Welcome back, my dear fellow explorers, to The Plains West of Thomasville. Where each week I take you along as I explore everything these Ozark hills have to offer. As always, the hope is that you will read my stories, see my photographs, and feel spurred to go out and have adventures of your own.
It’s been a few weeks since my last hike, and I have been feeling the itch. Recently I scratched it by heading out for a jaunt down the McGarr Ridge Trail, located in the Devil’s Backbone Wilderness. The trailhead is about 20 miles west of West Plains on CC Highway.
Before setting out on any hike, it is important to be prepared. Proper shoes are crucial. Good hiking shoes start with a thick, slip-resistant sole, and are ideally waterproof. Boots that are tall enough to offer ankle support are also a good idea. Although shorts may be cooler, long pants are a better idea.
Finally, it is always a good idea to have water on the trail, no matter how long or short the intended trek is.
This is a trail I have hiked many times, but each time I walk it, I see things from a different perspective. My understanding is that it eventually hooks up to the Collins Ridge Trail, and eventually I would like go all the way.
Dogwood, redbud and wild azaleas give the wilderness a wild burst of color in the spring. Scattered limestone glades and other openings provide some of the more favorable places to view wildlife.
White-tailed deer, gray squirrel, raccoon, coyote, red and gray fox, bobcat and striped skunk are some of the mammals native to the area. Wild turkey, red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, bald eagle, turkey vulture, great blue heron, pileated woodpecker and various songbirds can be seen. Among the reptiles common to the area are two poisonous snakes, the copperhead and the eastern timber rattler.
As I walked the trail, snake-bashing stick in hand—although in fairness I wouldn’t stay and fight any snake I came across. It would be more like when a character beat a hasty exit in a cartoon and all what was left was a dust outline. Anyway, I couldn’t help but think about a story from my childhood.