Sorba Mid TN » Trail Day Reports

Enhancing the Mountain Bike Experience in Middle TN

Darryl — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:13:06 +0000

Want more healthy family oriented outdoor facilities in the Nashville area? The Middle TN chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association has developed a strong relationship with Nashville Davidson Country Metro Parks to create mountain bike trails in multiple parks throughout the county, particularly in areas that have no beginner or intermediate level trails. With Tennessee being one of the 5 worst states in childhood obesity, these new trails can get the active outdoor experience a bit closer to your neighborhood.

Since 2004 SORBA Middle TN has been dedicated to enhancing our sport with better trails and user education. Now we have land managers and government recognzing mountain bike and multi-use natural surface trails as facilities like ball parks and golf courses. The advantage of mountain bike trails are the dedicated volunteers and low maintenance of sustainable trail design. SORBA Mid TN recently hosted a Sustainable Trails Workshop at Bells Bend Outdoor Center to offer a hands on experience for a dozen students. When volunteers are investing hundreds of hours in hand built sustainable trail, a lifestyle such as mountain biking starts to get noticed even more.

UPDATE: Experienced volunteer trail leaders have begun trail construction at Cane Ridge Park in the southeastern boarder of Davidson County, with the 1.8 mile phase 1 almost completed. Phase 2 will begin this summer with detailed flagging and layout planned to offer fun flowing rhythm sections of over 4 miles. Phase 3 will soon follow with hopes of near 9 miles of total trail at Cane Ridge.

“volunteers are investing hundreds of hours of hand built SUSTAINABLE trial…..”

IMBA-SORBA Mid TN’s 2^nd project with Metro Parks at Bell’s Bend will undergo layout and flagging this summer as well to enhance a Gateway trail of about 60% open space and the remainder in wooded gentle slopping terrain. Bells Bend is located North of the Cumbeland River on Old Hickory Blvd. With the Bells Bend Outdoor Center staff and programs, this 4.5 mile trail should offer many youth program opportunities liken to Trips for Kids.

The 3^rd but not final Metro Parks project with IMBA-SORBA Mid TN will be the gem of Percy Warner Park on a beautiful section at the northeast corner of the park. International Mountain Bike Assoc. (IMBA) Trails Solutions, along with IMBA-SORBA Mid TN leadership and Warner Park Staff, has done a preliminary trail assessment of the Warner site in hopes to begin blueprint and layout during the Winter of 2012 to Spring of 2013. This timeline and plan will rely on progress with the other two projects. It is important for the success of these projects that all mountain bikers either Join IMBA-SORBA, share this information with other outdoor lovers and volunteer!

FUNDING THE MOVEMENT: As funding assistance for these projects, IMBA-SORBA Mid TN has applied for an RTP grant and will promote the 2^nd Annual Ale for the Trail Craft Brew Tasting, hosted at Land Rover Nashville.

IMBA-SORBA Middle TN is privileged to announce Lynskey Performance Titanium Bicycles has donated a Pro 29 Titanium Frame as a Trail Fundraising offering for only $10 donation per ticket. Lynskey’s frame donation is a great addition to our 2^nd Annual Ale for the Trail Craft Brew Tasting, June 15^th at 6pm, hosted at Land Rover Nashville.

Ale for the Trail will offer guests flavors from 9 different breweries, a souvenir pint tasting glass, Swiftwick Socks, also sponsored by ProGold, Road ID, with more coming. Enjoy live music from our mountain biking, country singing/songwriting friend, Keith Anderson (Picking Wild Flowers) that is also a part of this trail building evening. $35 donation gets you an Ale for the Trail ticket. All registration, brewery and event information available now at sorbamidtn.org.

Ale for the Trail will help fund new trail projects in the Nashville area. For more information please contact IMBA-SORBA Middle TN at info@sorbamidtn.org

Sustainable Trails Workshop – April 14&15

Darryl — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 02:05:40 +0000

As Promised….It has become a very busy year of TRAIL BUILDING! We are eager to not only train volunteers to better understand how to build sustainable trails, but to set a great example and pay it forward to our mountain bike community.

If you have this passion as we do….join us for two days at Bell’s Bend Outdoor Center April 14 & 15.

Click here for all the details and to register…NOW!

CLICK HERE!

Special Thanks to all the GREAT VOLUNTEERS bring more trail to Tennessee!

Cane Ridge – Birth of a Trail

Darryl — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:39:24 +0000

What great day to build a trail. Sunday January 22^nd IMBA-SORBA Middle TN hosted a party of 25 trail volunteers and gave birth to phase 1 of the Cane Ridge Park Mountain Bike Trail. This 2.2 mile section is the beginning leg of a proposed 9 mile trail system in Davidson County’s southeastern border to Rutherford county line, just off Battle Road. Cane Ridge is an established ball park and radio control airplane venue, which is one of the current volunteer projects under construction by IMBA-SORBA Middle Tennessee.

A few facts from the 1^st work day:

-26 Trail Volunteers introduced to this project

-100+ hours of TRAIL LOVE!

-3600 feet of new corridor

-Lots of smiles and energy taking us forward!

Don’t let us loose this incredible momentum and Join us….February 4^th and 18^th Cane Ridge Trail Love Work Days.

Link to more details and REGISTER to show your volunteer spirit and become a TRAIL BUILDER!

Ya’ll Come… Montgomery Bell SP – Trail Work Day

Darryl — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:31:58 +0000

An Invite from Ranger Eric Runkel…..

“Everyone,

For all who are interested Montgomery Bell State park will be hosting a trail work day on 8-28-10 from 9am-11a.
Please come out and help us prepare for the September Race. In addition to help prepare the course for the fall season.
Some projects include clearing brush from trail, tread work, etc.
All help is appreciated. We will meet at the bike trail parking lot at 9am.
Any questions please let me know.
Thanks
Ranger Eric”

Park office phone: 615-797-9052

Also…Trail Bob’s ”things to do”.

1. All the power line crossings need work.
2. Peanut sign needs to be planted (post hole diggers)
3. Snake bottom, Blue Yonder, Peanut, and probably Haynie Branch trails need trimming (that I saw). I did not ride Cat Track, Possum Trot, Downhill, Main Street or Lonesome blue. No doubt that Downhill in the powerline needs some work.
4. Shingles could be added to the hump back bridge on the Expressway, and to Table Top. I have shingles stored near Table Top.
5. Some stutter roots could be cut out at the beginning of Red Perimeter, without increasing erosion, and would smooth up the tread some.
6. There is a major re-route that needs to be done on the Mogul route nearest to the creek. That is rutting badly, and needs to be reclaimed and abandoned. A new route further up the hill could be adopted. But this is major work, for maybe not so hot of a work day.
7. There is a bad rut forming on Yellow, at the top of the Flume Zoom. Needs to be filled in with rock. This too, is a big job. If we had a bunch of folks, that could be on the adgenda.
8. There is a rut forming on Yellow, before you get to the Esses. It may need a re-route to really fix permanently.

Some are pretty big jobs and would need more than 2 hours to tackle. I plan to get with Darryl and pick up the SORBA weedeaters and some trimmer tools. (if that fits everybody else’s plans for the tools) Maybe a few pulaskis too.

Hope to see quite a few regular MB riders out there. Questions? Email us at montbell@sorbamidtn.org

Signs of change

Darryl — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:14:01 +0000

A much needed communication tool coming to local trails that will compliment trailhead info centers. IMBA/SORBA members have donated to or sign and trail funds to underwrite these projects.
Look for these features at Lock 4, Hamilton Creek and Long Hunter trails this summer and fall.

Trail Love – Lock 4 West Side Work Day – This is a BIG ONE!

Darryl — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 02:43:20 +0000

This SUNDAY June 13th you can be part of Lock 4′s Future. We need your help to build bridges and rework the trail tread on one of Tennessee’s most popular mountain bike trails.
You can join us at 9:00 am or 1:00 pm for a day of construction and dirt work followed by a dinner time cookout. We will even get to ride on what we work on before the day ends.

Please RSVP NOW or by June 10th so we can plan on work party details and food. email trails@sorbamidtn.org
…or…
Visit us & RSVP on FACEBOOK IMBA-SORBA Middle TN FACEBOOK

We also need a few crew leaders for:
1. Trail Tread dirt prep and layout
2. Bridge base layout/construction
3. Trail Trimming
4. BBQ cook and 5pm Dinner prep
5. Trail Day head quarters / Tent and volunteer support
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF CAN HELP WITH THESE AREAS!!

When: June 13th
Where: Silo Trail Head (trail work) & Penninsula Pavilion (5pm for dinner)
Time: 9:00am -1:00 pm & 1:30pm – 5:00pm (stay for the day!)
Bring: Plenty of water; trail snacks; favorite trail tool (optional); GLOVES; sturdy shoes, eye, sun, & bug protection; bike & gear; A FRIEND & A SMILE!
SORBA WILL BRING: Portable saw mill; Tool Trailer; Back up water & snacks; Dinner!

This project was postponed from the late winter due to such wet conditions, so we want to get YOUR trail back in shape at once! If you have love for this trail, we need you to bring a friend.

Dry trails?

Darryl — Sun, 30 May 2010 01:11:40 +0000

Ah the woes if a very wet spring. As we hit the season of green growth we prepare for lots of trail repair. Repair from rain, poor drainage and of course damage from riding wet trails.

A recent night ride offer a great perspective to how we pick and choose our windows of opportunity. With so much rain please use good judge when decided to ride. How wet is too wet…..

Trail Update – Shutes Branch

Darryl — Sat, 22 May 2010 05:28:03 +0000

“The trail is in great shape – the recent trimming has made it nice. The soil is really getting packed down in the newer sections and is a blast.

However, the stuff we cleared this year (starting at the bathhouse with the dumpster) hasn’t been trimmed yet this Spring. We broke off most of the overhanging stuff last night while riding. It’s going to need a trimming in the next few weeks.

Scott, who volunteered to trim the hillside, is working tons of OT and can’t do any trail work currently. I need a person that is not allergic to poison ivy to trim the hillside trail. This section is the only one with posion ivy and I’m highly allergic. There are also some little face slappers growing off the trees that need trimming back.

Also, the final section and the section just before the hillside need some attention soon. It’s not bad now, but it will be when it gets hot.

One other thing – we need to keep the thistles own. If you see one, knock it down – but first cut the heads off (flowers). These things are like giant dandelions only worse. If they seed, they spread quickly.

Steve”

For more info regarding Shutes Branch and Trail Work Days…

http://shutesbranchmtb.blogspot.com/

March/April 2012 ~ Trail Love Days, Cane Ridge Park

Schaarschmidt — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 02:27:40 +0000

March/April 2012 ~ Trail Love Days, Cane Ridge Park, Nashville, TN

Sunday afternoon March 11th 1p-5p (post daylights savings)
Saturday March 17th 8a-12p
Saturday March 24th 8a-12p
Saturday April 21st 8a-12p
Saturday April 28th 8a-12p

We can also consider some Sunday afternoons in April and even weekdays for some of the closest qualified volunteers for afternoon sessions.
More info to come!

Email Trails@sorbamidtn.org to sign up and help organize!!

Open new trail corridor on phase ONE while learning more about sustainable trail care!

The IMBA-SORBA Tool Trailer is well equiped for 30+ volunteers and now has even more tools (thanks to our members) .

Here is your Trail Workday Checklist:

WATER & TRAIL SNACKS
WORK GLOVES
STURDY BOOTS
EYE PROTECTION
DRESS IN LAYERS
YOUR FAVORITE RAKE OR MATTOCK
Also bring FRIEND & A SMILE!

For more information: trails@sorbamidtn.org

MAP:
View Volunteer Trail Work Days in a larger map
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=205810534091576950374.0004b65e5e2670c630717&msa=0&ll=35.993112%2C-86.619859&spn=0.009462%2C0.01929

Lock 4 Trial Report

Darryl — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:30:35 +0000

An afternoon of warmer temps at Lock 4 in Gallatin yielded some positive results. The small volunteer crew of 5 spread wood chips at the broadened trail head, cleared downed trees on BLT 10 and repaired some drainage issues on the west side trail.

The sun and warm temps brought out many riders that were not aware of the trail conditions. Most were reminded to ride through the mud rather than widening the tread by riding around the mud. They were also encouraged to use good judgement and have fun.

We encourage our members to help educate new riders and invite them to our trail work days to gain a greater understanding of what it takes to keep our trails in shape. Check the calendar and join us for the next trail day!