Campaign to Find-a-Friend for the Ouachita Trail

During the holiday season I asked you to make your lists and check them twice to think of family, friends, and organizations you can refer for membership in FoOT during the New Year.  I reminded you that there are several ways to become a member - adopt a section of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail, donate time in other ways (maintenance and administrative), and/or donate funds.  As an active member of FoOT, I’m hoping you made membership recruitment one of your New Year resolutions!

Tales from the Trail
By Kris McMillen, Director of Maintenance for FoOT


FoOT District Captains Program:

Bill Sears--District Captain for Sections 1 and 2 from Mile 1 at Talimena State Park to 51.6 at Queen Wilhelmina State Park.  He is 48 years old and owns a greenhouse business.  Bill has been active in the Boy Scouts for many years.  He lives in Talihina, OK with wife, Rhonda.  We are also proud that he is a card-carrying (or in this photo a lumber-carrying) member of the Dreaded FoOT Patrol and USFS chainsaw certified.  He was invaluable in the recent Western End Extravaganza Trail Maintenance Outing.  Many thanks to Bill for all his hard work before, during, after WEE and all the rest of the time, too.


Featured Trail:

Ouachita Trail in Section 5--FR 149 to Muddy Creek—Mile 105.5 to 118.7        - This section of the Ouachita Trail is adopted by Arkadelphia Hikers Club, Leona Essman, Hot Springs Bicycle Club, Todd Henne, Nathan VanDiver, John Joswick-Chuck Dumas-Robert Cavanaugh Team, and Brad Curtis.  We recently hiked from FR 149 with a bit of a muddy start.  There’s

Since FoOT’s inception in 2004, Ouachita Mountain Hikers (OMH) has spent nine days a year maintaining the Flatside Wilderness area from FR 124 to FR 94, a total of 10.4 miles of the Ouachita Trail.  Their commitment to and diligence with this section of the trail are exemplary! 

Club member Glen McClain is the "task master" who organizes the work load as

The 2009 annual membership meeting of Friends of the Ouachita Trail was held Saturday, Nov. 21, at the lodge in Queen Wilhelmina State Park.  As usual, the meeting was held at a location near the trail, so that members could combine a trail outing with the meeting.  Jim Gifford, President of FoOT, presided over the meeting.  Thirty-eight members attended the meeting.  District Ranger Jim Zornes (Mena District) and Larry Ross represented the USFS as guests of FoOT.

Kris has posted photos from the 2009 Western End Extravaganza (WEE).    Check them out in the photo gallery.

…..And A Good Time Was Had by All

FoOT Members:

The Western End Extravaganza is a vivid memory now.  We came, we saw, we conquered.  In some of the most rugged, steep, and beautiful country you have ever seen we accomplished extreme tasks. 

All but one day was absolutely gorgeous weather.  But even on the not so good weather day we prevailed. The good weather helped us move along with our projects of building 2 new bridges, completing tons of tread renovation projects (the dirt and rocks were flying), removing the old rotten and installing the new shiny trail signs, blazing where no man has gone before (at least that’s how some of us felt roaming around in the boulder fields without any trail markings), chainsawing Miles 0 to 20 with Billy McMillen and Bo Lea carrying two chainsaws for 3 days, lopping, removing limbs and debris.