They did not bother me cause I'm that fast
but one on the guys riding with me was a little slow and came running out of there w/ no bike
I'll plan on Sunday then.
That sucks man. We got there at 10:15 and were able to get 2 completely dry runs in, then it started raining lightly on the 3rd lift ride. Stopped raining again, thought all was good, then get down to Lizard's Lane and the torrential downpour began. Most fun run of the day, but we were done after that. No way we were riding the lift for an agonizing 30+ minutes in dripping wet gear.
My GF drives an Element too and it is great. Drove it from Raleigh to Boone this weekend with two dogs (one of which is a great dane) and my bike inside with all our stuff. Wouldn't say plenty of room, but definitely enough and very versatile.
How do you like it? Its on my radar for my next ride along w/ the Outback. Real world mpg's and do you have awd?
Trail crew? oh boy. Send me a PM bro, you're ruining the classics and doing bad trail work.
The Appalachian mountains were once as high as the Alps and Rockies, but they were not built to the proper sustainability standards so......
Incorrect-5 total on trail crew, 4 are paid.
Incorrect,check pics here http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/f66/southeast-photo-thread-101849/index287/ and my training wheels won't fit through the dungeon entry so no, I am not building to my "level".
Incorrect-plenty of speed for uphill and multiple drainage precautions.I managed to unbolt my training wheels for a test run and I think it will run just as fast as before.
Incorrect-Sugar trails are advertised in local magazines and on the website. People pay to ride and hike them and there is a designated timeline on when they are in operation. Don't really know what constitutes "official" but it seems so to me and people who pay to ride Sugar that it is. I don't think people would pay to ride/hike it otherwise.
Yes you have put in a lot of work. However, any work done without permission or riding when the trails are closed constitutes trespassing. Management, security, and Sugar Police are cracking down on it this year so be forewarned. As far as you guys riding and not knowing trail work was being done-There is a large sign at the entrance to Sugar that says "closed for season" that you pass every time you shuttle. I just got clearance to post closed signs at the top and especially under the lift to prevent injuries.
A little about my background first:I worked at Grandfather Mountain as a Ranger for 5 years before it was sold to the state. My primary responsibility was trail maintenance and safety. We worked with State Rangers from Elk Knob, South mountain State Park, as well as Rangers from the parkway and federal agencies. We also did a lot of cooperative work with Outward Bound. I have a federal chainsaw permit as well. I also have 11 years experience as a landscaper for Brock and Sons Landscaping and Mcmanus Farms Inc. I have limited machine operation experience and that is where Erich, Andrew and the rest of the crew excel. Sorry for so many words but Sugar's integrity as a great place to ride is very important to me. I have worked there since I was 17 years old. I'm 29 now and plan to work there for many years to come. Hope to see everyone out there or on the trails somewhere.-Brad
Agree with you to a point but FYI the section of sugar under the lift was pretty much garbage (a ditch that was not fun to ride) after just a few years. It was totally unsustainable and would be handlebar deep after a few more years of high country downpours. That is not practical for the landowner OR the riders that enjoy the trail. Fixing stuff like that is not ruining mountain biking. Everyone likes to sh1t a brick when someone fixes a trail but go see how much trails like Yancey's Ridge or even upper Black Mountain and Avery Creek have degraded in just the past few years to realize why sustainability concerns are important. A good builder can make drainage work and still keep the trail technical. Rant over.
Exactly. I've seen your work and you and a few others are the exception. The IMBA trails I have seen, my local area included, are just glorified dirt paths. Last year when I rode Black Mtn. for the first time I nearly had premature ejaculation when I saw how rough and gnarly it was. Hell, there were roots 6" out of the ground. To me, thats mountain biking. When I saw the pictures of the new entrance to Lizard's Lane, I didn't get the same reaction. I guess its the state of mtn biking. Everyone seems to love smooth, bermed trails (i.e. "flow" trails). BTW I need to go ride Black Mtn. again.
Please tell me you finished that leg with a climb up to and down the long loop of Sycamore Cove. It's the icing on the Black Mountain cake. And did you did you do Daniel Ridge?
