I’m back on the Ouachita Trail to finish what I started. Last fall I had to bail because of trench foot, but in this part of my thru-hike series it’s March, the sun finally shows up, and I’ve got about 130 miles in front of me. I kick things off with a disciplined “starter day” (11.2 miles) near Harris Creek, keeping camp simple and focusing on easing my body into trail life again—stretching, filtering silty water, and enjoying that quiet, cool morning rhythm. Day two turns into a bigger push than planned: 17 miles and 2,776 feet of gain, plus a climb up Suck Mountain and a stop at Story Creek Shelter (heads up: wasps). I end up at John Archer Shelter and start playing the chess game with the forecast—because day three is all about positioning ahead of a 90% chance of severe thunderstorms. I push another 17.4 miles, carry extra water through a long dry stretch, and test GU Roctane for steady energy without the jitters. The whole goal is simple: get close to Big Bear Shelter, get in early, and hunker down—because I don’t do mountains when thunder and lightning are flying around.