Trip Report, Southern Athens-Big Fork to Winding Stairs

Great report, OH.
I know that you guys had less than desireable weather this weekend, but glad to see that you made the best of it.
I can relate to the "cold" crossing of the Little MO. We had to cross it in January and it was pretty chilly at that time too.
Glad you made it back ok.
UL

Wow OH, sounds like you all had an experience that is for sure. I always like to have camping stories like these, just to keep everything interesting. I too know about cold crossings, the ones where you can't feel your feet anymore, and then the pins and needles you feel when they begin to thaw out, ouch.

Dwight,

Ed and my toes were, at least felt like they, frozen this morning! The mud we hiked thru on Sat. was now frozen! Everything was ice crystals. But inspite of it all it was a great hike with two great guys. By the way as a joke I began calling our group the RETRO HIKERS! I was using a 1978 vintage Lowe Alpine Expedtion pack, I haven't worn that pack since at least 1980! It was great! Was one of the first packs with only twin alum. stay pack frame. It was just as I remembered it, except it would help if I shed more lbs. around the waist to help me get it on!

OH

LOL Can I be a retro hiker too, I was born in 1979 ? I have woken up to everything frozen before too, and I was sure thankful that I stayed plenty warm that night. All my friends think that I am crazy, or that it is dangerous to go out when its that cold, but I tell them its wonderful, as long as you have the right gear and you use your head. I am glad that you had fun, and I wish that I could have been there.

Dwight,

I got one over on you I was born in 1952! When I started into this madness I went thru many different packs and gear, some of which I still had and the Lowe pack I do have. I really think that some of the designs everyone talks about now had it's beginnings then. By the way Eddy was interested in the weight of that pack, which I will post a pic later, it is made out of Kordura nylong and has all of it's clasps and such made out of metal (that really got Eddy, not used to metal on a pack) and the suspension system is just two alum stays. Man it is comfortable! And it's weight is just 4 lbs. I say just because it is huge! Nice to have when you can't fell your fingers in the morning and you just stuff your sleeping back directly into the pack plus everything else!

The Retro thing is also becase Mark Adams still uses a external frame pack and packs everything but the kitchen sink, we made him leave that at the truck! The title sticks to Eddy because he is hanging out with us old gezzers!

OH

Tom, I thought I saw trailrelic with a kitchen sink over there, In fact I know I did(how do you think that we cleaned the the fish for supper). I have got to admit that about midnight I said to my self, that if I get out of here without being in the frozen foods section at wal-mart I am gonna sell all my backpacking stuff on ebay. Well the hike out was cold but very nice and invigorating, I had a great time and I am ready to go back tomorrow. I cant say enough about Tom and Mark, two great hiking buddies and they truly made the experience great. One very good thing is that I learned alot.

Ed,

Yes it was cold! That is some of the coldest weather that I remember ever going thru. Well I take that back, I did live for one year in WY but I didn't camp out while I was there. The experience was great! We will do it again!

OH

OH:
Any idea as to the morning temp? We got down to 23 deg. on our Butterfield trip last weekend. Bostonmtnman and I hiked Sections 2 and 3 of the OHT in January, '08 and it got down to around 8 deg. and warmed up to a balmy 26 deg. for the highest temp during our 3-day trip. It can definitely get cold in Arkansas in the winter.
UL

UL,

I have experenced 20 degree weather many times and it had to be much colder than that. The ground was frozen. Your fingers went numb very quickly. My guess was it was in the low teens or colder. We were camped right by the Viles Branch and that cold water made the situation worse. I am going to have to get me something tell the temp!
And by the way there was ice everywere!

OH

I'm just glad everyone made it out ok. The coldest I have ever camped in, was in -10* one night in scouts. I had on everybit of clothes that I brought, and woke up way down in the bottom of my sleeping bag huddled up like a baby. You can go a lot colder than you think if you make yourself a hot water bottle, and cuddle up to that in your bag. It works WONDERFUL!!!!!

Great trip report! Thanks for sharing your trip.

Lew

My cheap thermometer that I clip onto my tent said 20 when they finally got me out of my bag. I was the last to get up because I had a 10 degree bag and I was fine right where I was.
And besides if I was going to carry everything I would bring a bathroom not a kitchen sink.
That was Awesome and I'm going back to the river in 2 weeks. I think it will be warmer.

Mark

Mark,

A HEATED bathroom!

OH

The bathroom I stayed in wasn't heated, that's no fair I want a heated one