WNC Trail Happenings

February 4, 2008 on 4:23 pm | In W.N.C. - Trail |

Advocacy Updates and Changes:

First, I would like to thank Ben Blitch for the recent increase in his involvement with PAS.  Ben will be serving as the coordinator of trail work at Bent Creek.  Ben brings years of experience as both a volunteer and professional trail worker; most recently, he was working on a traveling trail crew for IMBA.  We are truly lucky that he’s here.  Watch our website and forums for news regarding Thursday evening Bent Creek work days and a HUGE National Trails Day project.

Mark Allmond will be continuing his involvement with coordinating Pisgah District trail work.  PAS currently has responsibility for the following trail corridors:  Laurel Mountain from 1206 to Pilot Mountain Connector.  Squirrel Gap from Laurel Creek to Horse Cove.  Vineyard Gap.  These trails represent some of the finest mountain biking in the district and we are proud of the work we’ve done on them.  Hopefully, will be expanding our responsibitlies to include some of the more heavily used trails around the Fish Hatchery. 

Richmond Hill continues to plod along.  The city has completed a Habitat and Species Assessment for the first phase of trail building and PAS is currently soliciting support for this document and our proposed trail work from local environmentalists.  We are also still finalizing our Memorandum of Understanding with the city.  This process has been extremely difficult as the city and PAS learns the complexities of land managers and trail volunteers working together.  Hopefully, we will have reached a point that we will be having a trail building day at Richmond Hill in March or  April.  To remind everyone, Richmond Hill represents 80-plus acres of undeveloped city land that we are trying to build a premiere urban trail system on.  Located less than 10 minutes from downtown Asheville, it would provide another after work riding locale that could be ridden to.  Personally, this last point is especially important to me; I would love to not be contributing to air pollution as I drive my car in order to ride my bike.  Everyone’s involvedment in this process will be needed. 

Thanks, and, as always, COME OUT AND WORK.  If you want to know when work days are, sign up for our forum through the link at www.pisgahareasorba.org.  All trail work days will be posted there. 

Mike Brown