Mark Twain National Forest - TrACS - Spring 2011
Project Leader: Bobby Woelz Project Dates: Jan 10 - May 13, 2011 Email address: RWoelz@thesca.org Phone: 208.608.6324
OTA Mega Event
The Ozark Trail Association - News:
Another Momentous Day
By: Kathie Brennan
View the original article by clicking here
05/15/11 08:05:07 PM
Yes, we DID IT AGAIN!!! It is amazing how AWESOME our OTA volunteers are at meeting and exceeding the goals we put before them. As 152 volunteers gathered at Bass’ River Resort in Crawford County we were greeted with receding waters and sunny skies in the anticipation of making history on the Berryman Trail this past weekend.
Even before the work day began Saturday, volunteers were already reaping the fruits of their labors by receiving a FREE pair of SMARTWOOL socks! The ER crew aka “Early Risers,” led by Todd Horn with co-leader Robert Smith, set out at 8:00 a.m. with 25 volunteers to complete the south re-route on the Berryman Trail. Then under a blue sky, OTA President Steve Coates welcomed everyone and introduced Angie Bono representing the Alpine Shop, the sponsor of yet another remarkable MEGA event. Also introduced were 6 members of the Student Conservation Association who had just completed their employment the day before and decided to finish up by joining up the OTA by building trail.
Co-Crew manager Kathie Brennan addressed the three rules in building trail: “Stay safe, have fun and build trail,” then challenged the group that if they completed what was at hand, then they will have finished two major re-routes of the Berryman Trail. Volunteers then broke into their respective crews, loading up into vehicles to “hit the trail.” along the new re-route sections. Crews converged on the north and south construction areas in full force and by noon were seeing results. By 3:00 p.m. Kathie declared the re-route completed, volunteers helped load tools and it was back to the campground for the evening festivities.
Before dinner, volunteers were each presented with a FREE OTA volunteer “You Couldn’t Pay Me to Do This” t-shirt. As usual, Chef Jeff Goetter provided another fine dinner of burgers, brats, and stuffed bell peppers. After dinner activities centered on celebrating milestones; Rick Henry was awarded his OTA Red Jacket for his participation with trail construction and maintenance events. Renee Wrest, the new Adopt-A-Trail coordinator was introduced, and we thanked Robert Smith for his dedication to the program. Then the Alpine Shop was given center stage as Angie Bono presented a check for $10,000 signifying the support the OTA had received for the MEGA. As always the much anticipated raffle and silent auction was a huge success, raising over $3,500 for the OTA. Then as we gathered around the bonfire listening to awesome bluegrass music supplied by the Wayward Moutaineers band, the stars were out along with flashes of lightening, but never did we feel the rain retiring to our tents later in the night.
This was our 15th Mega Event, and we still remember that it is without John Roth leading the charge. But the determination of many OTA volunteers has kept the passion alive and not without notice. Many, many thanks go out to Matt Atnip and Kathie Brennan for taking the lead along with all who assisted in the preparation of this event before, during and after the MEGA. The OTA is only going to be as good as its volunteers and we know that we have the MOST AWESOME volunteers that can be found. Thank you for all you do, OTA!
.... More photos can be found here: OTA Mega Event Photos on Flickr
Success Stories: Mark Twain National Forest Trail Work Completed by Student Conservation Association
Success Stories
Mark Twain National Forest Trail Work Completed by Student Conservation Association
By: By Ashlee Ransom on Jun 6, 2011
Original article can be found at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/ssrs/story?id=5860
Recovery Act funded Student Conservation Association to complete Trail Assessment and Condition Surveys on Mark Twain National Forest.
Mark Twain National Forest received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for a project with Student Conservation Association to assist with doing an inventory and maintaining the forest trail system by conducting Trail Assessment and Condition Surveys.
"Partnering with Student Conservation Association not only helps Mark Twain National forest with trail system maintenance, but it creates student employment opportunities and encourages students to become stewards of the land," said Nancy Feakes, Mark Twain National Forest recreation manager.
Mark Twain National Forest offers numerous outdoor recreational opportunities for the public including various trails consisting of hiking trails, multi-use trails that are slared by hikers, horseback riders and mountain bkikers, motorized vehicle trails, and one water trail.
As an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project, Student Conservation Association crews have collected information on trail conditions since middle of February 2011.
Data collected will show where all trail features and hazards are located, and include recommendations for where trails need to be repaired, relocated, or decommissioned. Crews also used Global Positioning Systems to provide more precise location points on trails in order to create accurate public maps.
"Without organizations like Student Conservation Association, forests could not accomplish as much work on extensive trail system," said Leon LaVigne. LaVigne is the trails program manager for the Eastern Region, USDA Forest Service, which includes Mark Twain National Forest.
The mission of Student Conservation Association is "to build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of our environment and communities by engaging young people in hands-on service to the land."
"This is my fourth time participating on a Student Conservation Association crew," said Nettina Conkey from Happy Camp, California. "I love to hike on trails and I feel good knowing that I played a role in maintaining them."
Feakes said Student Conservation Association crews will not be able to survey all of Mark Twain National Forest's trail system, but their work will go a long way in helping the Forest Service achieve that goal.
"This project will allow the forest to address critical deferred maintenance and safety concerns, and to enhance visitors experience on Mark Twain National Forest trails," Feakes said.
For more information, visit Mark Twain National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/mtnf
Special Thanks to:
The Student Conservation Association would like to acknowledge the people who made it possible for a successful 2011 TrACS season in Mark Twain National Forest. It would be impossible to name each individual who contributed in some way to an enriching experience in southern Missouri, however, the following list of people deserve extra thanks for their time and effort spent helping the team along their journey:
Tyler Lobdell, Program Manager of SCA Conservation Corps Trails, supported the team efficiently and effectively, even from a distance. His diligence, logistics organization, answering countless questions, and orchestrating all the behind-the-scenes magic empowered the team to be well prepared and field ready.
Heidi Brill, Previous SCA TrACS Project Leader, pioneered the SCA Missouri TrACS program in the fall of 2010. We benefitted greatly from her advice and the field and office gear she left us—they solved many issues before we even had them. Heidi also provided expert guidance to TrACS project leaders prior to the start of the season.
Tim Carroll, Project Leader of SCA IL TrACS Team, is owed a great debt of gratitude for managing both IL and MO TrACS during training and the first few weeks of the season. Without Tim’s exceptional attention to detail, organization, and indomitable spirit we would have had a very rocky start to the season.
Nancy Feakes, Recreation Manager for Mark Twain National Forest, helped with project logistics, receiving gear/mail, and informed us of fun cultural events to attend.
James Murrell, Wilderness Technician for Mark Twain National Forest, aided the team immensely in project logistics, housing, local cultural events, highlighted maps and project locations.
Wilmer Scott, Wilderness and Trails Manager for Mark Twain National Forest, served as the main agency contact and was instrumental in developing the SCA TrACS program in Mark Twain National Forest. In addition to answering many questions along the way Scotty assisted the team out in the field.
"Beautiful Trail" Music Video
Special Thanks to Tim Carroll and Heidi Brill for getting us started
Very Special Thanks to the Mark Twain National Forest and, of course, the SCA
Beautiful Trail
The forest's in bloom
Many species to be found
But make some room
Need to clear this brush somehow
You're out of luck
Trenched tread made you stop and stare
The water is stuck
And it's not moving anywhere
You thought you'd found a trail
To take you out of this trench
Somewhere the check dams would, not fail
With a grade less intense
It's a beautiful trail
Hazard trees we mark them
It's a beautiful trail
My GORP is getting stale
We're on a road
And the trail needs a new location
We're in the mud
Our destination is conservation
Love each tree
Even if that doesn't seem true
Hazard Trees falllll over
And they might fall over you
It's a beautiful trail
Don't let it wash away
It was a beautiful trail
(Whoooooohooooooooooohooooo)
Drain dips
Take water to another place
Wheel me
I want to know our mileage pace
See the world in SCA blue
See task codes right in front of you
See hazard trees dropping their boughs
See a water bar that needs cleaning out
See the fire rings by daylight
See the travelers camping there at night
See a section that needs a re-route
After the work all the hikers came out
It was a beautiful trail
We're gonna tracs all day
Beautiful trail
Read me
What's our mileage wheel say?
Three miles
It's time for productivity
What the trail needs we will log right now
With GPS they will find somehow
What the trail needs we will log right now
We will log right now...
Was a beautiful trail...
Miles Wheeler and the SoMO TrACerS: Bobby, Danny, Nettina, Miles Wheeler (the wheel)Concept by SCA Missouri TrACS 2011 (and long truck rides...)
Lyrics adapted by Danny and Bobby
Video by Danny , Bobby, Nettina, and Miles Wheeler
Vocals by Danny
Editing by Danny
Produced by Tyler Lobdell
and a Special Thanks to a karaoke version of U2's "Beautiful Day"
Victory is ours!
The thunderstorms finally broke, the flooding has gone down, and the team was able to successfully complete surveys of the Ozark Victory Trail and the Victory Horse Trail this week. This was the team’s final field hitch. The team was able to survey a total of 22 trails this season for a grand total of 76.91 miles surveyed!
Here is a list of all trails completed this season:
• Council Bluff (Potosi District) 12.0 miles
• Bell Mountain (Potosi District) 8.3 miles
• Bell Mountain Connector (Potosi District) 1.0 miles
• Hercules Glades: Blair Ridge (Ava District) 2.74 miles
• Hercules Glades: Pees Hollow (Ava District) 5.53 miles
• Hercules Glades: Pete Hollow (Ava District) 1.32 miles
• Hercules Glades: Tower (Ava District) 6.66 miles
• Kaintuck: Squirrel (Houston District) 0.50 miles
• Kaintuck: Acorn (Houston District) 5.23 miles
• Kaintuck: Butterfly (Houston District) 1.57 miles
• Kaintuck: Cedar (Houston District) 3.39 miles
• Kaintuck: Grouse (Houston District) 1.63 miles
• Kaintuck: Oak Leaf (Houston District) 0.84 miles
• Kaintuck: Red Bird (Houston District) 0.55 miles
• Mill Creek (Houston District) 0.55 miles
• Cole Creek East (Houston District) 5.36 miles
• Cole Creek West (Houston District) 6.07 miles
• Lane Creek: Blossom Rock (Houston District) 1.08 miles
• Lane Creek: Cedar Bluff (Houston District) 1.37 miles
• Slabtown Bluff (Houston District) 1.71 miles
• Victory Ozark (Poplar Bluff District) 3.18 miles
• Victory Horse (Poplar Bluff District) 6.33 miles
Mother Nature Fights Back! (4/22/11)
Air raid sirens pushed us down into the basement last night due to a tornado in the area… only to discover our basement was slowly filling with water...
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
733 PM CDT FRI APR 22 2011
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL SHANNON AND NORTH CENTRAL OREGON COUNTIES...
AT 730 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A TORNADO 6 MILES EAST OF WINONA...OR 27 MILES EAST OF MOUNTAIN VIEW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE WINONA.
________________________________________
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
540 PM CDT FRI APR 22 2011
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS.
.DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.
THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER RISK LEVEL IS...SIGNIFICANT.
WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED...
THE HAIL RISK IS SIGNIFICANT.
THE FLOODING RISK IS SIGNIFICANT.
THE TORNADO RISK IS ELEVATED.
THE THUNDERSTORM WIND RISK IS ELEVATED.
THE LIGHTNING RISK IS SIGNIFICANT.
DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED INTO FAR SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI TO THE NORTHEAST INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI EARLY THIS EVENING. AHEAD OF THE FRONT A WARM AND MOIST AIR MASS IS IN PLACE WITH STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS REMAINING POSSIBLE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT THIS EVENING.
SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE EARLY THIS EVENING AS THEY CONTINUE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT IN COUNTIES ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM SENECA TO ELDON MISSOURI. THE STORMS WILL THEN LIKELY FORM INTO A LINE OR BROKEN LINE BY MID EVENING AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSOURI OZARKS. VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN OR PUSH SOUTH AND EAST OF THE REGION LATE THIS EVENING WITH A DIMINISHING SEVERE STORM RISK. HOWEVER...AS THE FRONT STALLS THERE WILL BE THE THREAT OF LINGERING HEAVY RAIN OVER FAR SOUTHERN MISSOURI IN COUNTIES CLOSE TO THE ARKANSAS STATE LINE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
OUR WEATHER PATTERN WILL REMAIN VERY ACTIVE THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK AS A SURFACE FRONT BECOMES NEARLY STATIONARY ACROSS THE OZARKS REGION. SEVERAL ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL OF FOUR TO SIX INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS IS EXPECTED. THIS WILL RESULT IN A HIGH RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA.
ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH A RISK FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND POTENTIALLY SOME SEVERE WEATHER.
LOCAL INTERESTS ARE URGED TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REGARDING THE POTENTIAL FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AND RESULTANT RISK OF FLOODING.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF A SENECA TO ELDON MISSOURI LINE.
________________________________________
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
434 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2011
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
DENT COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI...
DOUGLAS COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI...
EASTERN WEBSTER COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI...
NORTHERN HOWELL COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI...
SHANNON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI...
SOUTHEASTERN LACLEDE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI...
SOUTHERN PHELPS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI...
SOUTHERN PULASKI COUNTY IN CENTRAL MISSOURI...
TEXAS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI...
WRIGHT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI...
* UNTIL 1100 PM CDT.
* AT 426 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WAS PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING ACROSS THE WARNED AREA.
* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL IS CAUSING FLASH FLOODING. CREEKS...STREAMS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS WILL BE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE DANGERS OF FLASH FLOODING.
THIS WARNING INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING LOW WATER CROSSINGS...
ROUTE KK AT GLADDEN CREEK JUST NORTH OF AKERS...
ROUTE E NORTH OF HIGHWAY 38 AT THE GASCONADE RIVER...
ROUTE FF AT HUNTER CREEK EAST OF AVA...
ROUTE FF AT TURKEY CREEK EAST OF AVA...
ROUTE Y AT COWSKIN CREEK 3 MILES WEST OF AVA...
ROUTE H AT ROCKY CREEK 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF WINONA...
ROUTE H AT THOMAS HOLLOW 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF WINONA...
ROUTE J AT PARKS CREEK 2 MILES EAST OF MORGAN...
ROUTE Y...4 MILES NORTHWEST OF MOUNTAIN VIEW...
ROUTE M AT PARKS CREEK NEAR GROVESPRING.
FLOODING CONTINUES TO OCCUR FROM HEAVY RAIN THAT FELL ON FRIDAY EVENING. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL FROM TODAYS THUNDERSTORMS WILL RESULT IN RENEWED RAPID RISES IN FLOODED AREAS...ESPECIALLY LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
THIS FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN ADDITION TO THE AREAL FLOOD WARNING THAT IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SAME AREA. THIS FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS BEING ISSUED DUE TO ADDITIONAL RAPID RISES ON CREEKS...STREAMS...AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS OVER THE WARNED AREA...INCLUDING AREAS THAT MAY ALREADY BE FLOODED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY AUTOMOBILE.
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
IN HILLY TERRAIN THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS WHICH ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY RAIN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL ACROSS FLOODED ROADS. FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW INCHES OF SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.
________________________________________
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
739 PM CDT FRI APR 22 2011
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN SHANNON COUNTY...
AT 735 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF EMINENCE...OR 23 MILES EAST OF MOUNTAIN VIEW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE ALLEY SPRING...BIRCH TREE...EMINENCE... MONTIER...TERESITA...WEST EMINENCE AND WINONA.
________________________________________
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
739 PM CDT FRI APR 22 2011
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN SHANNON COUNTY...
AT 735 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF EMINENCE...OR 23 MILES EAST OF MOUNTAIN VIEW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE ALLEY SPRING...BIRCH TREE...EMINENCE... MONTIER...TERESITA...WEST EMINENCE AND WINONA.
________________________________________
SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
706 PM CDT FRI APR 22 2011
.NOW...
THROUGH 9 PM...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT SOUTHEAST OF A JOPLIN TO HERMITAGE TO VIENNA MISSOURI LINE THIS EVENING. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 40 MPH AS THE COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO PUSH TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST THIS EVENING. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINES WINDS...VERY LARGE HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AS A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING FOR SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MISSOURI.
________________________________________
WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION FOR WATCH 179
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
554 PM CDT FRI APR 22 2011
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXTENDED TORNADO WATCH 179 TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING AREAS UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING
IN MISSOURI THIS WATCH INCLUDES 3 COUNTIES IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI; HOWELL, OREGON, SHANNON
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...ALTON...EMINENCE...THAYER... WEST PLAINS...WILLOW SPRINGS AND WINONA.
________________________________________
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
334 PM CDT FRI APR 22 2011
...EXCESSIVE RAINFALL EXPECTED OVER THE MISSOURI OZARKS THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...
.THE WEATHER PATTERN WILL REMAIN FAVORABLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK FOR SEVERAL ROUNDS OF HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS.
WIDESPREAD STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE FORECAST TO RANGE FROM THREE TO SEVEN INCHES THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY THROUGH THE WEEKEND POTENTIALLY SETTING THE STAGE FOR A DANGEROUS EPISODE OF FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING.
THIS ACTIVE WEATHER WILL OCCUR IN RESPONSE TO A FRONTAL SYSTEM THAT IS EXPECTED TO MEANDER ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI OVER THE NEXT FIVE DAYS. THIS FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL INTERACT WITH HIGH AMOUNTS OF GULF MOISTURE TO PRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON...
THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES * THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON
* THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS FORECASTING STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF THREE TO SEVEN INCHES THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT THE REGION ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS THROUGH THE EASTER WEEKEND.
* THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER THE OZARK TERRAIN WILL POTENTIALLY LEAD TO DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODING. SMALL STREAMS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS WILL BE PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING.
THOSE WITH RECREATIONAL PLANS NEAR AREA RIVERS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR RIVER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. DO NOT CROSS LOW WATER CROSSINGS THAT ARE FLOODED. TURN AROUND... DONT DROWN.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
________________________________________
FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
227 PM CDT FRI APR 22 2011
...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN MISSOURI...
BIG PINEY RIVER AT FORT LEONARD WOOD AFFECTING PULASKI COUNTY.
THE JACKS FORK RIVER AT ALLEY SPRING AFFECTING SHANNON COUNTY.
HEAVY RAINFALL LAST NIGHT HAS CAUSED RIVER LEVELS TO RISE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH FLOWING WATER. NEARLY HALF OF ALL FLOOD FATALITIES ARE VEHICLE RELATED. AS LITTLE AS 6 INCHES OF WATER MAY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE. TWO FEET OF WATER WILL CARRY MOST VEHICLES AWAY.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE JACKS FORK AT ALLEY SPRING.
* AT 1:30 PM FRIDAY THE STAGE WAS 6.6 FEET.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 9.0 FEET.
* FORECAST...THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO NEAR FLOOD STAGE THIS EVENING.
* IMPACT...AT 9.0 FEET...FLOOD STAGE. WATER IMPACTS ALLEY SPRING CAMPGROUND.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Forcast Provided by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Return to Hercules Glades Wilderness
Pete Hollow Trail: 1.32 miles
Tower Trail: 6.66 miles
Tower Trail proved to be an epic endeavor; hiking 14.6 miles in one day! (Click here to view our Incredible Hiking Stats!)
Incredible Daily Hiking Stats (4/12/11)
- Tower Trail, Hercules Glades Wilderness
- Length TrACed: 6.66 miles
- Total Time:
- 9hr. 54min. (Stopped for: 3hr. 33min.)
- Moving Avg.:
- 2.3 mph. (Overall Avg. 1.5 mph.)
- Elevation Gain:
- 1,261 ft.
Blossom Rock, Cedar Bluff, Cole Creek, Mill Creek, & Slabtown Bluff
The team has bid farewell to the Roby Lookout Station. We have moved back to the Ava District Ranger Station and have begun working on the Hercules Glades Wilderness trails once again. Spring never did come to southern Missouri and it went from winter straight into summer. Highlights this hitch included: caves, frogs, wood peckers, blossom rock, and the Mill Creek artesian well. This hitch we also welcomed SCA Alternative Spring Break Project Coordinator, Anna Hendricks, into the field for a short site visit while she made her way across the country from Florida back to the Boise Office.
Trails we completed this hitch:
Blossom Rock: 1.08 Miles
Cedar Bluff: 1.37 Miles
Cole Creek West: 6.07 Miles
Mill Creek: 0.55 Miles
Slabtown Bluff: 1.71 Miles
Hitch Total: 10.78 Miles
Site Information
Mark Twain National Forest
401 Fairgrounds Rd.
Rolla, MO 65401
SCA TrACKS Team
C:208.608.6324
Project Dates: Jan 10 - May 13, 2011
Kaintuck Hollow (3/21/11 - 3/29/11)
The team has completed surveys of the Kaintuck Hollow Trails and have also begun surveying the Cole Creek East & West loops.
Located south of the Mill Creek Recreation Area, the Kaintuck Hollow Trails lead through a predominately oak forest with some hickory, cedar, and short leaf pine trees. At Mill Creek Recreation Area you can taste water from an artesian well or go visit Wilkins Spring Pond. A highlight in the area is a 175 foot long natural tunnel (which we elected to not to walk through because Mark Twain National Forest currently has closed all caves due to the white nose fungus affecting bats).
Trails Surveyed this hitch:
Acorn: 5.23 miles
Butterfly: 1.57 miles
Cedar: 3.39 miles
Grouse: 1.63 miles
Oak Leaf: 0.84 miles
Red Bird: 0.55 miles
Cole Creek East: 5.36 miles
Cole Creek West: 1.62 miles (estimated remaining: 5.0 miles)
Total of 20.19 miles surveyed this hitch!
Hercules Glades Wilderness (3/11/11 - 3/15/11)
The Hercules Glades Wilderness is a 12,315 acre area located in the Ava District of Mark Twain National Forest. Eastern redcedar and oak trees are abundant and mixed with areas of open glades with tall prairie grasses. Our time in the Hercules Glades Wilderness was short but productive. We completed surveys of two trails: Blair Ridge (2.74 miles) and Pees Hollow (5.53 miles) for a total of 8.27 miles of trail. We have now moved on to the Rolla District and begun surveys of the Kaintuck Hollow trails. Stay tuned for our next update.
Bell Mountain Wilderness (3/3/11 - 3/11/11)
The Team has completed their survey of 9.3 miles of trail through the Bell Mountain Wilderness. Bell Mountain is a 9,027 acre wilderness area with elevations that range from 1,702 feet at the summit of Bell Mountain to 970 feet in Joe’s Creek drainage.
Nothing can stop our TrACS Team from conducting our surveys. With morning temperatures below freezing the team hiked over 40 miles through freezing rains, gusty winds and even a little snow to complete our surveys of the Bell Mountain Wilderness trails (and we are all ready for Spring to arrive!). With Bell Mountain behind us the Team has now moved to the Ava Ranger District and has begun surveying trails in the Hercules Glades Wilderness… stay tuned for our next update!
Council Bluff Trail (2/22/11 - 3/2/11)
Circles are something we are all quite familiar with in the SCA. It is a staple of our training and work days playing games to get to know our neighbors, or just stay warm for a few minutes. It is how we stretch and discuss the movies we are most embarrassed we have not seen (that would be Casablanca for me). It’s how we “take five”. So naturally the TrACS team was well prepared, on frosty morning in February, to begin our season by surveying the Council Bluff Trail—a 12 mile loop meandering around Council Bluff Lake. Following the lake shore for the most part, this trail has been designed for hikers and mountain bikers. The elevation stays fairly consistent although there are some pretty intense grade changes from time to time. The trail has access through a popular recreation near Potosi, as well as several camping, swimming, and fishing areas.
For this first hitch we would be tackling the TrACS survey as a combined crew of five and putting our newly acquired skills to the test. Unbeknownst to us, we’d also be putting our tolerance for wet and cold to the test. The m.o. for MO seemed to be rain and cold for most of this first hitch. We all got very good at writing on waterproof paper with fingers either frozen or heavily gloved. I can safely say that we all became intimately familiar with certain “task codes”—a combination of letters and numbers that signifies a trail feature and what, if any, maintenance needs to do be done on it. Drain dips, hazard trees, trenched tread, and bermed tread made frequent appearances in our surveys. Moreover, we all became much more adept at spotting trail features and knowing where to suggest them in order to improve an unhealthy section of trail. Tthis is one of the most interesting and fun parts of our job; it’s like we are trail doctors, diagnosing and prescribing treatments for everything that ails a trail. Of course there is the hiking too. We’d usually end up hiking at least 3 or 4 miles each day, but sometime as much as 8—not bad for a days work on hitch 1!
About 500 drain dips and hazard trees later we were done and the sun was even shining! It took us about 7 days to finish those 12 miles of surveying. Place a check next to Council Bluff…On to BELL MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS…
Corps Member Training - Tuscon, Arizona (2/8/11 - 2/14/11)
On February 8th a big group of us from many different SCA programs arrived in Tuscon, Arizona for six exciting days of corps member training. We learned all about the SCA and the member hand book, how to drive safe and drive smart, the field operation standards, risk management and so much more. Some of us took a “Leave No Trace Trainer Course” while some took the always thrilling “Wilderness First Aid” And of course there were many, many fun group games played!
On February 14 those of us doing TRACS (trails assessment and condition surveys) in Missouri and Illinois took off for Rolla Missouri for three fun filled days of TRACS training with the forest service. We learned about the GPS and all the paper work.
Nettina Conkey - Corps Member
Nettina grew up amongst the forests, mountains and creeks of northern California. She discovered the SCA in 1998 when she did a high school crew in Zion National Park, Utah. She has been in love with the SCA ever since. Nettina enjoys the outdoors in many ways. Hiking to explore what’s around the next bend in the trail, sleeping under the stars and making a quilt in the shade of a tree on a hot summer day.
Danny Riser-Espinoza - Corps Member
Danny joins the Missouri TRACS program from the small coastal village of Waldoboro, ME. After laying his math books to rest at Swarthmore College in 2009, Danny spent some time wandering around the northeast. Eventually he found himself on the SCA Massachusetts Central Crew doing trail work from the Berkshires to Martha's Vineyard. Unable to put down his pick-mattock, he spent the fall working on a trail crew for the Massachusetts Audubon Society. With winter setting in he was forced to retreat indoors and take on some statistics and population modeling for Guarnaccia Ecological Services. He very much looks forward to meeting his crew, breaking in some new boots, and mapping the forests of Missouri.
Bobby Woelz - Project Leader
Bobby received his start in conservation by volunteering on an ecological reserve in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve of Guatemala with the non-profit organization, Volunteer Petén. While receiving his degree in Anthropology from Metropolitan State College of Denver he interned with Fifth Sun Development Fund as an Environmental Anthropologist in the rural villages of Northern Mexico. This is Bobby’s third season with the SCA, previously serving in the Fire Program as an Individual Placement and as a Project Leader. He is a passionate outdoor enthusiast, conservationist, and is a certified Wildland Firefighter, Wilderness First Responder, and a Leave No Trace Master Educator. When he’s not surveying trails throughout the forest, you might find him rock climbing at Jackson Falls.
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| Nettina Conkey - Corps Member |
| Danny Riser-Espinoza - Corps Member |
| Bobby Woelz - Project Leader |
