Missouri Bluffs & Lewis and Clark Trail — Eagles, Egrets, Lost Mic, and an Uncooperative Day.
Some days the trail gives you everything. Some days it gives you an air show traffic jam, a dead GPS, a missing hiking stick, and a lapel mic that decided to bail.
This was one of those days. And somehow, it still delivered.
📍 Missouri Bluffs Trail — Weldon Spring, MO
📍 Lewis and Clark Trail — Weldon Spring, MO
I missed a turn on the way to Missouri Bluffs and ended up crossing the Daniel Boone Bridge into St. Charles — right into the middle of Blue Angels air show traffic. First exit backed up for miles. Second exit barely better. I went 7.5 miles out of my way (and back) just to get to the trailhead.
Already forgot my GPS phone in the car. Garmin was dead. Hiking stick still at home. Forgot the picaridin. Classic. BUT — worth it.
🦅 Found the eagle nest on the island below the bluffs. Both parents were present and two eaglets, nearly ready to fledge. And here’s the thing I didn’t expect — that same island has a rookery tree covered in Great Egret and Cormorant nests. An entire bird apartment complex out there. Wild.
Then I lost my lapel mic mid-hike. I had the magnet backwards, and that gave out somewhere on the trail. What followed was essentially a game of Marco Polo with myself — recording a clip, checking if the audio was closer or further, moving, repeating. Found it. The whole process is in the blooper reel at the end. You’re welcome.
On to Lewis and Clark Trail, just down the river. Hiking was fine. Videos were not — at least not at first. More importantly, that feeling — that moment where the trail takes over and the noise of everything else just fades — it didn’t really show up today. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. That’s honest.
What I didn’t expect was Dave. Older gentleman, two hip replacements, absolutely outhiking me, and just a genuinely good person to talk to on a trail. Didn’t know I needed that. Turns out I did.
Sometimes even a hike isn’t enough. But it’s still worth going. —
🛒 BOBBY KEARAN HIKES STORE Support the channel with stickers and shirts and other stuff: 👉 https://shop.bobbykearan.com/hhgh/
Save and grow your money for those Thru Hikes you are planning with Acorns: https://acorns.com/share/?shareable_code=GCYFNCF&first_name=Bobby&friend_reward=5 —
🎵 MUSIC Intro & outro music written by me and performed by AI, because I can’t sing. You are welcome.
Full tracks available on Bandcamp: 👉 https://bobbykearanhikes.bandcamp.com
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