Moore woman shares story of volunteers working on the Ouachita Trail
A nice view from the Ouachita Trail in southeastern Oklahoma.
These are the kinds of stories I like. A lot of times, we spend our time outdoors and may not think too much about what goes into making and maintaining a good trail. It’s hard work. And many times, it’s up to volunteers to do the labor.
I saw some photos that a friend of mine, Ouida Plumlee of Moore, posted not too long ago. Herself, plus members of the Oklahoma City Outdoor Network and the Green Country Outdoor Club of Tulsa, went on a work-trip to the Ouachita Mountains to do some trail maintenance on the Ouachita Trail. Ouida was kind enough to let me use some of her pictures and give a short narrative on their efforts. Here’s what she said:
Scott Schaerer removes a dead tree from the trail.
“Myself, Betsy Hughes, Scott Schaerer with OKC-Outdoor Network and Brian Stephens with Green Country Outdoor Club from Tulsa, we worked with Friends of the Ouachita Trail to make sure the trail was clearly visible and marked. We removed dead trees covering the trail, loose rocks, weeds, briars, anything in the trail that could pose a hazard. It was back-breaking. Scott told me not to use that word, but the effort was worth it. We have had runners and hikers tell us that they appreciated what we were doing. Enjoyed giving back.”
She also had a word about the groups represented on the trip:
“OKC-ON and the Tulsa chapter are just groups of people who have gotten together to hike, camp, backpack, mountain bike, bike, kayak, canoe, fish, etc. Basically anything outdoors. You can find both groups online and others. I have met a lot of nice people with the same interests that I have and someone to do them with.”
Ouida Plumlee on the trail.
Finally, it wasn’t all about the work. Some fun was added in there as well:
“It was a great time. Camping out under the stars. Some really good Dutch oven cooking. And sitting around a nice big campfire. This was my second time to do trail maintenance. The group goes twice a year. I love hiking, so doing something to give back was enjoyable.”
Betsy Hughes and Scott Schaerer doing more work.
Join me in giving Ouida, Betsy, Scott and Brian a hearty thank-you for their work. Those of us who use these trails really appreciate it. Maybe next time, we can help out and add to their numbers!
Bob Doucette
bdoucette@opubco.com
Thank you for joining our conversation on Out There. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.
Comments
I saw what you all did and figured that was the kind of story I wanted told. I also encourage anyone who partakes in an outdoor adventure (whatever the scale) to let me know about it. Experiencing the outdoors brings appreciation for the outdoors. And when you’ve got folks like you who are already at that stage and giving back, that is something people should know about. So from the rest of us, a hearty thanks. Hoping to get something put together soon, maybe later this month, near Lawton. I’ll definitely be keeping in touch with Ouida and others for opportunities to get out there with you all. Again, thanks for you efforts!
Bob, Thank you very much for your article about the OKC-Outdoor Network Ouachita Trail maintenance outing! Those of us who hike along the various trails “get” a lot of pleasure out of it. Doing trail maintenance is a way that we can “give something back” to the trail system. Please let Woody know if you would like to come along on one of our trips. I have already thanked Woody (Ouida Plumlee) for providing the pictures and comments to you. We do this for intrinsic rewards however, positive comments from other hikers as they walk by and now an article really make our day! Thanks again. …Scott