I attended my first annual meeting of the Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT) Saturday in Hot Springs.  I’ve been a member for several years, even before I moved to Arkansas, but this was basically the first time I’d met other members.  It was good to be able to attach faces to the names I’ve seen in emails and on the web site.

One news item is that the Black Fork Mountain shelter near mile 57.7 is on the verge of completion – that’s #9 of the 12 new shelters.  The Turner Gap shelter near mile 80 is next on the list.

Another interesting bit is that the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) has bestowed EPIC status on the Ouachita Trail, meaning it’s considered one of the top mountain bike trails in the country (world?).  This kind of attention surely can’t hurt.