[title subtitle=”WORDS Scott Faldon
IMAGE courtesy Holly Morgan, Mallory Kleck, Ashley Hout”][/title]
Thanks to the pandemic, millions of people ventured into outdoor recreation for the first time and women led the way. The Outdoor Industry Association reported fifty-eight percent of new outdoor participants in 2020 were women.
But as the region returns to “normal” or the “new normal,” those new outdoor adventurers might be tempted to return to their pre-2020 habits. Local outdoorswomen are hoping that isn’t the case. We reached out to a few locals and found that while their favorite activities are different, they each agree the best place to be in The Natural State is outside.
Camping
Holly Morgan got into camping years ago thanks to her love for music. “I never really went camping until I was eighteen,” Morgan said. “Music festivals got me into it. I liked camping at the festivals and didn’t want to wait to go camping until the next one.” Morgan sees nights spent in a tent as one way to get away from it all.
“It’s peaceful and allows you to get away from all your day-to-day stress,” Morgan said. “There is nothing like the view of the Milky Way on a clear night when there’s nothing else on the to-do list but to sit back and bask in the beauty. You don’t get to see the night sky like that when you grow up in the city.”
Morgan wears her love for the outdoors on her right shoulder with an intricate tattoo of Angels Landing at Zion National Park. When listing her favorite places to visit, she quickly runs down a list of places in Colorado and Utah. But she includes a spot much closer to home as well. “Colorado has endless views, that’s my favorite place to go,” Morgan said. “But in Arkansas, the Buffalo, of course, is at the top of the list. The bluffs and scenery are amazing.”
Morgan lists her JetBoil stove, Mountain House Biscuits & Gravy meals, and a high-quality headlamp like those made by Petzl or Biolite as her must-have items for any camping trip.
Kayaking
As a kid, Mallory Kleck grew up in the water. Whether catching tadpoles on camping trips or competing on the Fort Smith Tideriders swim team, the water is where Mallory was happiest. That even carried over to college, where she got a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Science at Arkansas Tech University.
“I love water so much that I wanted to learn more about it and everything in it,” Mallory said. “I think knowing more about your environment like the animals and native plant species makes you more comfortable in the outdoors.” As a result, Mallory’s outdoor activities are water centric. She loves kayaking and is SCUBA-certified. “I just love the water, sometimes I’ll just go under and watch the fish for a bit,” Mallory said. “It’s really interesting to me.”
Big Piney Creek, north of Clarksville, was a site of several of Mallory’s field studies in college. She grew to love it. For quicker daytrips, the Mulberry River is an option she recommends. A good knife, like a Benchmade, is always in her pack along with a high-quality first aid kit. Along with dry boxes and dry bags, Mallory always takes a simple trash bag. “I like to pick up fishing line that’s caught in a tree along the bank or other trash,” Mallory said. “I can’t stand seeing trash in the water.”
Cycling
Joyclen Owens took a spin on a friend’s bicycle about eleven years ago. She was instantly addicted. “Brent Williams bought a new bike, and he gave me his old one, that’s how I got started,” Joyclen said. “Unfortunately, he died a week later. We only got to go on one ride together.”
Now an avid rider, Joyclen is a regular on the roads at Chaffee Crossing. She mapped out a twenty-five-mile route from her house that she rides at least three times per week. “I love the freedom and relaxation of riding, it just makes me feel good to ride,” Joyclen said. “Really, riding a bike is the best feeling ever.”
Joyclen said a good pair of glasses like Oakleys are important when riding. “I want the best stuff – period,” Joyclen said with a laugh.
Fly Fishing
When your dad hands you a fly rod not long after you start walking, chances are you’ll be a pretty good angler when you grow up. That certainly is the case for Ashley Hout.
“He would take me to a neighbor’s stocked pond where I’d catch bluegill,” Ashley said. “They were so pretty.” From there, Ashley’s love of fly fishing continued to grow. Like the others, she said relaxation is the biggest draw for her.“Everyday life is stressful, but when I get to the river and hear the water rippling across the rocks, I get a complete calmness,” Ashley said. “All the stress fades away just by being in that environment – even if I don’t catch a fish.”
While fly fishing can seem to be a male-dominated realm, Ashley said the number of female anglers has been steadily increasing. It is a trend she hopes continues post-pandemic. “Over the past five years, I’ve seen more women on the water than ever before,” Ashley said. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Hiring a guide is a great way to learn as well.”
While Ashley has fished all over the country, the White River and the Norfork are her home waters for catching rainbow and brown trout. “The White River is just an hour away in northwest Arkansas,” she said. “The Norfork is a longer drive, but it is so beautiful there and the fishing is world class.” In addition to trout, Ashley is beginning to learn the techniques for catching smallmouth bass on the fly after a trip to Crooked Creek.
In addition to the usual supply of extra flies and polarized sunglasses, Ashley makes sure to take a small cooler like an IceMule filled with water and snacks. She stuffs extra clothes in a Patagonia StormSurge waterproof pack.
