How’s that backdrop for a little grilling in the backyard?

Backyard of our cabin in the Ouachitas this weekend, anyway. I WISH it was MY backyard.

The fall colors were spectacular. I’ve never seen the Ouachitas more brilliant, in fact. The photos don’t do it justice. I think this year’s abundant rainfall really made the difference.

It’s time for another Ouachita hiking weekend, although it’s a more civilized non-backpacking excursion this time.

The fall colors ought to be brilliant this weekend, as the foliage was just starting to turn two weekends ago. There is no Camp Crystal Lake* nearby, so I think it should be a splendid weekend.

Here’s wishing everyone a good Halloween weekend — thankfully, the last political weekend until the next cycle gets wound up!

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Sunset view from my camp(hammock?)site

I managed to get in another short backpacking trip over the weekend.

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Friday will start another backpacking weekend in the Ouachitas.

It looks to get kind of chilly (high 40s). I hope I don’t freeze in the hammock!

Here’s wishing everyone a good weekend. I’ll be keeping an eye out for Sasquatch.

Oh yeah, views like this:

And luxury bedding like this:

My Ouachita backpacking trip wasn’t the longest, and it wasn’t even new territory (I’ve stayed at Red Spring and hiked through the area many times), but it was just what the doctor ordered. The fall foliage hasn’t quite kicked in yet, probably because of high temps and high rainfall (the area was the wettest I’ve ever seen it in October), so I guess I’ll just have to make a few more weekend trips out over the next month.

Given how my football teams performed this weekend, why not?

* This being hauling around an uncomfortable pack loaded with food, water, shelter, stove, etc., up and down rough, sometimes rocky terrain for miles.

It’s time for a long weekend of backpacking in the Ouachitas.

I don’t know if the timing is quite right for the best fall foliage, but the temps are perfect and the forecast is good and it’s not the city. I’m looking forward to a bit of stargazing over the next couple of nights.

I decided against taking a radio to the woods. I’m sure OU-Texas will go on without me.

We’re back, after a fun weekend of hiking the Ouachitas.

It was a leisurely weekend, and our cabin was lovely (as were the steaks that were grilled and the wine that was consumed).

Although the area had received some pretty good rain, the Ouachitas drain well, and the trails were in good shape. Unfortunately, Callie experienced a wardrobe malfunction — her REI hiking boots literally fell apart. That would have been a killer on a backpacking trip, but wasn’t the end of the world for our day hiking (although it did force a trip to a nearby Wal Mart).

I should note that my Asolo 520s are still holding up fine. Indeed, they feel pretty good after a decade+ of breaking in.

On the return trip, we were happy to see that some people were already gambling at roughly 11 AM on Easter Sunday. Priorities.

So, I finished up a task a bit early at work today, and the long weekend has officially begun….

Well, almost.

We’re off later to the Ouachitas for a three-day cabin-camping weekend of hiking and grilling and wine and such. But it would help if I actually went home and did some packing….

I’ve had my eye on the cast-iron Hibachi-style grills made by Lodge for some time, but I finally bit the bullet and purchased one of the little guys today.

The steaks I grilled earlier to inaugurate thing really turned out nicely. I mainly wanted one of these for future Float and camping trips, but it may become my regular steak grill.

They’re about half the manufacturer’s list price at local Academy Sports stores.