See the outing leader at the monthly meeting to sign up for an outing, or you can email or call him at the number on the bottom of this page.
ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST SIGN A WAIVER EXCEPT FOR URBAN RESTAURANT OUTINGS.
Oct 13th Illinois River Festival - 2pm - 7 pm
Put on by the Scenic Rivers Commision this fun event will be north of Talequah on Hw. 10 at the
Diamondhead Resort/ . Contact Frank for more info.Oct 27th Day Hike at the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve
The Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in Pawhuska is the largest protected remnant of tall grass prairie left on Earth. Originally spanning portions of 14 states from Texas to Minnesota, urban sprawl and farming have left less than 10% of this magnificent American landscape. Since 1989, The Nature Conservancy has proven successful at restoring this fully functioning portion of the tall grass prairie ecosystem with the use of about 1500 free-roaming bison and a “patch-burn” model approach to prescribed burning. Come spend an afternoon appreciating our American heritage and the work of our friends at the Nature Conservancy.
The drive through the property to the preserve headquarters offers its own enjoyment. Herds of roaming bison are often spotted along, or on, the roadway. A variety of bird species and sweeping vistas make this part of the outing a pleasure in its own right. Don’t hesitate to stop and enjoy the scenic pullouts provided.
The hike starts near the headquarters/ gift shop. The one-mile trail is a loop trail that passes through the prairie, along ridges and next to Sand Creek. A section of the trail meanders through an area of cross-timber forest, providing a canopy of chinquapin and bur oaks.
The group will decide between a picnic lunch at the preserve and barbeque at Bad Brad’s in Pawhuska.
Leader Patty Rizzatto
Nov. 3-4 Backpack a portion of the Oklahoma side of the Ouachata trail. Approximately 12-14 miles will be covered through moderate terrain.
Leader Gary Miller
November 17-18, 2007 Backpack Hare Mountain on the Ozark Highland Trail
Cherry Bend to Redding Campground
Mileage: 14 miles
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Description: Join us for this beautiful and historic section of the Ozark Highland Trail. In 14 short miles we will pass waterfalls and pioneer homesteads, view lovely vistas, traverse true Arkansas razorback ridges and camp on the highest spot of the entire trail. According to Tim Ernst, this is one of the most scenic sections of the always-beautiful OHT.
We will spend Friday night along the Mulberry River at Redding Campground, which will also be our end point. On Saturday morning we will head to the trailhead on Hwy. 23 at Cherry Bend. We will hike approximately 6 miles to the birthplace of the OHT at the top of Hare Mountain. This is a large flat camp area with a fire ring and, believe it or not, picnic tables.
After a leisurely breakfast on Sunday morning, we will head down the mountain. This section of the trail, from Hare Mountain to the Hare Mountain trailhead is our adopted section of the trail. Several maintenance outings each year help keep the trail clear of briars, weeds and litter. Feel free to help out if the mood strikes.
We will plan to have lunch at Spy Rock and enjoy the fantastic view of the Mulberry River Valley. A short hike on down to Redding Campground (and it’s showers) will finish our weekend excursion.
Leader Patty Rizzatto.
Contacting your outing leaders
Frank Vekas, FVekas@Yahoo.com, 369-3262
David Rudd, DRddPT@TulsaConnect.com, 445-1557
Gary Miller, dvloads@neok.com, 743-7633
Carol Shaw, cnshaw@valornet.com, 252-7599
Patty Rizzatto, Patty.Rizzatto@sbcglobal.net, 291-5719
David Porter, dwp35@cox.net, 691-6424
Paul Gray, PGrayOK@Mail.com, 295-9016.