Countdown To Ouachita

This time next week I will be singing the praises of the OC and re-living the days events.  The trip to this historic forest shall commence  on Friday around noon with the Element packed full of gear for a comfortable weekend at the Ouachita River Haven Resort.  Camp on the river for only $5.50 per night.  What a deal!!!

Commemorating this historic cycling event (in my opinion), I feel a duty to learn about the history of the Ouachitas and any stories surrounding the trails I will be spending most of the day on.  To start, a quick google of Ouachita National Forest leads me to the Wiki article.  Right away, I learn that the Ouachita forest is the oldest national forest in the southern US.  The Ouachita range runs east and west, not north and south like the more popularly known Appalachian and Rocky ranges.

Another interesting piece of info is that Ouachita is the French vernacular of Washita.  An indian word (not sure which tribe) meaning "good hunting ground".  I suppose this enforces the fact that we have to wear bright jersey's or hunting vests during the ride as required by the race organizers. 

The Ouachita trail is the most extensive network encompassing 223 miles.  2/3rd's of which are available to us MTB fiends.  The western most end of the trail finishes at Talimena state park and the eastern ending at Pinnacle Mountain State Park in central Arkansas.  Another interesting point in the Ouachita's is the Cassatot River.  Cassatot is an Indian word for "Skull Crusher" and is known to be the most difficult white water rafting stream between the Smokey and Rocky mountains.  This area is located in Howard county Arkansas and passes through the Ouachita forest. 

Early weather reports indicate we are in for a day of bliss.  Highs in the mid 70's with a 10% chance of rain.  As of now, the rain will come on Thursda and leave the weekend dry.
I will be doing some trail recording with the Oregon Scientific 2K camera so expect some great views and exciting singletrack action. 

What a great way to start off the season.