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| From Ouachita Trail |
This week with months of planning in advance set out on my bike camping trip along the Ouachita Trail. I started out from Queen Wilhelmina a state park that has a lodge and restaurant that I thought would be a good place to leave my car and a good place to return too for some food as I was doing a out and back on the trail.
Gear List:
3 tubes and patch kit
Random bolts for bike
Freeze Dried Food
Moist Wipes
Small First Aid kit
Total weight:
10 lbs 6 oz on bike
18 lbs 13 oz in backpack (Osprey Talon 22)
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| From Ouachita Trail |
It was cold starting out, so cold that I thought of bailing out on the trip or at least postponing it for a day or two as the ice storm had covered everything with a thin layer of ice. This made the going really tough as the rock gardens were now even more unrideable. The first 2.5 miles were the worst as I had to hike all of it as it wasn't a bike friendly trail. The next section was a little easier with me having to dismount quite a few times due to rock gardens and downed trees that had fell with the increased weight of the ice.
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| From Ouachita Trail |
As the day wore on the temps got above freezing and the ice began to melt causing the sensation of rain from the trees above thawing out. At this point I was getting pretty wet but kept trucking along as the trail was more and more rideable.
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| From Ouachita Trail |
I decided to setup camp at about 4 giving me an hour or so of daylight to cook and put on some dry clothes. I cooked up some dinner and headed into my hammock as the cold was starting to get to me. After sitting in the hammock for an hour or so I couldn't stop shivering and was worried about how I would fair when the sun dropped. I made the decision that the 20 degree temps were too cold for me in my hammock and decided to make the push back to the lodge for the warmth. I knew most of my journey would be in the dark so I hurried to pack up and use what available light to bike as much of the trail as possible. About an hour into my journey back it got dark so I pulled out my headlamp to help light my way back. It worked well but I was pushing its limits on my bike. A few times I lost the trail and had to use my GPS to find my way back. I made it back to the lodge around 11:30 at night frozen to the bone with no feeling in my hands or feet. I jumped in the bathtub to warm back up but just couldnt seem to get the water hot enough. I then jumped into bed and shivered until I fell asleep.
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| From Ouachita Trail |
Lessons Learned:
2. Bring my gaiters as my legs were a bloody mess at the end of this trip.
3. The way I strapped my sleeping bag to my seat needs work or just order this.
4. 20 degree temps are too low for my hammock.
2 comments:
great post! i've been searching for anyone who has biked the Ouachita and it seems to been slim. i'm in the process of planning a bike/camp/hike on the Ouachita Trail in December. thanks for the tips.
Check out the FoOT website (www.friendsot.org). The maps show which sections are open to bikers. These sections were designated by the USFS AND the biking community. They are an intergal part of the group that maintains the trail.
The maps also show where we have shelters and the infrequent water sources.
There is an Arkansas Bikers Group that I'm sure you could find in Google. They could offer other suggestions.
Sid
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