Trail Evaluation

Monday March 3, 2008 - Trail Evaluation

Friday February 29 eleven traildogs gathered at the new Joplin Trailhead parking area for a new trail evaluation hike on the recently completed third leg of the Vista Trail. Gone was the sharp weather of the past two months of construction as we started our hike in fifty-degree partly cloudy weather. Our focus on this inaugural hike was to meter the exact distance of the newly constructed third leg of the trail and flag the one mile increments as well as identifying any areas of the trail that may need additional tread work as a result of the heavy rains in area. We were also developing a list of interesting features along the trail route that we will utilize in developing a trail guide for this section of the trail.

We also metered the reroute of the second section of the trail that moves the final portion of the second leg from the exiting Mt. Harbor Trailhead parking area, located adjacent to the Irons Creek Rd, to the new Joplin Trailhead parking Area. This reroute changes the mileage from the Thompkins Bend Trailhead parking to the Joplin parking area from 4.7 miles to 5.3 miles. The trail length from the beginning trailhead parking area at Denby bay to this new Joplin parking area is now 10.0 miles.

The metering of the third indicated it is four miles from the Joplin Trailhead parking to the Hickory Nut Mt. Day Use parking area where the trail ends. You can then hike 1.1 miles on the service road to the Hickory nut Mt. Vista making the third leg of the trail a total of 5.1 miles in length. The total trail length of the Vista trail is now 15.1 miles excluding the Sunset and Eagle Vista spurs of one Half mile and One and half miles respectively. Hikers who chose to hike or bike the entire trail including spurs now have 17.1 miles of trail available.

Our three hour hike was enjoyed by all and at least two short areas of tread were identified as needing some additional finish work.

Attached is a picture of the team.

Jerry

Unsurpassed View

Wednesday Feb 27, 2008 - Unsurpassed View

Today we were able to complete the trail on south slope of the mountain that had been two wet to complete earlier. We had five traildogs working the deep cut that was necessary to complete the final switchback.

Tomorrow will be the last day of the dig for this spring. We have about 250 feet of tread to finish that will bring us to the parking area. We will have added five miles to the Vista trail that now has over sixteen miles of completed trail including spurs.

As we were hiking back to our vehicles in the warm sunshine we enjoyed the unsurpassed view of the blue waters of Lake Ouachita. Far below we could see the large houseboat dock that is being slowly moved from the Shores Resort, in Denby Bay, to the eastern end of the lake, some twenty five miles by water, to the North Shore Resort. This dock is two hundred feet wide and five hundred feet long. Two large houseboats secured on two sides were slowly nudging the dock east at a pace so slow it appeared to be not moving at all.

I have attached a photo of the dock taken from the summit.

We will meet tomorrow at the same parking area next to the picnic area at 9:00 am.

Join for this final day of construction.

Jerry

Wind Blown

Tuesday Feb 26, 2008 – Wind Blown

Today was cold 40 degrees with a 30+ MPH wind howling off the lake and up the north slope of Hickory Nut Mt. Our Wind Blown Traildogs had to shift to the south side of the mountain where we previously skipped a section due to wet conditions. Once on the south slope of the mountain Ole Hickory Nut spread her high ridges to protect the crew knocking the wind completely off the team who were then able to work in shirtsleeves by lunch. Our best estimate is we will complete the work by Friday of this week if we have sufficient help to complete the finish work on the topside trail. Thanks Chuck and John for a job well done on the switchback.

I only heard from two traildogs who could be there for the free lunch Thursday so I am asking again is Thursday or Friday better for those who helped on the trail and would you like a lunch or maybe a breakfast.

Also we are scheduling Wednesday March 5th at 9:00 am as the start time for flagging the next leg of the trail to Crystal Springs. This will be an all day hike being led by tom Ledbetter and Tom Ferguson. Al Traildogs are invited but should be aware this is an arduous endeavor requiring a significant amount of climbing and we are not sure how many miles we will be covering. If you plan to participate please let me know ahead of time.

Tomorrow we will start at 9:00 am and meet at the same parking area on top of the mountain. Join us if you can and help complete this short section of trail.

Come when you can and leave when you want and let me know about the free meal on Thursday or Friday

Jerry

Beautiful Day on the Mountain

Monday February 25, 2008 – Great Day on the Mountain

It was a beautiful day on the top of the mountain today as we tried to complete the finish work on the last half mile of the trail today which we hope to complete by the end of this week. It is difficult to keep your gaze on the trail work with the panoramic view of the lake constantly beckoning your appreciation.

You can view the west side of Hot Springs some twenty miles to the east on a clear day.
At any given time you can see Bald Eagles, buzzards and hawks soaring in the thermos high over the lake and below you as you gaze out from the trail.

Tomorrow we will continue this finish work and will meet at the top of the mountain at the very back of the picnic area. We will start at 9:00 if there is no rain.

Join us and bring a lunch and fluids. Come when you can and leave when you want.

On Thursday we have a generous offer from the good folks at Mt. Harbor Resort of a free lunch for all the traildogs who have helped on this third leg of the trail. If you can come for the lunch please let me know so I can give them a number of how many of will be there.

Jerry

In The Clouds

Thursday February 21,2008 – In the Clouds

We had four very hardy traildogs today as we began the finish work on the last half-mile of trail. The cold front came in while were there prying all the loose boulders that were threatening the lower part of the trail below the switchbacks. Within an hour of our arrival the temperature dropped about 15 degrees and the clouds dropped down on the mountain as it began to rain. The area we were working was freshly dug red clay and within minutes was a really muddy goop. We decided there would be a better day to try and finish this section.

We will have a workday tomorrow Friday February 22 with a start time of 9:00 am. We will rally at the parking area on top of the mountain at the end of the picnic area. We will be working the entrance to the rail instead of the switchback sloop.

Pack a lunch and fluids and join us.

Come when you can and leave when you want but join us.

I have attached a couple of pictures of the dig team at he point where the trail was completed.

Jerry

The Summit

February 20, 2008 - The Summit

The very determined US Forest Service team and eight tough traildogs were able to push the trail to the summit today at 3:00 pm. When it appeared we were stymied at the last switchback because of a stubborn layer of shale rock the US Forest Service team found a way to get the trail the last 250 feet. It will take a few more days of finish work by the traildogs but the trail is open all the way to the Vista.

The LOViT now stretches from Denby Bay through Tompkins Bend/Shangri La to Joplin/Mountain Harbor and now up to the Hickory Nut Mountain Vista or just over sixteen miles of hiking and mountain biking trail. Amazingly this dig team of the US Forest Service, The Corps of Engineers and the Traildog volunteers constructed over five miles of trail in 23 days in the toughest terrain we have experienced since we began construction three years ago.

We will be working again tomorrow to complete the finish work on the last portion of the trail. We will now meet at the top of the mountain at the end of the picnic area to hike down to the construction site.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow and our standard rule is if it is raining we will not be on the trail. We will start at 9:00 am.

Pack a lunch & fluids and come join us on the new trail.

As always come when you can and leave when you want.

I have attached a picture of the dig team at the final switchback.

Congratulations to the whole team for a great job.

Jerry

Where Eagles Dare

Tuesday February 19, 2008 – Where Eagles Dare

The lead team of the US Forest Service, Tom , Joey, and Josh completed the next to last switchback today and are moving up to the last turn hopefully tomorrow. A team of professionals who continue to astound us as their two machines have now clawed their way to the very brink of the south face of the mountain. I have attached a photo of the team so you can appreciate their tenacity.

It is so steep here that the volunteers were moved down the trail because the machines were directly above them and there was concern that some of the larger boulders may roll down to the lover level. The view from this last switchback literally looks like a spot where only eagles would dare to roost.

A special word of thanks to the US Forest team for offering three of the trail dogs a training class on proper utilization of chain saws on the trail. Randy is a true professional with a great sense of humor. We all came away from the class with a great deal of really useful information and a clear understanding of the safest procedures in chain saw utilization.

Tomorrow will be a beautiful day with warm temps. We will have a special friend join us tomorrow from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Celia Story. Celia has been a supporter of the Vista trail sense the beginning and is a hands on reporter that has to come to the site to develop her great stories.

We will meet at the same place on Hickory Nut Mountain rd to morrow at 8:30 am.
Bring a lunch and plenty fluids and join us for these final days of scaling Ole Hickory Nut Mt.

Come when can and leave when you want.

Jerry