Trail Work- March 26-27 2026

Having been on the Blair Creek and Karkaghne sections of the Ozark Trail over the past couple months with Jenny and Gwenda and doing the usual critique of the trail conditions, as hikers do, it occurred to me that I now have enough time to take on a section of the trail as a "adopter". Kind of a "put your money, where your mouth is" type of thing! 😆A Trail Adopter is someone that will go out on a section of trail periodically and do routine maintenance; clear smaller downed trees, lopping back of brush, weed whacking, trail marker placement, trash pick up. etc. We can't do any major tree removal or extensive tread repair as that require specialized tools and trained people from the Ozark Trail Association. We do however report back our work and can then relay any major work that should be done. 

The adoption sections are each about 3 miles in length. I was surprised and pleased that so many of the sections are adopted. Almost every mile of the continuous length of the OT is covered as well as a good amount of the outlier sections as well. 

Looking over the list, I did spot a section that I had just hiked that I was interested in. The Blair Creek section has a Fen. 

A Fen is defined as: nutrient-rich, groundwater-fed, peat-accumulating wetlands that are constantly saturated, often with alkaline water. They support diverse flora like sedges, grasses, and rare orchids, as well as fauna like insects, birds, and small mammals. Fens are commonly found in glacial landscapes at the base of slopes.

The Fen in Blair Creek is slightly unusual and categorized as a "raised fen" = The fen found here is dome-shaped from the accumulation of peaty materials. A thick deposit of mucky organic soil forms a mound here higher than the surrounding land. Fens are wetlands created when calcareous groundwater seeps out to the soil surface and are typically dominated by herbaceous plants. Fens are kept open by both saturated soils and historically, occasional wildfires. These fens are created by groundwater moving down through the dolomite formation and hitting a resistant layer, likely sandstone, along which the water then runs horizontally and seeps out onto the lower slopes along the valley. The fen itself is dominated by sedges, orange coneflower, and silky willow.

The trail used to go right along side the fen, in fact, if you still look at the maps of the fen on the Missouri Conservation website you will see the trail going directly next to the fen, but the Ozark Trail map set shows it correctly moved to west and higher ground. The trail was moved many years ago, probably to protect the delicate nature of the Fen and the fauna that inhabit it. You can still see it from the current trail, if you know where to look, and the trees are still bare. 

That is a long introduction to explain my choice of trail section. I think it will interesting for me to watch the fen and learn more about it on my trips to do trail work and also motivate me to make the 2.5 hour, one way, drive to get to my section. Having taken the section, that left only one three mile section left on the entire Blair Creek portion and that was the 3 miles just North of my section, so of course I had to take it as well. 😳 The section to the North is 3 miles and runs along a gravel road and is the path of an old cog railway that used to move timber from deeper in the forest to the main road for pickup. It is a super easy section to walk but as you will see is subject to lots of trash, being along a logging road that also leads to one of Doe Run's mining operations. 

So my first trip out would be March 26-27. Having just hiked this section 2 months ago, I had a fair idea of what I would find and how long it might take me. Not being under any time consideration, I decided to dedicate each section to half a day and see how that went. 

Thursday March 26

I drove down in the morning and parked directly in the middle of my two sections. This also works out well, because there is an established trailhead with parking at this spot. Just a field by a kiosk, but as I remarked in my summary of this previous hike, I doesn't appear too many people take advantage of these lovely sections in the middle of the Ozark Trail. 

I got to the trailhead around 10:30 am. Got all my gear sorted out. I have a couple of bow saws, loppers, a long limb trimmer and hand held pruning shears. I am not used to carrying this stuff in a backpack. I decided to put the suspension and more supportive waist belt back on my Gossamer Gear Gorilla (50 liters). It is able to support, comfortably, around 40 pounds with the suspension in. 

Everything strapped down, off I went around 11:15am. The temperatures today were suppose to be well above normal and there is no water on this 6 mile (3 mile each way) section, so I carried 2 liters. Normally I would cover this 3 miles in an hour, but I decided that I would do trail work on the way out and then trash collection on the way back. 

Leaving the truck 

Lots of little sticks and debris blown down from the pines. 

Nothing really large had blown down across the trail. These are all 6ish inches in diameter and easy to cut and move. 

This was a bit larger, around 12 inches and needed some time as it was under tension and I needed to wedge something under it.... It as too heavy for me to lift, so I had to work on levering it up with a larger fallen branch. It eventually came out, but took about 30 minutes. 

Before

After

Got to the end in about 2 hours. It was very hot (91f) at 1:30 pm.  I need a sit down and lunch. 

I stayed at the northern most point of my section for about an hour before getting up and starting back. I also drank a full liter of water with some electrolytes while I stayed in the shade.  I do not do so well in this kind of heat anymore. 

I was able to back away my tools on the way back and just have a trash bag out and handy. If I saw trash on the way down, I just tossed in on the trail to make it easier to collect  on the way back, but if I could see it from the trail, I picked it up. 

Blair Creek section 2a- done. 

Once I got back to the truck I needed more water than I had brought with me, so I decided to head into Bunker Missouri, The small town of 400 that I have mentioned in my posts before and since I was already going to get water, they have a Dollar General, why not get dinner! The Mexican restaurant in town (La Bonita) is first rate and I deserved a meal better than the dehydrated on that I was going to make back at the parking lot later! 

Enchiladas Suiza and a Margherita 

It was fantastic! Keep this place in mind when you hike the Blair Creek or Karkaghne Sections of the Ozark Trail.

Friday March 27

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday struggling in 91 degree weather and this morning waking up at 6 am to 40 degrees and a sprinkling of rain. 

Got everything on to start out this morning. Not raining now, but it might. 

Right off the bat just .3 miles down the trail a newly fallen tree. 

This tree had too much tension on it for me to cut through it and nothing laying around large enough for me to wedge under it. I cut all the branches away and made it easy to step over. I will make a report and the OTA will send a sawyer out to finish the trunk 

I knew I would spend most of my time at this section. This the end of the reroute around the Fen. This downhill section was in poor shape when we hiked it in January. Small trees had started to grow on the tread and loose rocks in the fallen leaves made it treacherous to descend. Unfortunetly, I didn't get a good before photos, but spent about 90 minutes here, pruning, brushing and making sure you could go up and down without twisting an ankle or getting stabbed by a sticker bush

Next one was just too big for my bow saw in the position it was in. Again might need to carry some kind of pry bar to be able to get a rock or branch under it to relieve the tension so I can cut through it, but I will add it to the report. This one is also not hard to step over, just hated not being able to clear it. 

Trail looks great through here. 

Next few were straight forward to clear. 

Before and after 

My section ends at the National Forest Boundary, marked with the red paint. It also started to rain a bit, just as I reached the boundary.

Some turkey tail has completely taken over these felled logs

Turning around and walking back, intending to just pick up trash again. I veered off the trail, did a bit of bushwhacking and found the old decommissioned section of trail that leads by the Fen. Below are some photos of the Fen for early Spring. I will post more during the Summer and Fall to compare. 

Cattail 

Back on the official trail, some the handy work of our excellent sawyers. The trunk makes the O=Ozark and the T=Trail. Well done team. 

I took about 4.5 hours on this 6 miles section and it should be ready for a heads up walk along the trail. I finished around 1:30 pm and it was still only 46 degrees! 

My Section

BC2a

BC2b

If you have a few days to spare around 4 times per year (or more), this is a great way to help out. Thanks to all the other trail maintainers and the OTA for letting me take a couple sections. 

Ozark Trail Hike Karkaghne Section Feb. 26-Mar. 1 2026

 I had the opportunity to go with Jenny and Gwenda again for the last section they needed to complete the continuous sections of the Ozark Trail. Like other long distance trails the OT has a 235 mile long continuous footpath, divided into 8 sections, however, it also has 8 sections that are outliers, standing alone and yet to be connected to the main backbone path. Jenny and Gwenda have done many of these outlier sections as well, but this hike would finish the connected paths.

You can see all the sections on the map below:

Thursday

The Karkaghne section is just about right in the middle. A section of 28.4 miles. That was planned for two and half days. 

Unlike the Blair Creek section we did at the first of the year (last post) this weekend was forecast for higher than normal temperatures for the end of February and this section is also much drier than the Blair Creek section with fewer reliable water sources.

Since it works best for everyone to meet up on a Thursday night and be able to get an early start on Friday, I volunteered to drive down early and cache some water at two different locations, one for each day. This was we would be assured of reliable water each day. This takes a big mental burden off the enjoyment of the trail and the mileage you must make. A common practice now days on long trails is to see volunteers cache water along known dry stretches for hikers. (One can not deny the commitment and generosity of these volunteers, while I have mixed feelings about this practice, one thing that is undeniable is that it extends the hiking season and the number of people that can enjoy a trail. Without this practice, you would certainly get too many people on the trail, as hiking would only be possible in some areas during a short period of the year.)

Off I went to the true washboard backroads of Missouri to find places that forest roads intersect the trail. In fact, it was not that hard. The first water cache was actually along the original Trail of Tears route, It has many names on the map;  Karkaghne Scenic Drive, Hwy CC, FR2233, or FR2236, depending on which direction your approach it from. This would be about 7 miles on gravel to reach the point the trail crosses the road. 

One gallon of water for the middle of day 1, hidden away under a downed log. 

The second was a bit more challenging only in the fact that there were more roads than show on any map I could find, not unusual just a bit more trial and error to find the right forest road that would at the best distance to end day 2. This turned out to be at FR2309A.

FR2309

Two gallons of water stashed in the log for the end of Day 2 and the morning of Day 3 (very stealth)

We are all set. Gwenda and Jenny will arrive in the town of Bunker (pop 400) late this afternoon and we will get dinner at one of the only two restaurants in town (Mexican or Pizza). We chose Mexican and I will say, we chose correctly. La Bonita is a very tiny building but one of the best Mexican food I have eaten. If you are hiking this section or the Blair Creek section I highly recommend you eat here! 

After dinner, we went just 3 miles down the road to the Hwy72/P trailhead to spend the night, before shuttling cars to our start point, in the morning, the Brushy Creek Lodge. 

Friday

Sleeping in the backseat of my truck is never comfortable, but better than pitching a tent or hammock at a highway intersection! 

How many days will we be gone! 

Everyone made it through the night and we were up and getting sorted early. We would drive up to Brushy Creek Lodge to park cars and start the hike from the lodge as it has a spur trail that leads directly to the Ozark Trail. They charge $5 per day, but it is well worth it. The official start of this section is the trailhead at Hwy J, however Gwenda and Jenny had already walked past there to Brushy lodge (3 miles) on a previous hike, so those miles were completed. Hwy J trailhead has a history of car vandalism, so much safer to park here at a well know establishment, but the real reason is that Brushy Creek serves breakfast.... Biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon! yum... 

After more than enough calories, we set off. And you immediately burn off breakfast as it is a very steep climb up the ridge to join the Ozark Trail. 

Topping out on the ridge. 

The Karkaghne is neither a ridge walk or a pointless up and down (PUD). It is a relatively flat walk on the side of each ridge as you look up to the ridge just above you and then down into very deep hollows 

The only reliable water on the first part of the Karkaghne is Gunnis Branch. It did have plenty of flowing water, but since we had only been going about 3 miles then we didn't need any

We arrived at our water cache at 5.5 miles for the day and had a sit down for an early lunch. 

After lunch the day got to be quite warm and we were covered up not from cold or wind but sunshine! 

Still lots of great views before all the leaves come back

The Doe Run mines are in this area and they need lots of electricity. The cuts for the power lines are extensive and freshly cleared. 

Mid afternoon we arrived at Sutton Bluff. Hot and a bit tired. We could have gone on, but this made a great stopping point. Sutton Bluff is directly on the West Fork of the Black River. It is a very nice campground with amenities and even RV electric sites. It doesn't officially open until April 1. Nothing was actually unlocked or open, so I can't confirm if we were actually here 😇

West Fork of the Black River 

Day 1 stats

Day 2- Saturday 

We might have been hiding from the Sun yesterday but it got chilly overnight. We beautiful clear skies the low was 37f. I had on everything I brought and was still just at that cold point around 4 am. 

Lovely sunrise

Breakfast made and coffee consumed

Chores done

Bags packed

Left the place like we were never there... because we weren't!

Quick walk to cross the low water bridge that comes from the other side of the river.

First few minutes is the biggest climb of the day. You have to go from river level to the top of the surrounding bluffs. 

864 feet at the river to 1208ft at the top and rewarded with great views back down to the campsite and up the river. 

A lovely carpet of green to walk on

Another beautiful day, but already getting warm. Warmer than forecast the temperature today will be close to or just over 80f. 

The walking today was just fantastic. 

After 3.5 miles we come to the Bee Fork. This was suppose to be the most reliable water source today and a true wet crossing. I found some turkey tracks in the sandy shore.

Gwenda crossing the Bee Fork 

After crossing and sitting down to dry off and filter water, we met the caretaker volunteer for this section of trail. He informed us the Bee Fork was contaminated with heavy metals from the Doe Run mine just up river. At the moment there is no information on the OT maps to warn of taking water from this creek. There are warnings on the Middle Fork Section Map just North of this one for another stream close to a different Doe Run mine. This was not welcome news as we had just filled up our water bottles for the next 6 miles of trail until we reached out water cache for the day. The good news however was that he said there was water at 4.5 miles and 6.5 miles, both creeks that are clean and drinkable. The first was only a short distance away so I decided to not drink from my newly filled bottle and wait for the next creek. No need to start glowing in the dark! 😉

Leaving the Bee Fork, this section we were now walking was heavily damaged by an EF-3 tornado in 2025. The storm with winds over 145mph did extensive damage to this area. It is also shows very little signs of being used, with a sudden reduction in almost all trail markers. 

The OT did an outstanding job to clear this section, Walking through here I could only wonder what it would have sounded like to be here as the trees were falling down all around. 

We arrived at the first of the steams with clean water and I dumped my bottle for a refill. Jenny is doing the same. 

Interesting color on this fungus. Almost looks like a butterfly in the log.

The creek at mile 6.5 was much larger than I would have imagined. 

After lunch it was more of the same. Side hilling on nice tread going round each ridge and looking down into the hollows. 

Through here many boundary markers as the trail comes right up against private property in many areas. 

Look at me! I mark a boundary. Can you image people actually fighting or land right? 😲😆

We walked on until our water cache in the late afternoon. The 2 gallons was right were I left it, albeit the area looked much nicer than I remember it when I dropped off the water... So after distributing the water we just decided to camp a short distance from the water cache. 

Making camp while still in the woods and starting dinner. Gwenda had felt the heat today and retired early without dinner. I could only remember my same feeling back in August when I was on the River to River trail in Illinois and the temps had been in the 90's. A miserable feeling to have some mild heat exhaustion. 

Jenny's set up as the sun sets. 

Day 2 Stats

Take a look at the map below of day 2. The yellow line represents the Bee Fork Creek. It passes directly under #46 lake, which is Doe Run' largest tailing (mining sludge) pond! 

Day 3 

Gwenda was feeling much better this morning. I woke being truly cold! The temps were not quite as cold, around 39f, however I was chilled for most of the early hours this morning and glad to get up and get moving around.  

All packed up like I was never there (I ruffled the leave up, so not even my footprint was visible).

After breakfast it was off quickly. Today with a high only in the 50's, we were not waiting around for the Sun. 

Another big swatch of power lines, newly mulched, so no problem with high weeds yet. 

More evidence of the power of the wind as the downed trees continued today. 

This section near Grasshopper Hollow was particularly dense with blowdowns, still wonderfully cleared by all the volunteers of the Ozark Trail Associations. - THANK YOU.

Grasshopper Hollow contains the largest non glaciated Fen in the country. It is listed to be home to many rare species. The trail doesn't go through the Fen. I will come back some time just to explore both this and the Fen in the Blair Creek section just to the South. 

The sun did return and the walking was flat and fast. 

More boundary markers 

Many different species of mosses and lichens on the trail 

One more small creek to cross at mile 7 for the day and then one last big uphill. 

Jenny

Gwenda 

All done- Thanks ladies for letting me tag along again and congrats on completing the continuous sections of the Ozark Trail. 

After taking the remaining car at the Hwy P/72 trailhead back to Brushy Creek, where we thought we would get lunch (turns out they were closed today). We headed to Bixby General Store. Always a good place for after hiking food! 

Day 3 Stats