Showerthought: I mapped a 22 mile loop in the Ozarks and bailed at mile 9, and the map was never the problem

Ivan Harris · 2026-10-11T21:00:03.913515+00:00

Planned a 22 mile loop near the Buffalo National River for last weekend, marked every water source and campsite, felt super ready. Hit the first big climb at mile 9 and my legs just quit, so I turned around and hiked back to the truck. Spent the drive home realizing I had trained on flat greenway paths for 6 weeks and never once loaded my pack over 25 lbs. Now I am picking routes by elevation gain per mile instead of total miles, way more honest. How do you all screen a route for climb before you commit to it?

Vivisector

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Showerthought: I mapped a 22 mile loop in the Ozarks and bailed at mile 9, and the map was never the problem | Backpacking Routes - Vivisector