Backpacking 2016

 After a failed attempt in the Spring, we finally got to go backpacking in October 2016.  We went to the Ponca Wilderness in Arkansas.

 It was my first run with my new pack Sean had bought me, and it was nice.  Sean carried over 50lbs on his pack, and I had 29lbs on mine.

 We started out by hiking to Hawksbill Crag.

 It was a really pretty hike, and not to strenuous on the path.

 A view of it as we were coming up on it.

 Us out on Hawksbill Crag.  Also known as Whittaker Point.

 However, after hiking out there, we encountered a problem.  There was literally nowhere to set up camp.  It's a bluff on one side, and pretty heavily wooded on the other.  Sean found a little break in the bluff and we hiked a really hard downhill hike to the creek bottom. 

 But the creek was dry.  And the whole area was heavily wooded and/or rocky.  The sun was starting to go down, so we decided to hike back out, which was harder, and try to find a campsite in Ponca, which was a few miles away.  However, when we got to Ponca, the place was dark.  We decided to drive to the next town, Harrison.  Too bad for us, Harrison was having a motorcycle rally, and there was only one room to be found in town.  A smoking room in a Super 8 that was pretty worn down. 

 We did get a pretty good hot meal at Dixie's though, and headed back out to try again the next morning.

 Hideout Hollow was a trail Sean and Will had been on before, but was new to Jessie and me.

 The hike in was really pretty.

 We set up camp under the bluff and it was perfect.  The campfire pit was already there, and the boys made us a table to play Canasta.

It was an adventure, and as always we had a great time with the Kelbs!