It was interesting living in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, especially when you could see snowy mountain peaks in the cold winter season.
- My friends and I did a lot of hunting and fishing if the weather would allow it, but I preferred camping over any other outdoor activity.
In that neck of the woods, there were ample camping sites all over the Ozark Mountains. You could pull up a camper to a powered campsite, or you could hike to spot with a backpack, tent, and sleeping bag. Since Arkansas and Missouri tend to get fairly warm in the summer season, my friends and I usually went camping in the spring or autumn before or after the snowfall from winter. That way you’d be comfortable while avoiding high temperatures, humidity, and bugs. In winter the mountain peaks became much harder to traverse by foot or vehicle, so I got into the habit of avoiding the mountains during this time of the year. Now that I live in Spokane, Washington in the Rocky Mountains, it’s a similar situation as the Ozarks. If you want to drive to the summit at Mount Spokane State Park, it’s a lot easier to do this in summer when the warm temperatures have melted away the ice and snow. It’s also a very temperate location to take the kids for an afternoon while temperatures in the valley are much higher. Instead of staying at home in Spokane with the air conditioner running, walking through hiking trails at Mount Spokane State Park is much more preferable. Hopefully my kids will appreciate the scenery around Spokane more as they get older.