Day 1 on the Bayou State Trail 🐊

Day 1 on the Bayou State Trail | Ivan Lake to Merrill Recreation Area Today marks the official start of my southbound journey on the brand new Bayou State Trail, beginning at Ivan Lake in North Louisiana. I got an early start and immediately got a taste of the diversity this trail has to offer—from quiet road walks to a few rugged trail sections. The first path of the day was an ATV trail that was surprisingly easy to hike. But the second, an “official” hiking trail, was completely swallowed up by tall summer grass. Navigation may become a serious challenge as I move deeper into this new, wild Louisiana trail system. This hike is already proving to be a totally different beast than the Appalachian Trail. Despite logging nearly 5,000 mountain miles last year, I caught two nasty blisters right out the gate today. My plan was to hike farther, but I made camp early at the Merrill Outdoor Recreation Area to give my feet a break. Once I made it to the Merrill Recreation Center, I met two older folks and their granddaughters who offered to let me eat hamburgers with them. Shortly after that, John showed up—a friend of Brian’s who’s been section hiking the trail. He had Neosporin and tape, which is going to make tomorrow so much better. He even brought me to the store for a big ole Icy. Still, I’m stoked. The Bayou State Trail is raw, it’s new, and it’s home. I’m grateful to be one of the first to experience it in full, and I’m open to everything it’s got in store. If you’d like to support this journey, here’s my Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/Paul-Strickland-4 #hikinglife #longdistancehiking #backpackingadventures #ultralightbackpacking #thruhike #hikertrash #appalachiantrail #bayoustatetrail #hikinglouisiana #southernhiking #hikingvlog #campinglife #newtrails #trailblazing #hiketheusa #blisterseason