Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition Trail Work

Just Add Water, the Story of the Massanutten Trails (DNR)

2012-02-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

SVBC Built Berms on the "Short Track Course" Mike Carpenter knows how to lean... (Photo Credit: Katy Martin-Smith)

Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, VA)

February 4, 2012

Section: News-Local

Just Add Water

When you start asking strangers for water, that's a sign you've bitten off more than you can chew.

Last October, Connor and I went to the Trek Demo Day on Massanutten's western slope. Trek and the bike shop downtown provided mountain and road bikes, and Massanutten Resort opened up their trails for the day.

There were a number of people there, so I asked how long we could ride. "It's completely up to you," said Kyle - the bike shop owner - as he raised the seat on the $5,000 mountain bike my stepson Connor would ride. "We have plenty of bikes. Go all the way to the top if you want."

Cool. But, I still didn't give water a thought even though bottles were provided. I had never ridden a mountain bike, and Connor hadn't been on a bike since grade school. I figured we would only ride about halfway up. I figured wrong.

Picture Massanutten from the west. It's high. And steep. Then picture yourself riding a bicycle to the top. Sounds awful, right?

In a way it is. The elevation gain is about 1,300 feet.

But, in a way, it's not. The 15 miles of trails blend a fun and challenging ride with great scenery. The trail system is an incredible accomplishment. As we rode through the woods I kept thinking, "Who did all this?"

As it turns out, lots of dedicated people did all this. The trails are the result of an unusually effective partnership between a corporation and a nonprofit organization. (How often do the words "effective partnership" appear in the same sentence with "corporation" and "nonprofit"?) Massanutten Resort owns the land, and members of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition have put in more than 3,000 hours of volunteer labor to help the resort create and maintain the trails.

"Twenty years ago, we had a few trails," says Kenny Hess, director of business operations at Massanutten. "Some were old horse trails, and some were cut specifically for biking. But, our partnership with the SVBC has helped us turn the western slopes into a true destination for mountain bikers."

Massanutten property owners and guests can ride the western slope. (Many people vacation at Massanutten just to ride the trails.) So can members of the SVBC: An individual membership is $15 per year, and a trail pass - required to access the property - costs either $50 or eight hours of volunteer labor.

"It's definitely a great partnership," Kenny says. "We work together with the SVBC to decide which trails to improve and what trails to built next. As a result, our trails are built by bikers, for bikers, while also meeting strict safety and sustainable shared-use guidelines."

If riding the slope sounds too challenging, no problem: Everyone from novices to experts can enjoy the Rocktown Trails at Hillandale Park. The city provided the land. SVBC members built and maintain the trails. It's free and open to the public. Take your kids. They'll love it.

Also take water. Connor and I kept riding up the mountain, partly because I missed a turn, but mostly because I wanted to keep going. I have zero mountain biking skills - in comparison, riding a road bike requires all the skill of running in a hamster wheel - but I still was having a great time pedaling over rocks and logs, dodging trees and whipping around Daytona-style banked turns.

Plus, the farther you ride up, the longer you get to ride down.

So that's how I learned, at the scenic overlook atop Dell Webb Drive, that people don't keep spare bottles of water in their cars. I learned that, when you're really thirsty, the old "put a pebble in your mouth" trick just makes your mouth dryer and dirtier. I learned that, when your stepson - who, I feel certain, was the only non-cyclist to make it all the way to the top that day, smiles and says, "So you ride bikes all the time ... and it didn't occur to you that water might be a good idea?" there really isn't a good answer.

And I learned that while many clubs and organizations exist almost solely for the greater good of themselves, and even sometimes attempt to force their agendas on others, some organizations put in thousands of hours not only so they can benefit, but so that everyone can benefit.

Between them, the SVBC, Massanutten Resort and the City of Harrisonburg work very hard to make our area a better and safer place for cyclists.

No one will try to make you ride a bike. That's up to you. But, if you do want to ride a bike, thanks to people like them, there are great trails and safer roads.

But take water. You never know how far you'll want to ride.

For more info about trails, group rides, cycling initiatives and other events, visit the SVBC at svbcoalition.org.

Jeff Haden lives in Harrisonburg, is a bestselling ghostwriter, and is a featured business columnist for Inc.com and CBS MoneyWatch.com. He can be reached at www.blackbirdinc.com.

Pre Super Bowl Sunday Trail Work

2012-01-25T03:24:00.000-08:00

The Brusher Crew on Red Diamond (Slate Springs Trail)

On Sunday Jan 22nd 20+ volunteers from SVBC and CAMBC took to Shenandoah Mountain to help clear several trails. The Slate Spring Trail and Pond Knob Trail were brushed and chainsaw as well as several sections along both trails saw tread work. Hone Quarry Ridge Trail as also a lot of clearing which has seen tremendous amount of debrie from recent prescribed burns as well as gypsy moth destruction. Heart Break trail also had a hand crew go up and clear down fall. Thanks for these volunteers SVBC did over 150 hours of trail work in one day!

The Chain Saw Crew!

The Finished Product!

Tillman West Trail Work Project at Fall 2011 Mountain Bike Festival

2011-11-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Narrowboack Reroute - 2011 SVBCoalition Fall MTB Fest from Scott Wootten on Vimeo.

Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition hosts the 15th annual Virginia Mountain Bike Festival. As part of the Recreational Trails Program, funded by the Virginia Gas Tax, the SVBC undertakes a major trailbuilding project on Narrowback Mountain.

Hillandale Trail Work Saturdays

2011-11-10T03:48:00.000-08:00

Saturday Hillandale Trail Work Saturdays start this Saturday 11/12, 9am-12pm. New trails and major improvements to the pump track are on tap this winter. Interested in helping as a crew leader? Contact Thomas Jenkins: tj@shenandoahbicycle.com

Fingers Crossed! Second Round of Recreational Trails Program Grant to improve Narrowback

2011-07-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

It is with great dismay that we watch the budget battles in Congress target bicycle funding. Vercose to our hearts in the Federal Program known as the Recreational Trails Program or RTP. Last fall, the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition successfully administered a $100,000 grant to improve the trails in the North River District of the George Washington National Forest.

Well, we are back at it again and are in the second round of applications for another RTP grant. This time we plan to use the $100,000 to improve the Wild Oak Trail on Lookout Mountain and several projects to improve the trails on Narrowback, one of the most popular mountain bike destinations in the entire North River District. The Narrowback trail complex has seen a tremendous amount of work from the SVBC over the past several years and as such the trails have become more fun, sustainable, and accessible for all users.

The latest grant would re-route the Tillman West Trail that drops West from the Tower down to Tillman Road. The recent Big Run Timber sale provided the impetus for a re-route of the trail as the sale removed trees right along the trail. The new trail will showcase the beautiful views from the Timber Sale and provide a rare opportunity for trail users to see a timber sale up close and personal. The second project will involve re-routing portions of the tower trail along the ridge (this is the section of Narrowback used in the Shenandoah Mountain 100). The following pictures chronicle a day spent walking around Narrowback marking the alignment of future trails!

[art Wolf Ridge Trail Work Day Part 1

2011-06-29T04:31:00.000-07:00

This is how you move rocks in the woods!

Measure twice, dig once!

See the full Gallery of Pictures from the Work Day

On Sunday June 26, 25 volunteers donated 120 work hours towards addressing a wet section of the ever popular Wolf Ridge Trail in the George Washington National Forest. Another 6 volunteers donated 30 work hours towards brushing the a several mile section of the Wild Oak National Recreation Trail from Little Bald down towards Camp Todd on Forest Road 95.

The Wolf Ridge Trail received a major reroute last fall as part of the SVBC DCR Recreational Trails Program Grant. With the help of Trail Dynamics, a professional trail building company based out of Asheville North Carolina and volunteers from the Shenandaoh Mountain Bike Festival, the old wolf ridge trail was closed and relocated onto a more sustainable grade. In the course of the reroute, the trail ran into a few spots that stay wet for many months of the year and cause water to run down a small part of the trail. Our trail work day largely involved armoring these sections so that the water can flow across the trail rather than down the tread. The rock armoring will ensure that the tread remains firm and the soil undisturbed.

We have one more work day planned to finish the rock armoring on Wolf Ridge, if you have the time we would love your help! Sunday July 17 we will meet at the trail head at 9am!

Link to Google Map with the Wolf Trail head

Happy, worn out and hungry volunteers after a long day of work

The Wild Oak Trail after brushing it open and making the final cuts up near Little Bald Knob

SVBC RTP Virginia DCR Grant Phase 2

2011-06-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

The gound work is being laid by SVBC for Phase 2 of the North River Trails Enhancement
What a great opportunity to work with Trails Specialist Christian Canary of the North River Ranger District to make improvements for trail visitors looking to bicycle, hike, run and ride horses.
Thank you FHWA Recreation Trails Program!

From Lookout Mountain Trail Layout - SVBC RTP Grant #2

June 26th National Forest Trail Work

2011-06-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

SVBC will be leading trail work hopefully on two spots on Saturday June 26th.
Meet at Mr J's on Route 42 South at 8:15 or at the Wolfe Ridge Trail Head on Tillman Road at 9am.
-Bring bikes to ride in for the Wolfe Ridge Trail Section
-Second crew will drive to Little Bald Knob to brush down towards Camp Todd.

For more info contact Thomas: tj@shenandoahbicycle.com

Shenandoah Mountain Trail - Rehabilitation

2011-04-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Shenandoah Mountain Trail south of Rt. 250 is an amazing trail. A HUGE amount of work goes in to maintaining the trail yearly. Shenandoah Mountain Touring maintains the trail as part of the volunteer agreement between the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coaliton and the North River Ranger District in the George Washington National Forest. The amazing section of trail coined the "Southern Traverse" is designated an "IMBA Epic" by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. The Shenandoah Mountain Trail ends in Bath County Virginia. There are some amazing choices of cabins and cottages in Bath County if you wish to hunker down and explore these amazing trails or the wonderful road riding Bath has to offer.

Bob Trailers make trail work missions much easier and enjoyable.

From Shenandoah Mountain Trail - Rehabilitation and Tree Removal

Tillman Road Trash Pick Up-New Date April 30th

2011-04-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the weather Saturday, boy it sure was miserable and dangerous at times. The SVBC and GWNF will attempt to pick up the pieces and has set Saturday 30 April as the make-up day for Earth Day Trash Pickup. Same time (9 AM- Noon), same place (Dog Graveyard on Tillman Road). I talked to the District Ranger and he is so very appreciative of the club's efforts. In particular he mentioned the severity of the damage to Tillman from use over the past year. Please set your calendar for SAT. 30 APRIL to make a difference in our National Forest. Thanks.
Contact Marshall at 540-432-3312 with any questions. I can also be reached via e-mail marshall_hammond@merck.com

Hillandale Trail Work

2011-04-14T04:17:00.000-07:00

April 14th: Trail work will happen this evening on the Power Line Trail and New Blue Trail next to the Power Line Trail. Come out anytime from 5pm-dark! Thanks to all the JMU Students who help out Saturday...100 volunteer hours in one day...Take a look!

Carr Mountain Trail - Collaborative Trail Project - George Washington National Forest

2011-04-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

A great trail project is nearing completion on the North River Ranger District

A collaborative venture by the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, Backcountry Horsemen, and the Potomac Applachian Trail Club to better connect the Lee Ranger District to the North River Ranger District in the George Washington National Forest with a non-motorized shared-use singletrack trail near Bergton, VA. Trail tools were transported in by pack saddle and towed behind bicycles to reach the remote work area. The new trail will be used as a key part of both the Great Eastern Trail and the Virginia Mountain Bike Trail.

This project has been ongoing for a few years now. Here are some great pictures from a past workday.

From Carr Mountain Trail - George Washington National Forest

Chainsaw Recertification's to clear George Washington National Forest Trails

2011-03-30T06:04:00.001-07:00

Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition members Jennifer Wolfson, Mike Capraro, Susan Musante, Matt Smith and Chris Scott just completed their chainsaw certifications so they can continue to provide a great volunteer service helping to keep the trails open in the George Washington National Forest.

Daily News Record Article on Recreational Trails Program Grant in National Forest

2011-02-08T07:24:00.001-08:00

The following article appeared in the Harrisonburg's Daily News Record Paper on Saturday, January 29. It is a decent recap of the Shenandoah Valley's $100,000 Trail Work project in the North River District of the George Washington National Forest. Needless to say a few of the quotes are not verbatim... However, it gives good press as to the work done to improve the trails in the Forest. While the article does mention hikers on at least one occasion, the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition wants to emphasize that all the work was on "shared-use" trails and will equally benefit equestrians, hikers, and bike riders. The improvements will also contribute to an overall healthier forest, the improved trails will cause less impact and sediment run-off than before. Below is the DNR story:

National Forest Biking Improves

Posted January 29, 2011 12:00 AM EST

Valley Coalition Spearheads George Washington Trail Rehabilitation

By Tim Chapman

HARRISONBURG - Rich Edwards' work as the trail solutions manager for the International Mountain Bicycling Association has taken him all over the country and as far away as Italy.

But in 2001, he and his wife settled in Harrisonburg, amazed by the potential of mountain biking in the Shenandoah Valley. Ten years later much of that potential is being realized.

Edwards and fellow members of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition improved area recreation with the recent completion of $123,000 worth of trail maintenance in the George Washington National Forest.

Mountain bikers, hikers, runners and hunters will benefit from the 15 miles of improved trail.

"The trails in the national forest, we see them from a health perspective, but also an economic perspective and not just in tourism," Edwards said. "It's a benefit to the people living in the Valley. All the trails increase our property values."

Edwards said the SVBC's trail-maintenance efforts will make it easier for the Valley to compete with Colorado and the Southwest region of the country for avid mountain bikers.

"It's just as good, if not better, outdoor recreation," he said.

To fund the projects in the North River Ranger District of the forest, SVBC applied for a reimbursement grant through the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. The grant money comes from the same gas tax that goes to fund highway improvements.

The coalition paid two North Carolina contractors sums of about $30,000 to $40,000 for different stages of the improvements and was then reimbursed by the state, according to Kyle Lawrence, the SVBC advocacy coordinator. Reimbursements came in the form of $98,000 cash and $25,000 based on a DCR volunteer labor scale.

Previous grants awarded to the SVBC were all under $2,000.

"To be awarded a grant of this magnitude was very exciting and at the same time slightly overwhelming," said Thomas Jenkins of SVBC.

More than 100 local volunteers spent Saturdays brushing trail corridor, installing drainage features and moving trail beds throughout the forest between Va. 250 and U.S. 33.

The two North Carolina companies, B4 and Trail Dynamics, did much of the work, which was designed and planned by the SVBC in its grant proposal in 2007.

"The biggest goal is to get water off the trail," Lawrence said.

The coalition has been working with the U.S. Forest Service in the North River Ranger District for about 10 years, but usually on minor improvements to trails.

"With this project, we're moving beyond that to actually trying to close some sections of trail that aren't sustainable and actually relocate them somewhere else," Lawrence said. "So, kind of revamp the whole thing and not just put Band-Aids."

Lawrence explained that much of the 200 miles worth of trail in the North River Ranger District are fall-line trails and old extraction roads, which predate the park.

Fall-line trails go straight up a slope and erode quickly. The trails also are not easily accessible to novice bicyclists. SVBC hopes to have forest trails for all levels of bicyclists and hikers.

"We're working toward creating situations where it's easier for people to take a 5-year-old out on a bike and still be challenged," Edwards said.

Contact Tim Chapman at 574-6277 or tchapman@dnronline.com

Switchback Work Where the Wild Oak Trail Crosses the North River via Suspension Bridge

2010-12-05T17:21:00.001-08:00

The Wild Oak Trail is a 25.6 mile trail located within the North River Ranger District of the George Washington National Forest. This National Recreation Trail is very popular for various recreational activities, including: hiking, biking, horseback riding, and trail running. Due to the steep and rugged nature of the trail most trail users only access a portion of the trail at a time. Some brave souls do backpack the entire loop at once but with over 8,000 feet of climbing it is no easy feat. Some truly crazy folks run the entire loop in one day while the craziest turn the trail into an Ultra-distance run by completing four laps for a 100 mile run!

The Trail parking lot is near the edge of the George Washington National Forest, very near Stokesville. The trail provides phenomenal viewpoints looking out at the vast George Washington National Forest. The beauty of this trail is that it takes you from the "front range" mountains that border the Shenandoah Valley all the way into the depths of the back country, specifically, Little and Big Bald Knobs. Over the course of the trail a trail user goes through maintained wildlife clearings, Forest administrative roads, remote roadless areas, and the Ramsey's Draft Wilderness.

Two of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition Grants involved work on the Wild Oak Trail. The first was to create an all weather crossing as the trail drops down Horse Trough Hollow and crosses Forest Road 95. Previously, trail users were forced into fording the North River which is often knee deep or higher, very wide and very cold. The new spur trail depicted in an earlier (Camp Todd) post allows users to choose whether or not they want to Ford the North River or use the spur trail combined with a bridge over the North River on Forest Road 95.

The second project involved fixing a switchback on the west side of the North River Suspension Bridge. The Forest Service did a bit of work to the area several years back but the location under a steep cliff is a recipe for erosion and requires a substantial amount of work to build a sustainable trail. The below pictures depict the work completed by Trail Dynamics to fix the switchback and the area above the switchback which was experiencing chronic drainage problems.

Rehabilitated tread above the switchback, at the top of the photo is the old location of the stone steps depicted below.

Christian Canary of the U.S. Forest Service, Thomas Jenkins of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, Synthia Waymack from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Ethan Jenkins the next generation of trail users! They are all standing at the new and improved switchback on the Wild Oak Trail

Another view of the rehabilitated Switchback. As you can see from pictures below, the switchback was previously unridable for trail users on bikes and experienced chronic shortcutting by trail users on foot.

Looking down the trail with the switchback in the distance. This rehabilitated section of trail was regraded and the precarious stone steps were removed. This area should no longer experience the erosion problems that it once had. This is a result of the large rock armored rolling grade dip that was placed above this section to prevent an especially active underground spring from bypassing an existing culvert, subsequently sending water down the trail bed.

Rock steps with evident erosion before the regrading and installation of armored grade reversal to address this problem.

Old trail bed that was experiencing terrible erosion from the spring above. In the background you can see the stone steps and the erosion to their right where water was getting onto the trail.

Old Switchback experienced chronic shortcutting and was unridable for cyclists. The new switchback involved the construction of a large rock retaining wall to support a much larger platform for the turn.

Looking down the stone steps at the eroded trail bed before any work was completed

U.S. Forest Service staff checking out the condition of the trail prior to the SVBC grant work

Lynn Trail switchback is reconstructed in the George Washington National Forest

2010-11-24T19:59:00.000-08:00

First assess the worksite and make it a safe area to work
Make a plan that can be completed successfully
Start digging the foundation for the rock crib wall
After cutting the backslope
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.

Map of SVBC DCR Grant Trail Projects

2010-11-24T09:37:00.000-08:00

View SVBC NORTH RIVER TRAILS ENHANCEMENT PROJECT in a larger map

Partial Trail Rehabilitation for the Chestnut Ridge Trail

2010-11-22T05:29:00.000-08:00

Chestnut Ridge has been rehabilitated. It wasn't total tread reconstruction for the whole 7 mile section of trail. We only had enough money in the grant to have Trail Dynamics install rolling grade dips where they were going to help keep water from running down the trail. Use caution if you ride it, there are still some sections that are very rocky and rutted. Check out the clip from the upper section near Little Bald Knob. (Thanks to Shenandoah Mountain Touring for the Video)

Funds from the Federal Gas Tax and then administered by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Natural Resources paid for North Carolina's own Trail Dynamics to build 57 Rolling Grade Dips to get water off the steeper parts of the Chestnut Ridge Trail. Many of these grade dips are nearly 75 feet in length from beginning to end. These long structures allow for a smooth transition when cycling down the trail without feeling as if the Rolling Dips want to "buck" you off of your bike. The large nature of the dips also ensures that they will drain water off the trail for many years to come. While more time consuming and costly to build than traditional water bars, properly built Rolling Grade Dips are not nearly as dangerous for cyclists as water bars and they effectively drain water much better for far longer periods of time.

Other work done to Chestnut:
-1200 feet of trail reconstruction
-300 feet of new trail construction
-500 feet of old unsustainable trail closure

This is a new build section of Chestnut Ridge Trail

This is what a section of Chestnut Ridge looked like before Trail Dynamics built rolling grade dips to divert water off of the trail

Shenandoah Mountain Trail heading towards Tearjacket Knob

2010-11-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

Log and debris covers the old trail on Tearjacket as the trail turns halfway down from the Ridge. Not only has the turn been exaggerated from the previous 90 degree turn but it also has a rise after the turn to slow riders momentum. The new relocation allows the tread to shed water and slows down bicycle riders to allow for a more positive interaction between hikers and bikers.

The ditchwitch was the machine of choice for the tread work as the trail got up to the higher elevations. The SVBC wanted to preserve the character of the trail since it narrowed as it gained elevation. The blade on the ditchwitch is not as wide as that on the Swaeco allowing for a slightly narrower tread.

Perfect example of sustainable trail relocation. The brush on the right side of the picture covers up the old trail bed. The old trail was rutted out and seriously cupped as a result of water running down the trail for many many years. The new relocation raises the trail above the old tread so that water will no longer sit on the tread.

Camp Todd Reroute

2010-11-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

One of the projects on the SVBC DCR grant is the reroute of the Wild Oak Trail as it comes down Horse Trough Hollow and crosses the North River. The current interface brings the trail straight down to the North River where it drops down steep embankments to the water and then goes through Camp Todd. Sometimes the water level in the North River is very high making the trail on the other side nearly impossible to access. This has caused people to either avoid this section of the Wild Oak Trail in the winter when it is too cold to get wet or caused them great discomfort. Only a quarter mile upstream Forest Service Road 95 crosses the North River via a sturdy, road grade bridge. It is after this bridge where the new trail head meets Forest Service Road 95. Don't worry, the old trail will remain open for those who want to ford the North River. This reroute will provide a dry crossing for this ever popular shared use trail.

This is what the first climbing turn now looks like on the Camp Todd reroute as you begin the new section of trail coming up from Forest Service Road 95

This is the creek crossing on the new Camp Todd reroute BEFORE Trail Dynamics came through and armored the crossing and built the trail to connect the Wild Oak National Recreation Trail with Forest Service Road 95 utilizing a road bridge over the North River

This is that same creek crossing AFTER Trail Dynamics came through and rock armored the crossing

Purpose of This Blog

2010-10-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition is currently applying $100,000 of Federal Recreational Trail Program funds to improve the trails of the George Washington National Forest. Trail Dynamics is on the ground in the Forest improving the sustainability of our trails as we speak. Stay tuned for before and after photos as well as video footage.