, and that must be next to complete Maggie and my matching outfits for dates to the Costco food court. From the cache we hiked 2 more miles, looking for a spot that had been “reclaimed by nature,” according to Guthook Map comments. Once again (like last night) we stumbled around through the thick leaves looking for any sign of the site. The fire ring was almost completely overgrown, but we finally found our spot. Now after finding our spot to camp these days, we have to carefully survey the ground and pick up any rocks and twigs so Maggie can survive the night on her thin pad. We both got down on our hands and knees combing the ground for any disturbance in her important rest. The hit a rock with her hand and was on the verge of moving the tent, but I taught her a trick I had learned on my FKTs when sleeping with less than the optimal padding: we grabbed handfuls of leaves and pine needles and circled the rock, leveling off the area and adding some nice cushion. Now we can both sleep in peace. #OuachitaTrail #backpacking #Arkansas #Blog #thruhikinginarkansas #backpackinginOklahoma #pinnaclestatepark #whatisathruhike #howlongistheouachitatrail #LittleRock #howtothruhiketheouachitatrail #backpackinginarkansas #howtobackpack #backpackingtheouachitatrail #backpackinglocationsinarkansas #Oklahomathruhike #thruhiking

We woke up in the shelter and peered out the opening to see a fog-filled landscape. Clouds surrounded our three-sided shack. The only way to summon enough motivation to walk out into the spooky landscape was to make coffee and eat granola… so we did. With caffeine coursing through our veins, we packed up and hiked out into the fog. It looked worse than it proved to be. Compact, we leaves covered the trail but also provided a tempur pedic like feel to every step. The rocks were slick but the hiking was comfortable. Three miles in the ambiance was completed: as the fog cling to our ridgeline we passed an old pioneer cemetery. The only thing missing was a black cat. The goal for the day was sneaking in a trip to the Walmart in Mena. Maggie needed a sleeping pad and a new headlamp and we just knew an Arkansas Walmart (home state of Walmart) was the place to get it. Trudging through the misty air we got to test our rain gear without the presence of rain. By the time we got to Queen Wilhelmina we were ready for a hot cup of coffee. Expecting the prices to be high, we walked in the gorgeous lodge, plugged in our electronics, used the restroom, and finally entered the dining room. All the breakfast foods were very reasonably priced and our plans quickly changed. Maggie has a full breakfast with orange juice and pancakes and I had an Omlett. The food was great and a welcome break from the dreary fog. After an hour of fine dining and stinking up the place we made our exit. The weather was still soggy but we still wanted to cover some miles before making the short side trip to town. We crossed Highway 88 and slipped and slid our way across moss covered rocks. No falls were had but the close calls were a plenty. FINALLY, we descended towards Highway 59 and Maggie exclaimed, “It’s like we are in a new world!” It’s true, the colors were more vibrant and we were below the clouds. The walk to the Highway was perfect and full of color for even my color blind eyes. It was finally our time to hitch to Walmart. Traffic was light but Maggie was as my secret weapon. A woman clothed in all blue with her rain jacket cinched down to her eyelids. Hopefully her smile would convince a truck to pull over. It took a while but we finally got a ride. He took us to Acorn. Yes, Acorn is a real town in Arkansas. There is a muffler repair shop that may or may not still be in business and a highway intersection, nothing else. We hopped out, received a short speech on Jesus being our lord and savior, and stuck out our thumbs again. A small black SUV drove by us, but then they turned around and came back for us. We hopped in to meet a woman and her father. Maggie made small talk by telling them about our hike, but they didn’t care. While fishing for common ground, the father was frantically scrolling through his phone, not saying a word. Then he turned around, showing us a photo of an MRI that in which there was a circle of dense matter and then a black spot that covered nearly half the photo. “This is my brain,” he told us. Our mouths dropped and he continued to tell us he had a brain tumor, defied any prognosis that was given to him and survived a massive brain surgery. If anything he was understating the story. If you had seen that MRI of his brain you wouldn’t have believed he could walk or talk, but here he was telling us about the impossible. The father and daughter were getting gas and then heading to Walmart themselves, so we waited while they refilled the car and then ride the two blocks to Walmart. Right before we went in they offered a ride back to where they picked us up. We gladly accepted and then scurried in to get the bare necessities. The bare necessities included tuna, goldfish, tortillas, and cheese for me. The bare necessities for Maggie were a massive Walmart sleeping pad (to replace her $200 one she had stabbed with tweezers), a new headlamp (to replace the one she had with 1 hour of battery life), and a pound of donuts. We make a great team! We hustled back out to the car and jumped in with our hosts to hear the rest of the father’s story. On the way back to Acorn he told us he literally broke a study that 100 physicians had been working on that theorized brain function by the size and location of tumors. Multiple doctors had cried when telling him about the malignant tumor in his skull only to cry with happiness when he walked in their offices fully able to speak months later. He was quite a walking miracle. They dropped us off with a “We will pray for you,” and then we had one last hitch to get back to the trail. Before the hitch we needed to repackage all of our purchases, so we sat on the side of the highway and Maggie gave a quick “Walmart Sleeping Pad Review” (coming soon to YouTube). When everything was finally packed we stuck up our thumb and within minutes an older truck pulled up. The conversation went like this: Maggie: “It’s ok, I can hold the welders mask on my lap.” Driver: “No I will put it in the back.” He slams on the breaks while pulling over to the shoulder with his knee. Then he hops out and stashes the mask in the back. Maggie: “So are you a welder? Do you have lots of work around here?” Driver: “Yes I’m a welder, but it’s hard to find work as a convict. I spent nine years in prison and missed both my kids childhood” So our ride went this direction. We spent 15 minutes talking about prison and how his 12 year old son was very lazy, and weighed 240 pounds. Maggie and I sat speechless, just hoping to get to the trailhead safely. I wanted so badly to ask what he did to land in prison, but with Maggie the driver and I all sitting on the front bench seat, I didn’t want to cause any frustration. He took us right back to the trail, was cordial but possibly over shared both his life story and the second hand smoke. We got out and started hiking. Maggie took the lead and I spent the remaining daylight staring at the Walmart sleeping bad rolled up and strapped to the top of her pack, obscuring any possible view of her head. The new piece of gear is at least a foot in diameter and about as large as the rest of her pack. She needed a sleeping pad, we went to Walmart, and this is what she got. Darkness crept in and we ended the day on a long climb. Creating 2,000 feet in elevation the clouds of the morning reappeared. They were thick and visibility shrank to 10 feet. We trudged up to where our camp spot was supposed to be, but couldn’t find it. The fog was too thick to see anything. Trudging around for ten minutes I finally stumbled over a fire pit. We had made it! We cooked dinner, Maggie made me her famous cream cheese and bacon bits wrap and I made us a small fire to enjoy in the damp weather. The jam packed day came to a close! Support this site at http://patreon.com/Freeoutside #Ouachita #OuachitaTrail #backpacking #Ouachitamountains #Arkansas #Blog #thruhikinginarkansas #backpackinginOklahoma #pinnaclestatepark #whatisathruhike #howlongistheouachitatrail #LittleRock #freeoutside #howtothruhiketheouachitatrail #backpackinginarkansas #howtobackpack #thruhike #backpackingtheouachitatrail #backpackinglocationsinarkansas #Oklahomathruhike #thruhiking

The Ouachita Trail is blazed. Blue paint marks the trail about eye height every hundred feet. But the east coast style of marking does not mean it is constructed in the east coast style. The climbs are gradual, with switchbacks meandering yo the tops if rocky ridges. The grade of the trail is similar to the PCT, despite the AT style markings. Signs are plentiful and getting more than a few feet off the trail is difficult. But the blanket of leaves on the ground largely obscures the tread of the pathway, making the blue blazes a welcome reassurance of the right path. We got up the moment the sunlight hit our tent. It was 7am and on our second morning we truly felt like thru hikers. Maggie’s sleeping pad served as little more than a footprint for her sleeping bag, so she was especially ready to make progress. We left the campground, dropped our trash in the receptacle (including Maggie’s holey sleeping pad and her 4 pound bag of licorice candy) and began to climb. The wind howled and attempted to blow my cowboy hat off my head. It drowned out any opportunity of conversation and the climb had us quickly shedding layers. We circled Rough Mountain and continued down the connected ridge that housed considerably less leaves due to the incredible wind. From there we seesawed along the ridges hearing birds and seeing deer scraper along the hillside. The weather was beautiful and all of a sudden the wind died down near Big Cedar Trailhead on Highway 259. A few clouds sat way out on the horizon, but it was going to be another perfect day. We crossed Pashubbe Creek and then climbed up Wilton Mountain. I pulled ahead as far as I could with a plan in mind. Over the mountain and down to the Kiamichi River I flew in hopes of banking enough time to sneak a four mile run in without holding Maggie up too much. Near the river I stowed my pack, turned around and ran straight back up the mountain. A mile in I saw Maggie descending the rocky mountain and said a quick hello before huffing up to the top of the mountain. Two miles out and up the mountain meant two miles back down to total a refreshing four mile run. We topped off our water at the river, took our shoes off to relax and then powered up another climb to the Arkansas state line. We found a beautiful shelter that provided refuge from the wind and each has a 1,000 calorie dinner to celebrate another perfect day on the trail! #OuachitaTrail #backpacking #Arkansas #Blog #thruhikinginarkansas #backpackinginOklahoma #Oklahoma #pinnaclestatepark #whatisathruhike #howlongistheouachitatrail #LittleRock #howtothruhiketheouachitatrail #backpackinginarkansas #howtobackpack #backpackingtheouachitatrail #backpackinglocationsinarkansas #Oklahomathruhike #thruhiking

We woke up late. The last two months were a whirlwind for both of us, and camping on the trail offered a tranquility that lended itself to stress free sleeping. Finally at 8am, after we had both been awake for an hour, I asked Maggie if she wanted to start hiking soon. Of course she did. But the laying deep into the morning was almost like a trance that was waiting for one of us to speak up. After I said the words, we were quickly packed up and moving eastbound. It was a wonderful morning. The temperature was pleasant and inviting and the leaves crunched enthusiastically under our feet. The trees all around were bare, their leaves were all covering the trail. The hiking was hard, the hills were short but difficult to gain traction on with the mountains of leaves, but with a clear sky we didn’t want to be anywhere else. Mid day we stopped at a tiny glowing spring, refilled and ate our lunch. It was at this moment we learned why Maggie’s pack weighed so much. She pulled out a 4 pound bag of candy left in her pack from the last hike. Luckily I was craving chocolate and found a few non licorice flavored candies. Thoroughly motivated by the sugar, we crunches through more leaves. Slept and falls were common with the concealed loose rocks under the disposed foliage. Maggie had one magnificent fall ending in a scrape and I had one only saved by a perfectly placed tree to grab on my fall to the earth. We took a short break at Holson Valley shelter, where two ladies were enjoying a fire and sparked your a nice conversation. One was from Tulsa and the other from Hot Springs, AR. We chatted about the unexpected difficulty of the trail and they immediately offered up that we had just been through the most difficult section. They had extra water and I gladly took it, going further to offer carrying out trash and the empty gallon jug from the shelter. It took 17 miles to see our first people on the trail, and these ladies were great company and knowledgeable about the trail we had neglected to plan well. The evening was tame, completing a perfect day of temperatures. My goal for the hike was not simply to hike the Ouachita Trail, but also to get back to my baseline fitness level that had been fleeting since the Colorado Trail record. This meant I wanted to sneak a job in each day. So, Maggie and I redistributed our shared gear so she had the tent tot set up at camp if she got there first, and somehow I got left with her 4 pound candy bag. My pack gained at least 3 pounds during the exchange! I powered ahead to Horsethief Springs Picnic Area and got my evening run in. After 4 miles I was back at my stuff and it was getting dark, so I hoofed it to meet up and camp with Maggie at Winding Stair Campground. 21 miles of hiking, 4 miles of running and peace and quiet all day! #OuachitaTrail #backpacking #Arkansas #Blog #thruhikinginarkansas #backpackinginOklahoma #pinnaclestatepark #whatisathruhike #howlongistheouachitatrail #LittleRock #howtothruhiketheouachitatrail #backpackinginarkansas #howtobackpack #backpackingtheouachitatrail #backpackinglocationsinarkansas #Oklahomathruhike #thruhiking

We woke up in Oklahoma City, about 3 hours from the trailhead. A fellow hiker and now good friend Perrin had invited us to stay with her and her family. We enjoyed a casual morning of packing and slowly planning the day. After frittata and coffee in the morning along with wonderful conversation we packed our bags into the car and headed towards Oklahoma City National Monument and Museum. The history of the OKC bombing was immense, emotional and heavy. The museum did an incredible job capturing the devastation and weight of the tragedy of 1995. Seeing the people, lives and impact on the city was jarring. 168 people lost their lives. At 3pm we left the museum and Perrin drove us out to Talimena State Park, and at 7pm we started our Ouachita Trail thru-Hike. Maggie and I walked for an hour, enjoying the clear skies, blazed trail, and stick bugs clinging to all the trees. When we finally stopped for dinner moths fluttered under our headlamps while we cooked two dehydrated meals. Now we don’t cook as often as many people may guess, but we had a few nice dehydrated meals around and figure the short days were the perfect opportunity to perfect our culinary skills on the trail. We hiked just under three miles to officially start our thru hike. The weather is breezy and crisp, and we are camped on top of a nice hill! It is fun to hike and enjoy the activity and peacefulness of nature without racing a clock. It is the reason I fell in love with long distance hiking! Now for the unnecessary third paragraph: In the museum it explained the “Oklahoma Standard” which the community's reaction to the tragedy and how they assisted rescue workers, victims, and first responders. One fire fighter from New York shook the governor’s hand in the way out of town and handed him a dollar. When asked why he said he received that dollar when he landed but never had to spend a single dollar while working on the site and now he was handing it back! From the whole Duncan family (Perrin, Ann-Clorr, and Walt) we received the Oklahoma Standard and true gracious hospitality. #OuachitaTrail #backpacking #Arkansas #Blog #thruhikinginarkansas #backpackinginOklahoma #pinnaclestatepark #whatisathruhike #howlongistheouachitatrail #LittleRock #howtothruhiketheouachitatrail #backpackinginarkansas #howtobackpack #backpackingtheouachitatrail #backpackinglocationsinarkansas #Oklahomathruhike #thruhiking

In the past two years of completing FKTs (Fastest Known Times aka (also known as) records)). I have experimented with two sleep strategies. I incorporated both in this unsupported effort from Denver to Durango, and I think they both can have their spot as the sole style for different types of adventures. I used both the single block of sleep and also the nap schedule. With the length of time this unsupported record was projected to take, I split in half. The sleep deficit would catch up to me too quickly if I immediately begun falling behind. So, I split the difference and had a drastically different strategy for the first half as the second. Sleeping before the start of an FKT One of the biggest keys to most of my FKTs is trying to start early in the morning. This gives me the most time to log miles before having to sleep. It is almost like a bonus half day. On this attempt, I had to worry about carrying all my battery power for my small camera, phone, and headlamp the entire time. So, I set the start time for 6:30 am, the earliest I could possibly hike without a headlamp. It turns out I started 5 minutes earlier and moved great with a full night of sleep behind me and a fresh body. Sleeping for the First Half For the first half of the record I allotted 4-5 hours each night to rest. I wanted to get full sleep cycles and try to feel as fresh as possible each morning leading up to the final push. On night 1 I went to bed by 10:30 and got about 5 hours and 30 minutes of rest. I had moved much quicker than I anticipated through the planned 50 miles and I wanted to preserve the sleep and rest my body was at for another night. This led to trying to get a “full” night of sleep on day one because I felt so good. Days 2-5 did not have the same 5.5 hour block of time, but I was able to get at least 4 hours each night. I overslept through the morning of day 4 and woke up to the rising sun at 6:30am. This was my biggest mistake of the trip. When I awoke I noticed I was laying on my phone and the ringer was dulled by my body and sleeping bag. I did not make this mistake again. On day 6, I changed my sleeping strategy. Second Half Sleep Schedule Once I was deep enough into the record attempt that I simply needed to survive the remaining miles and push my body forward at a constant pace, I transitioned to a two nap sleep style. The style is based on the uberman sleep schedule. It is a different style in which REM naps are sought after in the long term. For me, it was a short term style of rest in which I substituted two shorter periods of rest for one longer one. While the traditional style is only done after adapting for days, in my case the naps were simply meant to give my body just enough rest to keep functioning. The style worked perfectly, although it did feel like my senses and emotions were dulled with the shorter periods of rest. My strategy consisted of 30-45 minutes of true rest followed by a period of eating, drinking and preparing for hiking in the dark. Each period of downtime was about an hour, but if I was really beat I would allow myself a few extra minutes of reflection on the day, trip, and endeavor as a whole. What I learned about sleep on an FKT Sleep is one of the factors that must be obtained during a long FKT, but it is also one of the things that scientists know the least about. I found my new nap schedule worked really well in terms of maximizing the hours of movement, but it dulled my body to a point where the top speed was less than when I rested for longer periods of time. I need to further experiment, but I suspect if I perfectly allocate the nap times and space them correctly it can be a much more efficient system. There is more to be learned! Buy a Shirt and support future records Link Here #fkt #settinganfkt #coloradotrailthruhike #backpacking #howtosetanfkt #backpackingincolorado #howtosleepduringarecord #coloradotrail #settingarecordonthecoloradotrail #howtosetafastestknowntime #thruhiking #Colorado

After the Colorado Trail Unsupported FKT I have been spending a lot of time on the couch. It is frustrating. I have this desire to run. Mentally it is there constantly. But physically it is a different story. My toes fell like they got skewered. My ankles are stiff and creaky and my knees scream or help if I expect too much from them. For the first week I had to take it easy, but at nearly the end of my second week of recovery I am no closer to full days of training in the mountains. Being a habitual 5 hour a night sleeper I now log double that constantly. My body is exhausted every afternoon and getting out for a short walk is considered an exercise victory. If I do the math nothing is wrong. In the ultramarathon world they say to take one day off for every 10 miles. That means I am supposed to take 49 days off. I don’t want to but my body needs it. With these new aches and pains both internal and external it has completely changed my love and appreciation for movement. My body and mind need movement. It has been my therapy over the years, and being without it highlights the close connection between physical and mental desires. They feed off each other. With the mental desire but not the physical ability I have adopted a new level of patience. It is a patience of anxious waiting and excitement over soon being able to run freely again. As I enter week 3 of recovery my goal is to run 2 miles continuously. This was a drop in the bucket in my former training and the FKT, but as situations change so do goals. Smoke is covering my town and training grounds, so there are silver linings to be stuck on the couch, but every benefit to not running is physical, and mentally appeasing a desire cannot be done so easily. The two sides of my body fight over what is good for the present and the future. But at the moment I side with the physical discomfort and continue to wait until the time is right to train and plan out the next FKT. #howtosetanfkt #coloradofkt #howtorecoverfromrunning #fastestknowntime #jeffgarmirecolorado #coloradotrailfastestknowntime #coloradotrail #jeffgarmire #recoveringfromathruhike #hike #coloradotrailfkt #coloradotrailrecord #jeffgarmirefkt #record #Colorado #howtothruhikethecoloradotrail #recoveringfromanfkt

Southern Terminus ARIZONA WORLD SHUTTLE EXPRESS: Tucson airport to Sierra Vista, Arizona, and Sierra Vista to Coronado National Memorial Visitors Center. 520-458-3330 ARIZONA SUNSHINE TOURS: Arizona Sunshine Tours shuttles between the Tucson airport and the visitors center in Coronado National Memorial. 520-803-6713 SOUTHWEST TREKKING: Various locations throughout Southern Arizona, from Mexico to the Gila River. 520-296-9661 KEN’S SHUTTLE SERVICE: Passages 1-13. kensshuttleservice@gmail.com. 520-604-6939. HOME GROWN MOUNTAIN BIKE TOURS: Phoenix to the international border. tara@homegrownmtb.com. 520-237-0129 Northern Terminus CIRCLE TOURS: Various northern Arizona/southern Utah trailheads. Kyle Walker at 888-854-7862. TRAILS END SHUTTLE & TOURS: North Rim of the Grand Canyon and trailheads within the Grand Staircase and Vermilion Cliffs National Monuments Tim Stephenson for details: 928-614-4109, trailsendshuttle@gmail.com. FLAGSTAFF SHUTTLE & CHARTER: Custom shuttles Arizona Trail, North and South trailheads, shuttling to any location in the Southwest including the rims of the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. 928-814-8341 KANAB TOUR COMPANY: Kanab Tour Company charter service and shuttles to and from Stateline Trailhead. 435-644-5525. DESTINATION SERVICES: Has a 9-passenger shuttle van available for hikers and mountain bikers. 928-645-2789 SUVA SHUTTLE: Operates out of St. George, Utah, and will take people to Stateline Trailhead. 435-680-3605 JD HORLACHER: Shuttle service on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and can transport AZT hikers to trailheads, access points, the Grand Canyon, and beyond. 435-689-0091, jhorlacherfmo@fredonia.net. CRYSTAL PHILLIPS: Page, Utah. This shuttle is available for Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. Call for details. 928-660-2045.

I created a video of my Arizona Trail FKT hike from 11 months ago and dropped the finished product on YouTube. The first half is the commentary of the Arizona Trail speed record hike, and the second half of the video is some time-lapse footage that I took while crossing the great state of Arizona. The trail really is a lot more than just a wide-open swath of desert. Between the Grand Canyon and the Sky Islands, I have recommended this trail more than any other in the last couple of years. An overview I wrote of the trail can be found here and my full trip report of the FKT attempt can be found here. Enjoy the 2-minute art project I put together: Arizona Trail FKT hike video #thruhikingthearizonatrail #ArizonaTrailVideo #howtothruhikethearizonatrail #jeffgarmirearizonatrail #fkt #azttripvideo #FKTvideo #FKTtriprecap #arizona #howlongistheazt #backpackingthearizonatrail #howlongisthearizonatrail #jeffgarmirefkt #ArizonaTrailFKT