300-Mile Ozark Trail Pilgrimage Leaves Ledford Longing for More

*Don Ledford hiked 300+ miles and lived to tell the tale of the trail (photo Don Ledford).*

Most people plan their summer vacations around rest and relaxation; time at the lake or beach, a family trip to an amusement park, or a leisurely cruise in the Caribbean. But, local adventurer, Don Ledford had other plans. At the end of May, while others were driving hundreds of miles to national parks or secluded beaches, Don set off on a journey through the Ozark mountains, hiking more than 300 miles along the Ozark Trail over the course of three weeks. His adventure truly began in 2021 during the peak of the COVID pandemic. An avid trail runner who had completed several ultra-distance events of 25 miles or more, Don had suffered a knee injury during a race that forced him to slow down and explore other options for exercise.

In order to keep moving and exercising, he began hiking and discovered that he really liked it. As he got more into hiking Don said he kept hearing people talking about thru-hiking, a term he had never heard before. Most commonly, a thru-hike is used to refer to a hike that traverses the entirety of a trail system, from trailhead to trailhead. Don said he began watching a lot of YouTube videos from hikers who had detailed their thru-hikes and became fascinated with the idea of completing one himself. “I saw these videos of people hiking two, three, or even four-thousand miles, taking six months out of their life … and I thought that is so cool, I want to do that!” Don laughed. Although he couldn’t take six months away from his job and family, he did have three weeks of vacation time he needed to use. He knew he wasn’t prepared to hike thousands of miles, so he began looking at spots close to home.

*Scenes from along the Ozark Trail (photos Don Ledford).*

The Ozark Trail is a fairly new trail in comparison to some of the older, more well-known trails such as the Appalachian Trail (2,100 miles), or the Pacific Crest Trail (2,600 miles). The main spine of the Ozark Trail is currently around 230 miles with several branches along the way, which Don tackled in order to reach his total of more than 300. Nearly every weekend he hiked in nearby state parks with his friends from the Fishing River Running Club who helped him prepare for his arduous task. But, as he trained, Don grew more and more anxious about his trip, not just for the physical challenge but also for the mental obstacles he knew he would face. A deeply spiritual person, he said he began to think of the hike as a sort of spiritual pilgrimage. “I think I needed some separation from the world for a little bit because everything has been so dysfunctional for the last few years, and there’s just kind of been this anxiety and this stress that everybody’s feeling,” he reflected.

Don said that many of the people who have completed thru-hikes have described the process as “transformative” in the way that it forces them to confront their thoughts through intense solitude and reconnection with nature. He said he began to prepare not only physically but also spiritually. “I went into this with intentionality, knowing that I wanted this to change me in some ways,” he said. Aside from the few times he met up with his wife, Loretta for food supplies, Don said he was by himself most of the three weeks, “there were only two days that I ever saw anyone else on the trail, I was entirely alone most of the time,” he said. As for being changed, Don said he felt like being in nature allowed him to see the bigger picture, and he realized that a lot of the things we worry about aren’t quite as serious as we make them out to be.

*Hiking, camping, and cooling off in a waterfall during the unseasonably hot May weather were all on the agenda (photos Don Ledford).*

As a society we get caught up in busy schedules, setting goals and constraints upon ourselves because of pressure from external forces, jobs, bills, etc. At one point Don had taken a wrong turn and went nearly four miles off course before returning to the trail. “I’m sitting there as I’m feeling sorry for myself for having to go these extra miles and it occurred to me, ‘Here I am sitting in the woods next to this really cool creek and it’s a nice day and I’m drinking my coffee’… I thought, ‘what am I complaining about?” he laughed. He continued, “Your perspective can change everything, I just realized that it didn’t really matter if I had to go a few extra miles because, you know, it was really kind of nice.” Because of his training, he didn’t encounter too many physical problems. The biggest scare he received was when he was attempting to cross a creek that was flowing fast and high after overnight rains. Don was three-fourths across the creek when he lost his footing and was swept nearly 100 yards downstream. Luckily he came away from the incident with nothing more than a bruised ego and damp gear. “I learned my lesson there, if I were to do it over I’d have just camped out for a few hours and waited for the waters to recceed,” he said.

*Don came upon a herd of wild horses as he hiked along the Ozark Trail. He said they were not as impressed with him as he was with them. (photo Don Ledford).*

Don encouraged citizens to get out and connect with nature and exercise as much as they can. Although a 300-mile thru-hike may not be for everyone, he said he’s always amazed at what exercise can do for both the body and mind. Although he said he’s a bit of an introvert and likes the solitude and time to reflect, hiking doesn’t have to be a solitary activity, and going out with friends and family can be a lot of fun. His words of advice for those looking to start hiking (or any rigorous activity) is to start slow and seek the advice of experts. Despite the challenges of his Ozark Trail adventure, Don is already planning his next thru-hike, another 300-mile trek, this time along the Superior Trail in Minnesota. He and some of his friends are also planning a trip to explore part of the Appalachian trail this September. “We don’t know yet exactly what that trip is going to look like. But there are five or six of us who have said we want to go and do some day hikes, at least.” he smiled.

You can find out about area hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities by visiting the Fishing River Running Club Facebook Page, or by stopping by Other Trails Coffee Shop in downtown Excelsior Springs.