Clearing Storm Damage on Section 4 – Jan. 11, 2013
Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, we had five Traildogs working the storm cleanup on Section Four Between the trailhead at Hickory Nut Mountain and Forest Service Road 47A. It was good to visit this this 3.2 mile section along the southern face of Hickory Nut Mountain again as it is one of the most scenic sections, especially after a rainfall.
Hickory Creek that begins on the summit of the mountain was pure eye candy for our team as we cleared downed trees and limbs. This deep drainage creek creates one waterfall after another as it rushes down the gorge and empties into Lake Ouachita. The area around the artesian spring was highlighted by a set of twin falls just to the north of the spring a sight well worth a hike.
We were able to completely clear this section from the Hickory Nut Mt. trailhead to the intersection of U.S. Forest Service roads 47A & 47.
The snow and heavy rains, however, were adversely affecting the roads that access this area of the trail. The drains at the intersection of USFS Roads 47 and 47A were completely clogged with debris, forcing the water up and over the roadway and eroding the the downside of the road. A backhoe will be required to clear the debris that has completely stopped the flow of water through the drain pipes. The south fork of the old USFS Road 47A was in even worse condition, with a full five feet of the roadway bank completely eroded away due to a huge pile of debris completely blocking the two large drains under the road.
Weather permitting, we will begin clearing the fifth section of the trail from USFS 47A to the trailhead at the Crystal Springs pavilion on Wednesday Jan 16th. We will meet at the junction of USFS Roads 47 and 47A at 10:00 am and will work the five different areas of this somewhat disjointed section that crosses USFS Road 47 multiple times.
Here are some photographs of the stretch of trail between the trailhead at FS47A and the base of Hickory Nut Mountain.
Jerry