Richmond MORE News

Trail Work - February 18, 2012

bpuhak — 2012-02-16T21:11:45Z

The trails are taking shape, but they aren't finished yet.

The hiking trail is coming along nicely. The new bridge is almost complete, the main section has been fully cleared, steps were added - a few more are still needed - and the playground branch was cut in last week.

The mountain bike trail still needs lots of love. The bottoms of a lot of the grade reversals need regrading and drain cuts in. There are some remaining back slopes to be cut and trail corridors to be narrowed.

So come on out and lend a hand. If you only have an hour, that's okay. Come on out whenever you want (just hike the trails until you find people working) and stay as long as you can. And bring a friend.

When: 9am, Saturday, February 18th, 2012

Where: Dogwood Dell - Pump House Dive

Bring: Gloves, Water, Snack

Volunteers Needed for the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride

bpuhak — 2012-02-17T16:47:06Z

Only Two Spots Remaining. Please sign-up and help out Richmond-MORE!!! As some of you may have seen in a previous email, the Urban Assault Ride has made its way to Richmond! It is scheduled to be held on Sunday, March 25, 2012 and MORE has agreed to help with the planning of the event. By doing so, Richmond MORE will get a cash donation, plus a percentage of the beer sales.

Beer? Yes, in case you are not aware, beer is involved with this event. It is being sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Company and a beer garden will be set up for the après-ride activities.

So, if you are not planning to ride in the Urban Assault Ride, the next best way to experience it is to volunteer! Why? Because volunteers get all the perks that the participants get.

Things like:

- A cool Urban Assault T-shirt

- Lunch

- A cool UAR water bottle

- Beer (limit of 2 for free)

- Best of all, eligibility for the après ride raffles without having to register for the race (read – A chance to win a very cool Limited Edition New Belgium Cruiser Bike!)

As of this posting, we already have six people who have offered to volunteer and we need 15 people, total, so the volunteer slots will go pretty fast (and to the six of you who have given a verbal offer, get on here and sign up now)!

What do I have to do as a volunteer?

It’s really not that hard and it will be a lot of fun – promise! The first step is to go to the following link and sign up:

http://adventurefit.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=619

(Please use the link above and NOT the one on the Urban Assault Ride website so the Richmond-MORE gets credit for your work).

Here, you will see the different volunteer positions and you can view the description for each position. You then need to enter your contact information and initial the disclaimer. Don’t forget to click the “Sign Up” button at the very bottom.

Please note: for all of the manager positions (which is 13 out of the 15 positions), there will be a mandatory training session on Thursday March 22, 2012 from 6-7p.m. It will be held at 1717 Summit Avenue (please go to the back of the building).

One last thing; if you sign up to volunteer, realize that you are making a commitment to be there the day of the event. So please make every effort to show up and show up on time. If you need to back out for whatever reason, please do so ahead of time.

Please contact Bob Wheatley with any questions, 938-2687 or by email at oneseventh at yahoo.com.

Thanks for your time and support – it is going to be a blast!

RTP in Danger of Being Eliminated

bpuhak — 2012-02-15T13:27:39Z

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is the ONLY federal funding source for multi-use singletrack trails.

IMBA Action Alert

RTP is in grave danger in both chambers of the U.S. Congress. This week, both the House and Senate are expected to vote on their respective transportation bills.

In the Senate, RTP is eliminated, but U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is offering an amendment to restore dedicated funding.

In the House, RTP was included in legislation forwarded by the committee, but Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has an amendment to eliminate the program. The entire House of Representatives hears the bill later this week.

Take Action in the Senate!

Call your U.S. Senator today at 202-224-3121 and ask them to "VOTE YES on the Klobuchar amendment to MAP-21," or use this easy e-mail form from the American Motorcyclists Association.

Take Action in the House!

Call your U.S. Representative at 202-225-3121 and ask them to "VOTE NO on amendment #230 by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) that will eliminate the Recreational Trails Program."

Find yourSenator or Representative.

RTP funding provides $85 million annually for trail construction and maintenance. Since 1993, RTP has funded more than 15,000 projects nationwide and leverages local and state funding. Only a small portion of federal funds collected are returned to the program for motorized and non-motorized trail projects.

Trail Work - February 11, 2012

bpuhak — 2012-02-09T21:58:52Z

We had over 30 people out last week, can we match or exceed that number this week?

We made great progress on cleanup of the back cuts and down slopes on the machine cut trail as well as dispersing debris piles. The hiking trail up to the bridge is complete and the footers for the bridge have been dug. Work on the bermed turn is coming along and should wrap up this weekend. But the work's not down there's still a lot of trail to be cleaned up and a bridge to be built. This week, we'll continue moving dirt and shaping the bermed turn, building a bridge, working on the hiking trail and cleaning up the machine cut trail - narrowing the corridor, adding rock choke points, fixing drainage, tweaking trail intersections. There's plenty to do for people of all trail building skill levels, so come on out and lend a hand for a hour (or even more).

When: 9am, February 11, 2012

Where: Pump House Drive - across from Pump House Park

Bring: Water, Food, Gloves

Virginia Outside

bpuhak — 2012-02-08T13:43:42Z

Go outside and play!

Under the guidance of positive adult role models, Virginia Outside provides children a chance to discover their own abilities, stimulating self-esteem and character. From tree climbing, to hiking, to fort building, to mountain biking, to just looking under rocks in the river to see what’s there, they let kids lead the programming as much as possible.

Most of the programs take place in the James River Park and other area parks, but from time to time they visit private locations for specific activities.

Ages: Boys and Girls 1st-5th grade.

When: After school and summer camp programs

Find out more at VirginiaOutside.com

February Club Meeting

bpuhak — 2012-02-07T16:32:37Z

Join us at Piccola's Restaurant on Wednesday, February 15th for our first club meeting and social of the year.

Piccola's is located at Main and Harrison near VCU and serves a fine selection of pizza and Italian dishes. The social will start at 6pm and the meeting at 6:30pm. Come out and hear about the great new trails in Dogwood Dell, plans for the Belle Island Skills Area, future projects and events, and other club news.

When: 6pm Wednesday February 15, 2012

Where: Piccola's @ Main and Harrison

Trail Work - February 4, 2012

bpuhak — 2012-02-01T19:25:10Z

Great progress made at Dogwood Dell last week, but there's still a lot to do.

We're happy that we had a great turnout last weekend, but we need to keep up the effort for the next couple of weeks. So what needs to be done? Lots of roots and sticks to be removed from the trail bed. Berms and grade reversal need to be fine tuned. The trail corridor needs to be cleaned up and narrowed. And the hiking trail needs to be finished. If you can come out all day, that's awesome. If you can only spare an hour, every little bit helps. We have tasks for people of all abilities from first timers to experienced trail workers. So come on out, lend a hand and help us get the trails closer to opening.

What: Dogwood Dell Trail Work

When: 9am Saturday, February 4, 2012

Where: Pumphouse Drive - across from the entrance to Pumphouse Park

Bring: Water, Snack, Gloves

SB464 Sunday Hunting

bpuhak — 2012-01-31T13:39:52Z

As most of you have probably already heard, the Sunday hunting bill was approved by the Senate last Thursday. That bill now has to come over to the House Side and will probably be assigned to the Sub-committee of the House Committee on Agriculture. Additionally, this same committee is looking at the House version of the Sunday hunting bill THIS WEDNESDAY, FEB 1st AT 5:00 - 4th floor of the General Assembly building – in the West Conference Room.

To all citizens who oppose Sunday hunting:

We need as many people there to oppose the bill as we can get. We feel that we have more support on this committee than we did on the Senate side and now is the time to show how much our Sundays mean to the horsemen, hikers, bikers and bird watchers. Please try to come and represent your concerns. You don’t necessarily have to speak, just be there to show support with us. Also, between now and then, please call or email the members of the sub-committee hearing this bill on Wednesday. Their names, emails and phone numbers are listed below.

Here is a sample of what you can say or please feel free to state your position as long as it opposes Sunday hunting.

Dear Mr. Ware:

I am a citizen of Virginia and I oppose Sunday Hunting. I too enjoy the outdoors as a (horse rider, mountain biker, bird watcher, hiker, etc.) and feel that the hunters already have six days of the week while they only represent a minority of the commonwealth’s citizens. The majority of us only have Sunday in which to enjoy the outdoors without the fear of being hit by a stray bullet or the noise of gunshots during hunting season. Furthermore, Sunday hunting will result in a substantial increase in use on the State Parks, National Battlefields and regional parks and they may not be adequately prepared, either physically or financially for increases in users. Please vote no to Sunday hunting.

Lee Ware, Chairman – delLWare@house.virginia.gov – 804-698-1065 – He is from Powhatan, VA

Thomas Wright – DelTWright@house.virginia.gov – 804-698-1061- he is from Victoria, VA

James Edmunds – DelJEdmunds@house.virginia.gov – 804-698-1060 – He is from Halifax, VA

Tony Wilt – DelTWilt@house.virginia.gov – 804-698-1026 – He is from Harrisonburg, VA

Matt Fariss – friendsofmattfariss@gmail.com – 804-698-1059 – He is from Rustburg, VA

Kenneth Plum – DelKPlum@house.virginia.gov – 804-698-1036 – He is from Reston, VA

Lynwood Lewis – DelLLewis@house.virginia.gov – 804-698-1000 – He is from Accomac, VA

Bill link: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=121&typ=bil&val=sb464

SVBC Annual Super Bowl Sunday Ride

bpuhak — 2012-01-30T21:05:36Z

Sunday, February 5th is Super Bowl Sunday and that means it's time for the SVBC Annual Super Bowl Sunday Ride.

Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition has been hosting a ride to the top of Flagpole Knob on Superbowl Sunday for as long as anyone can remember. This year's ride will take place on Sunday, February 5th, 2012. Starting at Briery Branch Community Center, the ride climbs paved and gravel roads up to the top of Flagpole Knob. A group photo is taken, then riders are free to choose one of multiple singletrack descents off of the mountain.

For more information, contact Thomas: tj@shenandoahbicycle.com

To hitch a ride with some Richmonders heading up, check out the thread on CCVA: SuperBowl ride, 2012

Trail Work - January 28, 2012

bpuhak — 2012-01-26T00:33:26Z

The Dogwood Dell trails have been cut, now we need to get out there and turn them into some sweet singletrack.

The Sweco came through this week and took care of all of the back breaking bench cutting for us. Now for the fun part...

This week will be at Dogwood Dell fine turning the trails. We'll be cutting back slopes, tweaking the trail bed, closing off old trails, cutting the hiking trail and maybe even building some bridges.

We'd love to have lots of people come out the next several weekends for two big reasons. 1) We want the trails open so we can go ride and hike them and 2) we have a big project in the works on Belle Island, so we need to get Dogwood Dell finished up as soon as we can.

What: Dogwood Dell Trails

When: 9am Saturday, January 28th, 2012

Where: Park along Pumphouse Drive. We'll be meeting across the street from the entrance to Pumphouse Park.

Bring: Gloves, Water, Snack, Sturdy Shoes

Dogwood Dell Trail Construction Videos

bpuhak — 2012-01-26T00:31:57Z

Some photos and videos of the Sweco operator working at Dogwood Dell...

Interview with Nathan Burrell (City Trails Manager) and Bill Blythe (Sweco Trail Dozer operator)

Sweco making short work of a tree

Carving trail

Quick bench cut

Mike Burton operating the Ditch Witch

Photo Album

Come out to trail work this weekend to see the results for yourself. We need all the help we can get.

Belle Island Bicycle Skills Area

bpuhak — 2012-01-23T14:17:58Z

Press Release: Richmond MORE (Mid Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts) is announcing today the planned building of an Off Road Bicycle skills area on Belle Island in the City of Richmond Virginia’s James River Park.

This skills facility will be an addition to the 18 miles of urban single track trails nestled into the James River Park, Forest Hill Park and Byrd Parks located in the city. This entire system of trails has been built by volunteer labor and donated funds side by side with the City of Richmond Trails Division. Like the trails, this skills area will be built in collaboration with the following volunteer groups: The Friends of James River Park, JROC (James River Outdoor Coalition) the City of Richmond Trails Division, the James River Park System, Richmond MORE and IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association). This facility valued at $100,000 will be located under the Lee Bridge on the south east corner of Belle Island. This area is an unused portion of the island that was used for staging of mulch and materials. Construction will begin in April 2012 and the grand opening is scheduled for Memorial Day Weekend.

The concept for the skills area was formed by a committee of stakeholders: Richmond MORE, The Friends of James River Park, JROC, IMBA, James River Park and The City of Richmond Trails Division. The goals for this area are to enhance the park and embrace the sport of off road cycling. The skills area was endorsed and recommended by the Mayor’s Bicycle Pedestrian Commission. The learning curve for mountain biking is steep and this area will help beginners and intermediate cyclists practice new skills in a safe and controlled environment. The design features will mirror the existing trails to aid in learning how to navigate the entire trail system. This area will be accessed by bicycle from all parts of the city. The key features of urban trail design are access to trails and natural areas to all city and local residents without getting in a car to enjoy them. This skills area will expose citizens to a lifetime sport and a mode of transportation that is not only fun, but also cost effective and environmentally conservative.

Concept images are available on the Belle Island Skills Area webpage.

Trail Work - January 21, 2012

bpuhak — 2012-01-20T19:08:27Z

UPDATE: If it's raining or sleeting in the morning, we won't be working. Nothing needs to be done for the Sweco operator to do his work, so if the weather looks iffy, stay home and enjoy a morning off. Last trail work day before the Sweco comes in to carve the trails in Dogwood Dell.

We had a huge number of volunteers - both new and old - this past weekend and made some tremendous progress. Thanks to everyone that came out. The trail corridor for the mountain bike trail is largely clear of debris and ready for the Sweco to come in and move some dirt.

This week we still have some work to do. We'll focus our efforts on clearing the hiking trails. Last weekend we were able to clear about half of the hiking trail. The remaining half needs to be cleared, then the new trails will need to be bench cut. Having hiking only trails in Dogwood Dell will help to reduce user conflict on the mountain bike trails as well as provide a great outdoors experience for the local community. A large portion of the hiking trail will reuse existing trails so those portions shouldn't require much work.

The Sweco operator will be walking the trails on the 23rd and starting work on the 24th. He'll be finished by the following weekend (January 28th). This is when we'll need the most help. The trails will need hand tuning and bridges before they are opened. So mark your calendars for January 28th and February 4th.

What: Dogwood Dell Trails

When: 9am - Saturday, January 21st, 2012

Where: Park along Pumphouse Drive near the entrance to Pumphouse Park

Bring: Gloves, Water, Snacks

Freeze-Thaw Process And Trail Erosion

bpuhak — 2012-01-18T14:35:08Z

It was 60F last night! We're having quite the odd year when it comes to Winter temperatures. This is very much like Spring when the ground freezes over night and thaws during the day.

In these conditions our trails can easily become damaged. The clay on the North Bank trail doesn't drain quickly and parts of Buttermilk won't see sunlight again until April so they are going to retain moisture. This makes them susceptible to freeze-thaw damage.

from the Tennessee Mountain Bike Alliance:

What is the freeze-thaw process?

During wet winter months, when the trial becomes saturated and temperatures drop, ice forms in soil voids. Through the night temperatures drop and the freezing process pushes soil grains apart reducing particle cohesion and soil strength and making the soil more erodible. During the day temperatures increase and the trail surface thaws.

Even though the surface has thawed, the ground is still frozen just below the surface. To make matters worse, the frozen ground prevents precipitation from sinking in any further. This means the thawed layer at the surface is absolutely saturated with water so it is very intolerant of any disturbance. Come riding along and you’ll cut through the thawed layer right down to the frozen ground. The thawed layer will end up with ruts from the tire tracks, which will persist even when the soil dries out.

from the Macomb Area Cycling Mountain Bike Club:

When soil freezes all the moisture turns to ice crystals between the particles of the soil, and in clay or loam soil they are tightly packed together. As the moisture freezes the crystals expand and tear the clay apart which shatters it, then as it thaws the soil becomes more porous and allows more moisture in. This is repeated with every successive thaw. We can get as many as 100 freeze thaw cycles in a season. Please be very careful when trying to ride the trails in the winter. The best time to ride is when the trail is frozen solid. On days when the temperature goes below freezing at night, the worst thing you can do is wait for the sun to come out and warm up the trail before riding. The trails can be very soft even if it hasn’t rained recently. Even if the temperature stays below freezing, South facing trails can defrost in sunlight and turn to mush. If you are leaving ruts of ½” or greater in the trail where you have ridden please leave the trail. The ruts will allow even more water to remain on the trail and make it even worse. If people see you riding they will want to ride too, so very soon the trail reaches a point of meltdown.

So use some common sense when riding the trails. Don't use the current temperature as your only guide. Yes we all love riding when it's 60F out in January, but if it was 20F the night before, the trails will thaw in the afternoon. The best time is first thing in the morning when the trails are still frozen from the low overnight temperatures. If you can't make it out first thing in the morning, look for trails that drain well (and don't retain moisture) like Powhite Park.

So far our trails have held up well this winter, but we still have several months ahead of us. So do your part and be smart about riding the trails.

Trail Work - January 14, 2012

bpuhak — 2012-01-12T01:04:28Z

Dogwood Dell - For real this time!

Sorry to get your hopes up about trail work last week. We know how
much everyone values the chance to give back to the trails that we
all enjoy riding, but sometimes government's wheels are slow to turn
and wrench gets thrown in the works. This week, things should go much
more smoothly. So without further ado...

With the new year comes new trails...

Happy new year everyone. Richmond MORE - http://richmond-more.org/   
is kicking off the new year with a great new project. We've all been  
talking about it for a while, but the time has finally come. Trails 
are coming back to Dogwood Dell!

This weekend (January 14, 2012), we'll be starting work on a brand
new  trail system in Dogwood Dell. We'll be building two different
trails, a  mountain bike trail and pedestrian trail. We think this
will be a lot  of fun for all park users. Nathan and the Trail Care
Crew have flagged  the new trails, so we'll get started on Saturday
by clearing the trail  corridor of brush and debris. Meet at 9am on
Pumphouse Drive - you can park along Pumphouse Drive or in the gravel
lot by the Nickel Bridge and look for  the big green city pickup
truck. This is where we'll be meeting for the  next several weeks
while we build the new trails.

What: Dogwood Dell Trails
When: 9am Saturday, January 14, 2012
Where: Pumphouse Drive
Bring: Water, snack, gloves