Happy Valentines Day...

Okay, now that I have taken care of that, a little update time.

Tuesday was awesome, I have begun working up in Barntown with my friend Sally, trying to really get ahead on all of the building I have to get done. It would be great to knock the project out by the end of the month, but it looks like it will take a little longer.

Then, yesterday I worked on a bunch of stuff for the club and worked on the brochures for B4 Consulting and Construction. Check it out. One is the outside, the other is the inside.



Today, it is back up to Barntown, I will be working on getting the bridge over the tree taken care of today, pictures to follow hopefully tonight.

In honor of Paris Mountain

Paris Mountain State Park just north of Greenville, SC is arguably where all this stuff I do now came from. It was the best year of my life. Fast-forward 3 and a half years to now and a revisit. I went down to Greenville this morning to meet up with my old boss and the new greenways coordinator for Greenville County, Ty Houck. Ty is an awesome guy and a real asset to the local outdoors community. We met over some breakfast this morning, then I was hoping to run into a few other people, but they were all tied up with business and couldn't break away. Oh, well it let me go hang out with my baby. Paris - not Hilton - Mountain. The above photo is only a small sample of what lays on the surface of an amazing area.



This one is of a bridge Adam Winton and I built around the Lake Placid trail. A curvilinear master piece dubbed "Flow". It had a 36" diameter pine tree fall across it with no ill effect, that is bomber.



This one is of a horseshoe bend in a road to trail conversion we did leading 150 volunteers. What a day, we knocked out a mile and a half in four hours. That is still one of the most amazing transformations I have ever seen. This little hand cut bench horseshoe is some of the only real single-track on the trail, but certainly helps to set a more intimate tone than the old 20 plus foot wide roadbed.

Below are two great examples of optional technical features. The log was built after I left, but the rock-drop was constructed with the help of a few local groms, who have since moved off to college and some sweet trail of their own.






Seeing an old friend again was a great way to spend the afternoon. I look forward to getting a bike back down there in a few weeks and spinning around on the dirt again. If you have a chance it is a highly recommended adventure.

Like summer, but not

Today was about as close as you can come to summer in WNC without the hot weather. I met up with about ten other folks and some K9's on the loose too, and rode from the Hatchery up to Gumstand. Then, we dropped a bit, climbed a bit, and ended up at Daniel Ridge; this is possibly one of my favorite stretches of trail out there. It is rocky, flowy, rhythm, that you can't help but dance to. Once back on the gravel we rolled back up to Long Branch and managed to train the trail, ripping inches off each others wheels and really unleashing the fun of dirt surfing. I didn't take any photos this weekend, sorry. But, I do have a video from the sir-bikes-alot crew so you can get your Monday fix of trail love.



Yesterday was just as good. 2.5 or so in BC did a little saw work and some nice chill cruising.

Now the workweek begins and life takes hold. Being back on the bike this weekend did feel really good though.

Photo Montage to end the week.

Not really in the mood to talk too much. Enjoy the photos. Have a good weekend.

Mind a skatter....

Today the mind isn't coming together very well. I have so much on it, things are jumbling, I think it is time to start pedaling again. I took this week off from the bike in hopes the body would build back up a bit. But, now I am craving the opening that a good ride brings. Perhaps this afternoon a good stretch then, tomorrow a pedal on the Parkway on the way back from Barntown.


Well, these are photos from yesterday, not too much to report, just punching ahead. One of the photos is of the beauty of 12" bench, a true tiny ribbon of trail that takes concentration and dedication to stay attached to. This project is where this kind of trail can shine. Low use no user conflict. Also, easy to get to so it is easier to maintain. The rest of this month will be heavily laden with these types of photos. The project may finish in February, but it will probably creep into March. Then, I get to do the I9 pumptrack and I may do a buddy's backyard as well.

Enjoy the photos and think about the flow.

Good Times, Yeah Good Times

We will begin this mornings conversation with Icycle. Saturday, Ryan Taylor and I took a casual roll-out and cruised up to Fontana Village for the Icycle. I have not been to Fontana since I was still a minor. This is my favorite race location of all time. I loved it as a kid and I still do, not that I am not a kid anymore, just that I still love this place. Anyhow, the conditions for the races couldn't have been better. I went without a bike in hopes I would begin feeling more jazzed and pumped on rolling fast. Lately the body has not been happy, so I am taking some time off and will get back on it later this week. Icycle helped.

When RT and I arrived it was so cool to see all the people that are from this area, that truly love riding bikes. This isn't a run of the mill kind of race, this is cult. You don't really see many beginners in the race, it is more of a salty dog winter reunion. RT and I said our hellos then rolled up to the top of the DH course to take a look. Everyone had full expectation that with all the freeze-thaw and rain the course would be stupid muddy, but the top of the course was, dare I say, PERFECT.

The day progressed into me running shuttles, talking smack at my friends, and generally having a great time. I only snapped a handful of photos as I couldn't really be bothered to spend much time behind the lens. Ryan cranked out 3rd in the DH right behind Chris "Herndog" and Garret from Morewood. (This is Garret in the photo getting styley on a hip). It is important to note just how good our local riders are. RT finished shortly behind the US duel slalom champ and the South African DH champ, generally kinda fast guys. After the race we cruised back into town at around 2 am, yeah, Icycle has a great scene. Thanks Jay and Wes.


Then, Sunday brought these before and after shots. Ryan had been helping me up at Barntown and had spotted this sweet rock with a natural skinny across the top. We spent the better part of a few hours wrestling it into place. The original plan had been, the rock skinny and then a bridge across the rock slab that is behind it, but as the afternoon progressed we found more and more rock creating a retaining wall past the rock skinny. I will show some more pictures once it is really done.

Today is still up in the air according to weather. It may be spent heavily in Bent Creek working on the Green's Lick work plan in the rain. Tomorrow, back up to Barntown to do some work.

A little water works...

Yesterday was pretty good, just went up to Barntown for a few hours and did some chainsaw work, but my saw needs some serious love. So I headed back into town and went out to Bent Creek to start working on a work plan for Deerfield Loop. There is one wet spot that needs some love and yet keep the tech aspect. So a plan is developing for that one. Here is a picture.


Today has been mostly sitting around the office getting the schedule figured out for this spring. Tomorrow I will head up to Fontana with RT to watch the Icycle then we are going to head up to Barntown for Sunday. All in all should be a great weekend.