On Tuesday, May 6, the Traildogs returned to the Trail, this time to install a trail bench along the ADA section of the Trail. We had four Traildogs helping install the bench at the junction where the ADA branches off the loop toward the elevated Trail.
A bunch of Traildogs worked the LOViT Marathon this morning. The race is put on yearly by Phil and Bonnie Carr of Shangri-La Resort. About 70 runners participated this year and enjoyed moderate and overcast weather, perfect for the run. The course begins at the corner of Shangri-La Road and the corner of old Highway 270, proceeds to the Denby Bay Trailhead on the LOViT, and then follows the Trail up to the top of Hickory Nut Mountain, for an out distance of 14+ miles. The return trip takes the cutoff from the Joplin to Tompkins Bend segment across to the Homestead Trailhead, and then back in, accounting for the remaining 12 miles of the marathon. The ‘Dogs working the various aid stations want to thank Bonnie and Varine Carr for supplying the chili and banana pie. Very much appreciated! This was a great event, and everyone, runners and Traildogs, …Click to read the full article
A small group of Traildogs completed the installation of the gravel pavers around the six pieces of exercise equipment at the ADA trailhead on Monday, October 1. The Corps of Engineers had generously provided five additional rolls of the paver material, which was exactly the amount required. As the materials weather and settle, this will provide a very stable surface in and around the equipment and will meet all American Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements at the site. All we need to complete the planned work is installing some field stone on the south side of the equipment to provide a border from the open field. We are seeking a supply of field stone to complete this project. On Thursday, Oct. 11, we had five volunteers assisting with the cleaning and trimming of the ADA handicap accessible section of the Trail. The trees and bushes that line the outer edge of the …Click to read the full article
Today, a group of nine Traildogs met at the ADA Trailhead just off of Shangri-La Road to install gravel pavers around the new exercise equipment there. We started early, but the weather warmed quickly. The Corps of Engineers delivered the pavers and pea gravel to the work site. The work involved raking and leveling the soil around the equipment and removing the few weeds that have grown up on the pad. The pavers – plastic grids designed to hold the gravel in place – were then laid out and secured to the ground with spikes and washers. Cutting the pavers to fit around the exercise equipment turned out to be a manageable task. Once the pavers were laid into place, they were filled with the pea gravel, and the gravel was smoothed over to provide a professional looking and stable surface around the exercise equipment. Unfortunately, we ran out of …Click to read the full article
We had a wildflower planting day at the Watchable Wildlife ADA Trailhead with the 4-H children. The children had taken wildflower seeds that we furnished and rolled them into 1-inch clay balls. On Saturday March 31 approximately 12 to 15 4-H children lined the north side of the loop trail and tossed several hundred wildflower clay balls into the center field. As the rains dissolve the clay, the seeds will take root in the field and hopefully proliferate over time. The ball toss was followed by a hike on the ADA trail and elevated walkway.