Trail organization has much to offer

Although I could think of plenty of other things I needed to do, I decided instead to join Earl in traveling to Fayetteville on Sunday evening to attend the Ozark Highland Trail Association monthly gathering.

The evening served as a good reminder of the role played by this organization and how fortunate all those serious and notso serious hikers that utilize any part of the Ozark Highlands Trail each year are to have them. Plus, this group which on this particular evening was made up of people from ages two to 70-something obviously have a good time working and playing together!

I plan to continue to squeeze in time to stay at least somewhat involvedwith the organization and hope to participate in some of their upcoming activities. With good hiking weather upon us, it was a good time to be reminded of the contribution OHTA makes to the wealth of opportunities provided to the outdoor lover here in our part of the Natural State.

OHTA is a volunteer organization that for more than 30 years has built and maintained most of the 218 mile and growing Ozark Highlands Trail and the 15 mile Ozark Highlands Trail Lower Buffalo Wilderness Route. The trail meanders through seven northwestArkansas counties. It stretches from Lake Fort Smith State Park, across the Ozark National Forest, to the Buffalo National River and provides opportunities to explore and enjoy the Ozark Mountains through many of the most remote and scenic landscapes in the state, including Hurricane Creek Wilderness Area, White Rock Mountain, Hare Mountain and the Marinoni Scenic Area, as well as many others.

OHTA plans several trail maintenance hikes per year, as well as several just-for-fun hikes. Some are overnight hikes with primitive camping, butmany are shorter day hikes more to my liking. Hikes are led by various members of the group and are open and free to the public. Club membership fee is required for work trips in order for participants to be covered by insurance.

The OHTA monthly meetings are casual and include food and time to visit with the others who come from around the area and represent many different walks of life. The evenings often include an interesting presentation by someone who has a unique hiking adventure to share. Most recently, a young man presenteda beautiful photo slide show of the trip he and his wife made a couple of years ago which covered over 100 miles of trails in New Zealand.

More information about OHTA and the services and opportunities it offers can be found at ozarkhighlandstrail.com. The group also has a Facebook page.

Annette Rowe is a freelance writer from rural Gentry and a speech-language pathologist at Siloam Springs High School. She may be reached by email at [email protected].

News, Pages 4 on 10/16/2013