The TrailBlazers Hiking Club is a group based in Fort Smith, Arkansas, dedicated to enjoying the outdoors in the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. THCFS schedules several hikes a month, some long and some short, some difficult and some more laid-back. Some of us have hiked for years and some just started, but we all enjoy the outdoors. If this describes you and you're in the area, you're welcome in our group!

THCFS hikes are scheduled almost every weekend from fall to spring. Look at the Events section to pick out one that fits your preferences. Slip on some comfortable walking shoes, grab a water bottle and a snack, and come join us for a hike!

Hike Report

2008-05-08 Butterfield Trail
Photo Link: click here

Nine TrailBlazers left Van Buren for the Butterfield Trail under very overcast skies with the weather forecast for afternoon storms. As we drove up I-540, the clouds were hanging very low over the mountains. When we arrived at the trailhead, it was very chilly and most of us kept on our jackets. The trail was wet and muddy in many places and before long we arrived at an area that had recently been subjected to a controlled burn by the Forest Service (Tim Ernst's arch enemies). We continued on to the Quail Valley area, a very scenic unique spot, where the creek was running good and the waterfall was very pretty. From there it was a short distance to a place that backpackers must use often for camping. A rock table had been constructed by someone in the past and there was a nice fire ring with a small stream nearby. We continued on to Blackburn creek where we found a scenic spot to enjoy our lunch. Just as we were finishing, big raindrops started coming down. Several dug their ponchos out and put them on. It lasted maybe 10 minutes and by then we were trudging up a steep incline so the ponchos came off quickly since they were starting to feel like a sauna. The trail back was mostly uphill so we made several rest stops along the way. On the way to the trailhead we noticed a new general store on Hwy 74 so after the hike we stopped by to check it out and get some refreshments. It was a very pleasant day to be on the trail and we made it back home before the storms arrived.

more

Thoughts

2/6/2008 11:10:37 PM      Subject: Summer Trip
Posted by:

I've added a new thread about our summer trip to the Forum - look under Trip Plans And Inquiries. Add your own comments!

I'm hoping people will get accustomed to staying in touch by way of the Forum. If you want to see what other hiking forums have to offer, look at Backpacker , Knowledge Repository, Adirondack Forum, or Portland Hikers. And if you think our Forum looks a bit like some of those, that's because I was 'inspired' by theirs when setting our own up.

more