11/01 Ouachita National Forest Trail Trip Report

November 3-11, 2001
Ouachita National Forest Trail, AK (by Derly Rivera)
Eleven volunteers made up the crew that went to the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas on November 3rd. This was the first visit to the forest by the Central Texas Trail Tamers. After pitching tents at a primitive campsite, we set up a "range" kitchen where we worked out of three pickup truck beds using one stove and a campfire for cooking.

On Monday, the forest rangers outlined our duties and took us to the work area. The work consisted mostly of clearing brush and blazing trails. Not surprisingly, we cleared and painted the required blazes on approximately 6.5 miles of trail by 3:00pm.

Tuesday through Thursday was basically the same work: clearing trails, felling trees, and blazing trail markers. It was interesting to notice that a number of trees and other vegetation had been greatly affected by the ice storm from the previous year. Earlier in the year the forest service had cut a large number of trees to clear the trails and different paths in the forest. We had to cut two dead trees that were leaning dangerously towards the trail and physically pushed them, thus allowing their weight to topple them out of the way. We completed work on approximately 21.5 miles of trails through the forest.

Since we didn't have flush toilets or hot showers, you can imagine the camp area. Several of the crew bathed in the river and the water was about 59 degrees! After leaping in the water and emitting loud gasps and shouts, the intrepid bathers welcomed the warm campfire.

A hearty breakfast started out the days. A substantial dinner, campfire tales and songs finished out the day. We left early Friday morning because hunting season would begin the next day. CTTT was invited to return the next year to work on the east side of the forest.

A NOTE ABOUT HARD HATS: I did not like to wear hard hats, especially when working in the forest or on mountains, until this trip. After a tree branch broke off, fell on my head and was deflected by the hard hat, with only a minor headache as a result, I became a believer. Now I STRONGLY recommend wearing hard hats both for forest and rock work. Even better: use safety glasses also.