8.5 miles in Hobbs State Park Conservation Area

Today we pushed it a bit. We drove out to Hobbs State Park Conservation Area and while there are several trails to hike, we decided on the Pigeon Roost Trail. It is made up of two overlapping loops which if done in a sort of figure eight, you can do 8.5 miles. roughly 4 for each loop if you opt only for one of them.
We finished the first one and I was feeling great, so we went on for the second. The last mile and a half seemed forever, but we finally made it. My legs were like lead weights at the end and even worse once I got home. Happily, the following day I was OK without any discomfort from the hike.
Here is the trailhead beginning, it was downhill and easy to forget that at the end it would be all uphill...
interesting growths on a downed tree
A view of Beaver Lake from the trail with bluffs in the background

I like to think that means I am getting back in shape!

A pamphlet I picked up from the area gave a bit of history and I found that the park was centered around the Peter Van Winkle industrial mill complex; this saw mill provided the lumber for most of the homes in northwest Arkansas as well as for Old Main at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas!

We stopped at a KFC Buffet for late lunch/early dinner I was eating everything in sight! Ravenous doesn't begin to describe my state of mind. But it was all good and somehow I think I did not destroy all the good from the hike with the food from KFC! At least I had NO dessert, so that counts for something.