OMH Hikers Fall 2017

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Jade Ward
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1 OMH Hikers Fall 2017 Buffalo River Brent Alexander Leader

2 A Message From Our President Welcome back hikers for the hiking season. Again, we have nine months of hikes over trails that will be familiar to many and new to some. Hats off to Dave Tedrahn and his hike leaders for their work in July that filled our schedule through December. Dave is also looking for prospective hike leaders to ease the load on some current leaders. This year starts a new cycle of three years for hikers wanting to hike the 225-mile Ouachita Trail from Pinnacle Mountain near Lake Maumelle to Talimena State Park in Oklahoma. This is the gold standards for OMHikers. To date 79 hikers have completed the trail and some will be finishing during this hike year. There are two overnight hikes this fall: Ozark Mountains and Devil s Den State Park, plus an overnight hike on Section 2 of the Ouachita Trail in Oklahoma. More information will be released later by the hike leader for those trips. There are also some plans for trails that will be of interest to hikers. Hot Springs is working to complete the Greenway Trail along Hot Springs Creek. Currently the trail ends just shy of Golf Link Road. Work is in progress to extend the trail to the mouth of Hot Springs Creek at Lake Hamilton. This work should be completed by year s end. Another trail of interest for OMHikers is the Southwest Trail from Little Rock to Hot Springs. This trail will begin at the River Trail in Little Rock, work its way to Saline County, cross the Saline River outside Benton and continue into Garland County at Lonsdale. It will then follow Spring Road to Hot Springs where it will join the Hot Springs Greenway at the Transportation Center. There s no completion date but planning work is underway. Yet another trail of interest is the River Trail, proposed from St. Louis to New Orleans along the Mississippi River. Some sections are already complete and work is underway on other sections. A section of interest is a 10-mile section that will end at Arkansas City, one of the state s historical towns. Another is the hike from West Memphis into Memphis via the old railroad bridge over the Mississippi River. One way to get the most from your membership is to hike whenever possible... it begins September 9. Jim Davis, President

3 Board Fall 2017 President: Vice President/Program Chair: Treasurer/Membership Chair: Linda Branim Jim Davis Theresa Keyser Secretary: Susan Holick Trail Maintenance Chair: Ralph Butler Web Master/Hike Flash Coordinator: Tom Calhoun Hike Chair: David Tedrahn Historian: Ernie Weidenberger Merchandise Sales Coordinator: Marilyn Hall

4 Membership Fall 2017 Club Members September Club (330) Hike Leader (35) Lifetme Member(112) Club Members October Club (352) Hike Leader (35) Lifetme Member(114) Club Members November Club (363) Hike Leader (35) Lifetme Member(117) Club Members December Club (312) Hike Leader (35) Lifetme Member(117)

5 Fall Hike Schedule Welcome Back Hike David Tedrahn Welcome Back Picnic / Meeting Jim Davis

6 HSNP West Mtn. Phil Simpson OMH Trail Maintenance Rocky Ridge Loop on the Little Blakely Trail Ralph Butler Hot Springs Mtn. Rick Crites & David Tedrahn

7 Round Top Joe Breashears Hernando & Balboa Susan Hollick OT mm to mm David Tedrahn Little Blakely South Loop Anita Moore

8 Vista Trail Denby Point Tom Cornelius HSNP Trail Maintenance Bill Lammers thru Buffalo River Overnighter Brent Alexander OMH Trail Maintenance OT to Ralph Butler

9 Petit Jean SP 7 Hollows Vanessa and Jim Edgar Little Blakely, Glades and Rocky Ridge Loop Marie Michalets Hunt's Loop... plus food Theresa Keyser

10 OT MM to Wally Marroy Cedar Creek Trail to Rockhouse Cave/Petit Jean State Park Linda Branim

11 Big Brushy Mountain Loop David Blankenship Lake Catherine Phil Simpson OMH Trail Maintenance Flatside Wilderness, MM to MM Ralph Butler

12 Membership Meeting at 6:00 P M at the Garland County Library Jim Davis Trail Maintenance HSN Park Bill and Christina Lammers West Mountain David Tedrahn

13 Lake Sylvia Loop Jerry Harris Tall Peak Anita Moore West Mtn. HSNP Hike to Breakfast Marilyn Hall

14 OT mm Joy Linker Pinnacle Mountain Debbie VanVeghel Xmas Party Jim Davis

12-16-2017 DeSoto Spillway Trail Rebecca Huber

0 Ralph Butler 12-28-2017 Brady Mountain LOViT Phil

15 DeSoto Spillway Trail Rebecca Huber OMH Trail Maintenance MM to MM Ralph Butler Brady Mountain LOViT Phil Simpson Ouachita Trail/ Sugar Creek Jim Gifford

16 Special Events Overnighters Buffalo River Overnighter October 10-12, 2017 Hike Leader: Brent Alexander Lodge Organizer: David Blankenship Tuesday, October 10 Meet At: 10:00 a.m. Dover Harps (just north of Russellville on Hwy 7) Arrange your own carpools from the Village or from wherever you may be coming. Lunch in Jasper (Ozark Café or Blue Mountain Bakery) Lodging (near Ponca) Azalea Falls Lodge. This is a nice new place we ve not stayed at before. It is very nice and near many of our hikes. There are actually 3 cabins. Afternoon Hike: Sweeden Creek Natural Area which is nearby (2.5-mile out and back; easy / moderate). Dinner: Bring potluck for lodge eating on Tuesday evening. Wednesday: October 11 Breakfast at the lodge or on your own. ORT Hike. Leave centerpoint trailhead and hike Old River Trail (Buffalo River) to Big Bluff via goat trail, Granny Henderson s, Old Centerpoint school site, Merle Haggard Barn, and end hike at Kyles Landing Campground (8.5 miles easy-moderate with 5 or 6 water crossings) River crossings should be mostly dry this time of year; easy crossings. This is the hike we planned to do in the spring but were prevented because of high water. Bring lunch to eat on the trail. Should get on trail about 9-9:30 am and finish about 2:30 or 3:00. Back to Lodge for rest. Dinner: possibly Low Gap Café. Thursday: October 12 Breakfast on your own at lodge or out if some want to eat out. Hike: Magnolia Falls; 2 miles easy (on Hwy 21 south near lodge) or another close hike if someone has suggestions.

November 7/8, 2017 Ouachita Trail Section 2.

9 (10.2 miles, Difficult) Day 2 Hike: State Line to Kiamichi River, MM 46.

5 miles + 1 mile walkout, Difficult) Trip Coordinator: David Tedrahn December

Leader: Sam Swann Our December overnight takes us up to the beautiful Boston

18 November 7/8, 2017 Ouachita Trail Section 2.Canceled Day 1 Hike: Winding Stairs to Pashubbe TH, MM 23.7 to 33.9 (10.2 miles, Difficult) Day 2 Hike: State Line to Kiamichi River, MM 46.4 to 38.9 (7.5 miles + 1 mile walkout, Difficult) Trip Coordinator: David Tedrahn December 11-13, 2017 Devil s Den State Park Trip Coordinator: Debbie VanVeghel Hike Leader: Sam Swann Our December overnight takes us up to the beautiful Boston Mountains in Northwest Arkansas where we will enjoy three days of hiking the scenic trails at Devil s Den State Park. You can check out park and trail info athttps://

20 OT Completions Jeanie Calhoun

22 Hiker Travels Grand Canyon Summer 2017

24 Appendix Facebook Document MEMORANDUM FOR: Ouachita Mountain Hikers (OMH) Board of Ofcers FROM: Keith V. Hall, OMH Member 17 May 2017 SUBJECT: OMH Facebook Page 1. PURPOSE. Gain Board of Ofcers approval for appointment of a Social Media Coordinator (SMC), creaton and maintenance of an OMH Facebook page and recommend policy for social media utlizaton. 2. BACKGROUND: a. Social media has rapidly gained popularity among practtoners of a specifc craa or hobby. b. Similarly, agencies and organizatons that directly support specifc actvites have either added extensive social media to their communicatons plan or have transitoned to social media in total as a means of wider communicaton. c. Social media represents the general technology trend towards informaton pull and individual content management vice directed push of informaton via . d. Lastly, social media represents the communicatons preferences of a changing generatonal demographic. 3. FACTORS: a. Some members of OMH already use Facebook to capture both club sponsored events and other actvites associated with hiking. Many are already inadvertently advertsing the club in social media due to their use of an OMH tagline. b. Depicton of the club is thus difuse in the social media sphere and likely not reaching potental new members who leverage social media as a primary access point. c. Historical eforts are slowed by a lack of services like social media. d. Changing demographics in the club suggests the need to add social media to the club s communicatons capabilites. e. The club s current demographic suggests that social media must be introduced formally and depicted as an additonal capability vice a replacement of any current communicaton methodology. f. Social media can be a detrimental to an individual, group or actvity without digital governance, commitment to policy and leadership emphasis. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS/S: a. That the undersigned be appointed Social Media Coordinator for the club. b. That the board approves creaton of a club Facebook page.

25 c. That the board approves the operatons principles and rules at Appendix as inital governing documentaton for the Facebook page. d. That the undersigned present a social media and Facebook introducton / utlizaton class at the next available club meetng. e. That leadership widely publicizes and encourages partcipaton in the capability. f. That the page be implemented NLT 1 JUN POC is the undersigned at / kvh.ark@gmail.com V/r, //original signed// Keith V. Hall OMH Member Attachment: Appendix Governance and Policy for OMH Facebook Page.

26 Appendix - Governance and Policy for OMH Facebook Page. 1. Guidance for OMH Facebook Page. a. Admission. i. The OMH Facebook page shall be a closed group, accessed solely by members in good standing. The club s membership roster will be utlized to determine admittance. ii. Members must request permission to join the page in the Facebook sphere. This requires that a potental user already possess a Facebook account. iii. All other access requests will be denied and the requestor will be directed to the club s membership process. b. Content Management. i. The OMH Facebook page shall speak directly to the craa of hiking and focus on aspects of the Ouachita and larger region of Arkansas. ii. The page shall be accessible to membership who wishes to share club photographs or other materials bearing on the club s interests and actvites. iii. Additonal content of potental membership interest which speaks directly to the hiking craa and is derived from supportng agencies, organizatons and individuals may be added at the discreton of the SMC and / or directon of club leadership. iv. Facebook shall not be a primary communicatons path to club membership. All communicaton practces of the 2017 season , website, etc. - remain in efect indefnitely. v. Facebook shall be an amplifying tool for those members who wish to utlize it. vi. Content will be closely monitored for appropriateness in both expression and relevance. 1. Inappropriate language will not be permitted. 2. Politcal commentary will not be permitted. Politcal commentary is defned as the expression of party, candidate or cause support. Similarly, critque of other partes, candidates or policy will not be permitted. 3. Religious material will not be permitted. a. Religious material is defned as the expression, demand, observaton or critque of one faith in favor of another, proselytzing or advertsing of a specifc faith-based event. b. However, leadership must accept that expressions of faith are part of the common vernacular in our region and primary generatonal demographic. Common expressions such has Have a blessed day do not warrant editng by either leadership or the social media coordinator. c. Each expression must be pragmatcally evaluated in an efort to insure consistency with the larger purpose of the Facebook page. 4. With the excepton of club merchandise, the vending of materials and services is prohibited.

27 a. Club leadership may determine that advertsement of a specifc system or service, consistent with the hiking craa, may be posted for a limited period and specifc purpose. b. Club leadership may grant a member rights to advertse, vend or ofer for one-tme sale a hiking-centric system or service deemed of interest to club membership. 5. Inappropriate discussions and comments, or arguments between members will be deleted. a. The SMC shall be the inital arbiter of inappropriate discussion. b. The SMC shall forward to board leadership those issues unresolved at the digital level. 6. Members shall be reminded of the content management rules. Violatons of the rules will result in suspension of digital privileges at the directon of the club leadership. 2. Dutes of the Social Media Coordinator (SMC) a. The SMC SHALL i. Be a special staf volunteer with no board votng privileges. ii. Administer the club s Facebook page in accordance with approved policy and club leadership directve. iii. Pulse membership for general interests in the hiking sphere. iv. Identfy, capture and amplify content that matches membership interests. v. Assist any club member who wishes to establish a Facebook presence and subsequently become a member of the OMH Facebook Group. vi. Assist the club s historian in the capture and retenton of photographs or other digital material. vii. Assist the club s webmaster as necessary. viii. Assist in all advertsing, marketng and membership actvites as required. ix. Provide group instructon as required at club meetngs. x. Evaluate, synthesize and report Facebook utlizaton metrics to club leadership on a recurring basis. xi. Develop out-year social media plans, services and systems in preparaton for demographic changes. xii. Serve as coordinaton point for other supportng clubs, agencies and actvites that wish to share social media content with OMH.

Ouachita Mountain Hikers (

Ouachita Mountain Hikers (www.omhikers.net) Click Here to visit us on Facebook Hike Flash September 16, 2018 What's New on the Web Site? The most recent Hike Flash in both desktop and mobile formats may