Cranked out a solid five or so hundred today

Well, not much to report today, just a good productions day and an afternoon full of "tours". Enjoy the photos, more to come this week. The good stuff you are waiting for...oh that will be next week fo' sho'.

How to make a flat trail....NOT FLAT

Today we will discuss adding some flavor to that vanilla ice cream. Start with the right machines. A good digger and a big bucket. For those folks that do things on the smaller scale a shovel, pulaski, LOTS OF SWEAT and a five gallon bucket or wheel barrow will work. But, for those people that do things PRO look below. Of course only do this where and when it is appropriate. Just another tool for your quiver.



Dig a hole. Go DEEP not Large, this allows you to get better mineral soil and disturb less of the root base. Then, when you are done, fill it in with all of the organic that you have pulled off of the trail surface and extra slash from the corridor.



Put the dirt in the right place to make the world dance. And I'm spent. Back on the job Monday, but for now a little R & R.

Actual Digging...YES!!

Well, after all of the legwork of the last week or so. Game on. I am using a zero tail swing CASE. I am excited about getting to use a new machine that I have never operated. First impressions? Not quite as powerful as the equivalent sized Bobcat machine, but has a longer digging arm. So it is six of one a half dozen of the other. We will plug away hard for the next couple days and I should have some finished trail photos up by this weekend. For now....Diggon, Digging!

The word of the day kids...utility

Well, in the niche I have found, there is one thing that you have to be extra special careful about. Utility Lines. Yeah those things that run under our world like arteries thumping 7000 Volts to our capillaries of computers, fax machines and TV's. Well, the mountain bike world is gonna get its space too. But, after proper precautions are taken and all the p's and q's are, well, however that goes. The above photo is of the utility guy checking everything out for me today. Then, I met the landscape guru and talked about maybe having to move a couple sprinkler heads and getting materials delivery. Finally, most everything is rough flagged and tomorrow the pin flags hit the ground! This project is gonna rock in a top secret kind of way.

Back in "dabigseety"

You might look at this photo and look at the title and wonder what is going on here? Well, since the last time we spoke I have been getting things organized here in the CLT getting ready to break ground next week on project number one. This little guy was spotted while leaving the Lakewood Community yesterday after the meeting I had about project number two. More details are sure to come, but for now it is just a bit of a waiting game. Please be patient, the photos should be well worth the wait.

Glen Ellis Falls

Well, today definitely qualified as a day off. We slept in this morning, then went with Otie up to Glen Ellis Falls just South of Pinkham's Notch outside of Jackson. NH. After descending through the rabbit hole, we were treated to a beautiful falls and then stair steps of great little swimming holes.

After that we wandered around N. Conway and went to Cathedral Ledge and watched some climbers. Finally, it was a continuation of the long hunt for new MTB shoes and a new helmet. Tomorrow we move on and start driving back down to Charlotte, where we will do some work for a NASCAR race team and then do some work for the Tarheel Trailblazers.

Back across the 45

Well, I am back in Jackson, NH kicking it with Jenn and Otie. Crossing back was about 20 seconds of time. Crossing into Canada took about 20 minutes. Here are some photos form today in Quebec. These trails are gonna be sick, when those guys get the new stuff built. Below is a swithcback I showed these boys how to build today. And let me say Zero Tail Swing machines are where it is AT!!

Teachers and students

So, tell me about Quebec you might think. Well I tell you what these guys know how to get a day done right. Yesterday was a bit of an open training day for crew leaders from ADSVMQ. The local advocacy organization for Quebec. We had a hand full of very interested and cool folks show up and work with us looking at how to work machine built projects and understand how to manage the project. Then, we had lunch, yeah a bar-b-q right in the back of the pick-up. After the day was done, PEDAL TIME. A nice little ride on their current trail system and dinner at a cool little restaurant about half an hour from where we are staying. Today? Production!



What the office looks like North of the boarder.



Some finished product for reference.



Finally, Barby in the back of the truck. Gotta lova lil' redneck.

Cannanananananada......

Today, I crossed the boarder. Quebec is cool, in a different kind of way. It is much more foreign feeling than BC was, the language thing is crazy. Check out today's photos and notice the "warning" sign in the photo below as well.

Movin' along...

This has been one heck of a week. Sorry for the delay in posts, but I have been a bit out of the range of technology. It's been kinda nice honestly.

Okay, we left Wakefield (read DC) and headed the couple hours up to Chambersburg to check out the pumptrack I built last Fall and to get a ride in at Michaux. The photo from above is of the track.

Then, we cruised up through NJ and hung out with a couple of the JORBA folks and checked out a project they will hopefully get on the ground at a local state park soon, keep up the good work BOB.

Finally, we made our way up to New Hampshire. This place is RAD. Jenn's family has a house in the little town of Jackson just outside of North Conway and we have now settled in for the couple days before I need to go up to Canada. I went for a nice little ride yesterday and was able to spin out the legs after far too many days of driving. The photos below are of the beautiful local blooms, some of the cool rock work the locals have going on around here, and the pumptrack at a local riding area called "Sticks and Stones".





Tomorrow, it is off to the Great White North to get some stuff done, and then back here for a few days and hopefully a lot of pedaling.