My neighbor used to live near Johnson Shut Ins. I haven't been yet but he's said it's pretty sweet.

We did have a cool spell there a few days ago so I'm guessing that's when you went. After my first couple Summer excursions into our forests I decided to wait until late October to start my backpacking season. The last week has always been pretty much bug free, so that's when I start.

The main thing to remember about backpacking the Ozarks is that most all our miles here are pretty tough compared to most other places you might go in the U.S. Aparently Ozarkers either never heard of, or just don't like, switchbacks, so your either on a ridge or going straight up or down our steep hills. It's mostly up, as I'm sure you noticed.

I like to keep my trip plans under 6 miles a day, and quite often I'll do just half of that. That way I can take my time and rest a lot and enjoy the great views and super scenic spots we have here. You'll be surprised at how fast your legs and lungs will build up. If you walk even a mile or two a few times a week it will make a big difference. But I assure you, if you can comfortably do 6-8 miles a day on an average Ozark hiking trail you can pretty much double that distance on trails like the AT or PCT, so don't feel bad about doing just a couple miles because those are pretty tough miles.

Beside, you can find some spectacular spots here just a couple miles from a trailhead, and have them all to yourself too, so keep at it, you'll be rewarded.