FoOTNotes - Vol. 2 / No 6 (Sept. 2005)

FoOT Volunteers and Supporters,
I hope each of you has had a chance to look at the re-designed web page that we rolled out early this summer. Mike Sims is doing a great job as webmaster and the site keeps on growing. Just up this week is an update to the trail condition report.
You, our volunteers, are the main source of data for this report, so please look at your section and see if you agree with it. If your adopted section has old (out of date) data - send in a "FoOT Work Report" or a "Trail Condition Report" to update it. As a trail user, if you find an area that is not "as advertised" (good or bad), please submit a "Trail Condition Report" (or just send us an e-mail) , but let us know.

• Volunteer Summary Information: One of the items important to the USFS, and ultimately to FoOT, is the volunteer data that we collect off the FoOT Work Reports. EJ Pangle has made great progress in extracting the data from the reports and providing the summary data to the USFS. The deadline for annual information to the Forest Service is September 30 (government fiscal year). EJ therefore asks all of you who have done trail work and not quite gotten that report written (or submitted) yet, to please take the time over the next couple of weeks and get it done. It is important for FoOT to get credit for all the hours we put in. It also helps keep the trail status report accurate. So again, anyone who has outstanding work reports for work covering the period October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005, please get them in this month. Send them electronically via email or to our PO Box (PO Box 8630, Hot Springs 71910).
• Forest Service Effort: Another thing that stands out in the current trail condition report is the amount of trail reported "Green" as a result of recent USFS effort. Our partners have really done a lot for us this summer. I think this shows that the USFS is truly working with FoOT and we should all be very proud of what they are doing to assist us.
  • Mena/Oden Ranger District, under the direction of Paul Tankersley and Tom Breashears, has been weedeating like crazy in Sections 3 and 4 around Fourche Mountain and over near Big Brushy. They have the Central Texas Trail Tamers coming to do tread work in October west of Foran Gap and east of Queen Wilhelmina State Park lodge.
  • Poteau Ranger District, under direction of Melissa Bingham and Russell Standingwater, have hired another contractor to work from Mile 68 at Hwy 71 to Mile 87 at FR 76.
  Those of you who have adopted sections in these areas should expect to hear from Kris McMillen regarding details of this effort. Please remember to check in with your district ranger office anytime you plan to do work on the trail. You wouldn't want to run into a contractor maintenance crew unexpectedly.
• Nancy Mountain Shelter: Mike Sims tells me that the new Nancy Mountain Shelter is looking more and more like a reality. Thanks to Robin Vaughn, Jessieville Ranger office, the materials are already bought! Robin has also arranged to have a man who was involved in the building of ALL of the OT shelters to supervise the actual construction. Robin said, "I will not be doing ANYTHING on this shelter without him." Thanks, Robin !
  According to Mike, Robin anticipates the build will be in November. FoOT will provide the manpower. Here are some preliminary planning considerations, for those who are interested in helping rebuild the shelter:
  • ALL BUILD DAYS will be weekdays (NO weekends for the USFS personnel, as that would be overtime).
  • The first build day will need about 10 volunteers or so as the task that day will be to dig holes for the posts that support the floor and to set those posts in concrete. The concrete will then need several days to cure.
  • The other build days will really need only about 5 volunteers for each day actually working on the shelter, as there can only be so many people working in a shelter-sized space.
  • We will also need people to provide support, however, driving, gophering for anything that comes up, bringing lunches and water, or whatever else needs doing.
• New Mile Markers: As most of us are aware, many of the permanent mile markers, which are important reference points along the trail, are missing. The forest service has decided to replace the current markers with a different style of marker that will be easier to see. These markers are made from carsonite with reflective mile numbers and will be nailed to trees, rather than put in the ground (where they are often hidden in the clutter). The new markers are obviously less permanent than the current markers, but they are also less expensive, and easier to install. The USFS purchased the materials for the new markers and a small team of FoOT volunteers "assembled" them last month. FoOT volunteers will also put up the new markers for miles 1 thru 192 (edge of the National Forest). The plan for putting up the markers is being developed now. The job will be done in conjunction with district offices, and probably coordinated by the FoOT District Captains. You can expect to see the new markers showing up this fall. You will remember that new markers for miles 193 to 223 were put up last year, outside the National Forest, by Mike Sims.
• Annual Membership Meeting and FoOT Elections: The FoOT by-laws require an annual meeting of the general membership of FoOT on the first Tuesday of November (Nov. 1, this year). [UPDATE: The meeting date has been changed to Saturday, Nov. 5th] All FoOT member categories are invited. Details of a time and place will be announced shortly. The FoOT Directors hope as many of our members as possible will be able to attend this meeting. Members will be provided an update on FoOT activities and financial condition and shall consider and act upon such matters as may be necessary. The most specific agenda for this meeting is the election of three Directors for the FoOT Board. FoOT is managed and governed by a Board of Directors. The Board is composed of nine directors, serving staggered three year terms. Each year, we will elect (or re-elect) three of the Directors for a three year term. The Board then elects the officers of FoOT. Please plan to attend our first FoOT general membership meeting.
• Summer is Almost Over: With summer nearly over, it will soon be time to get back out on the trail and assess our sections. Early fall maintenance is very important and our best chance to knock down the annual summer growth. Remember to expect heavy briars this time of year. Don't forget to submit your work reports.

FoOT is organized exclusively to provide assistance for the maintenance, enhancement and use of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail