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OZARK HIGHLANDS TRAIL ASSOCIATION MARCH - APRIL 2005 NEWSLETTER, #215 Neither OHTA nor our volunteer leaders are responsible in any way for the safety of participants. Visit the archives section for previous newseltters. SAVE A TREE, SAVE US MONEY, GET INSTANT INFORMATION—READ THE NEWSLETTER ONLINE. With this new web page format, it will be even easier and faster for us to post new information online. Hikes and work trips will be added/updated as soon as we get the info—no need to wait until the next newsletter! Plus there will be color photos, direct links to web pages, and some extra stuff that will not be in the normal newsletter. In an effort to cut down our mailing and printing costs (and save trees and oil), we are asking everyone to read the newsletter online here instead of receiving a hard copy mailed to them. You can always print out a copy if needed. If you would like to help out, and get your info as much as 2-3 weeks faster, send us an e-mail and tell us to remove you from the hard copy mail list (NOTE: you will not be notified when the newsletter is ready - you simply log on whenever you like.) Then simply go online whenever you like to read the latest news, which will be updated throughout the month. If we do not hear from you, we will continue to mail a hard copy to you as always. IF YOU ARE READING THIS NEWSLETTER NOW ONLINE, PLEASE CONTINUE TO DO SO, and let us know to stop your hard copy from being mailed to you. Thanks! E-MAIL LIST. If you would like to be reminded via e-mail of meetings and outings, or any other OHTA business (no SPAM), send a note to our Membership Chairman, Dean LaGrone, and you will be included on the e-mail list. LIST OF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS MARCH & APRIL 2005 EVENTS All overnight trips are limited to a total of ten hikers and you must register with the hike leader in advance. Dayhikes are generally not limited, but it is always a good idea to check with the leader before the hike. You are responsible for bringing all of your gear, food, water, etc. Most dayhikes will include stopping along the trail for lunch, so be sure to pack plenty! And always bring along lots of water. DAYHIKES March 5, DAYHIKE from Ponca to Kyle’s Landing on the Buffalo River Trail. This 9.9-mile hike is rated medium-difficult and you should be in very good condition to go on this hike. There is lots of spectacular scenery along the way, including views of the river below and across to the famous Big Bluff. Meet at the Ponca Low water bridge at 8:30am. Call/e-mail Dean LaGrone at 479–750–2550 for more info. March 26, DAYHIKE from White Rock Mountain to Shores Lake. It is a very scenic 6-mile medium rated hike. No Pets. Meet at the Pack Rat at 7:30am or at the White Rock Trailhead at 9:00am. Call/e-mail Mary Collins at 479–443–5813 for more info. (note: this loop trail is being billed as one of the Top Five Hikes in America in the May issue of Readers Digest Magazine!) April 2, DAYHIKE on the Indian Rockhouse Loop Trail at Buffalo Point (lower Buffalo area). This easy 3-mile hike is great for beginners, slow hikers or explorers. Meet at the Visitor Center at 9:00am. Call/e-mail Wade Baker at 479–238–1040 (Wade would like to car camp before or after if anyone is interested). April 23, BUSHWHACK DAYHIKE into Indian Creek along the Buffalo River. Meet on the west side of Kyle’s Landing at 9:30am. The wildflowers should be blooming! This is an EXTREMELY DIFFICULT hike with dangerous dropoffs—there is no trail—and should only be attempted by those in great condition with experience in tough bushwhacking and climbing. Call/e-mail Mike McKinnon for more info at 479–996–5122. April 30, DAYHIKE on the Redding/Spy Rock Loop Trail. This 8.8-mile hike is rated medium. We’ll stop and have a nice lunch on Spy Rock. Meet at the Pack Rat at 7:30am or at the trailhead at 9:00am. No Pets. Call/e-mail Bobby Shepperd at 479–442–5770 for more information. OVERNIGHT TRIPS April 9–10, OVERNIGHT FUN HIKE on Cecil Cove Loop Trail. Plan to hike the loop counter-clockwise and camp near where it intersects the Broadwater Hollow spur trail. The first day should only be 2.5 miles and the second day should be 5 miles. Great hike for beginners, slow hikers & explorers. Meet at the Compton One Stop at 9:00am. Call/e-mail Wade Baker, at 479–238–1040 or leave a message at 479–599–9131. April 16–17, OVERNIGHT FUN HIKE from Ozone to Big Piney Trailhead on the OHT. This 19.8-mile stretch is rated medium and includes the most scenic Cedar Creek area. Meet at the Big Piney Trailhead at 8:30am. Call/e-mail Bob & Dawna Robinson at 479–783–6319 to sign up and for more details. TRAIL MAINTENANCE March 12–20, OHTA BASE CAMP at William Woods Nature Preserve. Come join us for a full week of volunteer work on the Ozark Highlands Trail! We will be utilizing our Williams Woods property near St. Paul as the base of operations, and will drive to the various work sites each morning and then hike into the work site (might be up to a couple of miles hiking each way, some days there won’t be much hiking at all). You are welcome to come for a single day, or the entire week! Set up camp day will be Friday March 11th. Work days will be the 12th–15th, 17th–19th. Wednesday will be a non-work day, and we’ll break camp on Sunday the 20th. All meals will be provided by OHTA and master chef Carolyn Crook. The first meal will be served Friday night, March 11th. There is room for tent camping and van or small RVs only. You need to bring all of your own WATER, camping equipment, daypack, leather work gloves, and sturdy hiking or work boots. We will be using the old log home at Williams Woods for cooking, etc. We will provide all tools, and everyone is welcome even if you have never done any trail work before. There will be lots to do from easy lopping to tough sidehilling and rock moving. Directions to William Woods: St. Paul is located on Hwy. 16 East, about a 45 minute drive from Fayetteville. From the little store in St. Paul, travel 1.5 miles EAST on Hwy. 16 (this is also Hwy. 23 North), TURN LEFT onto Madison County road #5575 (look for OHTA Banner, this is a gravel road), then follow this road on up the hill about a mile and it will dead end at the old homesite and camping area. All persons need to register in advance by calling/e-mail Roy Senyard at 479-587-0200—he needs to plan for food and tools and crew leaders, and you can get any info you need about the week from him as well. BASE CAMP UPDATE: People who are coming for the week-ends, HAVE TO SIGN UP NO LATER THAN THURSDAY MARCH 10TH AND THURSDAY MARCH 17. Call # 479-409-6156 and leave a message for Roy - he will call you back. Crews are filling up fast and I can't place folks on crews who call Friday night. April 2–3, OVERNIGHT WORK TRIP into the scenic Hurricane Creek Wilderness. Meet at Big Piney Trail Head at 8am, or call/e-mail Roy at 479–587–0200 for more information. NO work trip on April 23rd... To All Maintainers: You need to get out and enjoy the spring by working your section. We will need section reports by May 20th. Our volunteer hours have to be turned in to the Forest Service by June 1st. And a special thanks to all Sylamore Section Maintainers for working their sections and sending in reports. Thank you OHTA Volunteers for making the OHT what it is. — Roy Senyard OHTA Maintenance Coordinator CLUB MEETINGS March 13, OHTA General Meeting in Springdale. (Click HERE for directions and a map) The program will be given by Kevin Hickie, and will be about the Champion Trees of Northwest Arkansas. We’ll have refreshments and social time beginning at 7pm, with the meeting to follow at 7:30. Call/e-mail Tim Ernst at 870–861–5536 for info. April 10, OHTA General Meeting in Springdale. (Click HERE for directions and a map) OHTA member Joyce Stevenson will give the program “Colorado Trail Adventure,” a slide show of the Colorado Trail thru-hike, which she and Ruth Ann England did in 2003. The slide show includes a brief history of the Colorado Trail, planning and logistics for the hike, and photos from the hike itself. We’ll have refreshments and social time beginning at 7pm, with the meeting to follow at 7:30. Call/e-mail Tim Ernst at 870–861–5536 for info. OHTA MOUNTAIN HOME NEWS. The main engine behind the Mountain Home group, Wylaine Korbelik, is no longer able to contribute the large number of hours needed to run a hiking club and keep it going—she did a terrific job these past few years and we owe her a great debt—THANKS Wylaine! Without anyone else to steer the ship, the group has decided to merge with another local Mountain Home hiking club. So for the time being, there is no longer an OHTA Mountain Home group. For info about the new club, call/e-mail Jon Hiser at 870–425–2700. ____________________
NEW MAP AVAILABLE FOR HURRICANE CREEK WILDERNESS AREA
NEW WEB PAGE FROM OUR FRIENDS IN THE TRAILBLAZERS HIKING CLUB OF FT. SMITH
BLACK BEAN DIP RECIPE FROM ANNIE TURNER: TEX-MEX BLACK BEAN DIP 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained; 1 teaspoon vegetable oil; 1/2 Cup chopped onion; 2 cloves gaarlic, minced; 1/2 cup diced tomato; 1/3 cup mild picante sauce; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; Cilantro sprigs (optional). Place beans in a bowl: partially mash until chunky. Set aside. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add beans, tomato, and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; add cheese, cilantro, and lime juice, stirring until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature with fat-free corn chips or flour tortilla chips. Yield: 1 2/3 cups (serving size: 1 tablespoon). (....Sometimes we kind of tweak the recipe a bit. We add more cheese, fresh tomato, lime juice and cilantro right before we serve it.)
Sunrise at the Mill Pond, Boxley Valley, by Tim Ernst (print info)
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This site is courtesy of ArkansasUSA
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