From Barry Wray:

CFS had the first meeting of the Blue Clay Trail Care Crew on Monday 1/25/11. Twelve of us went over the attached PowerPoint presentation. We identified some items that we will be addressing in the coming months. The first item is to bring the beginner trail back to where it needs to be to accommodate beginner riders. We will continue to remove roots on the trail and bring in dirt and gravel to repair trail damage due to trail compaction from use over the last couple of years. We are planning to have a work day after we get enough dirt trucked in so hang tight on that but if you would like to help before then send me an email and I can meet you at the park and show you where to begin removing roots.

Another immediate item is some maintenance on a trail section that has become an issue. We may start working on that this week. I’ll send out an email when we have a day/time. One thing is for sure…we live in an area with no mountains and very little terrain so we have to have some (most) of our trail on flat ground and we will always be battling with issues like compaction, roots, and water. Mountain bike trails are composed of dirt…if the dirt has too much sand it will be good when we have wet conditions but too soft for dry conditions…if we have a trail with too much clay it will hold water and be wet and slick during rainy times which is not good but it will be good in dry conditions…BC is somewhere in between which is good and bad…so we face a long term battle (unless we give up and build a concrete sidewalk through the woods L) and we will have to try to stay ahead of changing conditions on the trail. IMBA offers advice on how to build a trail system to create good experiences for diverse visitors, minimize user conflict and environmental damage, and hold up in the future. Our goal is to follow their advice and create a unique trail that is challenging yet enjoyable for everyone.

I meet with Andy Johnson from New Hanover County Parks at BC last Friday. Andy reiterated the County’s commitment to BC (they have spent over $45,000 on the park in the last year).  He emphasized we need to identify issues at the park needing attention and submit proposals to him for solutions. He is committed to work on securing funding for the projects that are approved. Some of the projects we are working on now are:

• Identify what additional signs are needed at the park. The County would like to see mileage markers in place. This has been a long time safety issue that we need to address. What signs would you like to see at the park?
• Keep up with the monthly trail reports. I’ll be taking on this responsibility.
• Andy offered a possible workday on April 16^th with “free labor” from a local organization (we will have to look at this because we have a race scheduled for BC the next day)…more on this later.
• Replace the standard portable bathroom with one with handicap access. This was a request by a CFS member that came up during our meeting.  Do you (or anyone you know that uses the park) have a special need?
• Identify safety conditions around the park that need attention. Know of any?
• We have submitted sealed engineer plans for changes that need to be made on the very first bridge on the trail. The County has committed to buying the wood we need as soon as we put together a materials list and forward it to them. Once we get the wood we will then start on the construction.  We will also be rebuilding some of the short crossovers on the trail and 1 or 2 more bridges. We have club members who have worked on other bridges but we can always use more help (especially skilled help!). If you can help with the construction let me know.
• Begin plans for a picnic shelter at the park. Do you have any skills that you would like to volunteer to help plan and build a shelter?

If you are a Cape Fear SORBA member I consider you part of the “trail care crew” so please send me you suggestions. We will be looking for you at our club workdays…or working at the park when your schedule permits…or contributing to the park in whatever way best fits you.

Thanks for your commitment to CFS.

Barry A. Wray
Director CFS BC Trail Care Crew
Cape Fear SORBA

Downloads:
Cape Fear SORBA meeting 1_25_2011

• Power Point Download
• Google Docs