Protect Our Back-Country Roads
This past Saturday featured two events that attracted weekend visitors to the Bay. Boati Gras, featuring elaborately decorated pontoon boats fit for Marti Gras itself, has become a staple among our festivals and events. Those festivities began at 5 p.m.
Poker Run, a new event for UTV’s, debuted at 11 a.m. By 10 a.m. eager out of town participants began to arrive at Woodland Mead Park with their recreational vehicles in tow. Local UTV enthusiasts began to congregate a short time later.
Poker Run is a scavenger hunt of sorts designed to introduce UTV enthusiasts to our back-country roads. Participants stop at each of nine designated stations along our many miles of unimproved back-country roads. At each station they draw one card from a standard deck of playing cards. The best hand wins big. The low hand gets a nice participation prize.
Participants began to return to Woodland Mead Park by about 2 p.m. ready for hamburgers, hotdogs and the trimmings. The day ended on a high note with participants expressing their thanks and vowing to come back next year.
Poker Run makes use of one of the Bay’s heretofore underutilized resources–miles of undeveloped roads. The Bay features the very best place within driving distance of the Little Rock and Memphis metropolitan areas where UTV enthusiasts can ride all day and never go over the same ground twice.
Our back-country roads, when fully utilized (not only for UTV’s, but for mountain bikes, horseback rides, and hiking) will bring many more vacationers and weekend visitors to Fairfield Bay. These roads can become an important asset to our local economy, but the Community Club Board needs YOUR help to make that happen.
Over the past several months members of the Board have worked to lay out three unique trails for back-country riders and hikers. Each trail has a map available at the trail head. The maps have numbered directional signs at every juncture along the way. An arrow tells you which way to go; the number allows you to identify your location on your trail map. Knowing your precise location becomes all-important for assistance if you become lost, have a breakdown, or sustain an injury.
Here is the problem. A number of the trail signs have been removed or vandalized. Last Saturday, because trail signs had been removed, two separate teams of Poker Run participants became lost.
By the time they happened upon one of the card-collection sites, they were confused and headed in the wrong direction. We need your help to solve this problem and keep our trails safe.
Whether you ride, hike, or just happen by, please report any vandalism, missing sign, or trash by calling 884-6010; ask to speak to Rocky. You may help someone who’s lost or, more importantly, make it possible for someone to tell 9ll exactly where along the trail to send our emergency responders.
Before long we will be organizing a group of “Trail Watch” volunteers. If you have a UTV or ATV and like to ride, watch for the coming announcement and help make our back-country trails a great attraction to Fairfield Bay.
Fairfield Bay Community Club
Board of Directors