Tea Table Rocks/Home Valley Bluff Update

I just talked with Edd French, who owns a part of Home Valley Bluff right next to Tea Table Rocks. He did not sell his land and said for me to tell folks that it is OK to access the bluff via his road and land as long as you get either his permission or mine first. (not sure why he included me but I can be a shortcut for folks who don't want to contact Edd directly - but of course it will cost ya!) The road going in got hit hard by the ice and is impassable. I will try to get in this week and do some chainsaw work on the road so that folks can get through some of it.

Just FYI, Alum Cove and Round Top Mountain trails as well as Kings Bluff trail are pretty much covered with ice damage debris and impassable. Pedestal Rocks has been cut open for a while now but the forest service wants to have a timber sale in there and is saying they will write tickets if you hike any of those trails - I'm shaking in my boots. They are finally admitting now that some of the OHT may be open - our volunteers have put in several thousand hours and I've spent many thousands of dollars of our volunteer club's money buying chain saws and supplies and am happy to report that THE ENTIRE TRAIL is now open with the exception of a short stretch between Falling Water Creek and Richland Creek Campground, and also the last four miles of the trail that is on a park service road to Woolum. The rest of the trail is open for hiking!

Hey Tim, could your group just go ahead and fix that slide area near Falling Water Creek while you're at it? Sounds like if you want something done in the area you've got to call your volunteers to get it done!

I know I don't live in the area or get to use the trails often but that won't stop me from thanking you and the entire volunteer corp for your unselfish efforts for the benefit of thousands of others!

A timber sale at pedestal rocks? You have got to be kidding me.

I wish I was. And it fact we've been told that they are NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH any stick of wood in these recreation areas until an environmental study has been done - which is required by law before they can put out a contract to sell the timber. The forest service these days is all about selling trees and burning down the forest - in fact a full 50% of their budget right now is for FIRE. The other half is almost all for timber. They seem to forget that timber is only 1/7th of their mandate, which includes RECREATION. We've had to sort of go in under cover of darkness to cut out access to some of the trailheads along the Ozark Highlands Trail as a result. It is really crazy. We'll be fighting them tooth and nail to keep them from doing a timber sale along the entire length of the OHT - in fact the trail is protected, but they have ignored this fact lately and continue to cut and burn within our protected corridor. They will do all of this under the umbrella of "public safety" of course so the media will buy it, but it really is all about money - they need more of it to buy more matches, ha!

Thanks for the update Tim and all your efforts on the trails. I appreciate it. I hope all goes well with pedestal rocks - kings bluff since this is one of my favorite spots to hike and photogragh.

I just don't know what this world is coming too

That's good news Tim - about Tea Table Rocks that is...I was just thinking about them yesterday. Being at such a high elevation, I figured it would likely be impassable, permission or not. But luckily, it does have a southern exposure, which might have prevented even worse conditions from developing. I got to thinking about it while I was trying to make my way back after scouting the trail (or what used to be a trail) to Teakettle Falls. I was able to get only about halfway, to where I at least had some Dutchman's Breeches, Rue Animone and Trout Lillies to shoot. I must say that I am quite saddened by the condition along Warm Fork - total devastation. What used to be one of the nicest secluded, uncrowded places to photograph is now a massive entanglement of trees of all sizes, and debris. It will not likely return to the condition I remember for the remainder of my lifetime If anyone else wants to give the falls a go, your best bet may be coming in from the top. I noticed some dozer tracks at the first creek crossing (coming from the usual low-water parking area), so the main Teakettle loop may be passable.

At this point, I'm not looking forward to what lies ahead the rest of the spring...

Thanks for the update, Tim. Since I do not have Edd French's contact information, I guess I will be calling you for permission.

Good to hear access may be opening up to Tea Table Rocks. I have never been there. Glad to hear Tim has the keys to the gate!

Things look pretty bad right now, seems like everything north of I-40 is a basket case for the foreseeable future.

Speaking of Home Valley Bluff has everyone had the opportunity to see the movie "The Buffalo Flows"?
Edd French is in the film showing off this area.
There is also a segment on a mountainman-photographer that lives in the area.

It is a beautiful and informative movie and well worth the $20.00.

Good job Tim and a big THANK YOU for the time and effort you and Pam put forth on the OHT and other areas that we take for granted.

Clayton, I showed it (well, most of it) to all six of my chemistry classes last Friday (day before spring break). I would like to think that the appreciation for the mighty Buffalo and its natural and cultural history will continue for generations to come. That section on the fat photographer dude at the Crag...I just fast forwarded through that. The less competition I have, the better! Just kidding, Tim, that was one of their favorite parts!

As noted earlier, I can report that one can't begin to realize the magnitude of the ice storm damage until you actually get out and try to walk in it. The people that have volunteered to work on cutting-out the OHT are heroes of the first order. What a tremendous amount of work!!! Thanks to the Ernsts and all the others that have volunteered their time, energy, and sweat, it will be easy for the rest of us.