“Do you hear that”? I said. “Nope”, he replied. Complete silence, what an interesting concept it seemed to be after considering the amount of noise that we ignore everyday in the city. After being surrounded by sirens, construction noise, car noises, and other air pollutants, you don’t quite remember how much you appreciate silence until you are engulfed by it. The Winter Backpack Trip last February to Ouachita National Forest provided all the silence and refreshing comforts necessary after a long winter of ice storms. We started with a five hour drive to the trailhead at Billy Creek Trail near Muse, OK. After divvying up group gear and food we started our 4 mile hike. The weather was great in the mid 60s during the day and mid 40s to 50s during the night. Along the way we encountered great views looking down into the valley of the Ouachita National forest as well as many nice creeks and rivers. We stayed at a nice campground that night after a satisfying day of hiking and made chicken quesadillas and told stories around the fire pit until the stars came out. The next day we woke up and completed our short hike back to the van. While the trip was short, I think everyone in the group could appreciate how sweet it was.
Brendan Nelson, Trip Leader.