Ethan Anderson deep in Wilson's Creek.

You know we have outstanding riding here in the National Forests of North Carolina. If you’ve ridden in the Grandfather District (i.e. Wilson’s Creek) you know how we enjoy rugged, remote, and challenging trails. If you’ve ridden out there you most likely have heard and discussed the complicated state of our trails.  Our trails, like most other trails on Forest Service lands in NC, were never intended for recreation. Most of them are old timber extraction roads that provided quick access from point A to B. More and more riders are discovering these trails. The increased use along with difficult management issues have combined to create a mess in our backyard.

Some facts from the US Forest Service:

• North Carolina has the highest number of user visits to National Forests in the country.
• Two Recreation Rangers manage 267 miles of inventoried trails (not including “user created” or “unmanaged trails”) on the Grandfather District.
• The Forest Service has a trail budget of about $366,000.
• Only 16% of trails on NC National Forests meet National Trail Quality Standards.
• Elevating the other 84% to National Quality Standards would require about $10k per mile according the the District’s estimate.

Justin Studt posses for perspective in one of Yancey Ridge's famed erosion gullies.

If you’ve ridden these trails for any length of time, you have seen the impacts of  increasing demands for recreation. Raspberry Ridge, for example, is an old classic that 10 years ago was a mellow trail. Now it is on it’s way to becoming a trench filled with rocky, technical challenges. While we may enjoy the challenge, it was never intended to be this way. What it will be like in another 10 years of ridding? The Forest Service acknowledges the problems with our trails and has prioritized addressing these problems.

On Monday, January 9, members of the Boone Area Cyclists were invited to participate in the opening sessions of the 2012 USFS Non-Motorized Trail Strategy. The strategy will be a collaborative process involving recreational stakeholders. User groups will provide input throughout a series of working meetings throughout 2012. At the opening meeting, the USFS led a group of cyclists, horseback riders, hikers to: 1) define qualities of the trail experience; and, 2) define sustainability of trails.

USFS Trail Strategy meeting. Morganton, NC.

The Forest Service seeks to identify trails in “good shape” and ones that are not. They also are looking at the potential of creating trail “complexes” and creating loop options. One example brought forward was the idea of a Highway 181 Trail Complex with loop options and connector trails that would create a “destination” for riders.

While the 3 hour meeting did not produce any solutions, it did reveal a new reality of cooperation. Not too many years ago, mountain bikers, horse back riders, and hikers could not be in the same room without major disagreements, blaming, and name-calling. Perhaps we’ve moved into a new era. Maybe we are recognizing our finite natural resources need our cooperation.

Purpose built fun: Rocky Knob Park

The Boone Area Cyclists plan to be an active part of this planning process. If you have any thoughts to share, send them on to info@booneareacyclists.com . We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.

What’s better than riding bikes? Riding bikes faster, more in control, and with more style over varied terrain. Riding new bikes ranks high too.  The first ever Rocky Knob Fest is approaching and we want you to experience the fun of Rocky Knob. We have planned an event to take your enjoyment of our own biking backyard to the next level. Here’s what we’re offering:

• Show up on Saturday, November 5th between 1:00 and 4:00.
• Want to try a new bike? Magic Cycles and Boone Bike will be on site with demo bikes for you.
• Do you want a tour of the trail system? We will have guides to escort you and give pointers.
• Do you want to improve your trail riding technique? Local experts will be leading trail clinics.
• Want to learn the ways of modern, flow-oriented riding? Join us at pump track school. (The pump track has experienced a make over and is ready to ride. If you’ve never ridden a pump track, this is your chance to learn a new way of riding that will transform everything you do on a bike. Seriously.)

Earth Fare is providing food. We will also have a raffle to benefit the ASU Recreation Management Association Scholarship and Watauga High’s Mountain Bike Club.

Visit www.boonebike.com/ and www.magiccycles.com/ for more info on demo bikes.

Drop in Skills Clinics will include: Pump track skills, intro to dirt jumping, trail flow (applying pump track skills to the trail), and trail side flat tire repair. We will provide food and music.

Bring your bike, helmet, and gear and check in at the parking lot for locations of clinics. We will reschedule for Sunday, November 6th in case of rain. Check back for updates.

Deno and his wife Fiona are back at work at Rocky Knob. They are focusing on the bridges and wooden structures that will help complete the Upper Knob Trail system. If you recall last fall, we were busy building bridges lower on the mountain. As with the first bridges, the main challenge is simply transporting the material to the work site. If you have time during the day and want to help out, let me know and you can get set up to haul, or help assemble some cool structures.

Photos by Paul Stahlschmidt and Joe Weisflog.

ASU Cycling is pleased to partner with the Watauga County Tourism Development Authority and Boone Area Cyclists to put on this event. Racing starts at 9am and will be finished by 1pm. Please respect the trail closure for these hours and support your local trails!

More event info can be found at appstatecycling.com or by contacting:

Clayton Omer

ASU Cycling Mountain Bike Vice President

omerct@apstate.edu     502 592 5959

A year ago we began work on the bridges for the Rocky Branch Trail. Yesterday we began work on the bridges and other wooden features for the Upper Knob Trail. The first feature is a 50 foot long curved bridge over a creek. Other features include a few ladders onto boulders and across a cliff band. Once complete, these features will be dramatic. To get a preview of these features and the beautiful Upper Knob Trail come on out this Saturday for our Community Trail Day (1-4 PM). We’ll be working on the climb to the summit of Rocky Knob.

A special thanks to ASU’s Intermediate Mountain Biking Class in carrying all of the wood for the first bridge.

Rocky Knob is located on US 421 just east of town, Take King Street east towards Wilkesboro. The park entrance is 0.7 mile past Bamboo Road on the right.

New Specialized bike for some lucky kid.

Join us for the Boone Area Cyclists’ second annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day on October 2 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Come sample the single track and the new kid’s pump track (yes, kid’s pump track) and perhaps win the bike above. Adults, you will have to give first dibs on the pump track to the kids. Sorry.

This is the eighth year the International Mountain Bicycling Association has sponsored this event. This weekend, IMBA has pledged to engage 30,000 children in 300 cycling events  to support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative.

Children on smaller bikes (16 or 20 inch wheels) will find fun in the new pump track area. Kid’s on 26 mountain bikes will enjoy the trails and the pump track.

Dress warm for some two-wheeled fun.