Thursday, October 28, 2010

Narrowback has amazing views out into the larger watersheds to the west!

Virginia's George Washington National Forest is amazing. Black powder season is a few days off.

Stokesville is a golden glow! Looking for the perfect trail alignment to Narrowback south!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Lynn Trail switchback is reconstructed in the George Washington National Forest











First assess the worksite and make it a safe area to work
Make a plan that can be successfully completed
Start digging the foundation for the rock crib wall
After cutting the back slope
Spread the soil on the trail tread
Tamp the ground to compact the soil
Take a moment to appreciate your hard work that will last forever

Lynn Trail is the 2nd climb in the Shenandoah Mountain 100 bicycle route. It is one heck of a challenging trail to climb. The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition just reconstructed the rocky steep and very difficult to ride switchback about half way up the trail. Thanks to Ed Sutton of Trail Dynamics for coming out and volunteering with our local bicycle club. Trail Dynamics just finish the work on lower Wolf Ridge Trail which is the descent that bicycles use after the climb on Lynn Trail in the Shenandoah Mountain 100. The Wolf Ridge trail project was funded by a Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant that the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition was awarded. The grant is administered through Virginia's Department of Conservation and Recreation and funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The funds are from the estimated tax from fuel that is not used on our highways.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Jeremiah leads Cory and Andy on day 3 - Shenandoah Mountain Trail a remote trail in the George Washington National Forest

Another beautiful day of backcountry bike packing along the Great Eastern Trail. Most of the proposed Great Eastern Trail is shared use and open to bicycles in the George Washington National Forest. Where the trail alignment goes towards single use trails like the AT in Southern Virginia and parts of West Virginia the bicycle route will takes its own direction towards Damascus, Virginia. This bicycle route will be taking the name Virginia Mountain Bike Trail to represent the route best for bicyclists in Virginia.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Monday, October 18, 2010

Spruce Knob/ Seneca Creek IMBA Epic, WV

We rode our bicycles so very far into the wild lands of West Virginia in Seneca Creek this weekend. Autumn at its finest. Huckleberry Trail, Lumberjack, High Meadows, a swim in Seneca Creek, Horton, Allegheny Mtn. to Whites Run. What an adventure! Thank you Monongahela National Forest for maintaining these fine trails. The brush job on Allegheny Mtn. Trail down to Whites Run was stupendous!

Friday, October 15, 2010

North Fork Mountain Trail - IMBA Wild Ride Sunday Oct. 17th - 10am Redman Run Trailhead

Dan Fudala enjoying the solitude as he rides his bicycle deep into the wilderness along North Fork Mountain Trail in the Monongahela National Forest.

The North Fork Mountain Trail is in the Spruce Knob/Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area. Call you representative in Washington, DC and ask them to oppose the pending Wilderness Bill and request to have them recommend that the National Recreation Area have stronger legislation that will protect this area from threats such as new road building, wind power, mining, horizontal drilling and timber management. The pending Wilderness bill will only fragment this trail system by making the northern end closed to bicycles and very hard to maintain because chainsaws will no longer be permitted for trail clearing or brushing. Stronger NRA language will also protect the amazing riding in Seneca Creek just below Spruce Knob, an area
where bicycle access has been threatened in the past. There is a better tool for the job. Stronger NRA language that treats all non-motorized recreationalists fairly over the restrictive Wilderness designation which
hurts everyone access to this amazing wild place.

Here is more info about the North Fork Mountain Trail
http://savenorthfork.blogspot.com/

Check out some amazing pictures from these IMBA Epic rides
North Fork Mountain Trail - 3 great pictures shows below
http://picasaweb.google.com/shenandoah.mountain.touring/JimmyMcNorthFork#
http://picasaweb.google.com/shenandoah.mountain.touring/NorthForkMountainTrailIMBAEpicRide#
http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisscottistan/NorthForkMountainTrailIMBAEpicWestVirginia#
Spruce Knob/ Seneca Creek
http://picasaweb.google.com/shenandoah.mountain.touring/SpruceKnobSenecaCreekBackcountry#