The idea of bringing back endurance riding to the trails of Alabama's Talladega National Forest was first brainstormed in the fall of 2001. There had not been an endurance ride held in this forest since the Talladega Tempest in 1993 (anyone who was there remembers the blistering hot temperatures that prevailed).

A group of interested riders and potential and past ride managers decided to take up the causeÑTamra and Joe Schoech and Sarah Hunt Engsberg, ride managers of the Alabama Yellowhammer at Talladega; Brian Bourne, ride manager of the War Eagle Endurance Ride in Tuskegee National Forest, Alabama; and Candace Bourne of Trails for the Future, Inc.

We approached the forest service at their local office in Heflin, Alabama. We were interested in starting a dialogue about organizing volunteer work days to help the forest service with whatever they needed and to discuss the future possibility of having a ride. They were open to discussion, and we were ready and willing to work.

Since that time we have scheduled three to five work days per year, held the first endurance ride in the fall of 2002 and one every year since, and formed a very successful partnership with the land managers and the user groups. We believe this partnership has flourished because we have been consistent and persistent in our dedication to helping the land managers achieve their goal of protecting resources while allowing us to pursue our recreational outlet.

This partnership has resulted in the complete renovation and rerouting of two loops of trails of 16 and 22 miles, and adding six miles to the existing mileage by designing along the contours rather that against them. We paid an engineer to walk in front of the dozer to lay out the more difficult parts of the trail in very hilly conditions, supplied materials and labor for horse-friendly bridges that cross sensitive water resources on the 16-mile loop, and had electricity and water brought into the trailhead camp area.

The ride managers of the Alabama Yellowhammer ride are pleased to announce a new partner in the continuing efforts to improve the trails and trailhead at the Warden Station Horse Camp in the Talladega National Forest. The current partnership, which includes the United States Forest Service, the Southeast Endurance Riders Association (SERA), and Trails for the Future, Inc., is excited to welcome Auburn University's senior class of Biosystems Engineering students.

Each year the outgoing senior class accepts project proposals from outside interests to fulfill their course work for graduation. We are thrilled to have been chosen as one of their "clients" for the spring semester. The stated purpose of this project is to create a design narrative and master plan that will serve as guidelines for construction and improvement projects in the horse camp. These projects will include facility upgrades, accessibility implementation, interpretive services, trail construction, spatial arrangements, watershed management, and pedestrian, equine and vehicular circulation issues.

The overall plan for facility upgrades is that they will be implemented in several stages over time, as funding becomes available. We will be seeking grants and doing fundraising to supplement the forest service's budget, as well as supplying volunteer labor. These upgrades outlined include but are not limited to: a dump station, high-ties, fire rings, a fee station and campground host, separate day use parking, bathhouses, identification of additional camping loops, and full hookups with electricity and water. Important road and parking projects will include improving two-way traffic, a safe entrance and exit, "big rig" friendly loops with back-in and pull-through parking, and horse-friendly road surfaces.

The first on-site meeting was held in late January with Auburn University students, U.S. Forest Service personnel, and ride managers representing SERA and AERC trails interests.