Sorry for the break, I was on vacation...and it was GREAT

But, now I am back at it feeling a little more refreshed.

It is probably good I am refreshed, because this is about to be a BIG job. Welcome to the Little Rock DJ Park build. I will do my best to update daily, but I have very limited access to Wi-Fi in this part of the world and am going to have to work with what I can get.

On to the project, the ARFreeriders and the city of North Little Rock have teamed up to build a DJ park as part of a greater overall goal of an "extreme" sports park in Burns park, a world class city park facility. I have been brought in under IMBA to help all of them get what they want and this also provides me with a venue to be able to show off what I do during the National Trails Symposium.



For some of you that know me, and some of you that don't, I have obtained a new travel partner so hopefully there will be some cool shots of me working coming down the pike. So far, so good.



These photos are of the site and a meeting with the key players from ARFreeriders. It is an old borrow pit/mine for fill around the city and park. This DJ park is one of the first steps in cleaning it up. There is still a lot of dumping occurring on the site and clean-up will be a key part of this project. Check out what two year old hay-bales look like. Hopefully things will look much different in a couple days.

Well...Broken camera, SUCKS!!

Well, I killed another camera, which sucks. This will be a great week for pictures as we are putting all of the finishing touches onto the Laurel Hill "Lorton" project. There is sure to be some crazy North Shore type of rock armoring. Don't know? Check it out. Roots for dead-men, and rip rap style rock for tread. Wish I could take photos. Doh!!

Here are the last photos for the week. A sample of some of the turning structures we have been building.

Enjoy.

Asland PT Final and Lorton Home-Stretch

Ashland Pumptrack-

1. Best Dirt Ever
2. In the TREES
3. On the site of an old DIRT Go-cart racetrack
4. Driving Backhoes is fun!!




Lorton-

1. Rock retaining wall for a switchback climb
2. Telephone pole retaining wall for a switchback climb

Ashland Pumptrack Almost There...

Today was a good day with a skeleton crew. We got a lot accomplished and tomorrow she will be ready to test out. I hope we get some extra two wheeled friends to give this thing the compaction it deserves. I do have to say this is probably the best DIRT I could ever imagine.

Enjoy the photos.

Tree Strewn Pumptrack

Ashland, VA 7:52 PM.

Warming up after a day in the rain moving piles for the SK500 to place in perfect position tomorrow and volunteer love. I am sitting in a cool little coffee shop drinking a Legend Porter and warming my soul after a great day.

Yesterday was an introduction to the site and this will be a unique pump track with an element I am very excited about, TREES. There will be more detail on Sunday after we get done, but for now enjoy some of the prep photos.

GAME ON...

Building Trashy Trail...

Lorton...

Enjoy the photos.

After Rest, and on the Road...

How does that look for a little R and R. Lela and Adams wedding was the best I will ever attend. The right couple in the right place. Thanks you two.

Now back to work. I made the drive to DC this morning to work on the trail system being installed at the old LORTON PRISON. You heard correctly. The park will be called Laurel Hill and will feature a 6 mile surfaced loop with two 1/2 mile advanced mountain bike loops. I am working on the tech one and Mr. Ed Sutton of TD will be working on the flow based one.

The trail will be called "Slaughter House". It is right next to it's old namesake at the begin

Busy week in the office.

Well, if you have been wondering about why things are so silent on the site these last couple of days, I have been computer bound. On the place to try and wrap up are a design and logistics for a DJ park in Little Rock, AR, a pumptrack in Richmond, a design for a DJ park in Denver, tax filing forms for cities I have contracted with this year, an insurance audit, and finally trying to get paid for all of the other work from this fall.

One of my goals for next year is going to be streamlining all of this process by bringing some one on to help me with all of this. About half I have to do, the other half can be handled by someone else who is much more skilled than I am at paper work. However, this also leads to the question, "What kind of and size of business do I want to own?" The big one, the question all sole props begin to ponder. Well, wish me luck as I am off to DC on Sunday and will be back at work for about six straight weeks, then hopefully some much needed R and R.

Have fun in your day and enjoy the beauty that fall brings.

I leave the Wiss with BIG MACHINES...

Today was an amazing testament to what a large machine is capable of. We knocked out something in a day I thought would take three. A local contractor became part of the game today and send us an ACE crew. Joe and Scott ruled it. Check out all of the work. The joy of a large machine is it can sit in the road and bench cut a trail no problem. Something else? It was able to move SIX rocks that the Bobcat excavator would have trembled at a ONCE. That is a six times increase in productivity, do that math. Granted you Rarely will have the opportunity or need to work with one of these machines on a trail project, but today we got an extra two days for FREE...kinda. Well you get it. It is stuff like this that keeps my days interesting. Also, Scott built this cool retaining wall that is just gorgeous.






Finally, this is my goodbye from the Wiss for the season, so I hope to come back, but I hope it is next year.

Wissa Wind-down...

Okay, this Wiss is winding down for old Benny Boy. Here are a few photos from today and hopefully I will have some SUPER CHOICE ones tomorrow night. We will be using a big machine, I like BIG MACHINES, to move a lot of work in a very little time. Check out the truck dumping the rocks below and all of us talking about what is left to do on the site.




Finally, just a couple pics of the crazy things that go on in a day at the office. Using a dump bucket to lift very heavy objects and Ray having some creative freedom putting the "choke hold" on the trail.