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OZARK HIGHLANDS TRAIL ASSOCIATION 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 SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2005 EVENTS DAYHIKES September 24, DAYHIKE from the Compton Trailhead to Centerpoint Trailhead, and will include a side trip to Hemmed-in-Hollow. This hike is rated moderate to difficult due to the steepness, and is a total of about 8 miles. Meet at the Centerpoint Trailhead at 8:30 am (or at the Compton 1-Stop at 8 am for breakfast). Expect to be off the trail by 4:00 pm. Contact Dean LaGrone at 479-750-2550 (evenings). October 23 (new date - switched from the 22nd, which is what is listed on the hard copy of the newsletter - the correct date is Sunday, the 23rd), DAYHIKE to the famous Pedestal Rock and Kings Bluff areas off Hwy. 16 near Ben Hur. Meet at the Rolling Pin Cafe in Fayetteville at Crossover and Hwy 16 at 7:00 am. Warning: Not for small kids due to steep bluffs. Rated Easy to Moderate, 4.3 miles. Contact David Cagle at 479-381-0852. OVERNIGHT HIKES September 24-25, OVERNIGHT FUN HIKE ON OHT, Lick Branch Trail Head to Marinoni Scenic Area and back, about 5 miles total. We will have lunch and setup camp by Briar Branch and enjoy an afternoon checking out the bluffs, natural bridge, rest, or reading in the area followed by a fireside Pot Luck Dinner. Bring your favorite camp dish and your best stories! Rated Easy to moderate. Meet in the parking lot by the Rolling Pin Cafe at Crossover and Hwy 16 at 9:00 am to carpool. To sign up call Bobby Shepperd at 479-442-5770. Limited to ten hikers. October 1-2, OVERNIGHT FUN HIKE, Log Wagon Gap/Big Creek/Cold Springs School House vicinity in the Lower Buffalo Wilderness Area near Cozahome. Rated moderate due to steep grade. Meet at the Buffalo Point Ranger Station at 9:00 am. Contact Duane and Judy Woltjen at 479-521-7032. Limited to ten hikers. October 8-9, ANNUAL HIKE-IN AT WILLIAMS WOODS NATURE PRESERVE. Come join us for our annual Hike-In as we celebrate our 24th birthday! Due to the red oak borer damage on Hare Mountain that has killed most of the big trees there, and the danger of those trees falling on such a large group of campers, we are taking this opportunity to enjoy our OHTA property of Williams Woods and moving the annual hike-in there. This beautiful nature preserve is located on a mountain overlooking the community of St. Paul on Hwy. 16/23. We will have our standard POT LUCK DINNER AROUND THE CAMPFIRE beginning at 6pm, followed by a short meeting. Please bring a tasty treat to share with the group (rumor has it someone is bringing a keg for the adults). We will have some very special musical guests to play for us—Alan and Kate Castleberry from the Ozone Players “newgrass” band. Their newest CD is titled “Highland Trail” and includes songs about the OHT, Buffalo River, and other Arkansas locations (click here for their web page and to sample their music). There will be no official hike up, but you are welcome to arrive anytime you like, set up your tent, and enjoy visiting with hikers from around the region. It is a moderate one or two mile climb up to the camping area, depending on which way you go (DOWNhill all the way back on Sunday morning!). To get to Williams Woods from Fayetteville: Take Hwy. 16 East out of town to the community of St. Paul. Continue past St. Paul 1.5 mile and turn left onto a county road (gravel). Follow the road up the hill just over a half mile until you see the “William Woods Nature Preserve” sign—bear right at this sign and drive on around the log home to the end of the road and park there. The trail begins at the parking area, and will be well marked (hike to the LEFT for the two-mail trip to the campsite, or hike to the RIGHT for the one-mile trip). For more information e-mail Tim Ernst or call him at 870-861-5536, or see the Williams Woods info pages HERE.PLEASE NOTE that everyone is welcome to attend this hike-in, and bring friends with you - it is a great trip for beginning hikers, or anyone who is new to the area or just wants to get together with friendly folks. You do not need to be a member of OHTA in order to attend, in fact we encourage non members to join us to see what we are all about! NOTE#2: THE SPRING at the campsite is dry so be sure to BRING ALL OF YOUR WATER! OHTA 24th Anniversary Hike-In at Williams Woods October 15-16, OVERNIGHT FUN HIKE ON OHT, Fly Gap to Lick Branch, 15.8 miles total, rated medium. Should be some great fall color in the hills for this hike, which will visit Hare Mountain and the Marinoni Scenic Area, as well as Herrods Creek and Indian Creek. Give Bob and Dawna Robinson a call at 479-783-6319 to sign up. Limited to ten hikers. October 22-23, OVERNIGHT FUN HIKE along the Buffalo River. The distance is 13.6 miles. Points of interest include the Parker-Hickman homestead and the Cherry Grove cemetery. This is a relatively short hike and moderately strenuous. “I’m somewhat of a ‘river rat’ so if air temperature and water levels permit, we may follow the Old River trail some/all of the way so sandals or other water crossing footwear would be a good idea. Of course, we’ll find a gravel bar along the way for camping.” Call Brad Davenport at 479-996-4649 to sign up. Limited to ten hikers. TRAIL MAINTENANCE MAINTAINERS NOTE: It has been a long and hot summer, with lots of weed growth along the OHT and many dead trees down across the trail. Please get out and maintain your section as soon as you can this fall, and be sure to get your report in to Roy via snail or e-mail. We need to get the trail open and inviting for all fall hikers. Be sure to let Roy know of any special problem areas that need extra work and he will schedule a work trip for that area. Roy Senyard, 479-587-0200. October 1, WORK TRIP at Williams Woods. We’ll be getting the trail and campsite area ready for the big hike-in and will plan to spend the entire day up on the mountain, so bring your lunch, leather work gloves, and water—tools will be provided. Meet at the Pack Rat at 8:00am or at Williams Woods at 9:00am. For more info call Roy Senyard at 479-587-0200. (see the October 8-9 listing above for directions, or go to our web page) October 2, WORK TRIP at Williams Woods. This will be a “Pre-Event” Cleanup Day for a few hours to get things around the old homesite and parking area all spiffed up for the big hike-in. Lunch will be provided! Bring your loppers and weed-whackers and meet at Williams Woods at 10am (see Oct. 8-9 listing for directions). Give Bobby Shepperd a call at 479-442-5770 to sign up and for more info. CLUB MEETINGS September 11, OHTA General Meeting in Springdale. To get to the meeting site, from Hwy. 71 B in Springdale turn EAST on Emma street, go several blocks, then turn LEFT/NORTH onto N. Main Street, then pull into the parking lot on the right behind the building (across from Shiloh Museum—there is a map on the web page). We will have a slide program about a recent trip to Mt. Rainier by OHTA members Wade Baker and Kerry Coe. We’ll start off with refreshments and social time at 7pm, with the meeting to follow at 7:30. Call 870-861-5536 for info. October 9, OHTA General Meeting in Springdale (see directions above). The program this month will be given by Jami Lockhart, “Imaging the Past: Using New Archaeological Technologies to See Beneath the Ground.” We’ll have refreshments and social time beginning at 7pm, with the meeting to follow at 7:30. Call 870-861-5536 for info. 2005 ARKANSAS DEER SEASONS Here are the dates for the gun deer seasons this fall. The OHT is open to hunting, but also to hiking! While you are not required to wear hunter orange while hiking, it is always a good idea to do so.
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