Twenty trailblazers made the trek south to hike the LOViT (Lake Ouachita Vista Trail).  We hiked 4.5 miles from the Joplin store to Tompkins Bend.  This quartz-lined trail winds through the woods with several beautiful lake views.

Read more: 2017-03-04 Lake Ouachita Vista Trail

Fourteen Trailblazers braved the cold winds early on this Saturday morning. The sky was clear and sun bright. By the time we crossed the footbridge above the falls, the warmth had taken over. We should have known this would happen; it always warms once the uphill starts. We hiked to the overlook on the north side of the falls and then to Rock House Cave.

Read more: 2017-02-25 Boy Scout Trail at Petit Jean

Twenty-six TrailBlazers, including some new faces, and one canine under the command of Captain Linda headed up to Lake Fort Smith State Park on a warm afternoon to hike the Boston Mountain Trail.  This is a new trail not only for the park but also for the club. The trailhead is just to the right of the entrance to the parking lot.

Read more: 2017-02-19 Boston Mountain

Seventeen hikers headed to Sam’s Throne on a very warm and extremely windy morning.  The wind kept it comfortable enough to hike although at times it felt like it was going to blow us away.  

Read more: 2017-02-11 Sam's Throne

Thirteen Trailblazers braved a cold, cloudy, and windy day to hike up to the Arkansas Sphinx and Pam's Grotto. We had several new victims for both of these uphill hikes.

Read more: 2017-02-04 AR Sphinx and Pam's Grotto

We had a great January hike. The sunny skies really helped in keeping the body warm, even though the wind would occasionally chill the bones. Temps were above freezing which helped, too.  Bill thought it was good enough weather, so he rode his motorcycle to the trailhead.

Read more: 2017-01-28 Redding Loop

Eight TrailBlazers met at Cove Lake to hike the loop around the lake.  Before we even got started, we were met by the gentleman who was the concessionaire. He let us know that it would cost $5 a car to park where we usually park, so we drove back across the dam and used the smaller lot for free.  This is something we need to remember for the future.

 

Read more: 2017-01-21 Cove Lake at Mt. Magazine