Rocky Knob Park- Boone NC

[Woodman]

Trail Dynamics was selected for a design/build contract for this new mountain bike facility in Boone. http://booneareaoutdoors.com/2010/07...ays-of-summer/

Phase 1 is currently under contract, this will be the beginners’ loop trail which is just under 2 miles.

The design team (Kristian, Chuck and Bob) have been working for 2 weeks on the design and that is now complete. Volunteers began clearing corridor on July 22 and will work again this weekend. Trail Dynamics will begin machine rough in of the trail on Monday July 26. There are several very burly rock gardens to get through on this first loop.

Plans for the whole park include:

- More mountain bike loops including moderate and more difficult loops
- A flow trail with jumps
- An adventure playground at the trailhead
- Skills areas of different difficulty levels (beginners and more advanced)

This is a hybrid contract with TD staff responsible for the trail design and rough and finished grading with machines, while volunteers are responsible for corridor clearing and finish work.

This coming week is a great opportunity to get involved in the project. We have a kick off meeting at the Broyhill at 6PM on Thursday July 29. This will be a 1.5 hr general overview of what the project is all about. We will show some photos of what the landscape on Rocky Knob looks like, but also some images of visions for the complete trail system (all loops) and what we want the trails to look like.

On Sat. July 31 we will be presenting a Sustainable Trails Design workshop at the Best Western and out at the park. Indoor session will be 9-12 and then lunch, followed by a field session for crew leaders and volunteers from 2-6 at the park.

For more info, check out the Boone Area Cyclist website:
http://www.booneareacyclists.com/

http://www2.wataugademocrat.com/stor...ails_id_003028

This is a very exciting project and TD is super excited about the potential for this park to have a great trail system. We look forward to working with many of the locals up there in the high country to develop the park and trails to the fullest potential.

Woody

[Woodman]

The first loop is designed, Construction started on Monday.

Here is a great blog with stories and photos each day of progress, challenges, and rewards:
http://rockyknob.wordpress.com/

Rocky Knob will become a destination mountain bike park when complete. Ed and 5 other TD crew members are in Boulder CO helping to build Valmont Bike Park:
http://www.bma-mtb.org/valmontbikepark/

Busy times for the entire Trail Dynamics team.

Woody

[Lule]

Thanks for the update.

I'll be at the Broyhill this evening. Should the volunteers attend the workshop or just be at the park at two?

[Woodman]

Thanks for the update.

I'll be at the Broyhill this evening. Should the volunteers attend the workshop or just be at the park at two?

We will give details at the Kick-Off presentation tonight at the Broyhill. If you want to learn about sustainable trail planning and design, come to the indoor presentation on Sat. AM. If you just want to be grunt labor, blow off the indoor session and show up at the park at 2PM.

See you there.

Woody

[FatTireGoose]

Always awesome news to hear of a new bike park opening, thanks for posting this and the links to the park...I know I'll be a customer.
Although I live in Mills River I travel to Boone frequently to visit my nephew and load up on his Boone Barr food bars.

Here's a shameless plug for his product and hope I'm not jackin' the thread to much. If you guys haven't tried these yet, you're missing out.
Look for them at EarthFare. They pack away nicely and are great fuel for the trail. Thanks and back to your regularly scheduled thread.

http://www.parrfoods.com/Default.aspx

[Lule]

Great presentation last night on the park process and progress. Woody and his team seem competent and capable. I'm stoked to live in a town with such a keen focus on outdoor recreation.

Thanks to all who are making this happen.

Trail work 2-6 pm Saturday. The more volunteer hours, the faster this will happen.

[waterdogs]

I don't live in the area, but travel there twice a year. When is the projected completion date?

[Lule]

First loop should be ready to ride Septemberish.

[Woodman]

Here are a few maps of the first loop (rated Blue- Moderate):

[Sugar_Brad]

awesome guys can't thank you enough for the hard work!

[Woodman]

The construction kicked off this past week and we had a great week. The Kick Off presentation on Thur. was a packed room of folks eager to learn of the vision for the Park. Sat. morning was an indoor trail school with 15 or so folks learning the basics of sustainable trail design, and the afternoon was digging in the dirt with 23 volunteers. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Trail Dynamics gets to work on a lot of cool projects each and every year. Rocky Knob is however a very special project to me as we moved away from the area (lived in Boone and Blowing Rock for 24 years) partly due to the lack of good mountain biking close-by. We found ourselves driving down to Wilson's Creek, Woods Mountain, or Mt. Rogers area to ride, all of those are 1hr + from Boone.

It was great to re-connect with some old mountain bike friends from the High Country Mountain Bile Association (HCMBA) days, and also meet some new friends. I served as President for HCMBA for 4 years, and it just did not continue after we moved away. There is great new leadership and energy in the new Boone Area Cyclist and without this club Rocky Knob would not be happening.

Great new posts in the Rocky Knob blog by Kristian Jackson:
http://rockyknob.wordpress.com/

Woody

[spec4life]

Hey guys looks great...

I live im wilkes and love the trails here but am always excitec about new trails..

How far up 421 is this park??

[Along For The Ride]

Looks like a great project! We have some clients up in the Boone area and they have been talking about building some trails for over a year now. I am going to be up in the Boone area soon and would like to schedule it with one of their afternoon workdays. Are they meeting every Thursday afternoon at 6pm?

[Woodman]

Hey guys looks great...

I live im wilkes and love the trails here but am always excitec about new trails..

How far up 421 is this park??

Coming from down off the mountain, Rocky Knob is just before the Nissan dealership and on your left. Hope to have the first loop (2.6 miles moderate) completed in Oct.

[Woodman]

[QUOTE=. Are they meeting every Thursday afternoon at 6pm?[/QUOTE]

R,

Yup, I think the plan is for Dirty Thursdays for the next while. They will also be scheduling some weekend days for work. Stay tuned to the blog and here for any updates.

Woody

[Woodman]

Some photos from the planning/design phase.........

1. My first visit to the property back in June, still on crutches.

2.Chuck and Bob designing the first loop, looking for cool landscape features.

3. MotoMike explores the potential of the property and enjoys the beauty of the land.

[man w/ one hand]

Can't wait to take a two wheeler down the new trailz !!! Thanx for the hard work & efforts.

[Lule]

Those boulders are everywhere. 'Rocky' it most definitely is.

[Woodman]

Those boulders are everywhere. 'Rocky' it most definitely is.

Indeed, Rocky Knob was well named. This will provide for a really cool trail with lots of things to look at while riding, and lots of rock for trail tread. Also provides for very challenging trail building.

[Woodman]

Here are some more photos showing just how rocky Rocky Knob is and some finished trail photos.

[D.F.L.]

Sweet attachments on your mobility scooter!

This looks like a very cool project. A very smart move by folks up in Boone.

[Woodman]

[QUOTE=D.F.L.]Sweet attachments on your mobility scooter!

It is a bit slow (crawl speed of 1.5 mph), but if there is something you can't reach on the top shelf........

[sjanes]

2.Chuck and Bob designing the first loop, looking for cool landscape features.

.

I'm pretty sure Chuck is talking about how to fell that tree so it will fall in the opposite direction than it's leaning, and he is wagering money that he can do it with a plunge cut...

[highrevs]

Here are some more photos showing just how rocky Rocky Knob is and some finished trail photos.

NICE! I'm stoked about this addition to the high country!

[Woodman]

Construction on the first loop of Rocky Knob park has cranked back up this week. TD staff Bob Karriker is back after 2 weeks of trail education work in Dayton OH and is excited to again be working in the high country.

Volunteers had a great work session on Thur. evening and are staying caught up behind Bob and the machine work. We will be there through the end of Sept. this go round machine building and giving lots of work for the volunteers. The goal would be to have the first loop finished are ready to ride late fall with more to come in spring 2011.

Thanks to everyone who has worked to make this new bike park and trail system happen. Spring 2011 will also see the development of a skills area in the main park and one up on the hill incorporated into the trails. Lots of TTFs and optional lines will also be part of the trails at Rocky Knob

Woody