michael shepherd jordan

It’s Day 11 of my Ozark Trail Thru Hike and I’m embarking on the Middle Fork Section, heading 14.1 miles from the Highway J Trailhead to Henderson Creek. Along the way I’ll pass by the John C. Roth Memorial kiosk (founder of the Ozark Trail Association), Strother Creek, Little Creek, Gunstock Hollow, and Barton Fen, habitat of the endangered Hines Emerald Dragonfly.

It’s Day 10 and it’s a short day of hiking for me on the Ozark Trail. I’m only going 7.2 miles from just north of Sutton Bluff to Brushy Creek Lodge & Resort on the Karkaghne Section where I’ll meet my wife Abby for my second resupply. I’ll also learn what happened with the abandoned puppy we found on the Ozark Trail.

Day 9 of my Ozark Trail Thru Hike and I'm hiking 13.4 miles on the Karkaghne Section from Grasshopper Hollow to just past Sutton Bluff Recreation Area. The highlights of this section of the Ozark Trail are definitely the Bee Fork creek crossing and Sutton Bluff Campgrounds.

My first real water scare on my Ozark Trail Thru Hike. It’s still Day 8 and set out on the Karkaghne Section from Hwy 72 to Grasshopper Hollow. Water was scarce along the way and it wasn’t where it was supposed to be at Grasshopper Hollow. I had to walk deep into the fen to find it.

It’s Day 7 of my Ozark Trail Thru Hike and I embark on the Blair Creek Section which starts with a climb to an amazing bluff view of the Current River just above Powder Mill Campground.

If you’ve been following along my Ozark Trail Thru Hike in Missouri, you remember in the Day 6 video that my wife Abby and I found a puppy at the OT Trailhead in Peck Ranch Conservation Area. The sweet trail puppy crawled out from under a car and into our hearts. She was cold, shaking, and covered with ticks and burs.

A puppy on the Ozark Trail?!! It’s Day 6 of my Ozark Trail Thru-Hike and Abby has just dropped me off at the trailhead in Peck Ranch Conservation Area. The plan for the day is to hike roughly 16 miles from Peck Ranch to Powder Mill Campground on the Current River Section of the Ozark Trail. But what do we do about this sweet puppy on the trail?