Ouachita Trail | Day 1

I was invited along by my friend Eli of ‪@TheAdventuresofEli‬ on his thru hike attempt of the Ouachita Recreational Trail in March of 2024. This is day one of that hike.
The 223-mile Ouachita (pronounced “Wash-i-tah”) Trail is a National Recreation Trail that runs through the Ouachita Mountains from Talimena State Park in eastern Oklahoma to Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock, Arkansas. All but the eastern 30 miles travel through the Ouachita National Forest, the oldest and largest National Forest in the Southern United States.
Much of the route follows the ridges and crest lines of the Ouachita Mountains, providing outstanding views and a wilderness experience. The hiking trail avoids towns and heavily traveled roads, which can complicate resupply but results in a true sense of solitude.
Read this full writeup for more information about the OT:👉 www.treelinereview.com/where-...
Link to Day Two:👉 • Ouachita Trail | Day 2
Here is the link to Eli's Channel:👉‪@TheAdventuresofEli‬
#ouachitatrail #neighborhoodpacks #ouachitanationalforest #hashtaghikes

[@hikingwithjackieboy]

Another excellent collaboration with Eli.

[@tangenttrails]

Thank you! This will be a trail that we’ll finish out together but probably next season.

[@hikingwithjackieboy]

That will be cool to see@@tangenttrails

[@Packsalot]

That looked like a great area and trail. Love the terrain and wooded areas too. Those marker trees are pretty cool. Rugged trail in some parts there. Adds to the challenge. Glad you did not get hurt on the fall. Those rocky areas can really end a trip quick. Long miles and long day on the trail. Well done. Great start to your trip. Have a great day.

[@tangenttrails]

Thanks for watching! That trail proved to be a butt kicker for this old man! lol.

[@TheAdventuresofEli]

Great Day 1 ❤ the weather was perfect that day. Slow day but carrying 4 liters those extra miles for nothing 😂 i was so happy to see water at the campsite.

[@heatherlandskron]

great hiking and great collaboration with Eli.!! stay safe. have a good day and week.

[@tangenttrails]

Thank you! I hope you have a spectacular week!

[@heatherlandskron]

@@tangenttrails your welcome and you too

[@KUEHLKUEST]

What a long day of hiking!! All those rocks are reminiscent of the Lake Superior Coastal Trail minus the Lake …and the fall…oh no that could have ended up badly. Four liters of water is a lot of liquid to carry with all the ascents and descents….this trail has been on our list too. Thanks for the awesome first day. Cheers Colleen and Jonny

[@tangenttrails]

It's a heck of a trail and can definitely slow you down. Thanks for watching!✌

[@theweldonator]

This is going to be an awesome series! Looks like you have to tread lightly with all the rock scrambling in this one.

[@tangenttrails]

Maybe. Thanks, my friend! I wish I could have been out there longer.

[@GeezerAdventures]

Good job 👍🏻 on that first day, doing 14 with all this rocks!

[@tangenttrails]

Thank you! I thought they only had rocks like this on trails up east. lol.

[@BackpackingWithJason]

Wild looking tree. I love True Grit Movie. The original one. The rock garden area was wild. I hope you was ok from the fall. Looks like you had a good day of hiking. Cool video

[@tangenttrails]

My knee is about healed. Finally. I’m currently working my stamina up to hitting the Colorado Trail in July.

[@NatureAndOther]

Nice trail and hike ❤️ 👍

[@tangenttrails]

Thank you. I still have several more to post. Thanks for watching.

[@tridudyonthetrail]

Already enjoying the series!! Looks awesome... and the rocks!! Wow! Pretty crazy history too! Knowing how it ends though :( Thanks for sharing and looking to the rest! (Already watching day 2!)

[@tangenttrails]

Thank you! Those rocks, what can I say? Gurrr! lol. I’m looking forward to finishing up this trail next season! For now, I’m turning my attention back to my main trail for this summer and being prepared as much as I can.

[@OutsideComfortZone]

This was a great one, Hashtag. That fall scared me just watching it. Looking forward to the second one (up next!).

[@tangenttrails]

Thanks! The fall that jarred my knee came on day two but it didn’t start swelling until day four. Very strange. Thanks for watching!✌️

[@BryanDeLay]

Glad you weren't hurt with the fall at 23:06. Lots and lots of rocks, but at least it was a beautiful first day.

[@tangenttrails]

I was lucky that day. The Rocks were no joke on this trail and later took a toll on my knee. Thanks for watching, Bryan!

[@rodoutdoors]

That's great to get out there. Interesting it's the True Grit trail. I liked the Coen Bros film.

[@tangenttrails]

There's quite a bit of history in this area. I enjoy the Coen brothers' film because it's stays truer to the book, while the 1969 film holds a special place in my heart because I love the areas it was filmed in, and it was one of the first John Wayne movies I remember watching with my father when it came out when I was 8. Thanks for watching!

[@JasonSnailer]

I’m glad you got to head up and do that trail

[@tangenttrails]

Me too. But I’ll have to go back and finish next March. A knee injury knocked me off trail after several days. Looks like it may take a week or two recover but I’ll be back. I’ve several more OT videos to post soon. Thanks for watching!

[@novicehiker6897]

Sick. Wanted to do the OT since 8th grade

[@tangenttrails]

Thanks for watching! You should get out there. I misjudged how strenuous this trail can be. Next time I get out there I'll start from eastern terminus.

[@AbouttheJourney]

Looks like a great hike so far. The shelter looks like a great place to camp. What's the price to stay in one?

[@tangenttrails]

The shelter stays are free is your legs hold up. lol. Thanks for watching!✌️

[@mekay235]