PAS Mechanized Training...

First off let me say how nice it is to work with the local folks that know their stuff out of the box. It is always a pleasure ya'll and I can't wait to ride the fruits of your imaginations and hard work.

This weekend I led a Pisgah Area SORBA mechanized trail building training using a bobcat mini excavator. The goals of the weekend were two fold. First, teach the local advocates and trail builders responsible, safe operation of a mini-x to build trail. The second goal was to encourage and excite these same folks about a new project for the club. This particular project was the new Richmond Hill trail system. It is actually a revisit for me, as I worked on the trails back in the late 90's while attending UNCA just across the river.

Saturday was an introduction to the machine for most of the eleven folks who showed up. We worked in the flat confines of the mulch field by the parking lot before getting into the woods and doing a little benching with both the machine and some by hand to allow people to contrast the amount of work, and the level of efficiency that could be achieved. Then, Sunday we just continued the work and produced trail that was 100% as a demonstration for the city of Asheville folks to be able to review and critique. I think they will be blown away.

Their will be a large workday for all locally interested parties on the 7th of Feb. if around, you should go. Here are a few photos of people hard at work and of some of the end results...again, thanks to everyone for a great weekend.

New toys and new trails

New toys...



New trails, full write up to come.

Ice and 60 degrees...

Been a good week, if not a little slow.I rode the new moto quite a bit and then today it finally got above freezing, 30 degrees above. Check out the lake in Bent Creek frozen over. Meanwhile, I was out in shorts and arm warmers. This weekend is a mechanized training for the club. I will get photos up on Monday.

Bent Creek Kinda Weekend...

What an amazing weekend. I spent a lot of time last week trying to get my feet back underneath me after feeling like me and a few fellow trail gurus got the rug pulled out from under us... I feel for you guys, I really do. So I thought how does one escape. A bike ride can start to feel bad in 20 degree weather and ice...so, I went down to R'town and looked at a potential new race venue with a buddy. It was definitely promising, while down there I snapped this rad photo. Enjoy.



Then, on Sunday it was a volunteer day. When in town I like to do my best to help out the local club. Bunch of good folks. Props to Mike D, Shaun and Jerud. I forgot my camera though so had to go back today and get shots before it started snowing. Now it is time to clean the house and watch the white stuff come on down.

Make ya smile....Thanks Strider...

Location: Rapid City DJ Park

September 2008 (4 months after the "flooded" completion. It was flooded with kids)



Strider

Winter time and trail building...

One of the bonuses to working for myself is I can choose to undertake a project based on the creative potential I think the client will allow me. I visited a potential job yesterday and was thrilled to meet a Development Manager that "got it". More information on these guys to come if I get the work, but for now think dark, sublime hiking only trails that allow me to channel the mountain and make the trails really fit the steep, rocky awesome landscape.

Summing up the current emotion...

I have been going through my photos over the last couple of hours working on getting some marketing material and a "real" website ready. For some reason this photo hit me. It is really a great representation of how I feel right now. The steadfast and idle machine in the background represents my girl friend Jenn and her strength and commitment to "have my back". I can't say it isn't a little scary going into this new uncharted year. I am going to in the least create some great art if nothing else. I believe my mind is finally wrapping around things enough that Olmstead will be almost overly pertinent.

Enjoy your day and the fact that the world is a place where things happen quickly, but it is our capacity to adapt quickly to those changes that give us creatures like Einstein, Olmsted and Shakespeare.

Daily reading: freewillastrology.com

Current Inspiration...

This is a cartoon rendering of the setting for the novel I am currently engulfed by.

I find in order to live a fulfilling life and find inspiration outside of my daily existence books are often the most satisfactory escape. I am immersed in Lord of the Flies currently. I think it is a wonderful synopsis on the state of affairs I see occur at the job site among the youth who frequent the facilities I build. Apparently the Santos pump track sees an unbelievable number of kids who find their own special escape on it, an escape from society much like Ralph, "Piggy" and the other kids on the island. I can't wait to go back and get to see how they improve their social skills while at the same time increasing their biking prowess.

Next on the docket are a couple books on Olmstead quite possibly one of the most underwritten geniuses of the turn of the century. I hope to find great things learning more about the man who I think would have been a mountain biker if he were around today.

For now enjoy the quote:
"after all we aren't savages really..." William Golding Lord of the Flies

Great night ride and computer check up...

I love this photo in that it encapsulates three things that I have been up to. A night ride, a nearly full moon, and the I-5 project.

I went on an awesome night ride in a nearly empty Bent Creek and enjoyed pedaling back my sanity after sitting in front of this hunk of circuits and bright lights. The moon will be full this weekend and I can't wait for the first one of the new year, cycles are fun to watch as much as ride.

Finally, I will be away from this thing for the next couple days as I will leave it with someone better equipped with computer knowledge than me to give it a little one year tune up. While it is "in the shop" I will be headed to Chatanooga to look at a potential "Collonade-esque" project.

I hope everyon enjoys the skies on Saturday night and pedal in the basking glow of our lunar neighbor if you get the chance.

When good roads go BAD...

I spent a bit of time in the far reaches of Western NC today looking at a couple potential projects and saw some beautiful...



And some ugly things. It has rained for the last six weeks in the area and the saturated ground had decided it had had enough in some spots.

Rich whenever I see head cutting I think of you so I figured you would like this photo.



Finally the sum of lots of water and a broken root structure is...DOH!

A Santos start to your new year...