Calendar

This Saturday, October 2nd, Tom Perry will lead a hike in the Buffalo National River Park, from Kyles Landing to Camp Orr and back. We will hike the Buffalo River Trail from Kyles Landing to Camp Orr, have lunch in the picnic area, and then follow the Old River Road back to Kyles Landing. We will cross the Buffalo River twice on the Old River Road, even though the river is low, water shoes will still be needed. See below for more details:

Kyles landing hike, October 2, 2021

Day, Date:  Saturday, October 2nd, 2021

Name of Hike:  Kyles Landing to Camp Orr Loop

Type of Hike:  Dayhike, trail hike,  loop

Distance:  5.6 miles

Total Elevation Gain/Loss:  400-500 ft

Rating:  Moderate, due to wet crossings, distance and elevation gain/loss

Hike Leader:  Tom Perry(contact hike leader for more info)

Telephone & Email:  479-841-2414 (M); or tomperry106@yahoo.com

Meeting Place and Time:  Root Elementary in Fayetteville for caravanning and a 8:30 a.m. departure; or meet at Kings River Store in Marble AR for a quick stop at 9:15am, or at the far west end of the Kyles Landing parking at 10:30am.

Comments:  Bring water, lunch, rain gear, gloves, water shoes and wear hiking boots. No pets are allowed on any hikes, and children under 12 years must be accompanied by a guardian.  Participants are required to sign a “liability release” http://www.ozarksociety.net/wp- , everyone is welcome to hike with the OSHC, whether an Ozark Society member or not.

Links to Pictures of recent OSHC hikes can be seen on the Ozark Society Website at www.ozarksociety.net  Go to Chapters & Activities/Highlands Chapter and look for Frank Millett’s and Luke Parsch’s  Flickr websites links.

Future meetings will be announced through email and our Newsletter Paddle Trails.

BCOS has a team entered for the River Rat Challenge on the Ouachita River in Monroe, LA.  To strike fear into the hearts of our competitors, our team name is the Rancid Rabid River Rats!!  Join in if you dare!

https://riverratpaddlechallenge.com/

This piece of the BRT gets little use. We will start where we left off last year at M. White Road. There will be some trail and road walking. There are bluffs views along the river and side streams to ford. You will need boots, lunch and water. Be at Morgan McDonald’s by 7:15 or the Collier Homestead at Tyler Bend by 9:30. We will shuttle from the Homestead to M. White trail head. Boots, water shoes and lunch should be carried with you.

This Saturday we’ll do a shorter hike closer to town to get ourselves into shape for the season.  Blowing Springs Park has some nice woodsy hikes within the Bella Vista city limits.  After the hike, you’ll be able to participate in some other activities in the nearby Bentonville area which I’ll mention below.  Meeting times are:  9:00 a.m. at Sam’s Club Fayetteville or 9:45 a.m. at Blowing Springs Park in Bella Vista.  Details are below.  ‘See you Saturday.

Day, Date:  Saturday, October 9, 2021

Name of Hike:  Blowing Springs Lower Loop Trail

Location:  Blowing Springs Park, Bella Vista AR

Type of Hike:  Day-hike, maintained trail

Hiking Distance:  2.5 miles.

Maximum Elevation Difference:  100 ft

Rating:  Easy to moderate, due to some uneven tread.

Features:  Blowing Springs Park is adjacent to the Back 40 mountain biking trails, and the Greenway extension passes through it, but it has some nice “in the woods” trails used mostly by hikers.  We’ll start at the trailhead and do the “lower loop” which consists of the Low Rider Trail, part of the Blowing Springs Loop Trail, and return on the Boom Diggity Trail for a total of about 2.5 miles.  We’ll stop for a short break at the Blowing Springs picnic area and spring.  If you want more mileage, the entire Blowing Springs Loop hike goes deeper into the ravines for a total of about 4.0 miles.

Hike Leader:  Luke Parsch (contact hike leader for more info).

Telephone & Email:  479-442-3817 (home landline) or lparsch@uark.edu or 479-935-0859  (mobile on day of hike).

Meeting Place and Time:

• Meet at the northeast corner of the parking lot of Sam’s Club in northwest Fayetteville on AR Hwy 112/I-49 for car caravanning for a 9:00 a.m. departure; or,
• Meet at 9:45 a.m. at Blowing Springs Park trailhead in Bella Vista AR.  Take I-49 north to the new Bus 71 interchange between Bentonville and Bella Vista, follow Bus 71 north towards Bella Vista about 1-mile to the stoplight at Mercy Way (CVS Pharmacy on the right), turn right onto Mercy Way and follow into Blowing Springs Park, park on the right.    Google map location for Blowing Springs is:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Blowing+Springs+MTB+Trail+Head/@36.4406627,-94.2322627,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x87c91b53b0339027:0x494b1c517a666e5e!8m2!3d36.4406627!4d-94.230074
• Car-caravan means we drive as a group in our own cars to the trailhead.  Car-pooling is OK if pre-arranged between driver and riders.

Driving Distance:  28 miles from the Fayetteville car caravan meeting area at Sam’s Club.

Comment:  Plan to social distance and wear a mask, especially if in close quarters.  Bring water, snack or lunch, rain gear, gloves, bug spray, and wear hiking boots/shoes.  No pets are allowed on any hikes, and children under 12 years must be accompanied by a guardian.   Participants are required to sign a “liability release” http://www.ozarksociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/OS-Sign-Up_Sheet_rev4.pdf  at the trailhead to take part in any Ozark Society outing.  Everyone is welcome to hike with the OSHC, whether an Ozark Society member or not.

Apres-Hike Possibilities in the booming Bentonville area:

1. A Day at Osage Park.  Stop in and get to know this new Bentonville park between 10 a.m.-4 p.m.  Sugar Creek Chapter of OS will have a booth there among many other exhibitors.  See:  https://www.peelcompton.org/events/a-day-at-osage-park/
2. Hike the Coler Preserve Paved Trail along Coler Creek to the Airship Coffee for a beer, coffee, or snack.  Round-trip hike is 1.5 miles.
3. Visit the 32d Annual Pea Ridge Mule Jump.  This is a must-see at least one-time.  See:  http://pearidgemulejump.com/
4. Drive the new I-49 Arkansas-Missouri Connector.  How long have we been waiting for this?  See:  Arkansas Missouri Connector – Bing News https://www.bing.com/news/search?q=Arkansas+Missouri+Connector&qpvt=arkansas+missouri+connector&FORM=EWRE

Links to Pictures of recent OSHC hikes can be seen on the Ozark Society Website at www.ozarksociety.net  Go to Chapters & Activities/Highlands Chapter and look for Frank Millett’s and Luke Parsch’s Flickr websites links.

John Fortune will be leading a Caddo Lake paddle out of Starr Ranch in the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Karnack, Texas, on Sunday October 17th. We will meet at Starr Ranch at 8:30 am and plan to be on the water at 9:00 am.  The paddle will be between 4 and 5 miles and will take about 3 hours. We should be off the water by noon. Several of us may go to either Big Pines or Shady Glade Restaurant for lunch afterwards. 

If anyone wants to caravan to the Refuge, we will meet at Brookshire’s on North Market and depart at 7:45 am.

Please let me know if you plan to attend. And also, if you’d like to caravan.
Marian

marianehoward@comcast.net

Please join us for the Ozark Society Highlands Chapter Tuesday October 19^th hike along Lake Sequoyah and the White River. 

Name: Lake Sequoyah: Rookery Trail and King Fisher Trail

Day, Date:  Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021
Type of Outing:  Dayhike, Trail and Pasture
Hiking Distance:  Rookery Trail (4 miles round trip); King Fisher Trail (2 miles round trip)
Elevation Gain:  negligible

Rating:  Easy
Features:  Views of Lake Sequoyah and the White River, lovely pastures, a few cows, extensive old rock wall, muddy spots, one creek crossing, 2 wooden bridge crossings

Hike leader:  Chris Kline
Contact Information:  ckline901@gmail.com,  479-409-0394
Meeting Place and Time:  Meet at 9:00am to carpool/caravan in the parking lot of Mana Family Medical South at the intersection of Huntsville Rd. (Hwy 16) and Crossover (Hwy 265).  The parking lot is usually not too busy, but please park away from the building near the entrance. Or meet at Lake Sequoyah at 9:15am in the parking lot near the trailhead (across from Lake Sequoyah Bait Shop on your right.)

Comments:  Bring water, lunch, snacks and a drink (if you plan to socialize after the hike) rain gear, and hiking boots.   Ticks are still active, so wear long pants and bring bug spray.  No pets are allowed on any hike and children under 12 are discouraged.  Participants are required to sign a “liability release” http://www.ozarksociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/OS-Sign-Up_Sheet_rev4.pdf to take part in any Ozark Society Outing.

Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month (except December).   Program starts at 6:30 pm and business meeting follows.  Plan to join us after the meeting for pizza and socializing.