On Sunday August 10 State of Ohio Operations Manager Alan Ferguson told us that he'd been successful in securing the use of three "boom mowers" to clear the trail. This has never happened before.  Normally the only "boom mower" available to the Little Miami State Park is the one specifically assigned to Caesar Creek, Cowan Lake, and Little Miami State Park --- "Big Blue".

A "boom " or "side-arm" mower is mounted on a long hydraulic arm, similar to a backhoe arm, which  allows it to not only mow the grass, but also cut the encroaching vegetation vertically, and "mow" any overhang --- while remaining on the safer surface of the trail.

So beginning Tuesday July 12, "Big Blue" was joined by "Big Red" and "Big Yellow".  On "Big Red" we had Rusty Cain of Caesar Creek State Park, on "Big Red" we had Jerry Leeth from the State Park South Construction Crew, and on "Big Yellow" we had Christy Evans from Shawnee State Park --- sounds like a bull-riding contest.

In addition, over the past three weeks, Nick and Ken removed over 50 trees and swept the trail behind the boom mowers.

I can give personal testimony to the work that's been done.  On Sunday August 17 as I was riding past Morgan's Campground at Strout Road, I saw these three "boom mowers" parked along side the trail.  As I continued north, the results of their work were dramatic --- particularly from Little Miami Canoe north into Oregonia.

So our thanks go out to Alan Ferguson for securing these three "boom mowers" and to those who so skillfully operated them.