Day Seventeen of the Ouachita Trail

My day started last night. I was in my hammock, the sun had set, and I was just shutting my eyes when I suddenly wondered if I could change my motel reservation for today. You see I had booked Quality Inn not realizing that they had no guest laundry facility. When I did realize it I assumed I couldn’t cancel and was stuck with it, but then last night I decided to check. Well lo and behold I could cancel without any penalty. With this knowledge, I spent about 40 minutes, there in my hammock, checking out motels in Little Rock for guest laundries. I settled on Candlewood Suites and made reservations, then canceled Quality. It was 11:20PM and I was getting up at 5AM.

5 AM came way too soon, but I really wanted to get an early start in the day, so it was time to rise and shine. Up where I was, at Penny campsite, it was actually 48° this morning. Which is surprisingly pleasant if you’re expecting temps in the 30s. I had my last trail breakfast and was leaving camp at 6:30. I walked the mile back down to the trail in the dark by headlamp. Then the 1st mile or so on the trail I needed a light. Finally, there was enough pre-dawn light to turn off my lamp.

The first 5 miles was in pine covered bottom land. Much the same as I had walked in yesterday. I finally got to the east end of the lake and started heading south. I still had 10 miles to go.

Those 10 miles were hilly, but not nearly as boggy and a bit more open with occasional glimpses of the lake below. Actually, they turned out to be quite pleasant, although I was anxious to finish and they seem to take forever. I did encounter another thru-hiker who was going the same direction as I was. His trail name was Butterfingers. We hike together for about 10 minutes before he suddenly stopped and said, “I left my poles back there.” So he headed back to pick them up and I continued on. He never caught up with me again.

The end of this hike has traditionally been at the Visitor Center for Pinnacle State Park which is 2 miles off the main highway and 500 feet above the river level. Also, people who have finished this trail complain that it is hard to get Uber rides from the Visitor Center. So I had decided that I would not take the road off the main highway over to the Visitor Center and instead would continue on the main highway another couple miles to the town of Pinnacle where I might be able to summons an Uber with more ease.

Prior to getting to that turn off, the Ouachita Trail follows the old highway and crosses the Maumelle River below the dam on an old one lane truss bridge. And that was kind of interesting.

I got to the turn off for the Visitor Center, but kept going straight, walking the shoulder of the highway. Little did I know what I would find a mile and a half further down the highway. There, in all its shining new glory, was the brand new Pinnacle State Park Visitor Center and (more importantly) snack bar! Seems they have moved the main Visitor Center over to the highway. I think the trail still officially ends at the old Visitor Center, but I was perfectly willing to use this new Visitor Center as the end point. I was also perfectly willing to buy two scoops of chocolate ice cream and a Gatorade at the snack bar. I checked my phone and was able to order an Uber to arrive in 20 minutes. Just enough time to eat the ice cream and drink the Gatorade.

So sometimes doing the wrong thing is actually the right thing. I have finished the Ouachita Trail and survived mostly intact. My shoulder and rib injury, early on, are mostly just a memory. The weather, with one exception has cooperated, and I am at the motel, showered and with clean clothes. So life is good.

I will return to this space next Thursday to reflect on the trail and my efforts. So until then, happy trails…