[RC] The AL Yellowhammer and Trails - Truman Prevatt
I had a great ride at the AL Yellowhammer and am ready to announce that
the Jbird is back. He did everything just like he did before the WN and
we are getting ready to rock and roll:-).
But the big news of the weekend comes at an odd juxtaposition with the
bad news about trail problems in the west. Two years ago SERA and the
Shole creek ranger district of the Talladega NF forged a working
partnership. This partnership shows what that land managers and riders
working together can move mountains.
With lots of work from volunteers and few bucks from SERA to split the
cost for material to put in place 5 bridges, we now have a brand new
(actually rerouted ) trail in the TNF. This trail is an absolute blast
to ride, it provides recreational opportunities for all horse back
riders and it is constructed in such a way (this is where the bridges
come in) to insure good water quality and safety from the endangers
mussels and darters in the streams. Everybody wins.
To my surprise on Friday night the head ranger at the Shole creek
ranger district presented SERA with a very nice plaque and I've
included the wording below.
Presented
To
THE
SOUTHEAST
ENDURANCE
RIDERS ASSOCIATION
IN
RECOGNITION OF AQUATIC RESOURCES STEWARDSHIP FOR YOUR EXEMPLARY AND
PROACTIVE
EFFORT IN TRAIL RELOCATION
AND
BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION ON THE
WARDEN
STATION HORSE TRAIL SYSTEM
Presented
October 31, 2003
By:
SHOAL
CREEK RANGER DISTRICT
TALLADEGE
NATIONAL FOREST
While I
hate to name names it is two people that were instrumental in this
effort. Joe Schoech, the chairman of the SERA trails committee works
tirelessly promoting trails. Sarah Engsberg has spent the majority of
the past two years exploring new trail, clearing new trail, building
bridges. I also hear she is one mean mamma with a chain saw.
Every horseman (not just endurance riders) in the Southeast owes these
two people a special thanks for their tireless efforts.
It can be done. Working together with land managers, we can move
mountains.