The O.N.R.T., (not the A.T.)

Tom and I recently became involved with another trail, the Ouachita National Recreation Trail.

The Ouachita Trail is a 223-mile long footpath, beginning here at Mile 0 in the Talimena State Park, which is located just north of Talihina, Oklahoma.  The O.T. travels eastward through the wooded mountains and valleys of the Ouachita National Forest, ending up at Pinnacle Mountain State Park, which is located just north of Little Rock, Arkansas. For more info http://friendsot.org

On Wednesday morning (August 13) my sister, Norma, and her two grandkids, Holly (12) and Devin (9), and I drove to Oklahoma for our first excursion as official O.T. Trail maintainers.  We were so excited to be involved in the upkeep of this National Trail!

 We passed right through the small town of Talihina, Ok. and headed on out to the State Park to check out the trail.  When we arrived at the State Park it was deserted, no campers, the Camp Hosts' day off so the office was even closed, however the grounds were immaculate. 

Devin immediately found the playground!

 We decide to drive on out to Potato Hill Vista, a scenic pull-out on the Talimena Scenic Drive, since this will be the end-point of our 2.4 mile section of adopted trail.

                                           Norma, Holly, Devin
What a great view overlooking the valley and the small town of Talihina, Ok.

 And Devin found another big rock to stand on!

We then drove back to the State Park, parked Norma's vehicle, and headed up the trail, with loppers and hand pruners at the ready to snip anything overhanging the path.

 Devin led the way as we headed eastward into the woods, thinking we could probably check out the first mile of trail this afternoon and then tomorrow when Tom is with us, we can leave one vehicle here at the Park, then go park the other vehicle at the Potato Hill Vista and work our way westward on the next 1.4 miles.

 Here is the first little wooden bridge we came across (no water this time of year).

We could tell that there are not any hikers out on this trail when Devin found this cluster of mushrooms growing right in the middle of the trail.

 We then discovered a second bridge, but again no water running under it this time of year.

We came to a spot in the Trail where the Trail seemingly disappeared.  After looking around for a bit, we discovered that there was a dead tree fallen right across the Trail, right at a sharp right turn, steeply uphill.

Norma and Holly opted to turn around here and head back to the Park, but Devin and I kept going, thinking we could not be far from the one mile marker.  Sure enough within a short distance we found the one mile marker on a tree!

 Here we turned around to hike back to the Park.  On our way back by the fallen tree, we lopped off all the limbs we could and dragged them off the trail so maybe the next hiker that comes thru can see where the Trail goes sharply off to the right and uphill.

 Devin and I admired the mushrooms and pretty wildflowers along the Trail.

 As we drove back into Talihina, we stopped at the Kiamichi Valley War Memorial.

 Of course Devin wanted to drive the tank!

 And he pretended to be riding a wild bronco!

 Holly and Devin played for a short time in the adjoining park there before we headed to our motel for the evening.

Remember Talihina is a very small town with limited options when it comes to hotels.  I had looked online the week before we came up here and checked on a nice cabin but they had a two-night minimum but politely gave a phone number for a friend in town that has the Rockin H Motel and Rockin H Convenience Store.  I had called the number given to me and a guy assured me over the phone that yes he would have a room for us in his motel.  He told me to just go to the convenience store next door and they would take care of us.

So that is what we did.  The Rockin H Store is also a Valero gas station, and also serves assorted hot food, so we purchased our dinner right there.  We were tired from the almost four hour drive to get up here, and our two mile trek on the Trail.  I walked up to the counter and told the young gal that we had a room reservation.  She reached over for a tattered composition book and my name was not there.  So she called the owner and he assured her, Yes, we did have a reservation (I guess he failed to write it down in that composition book, and I discover that the number his friend gave me to call is the owner's cell phone!).  Anyway she asked for my drivers license and began to write all my info in their composition book, right under the previous guest's info, while saying we would be in Room #4.  (There are only ten rooms in this tiny motel.)  The phone rings and she answers it, "Yes, she is standing right here in front of me";  it is the owner again, and after several "Yes, Sirs" she marks thru the #4 and says "You guys will be in Room #7".  We pay and head toward the door.  Suddenly I realize "We don't have a room key".  So I go back to the counter and ask for a key.  The gal says "Oh, the keys are in the rooms".  Okey-doke!
 
We drive next door to the little motel, go into Room #7, which by the way seems to be quite clean and totally adequate for our one-night trail-maintaining stay, and Yes, there is the key laying beside the T.V.  Are we in small-town America, in the 1960's, or what?   There is even a Guest Book, which I check out to see who has previously stayed in this room.  Fascinating reading.  (I write in it also.)

I really regret that I did not get a photo of the outside nor inside of the Rockin H Motel.  Tom is driving up tonight after he gets off work.  I fall asleep before he arrives around 9:00 p.m.

Tomorrow we will check out the next 1.4 miles of our adopted trail.