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Volunteer To Help Us Build A Mountain Bike Park In Seattle

BBTCJON

Chimp
Jun 7, 2005
61
0
On October 14th, 2005 the Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club (BBTC) and Seattle Parks and Recreation broke ground on the country’s first urban mountain bike Skills Park. The park is located under the deck of the I-5 freeway between Seattle’s Eastlake and Capitol Hill neighborhoods.

As part of the I-5 Colonnade project, the mountain bike skills park includes two acres of trails that are full of skill building features for mountain bikers to ride such as switchbacks, log rides, rock gardens, skinnies, wall-rides, drops and dirt jumps. Unlike traditional Northwest Mountain biking, I-5 Colonnade will allow riders to guide their mountain bikes over the many skill-building elements while riding through the freeway support columns “colonnades”, in a unique, rain-free environment. The trails simulate natural terrain and obstacles while reflecting the urban character of the park.

You can help us build the park by volunteering your time and talents. Weekly work parties are scheduled on the BBTC’s monthly calendar (http://bbtc.org/recreation/calendar_view.php). For more information, go to www.bbtc.org or contact Jon Kennedy at jon@bbtc.org.
 

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
I'm not one to be a negative nelly but I can predect some really bad blood between the bmx riders and the mtn. bikers if this place is cause for the dirt jumps at greenlake disapearing...

are there any plans or layout of the place available for viewing online?

is there an 'opening' date or will stuff be ridable as it's being built?

and for anyone that's never spent any time under the 'rain-free' bridges and freeways, get ready for some really yucky, dirty, bum-piss-filled (and poop, and needles and whatever else) good times..:)
 

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
girlwhoboards said:
pnj...it's the location pick from not the skaters but the city of seattle against the skaters choice location that will effect the dirt jumps at green lake. monitor the public hearings around this and you'll see what i mean. but yeah we need to organize as bmxers to get more dirt jump areas and park access. i believe that mtb groups such as bbtc.org can help the cause if we support them. it just sets a precident to what more there can be as we show people what we can do as a whole. i know there is a lot of us-versus-them and different personalities within each group but unity will get us more i hope :).
-Kim
the city picked the location and the bmx kids said, "you put a park for skateboards 10 feet from where we've been riding for 15 years and DON'T allow bikes, we will ride it anyway. what do you think is going to happen??"

what I can see happening is, the city saying, "oh, bikes have a place to ride now, lets put the skatepark at greenlake.." and then plowing the jumps.

I personally would love to see a skatepark at greenlake. the skaters (I skate by the way, but I don't consider myself 'one of them') have NO IDEA how bad of a location greenlake is. :D

however, this is about the new park under the bum piss filled freeway, so we should focus on that..:)

*good luck getting bmx people to support and go to meetings. the younger kids are poor representatives and the older ones are burnt out from trying...:rolleyes:
but I encourage YOU to go...:):love: :sneaky:
 

Borneo

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
1,010
0
Duvall
I have no clue why the DJs or the skate park at Greenlake would have anything to do with Colonnade. They are completely seperate issues..

So, back to Jon's point about getting people out to support Colonnade and get it built. Bum piss, or no bum piss.


BTW, it's doubtful that they'll be wanting people to ride it until it's done...
 

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
Welp no work today....

i was going to prop up death spikes at the Green Lake jumps in hopes of killing some BMXer scum, but i think i'll volunteer moving some rock today instead.:dancing:
 

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
Skookum said:
Welp no work today....

i was going to prop up death spikes at the Green Lake jumps in hopes of killing some BMXer scum, but i think i'll volunteer moving some rock today instead.:dancing:

damm! you should have. :dancing:
 

carbuncle

Monkey
Dec 2, 2004
364
0
Edmonds, WA
See you there on Saturday the 12th! I'd do it sooner, but I work weekdays, but if you can plan weekend work days I'll be there for those as well.
 
My impression is that Collendale (sp?) project will help clean up the area and trun it into a park like atmosphere rather than a pissfilled bumsville.

If your not on board, that's cool, but please don't bad mouth a project that is good for the cycling community.
 

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
PsychO!1 said:
My impression is that Collendale (sp?) project will help clean up the area and trun it into a park like atmosphere rather than a pissfilled bumsville.

If your not on board, that's cool, but please don't bad mouth a project that is good for the cycling community.
i'm not badmouthing, simply giving my experience with working under the bridges..:thumb: hats off to all the hardwork to all all the people involved, I know it wasn't easy. I know from experience, it wasn't easy..;)

I'm sure that this project will have a positive effect on the area.

recently some skateboarders took to cleaning up an area under one of the local overpass areas. it was a bum/junkie/addict hang out. the city has given them the greenlight and I predict it will be a nice place to be in a few years or so.

until the earthquake drops the overpass onto it, of course..;)
 

Tenchiro

Attention K Mart Shoppers
Jul 19, 2002
5,407
0
New England
scottjustscott said:
Ever been to Burnside? There's bum piss and needles everywhere. At least when I would go there about 10 years ago.
I used to skate their occasionally, and while the park itself was usually clean the surrounding area was a sty.
 

juice

Monkey
Nov 11, 2003
189
0
Seattle
On the Bum piss & needles thing - the key to keeping an area clean is to get lots of people using the area. Then the bad elements go away. I predict a LOT of use of the new mountain bike park once it opens. We are also next to a new off-leash dog area, which is great for both of our groups. More users to keep the bad apples away.

We will also be covering all the dirt with rocks and other cover materials so that we won't need to breathe old freeway runoff and latrine contaminated dust.

Even if you can't volunteer to build down there I encourage folks to swing by and see the area. Its hard to get an idea of what it'll be like without checking it out. The area has a really different unique feeling that is hard to get across in pictures.

Layout - check out this page for more info: http://www.bbtc.org/php/show_page.php?page_id=99
The color map is old and out of date, but was good for showing the community our general idea. The trail layout drawing is accurate, but hard to read unless its printed out on architectural size paper. Hopefully it gives you a good idea of what's going in.

Oh yeah, we need bikers to donate money, materials and equipment. I'll be posting more about that very soon:thumb:
 

Tenchiro

Attention K Mart Shoppers
Jul 19, 2002
5,407
0
New England
After looking at the plans and seeing the potential this park has, I think a firm policy of whomping the ass of anyone farking things up is in order.

Here is a starter list of offenses that may warrant an immediate ass whomping.
  • Littering of glass, needles, etc
  • Pissing/crapping in public areas
  • Vandalism

Just like training a dog, you have to be firm and consistant and eventually people will learn.
 

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
pnj said:
until the earthquake drops the overpass onto it, of course..;)
haha! At least we're not building underneath the viaduct.

Welp looks like things are in the beginning phases of construction. Really is gonna take some time but it's gonna be much cooler than all the nay-sayers are thinking. It's just a lack of vision really.

Hauled some big rock and gravel, put in some huge fatty rocks to support the benched section of singletrack and dumped a good inch of gravel over the top. Scrounging up rock and fitting it in, it looks good and it's solid, all 30 feet of it haha! So if anyone want's to ride we got a good 30 feet dialed!

But y'know i've been around plenty of construction jobs and i know it always looks overwhelming in the beginning. Each work party that works there is creating something cooler and cooler.

And if you go and help out yourself, chances are you get to put in your 2 cents on a day of work, and have a little section of trail with your stamp on it.

It's good duty people.....
 

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
The link to the calender didn't work, but are there going to be weekend work parties?

I am trail building (motorcycles) this weekend and the next I am working my motorcycle clubs grand prix race over at Pacific Raceways. :thumb: But after that....it is kind of in the air. I don't get to my house until after 6 each day....mid week is not going to happen. :(
 

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
juice said:
Try this: http://bbtc.org/recreation/calendar_view.php

We're shooting for at least one work party every weekend, plus at least one during the week. Once things start rolling along and we find a good groove, there will probably be more.
That link worked!

I am busy this weekend and next but the one after that I might be able to make it.....:rolleyes:

On a Sunday. I might have another motorcycle function on that day, but it is up in the air whether I will go to it or not.

If I can swing it..........it will be on a weekend.
 

carbuncle

Monkey
Dec 2, 2004
364
0
Edmonds, WA
I checked the site out yesterday, it looks a hell of a lot better than I thought it would. My buddy that was with me, and probably another friend of ours too, will be up there on the 12th.
 

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
Langer said:
I am trail building (motorcycles) this weekend and the next I am working my motorcycle clubs grand prix race over at Pacific Raceways. :thumb:
Are you guys going to use Ryan Capes' jump setup for the grand prix at Pacific Raceways? :blah:
It is gone.....

;)

I humped around gas powered weed whips and drove stakes intot he ground for the grass track section (1 full mile of grass track non-stop) in the pouring rain all Saturday. :thumb:

They were racing cyclecross bikes at Pacific Raceways, and there were crotch rockets zipping around on the pavement when I was there.
 

BBTCJON

Chimp
Jun 7, 2005
61
0
Thanks to all who step up and support the project... be it verbally or at a work party.

You're right! There's lots of bum piss and needles and the sooner I can clean it up the sooner I can ride.

Just remember, this is a starting point. The fact that the city has allowed this shows that headway is being made for recreational areas and that affects all sports enthusiasts. It also shows that we are being heard and that rocks! The more that poeple egt involved the fastre this will go up, the faster people will be able to ride, and the faster we can work on another prioject. This is just the beginning... mark my words!
 

carbuncle

Monkey
Dec 2, 2004
364
0
Edmonds, WA
Yeah, it was nasty work, but I'll be back! I only found one needle and spoon, but I think I stepped in human poop so I didn't feel ripped off. Seriously, though, it's a really cool site. Someone needs to bring a stone saw down there so the the trail armorers and helpers can more easily manage the huge, unwieldy chunks of retaining wall that are bedding the singletrack...can't make it saturday, but I'll be up there the next weekend work party thereafter.
 

Dave_Schuldt

Monkey
Jun 13, 2004
343
0
Seattle
Take Eastlake to the Zoo Tavern, stop in and have a beer, go up hill. go right at top, take Lakeview under the highway, it's on your right.
 

Dave_Schuldt

Monkey
Jun 13, 2004
343
0
Seattle
carbuncle said:
Yeah, it was nasty work, but I'll be back! I only found one needle and spoon, but I think I stepped in human poop so I didn't feel ripped off. Seriously, though, it's a really cool site. Someone needs to bring a stone saw down there so the the trail armorers and helpers can more easily manage the huge, unwieldy chunks of retaining wall that are bedding the singletrack...can't make it saturday, but I'll be up there the next weekend work party thereafter.
It's Sunday dude.
 

juice

Monkey
Nov 11, 2003
189
0
Seattle
The park is located between Lakeview BLVD E and Franklin BLVD E - the cross street is Blaine St. Google Map

The easiest way to get here from downtown is to hop on I-5 and take the Lakeview exit. When you get to the stopsign at the end of the offramp, the park is on your left. A little bit of it is in the open air, but most of it is under the deck of the freeway.

One of the things we really need to help with construction is a bobcat or other loader. If anyone knows where we can get one donated, or someone can loan us one for an extended period, please let me know. If we can't find one for free, we'll probably buy a used one, but then I'll need to ask everyone for even more $$$ :eek:

Juice-stain
justin@bbtc.org
 

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
Fast&Smooth said:
1st left from where?
From I-5 northbound take Lakeview blvd. E. exit 168A, turn left boom you're there.

Same from heading south take Boylston exit 168B, ignore the onramp back to I-5 and veer left under the freeway deck, boom it's right there.....

The zoo is down the hill from Boylston on Eastlake road.... and further down is the very first Red Robin and if you head up the road further you'll eventually run into Canada.....