New Railroad tie Bridge

Another job accomplished yesterday was the railroad tie bridge.

Ron Bodine and Buzz constructed this.   Very nice job.  Clay and Neil and I checked it out today.

Hope to ride it later today!

 

A Great Workday!! A Big Thanks to All.

What do you get when you put 2 Neils/Neales together?

Cherri brought some class to the activity, glad to see trail runners out!

They did use the tools, not just lean on them.

We really appreciated the support from the "south" guys like Phil.

Even got the son into the action.

It was nice to get some new local help out on the trail!

Again, another user group represented, this time a hiker!

The Smithville crew had a fine showing as usual.  I think

John appreciates being a worker bee once in a while!

12/6 Workday

Well the paint might not be dry on the "Neale's Trail" sign at SMV (I am bummed I had to work today and miss that), but we are looking forward to next Saturday!

Stocksdale is no longer the newest trail in the area (Swope stole that from us!!), but we are still working on some really new and cool stuff.   We have about a mile of new trail flagged, cleared and mostly destaubed.   This is some really fun stuff and will have some nice rocky, root-filled areas.   

The new stuff will continue the tradition of tight, flowey (is that even a word?) trail that we already have and add in some more technical features.   

It looks like it should be good weather late next week for trail work.   All help will be appreciated.  Donuts and coffee at 8 a.m. at the horseshoe arena.  

Questions, post here or give me a shout at:   sww "at" earthriders.org

The Work Behind the Bridge

I show up just in time to do the "work" of the first ride

The deck going on.

That looks like fun to me.

Ron holds the tools like a scrub nurse for Buzz.

Thanks to Lauren Taylor for snapping the photos.  

These guys are workhorses!

Ron on a big boy bike

Buzz, on the other hand, makes my bike look small

He was even able to walk across it without falling off

The final product.   Add a couple nice rocks on the approach and it is good to go.

Neil Battrum, Clay Lozier, Ron Bodine and Buzz Taylor were out working again today while I was catching up around the house.   

While Neil and Clay were doing staub removal Ron and Buzz were bridging a soggy area where a new trail will soon be open.   I actually rode up right as the last nail was going in (literally) and I got to be the first rider across.   

 

Trail Work Accomplished Today and Teaser photos!

Nice little rock drop with a "dumb" line also

You'll be able to take either a moderate route or a 

"black diamond" route down this rock.  You can huck it if you're up to it.

A nice little drop as you approach the bigger rock

Thank God that is Buzz's dog wearing pink.

Thanks for the crew that came out today for trail work at Stocksdale:

Buzz and Lauren Taylor

Ron Bodine

Clay Lozier

Neil Battrum 

and Anne Woody

Lauren and Anne were picking up trash for us, and sorted it for recycling!!

Also, congrats to the Swope Park trail crew on opening a brand new singletrack hiking and mountain biking trail.   Sorry I missed their trail opening.  Check their blog out, there is a link over on the left. 

 

 

Work accomplished today

Well, we had about 7 people out to work on trail today, counting Trace Larson with a couple of relatives who couldn't find us so they did some needed work in a different area!!

The rest of us worked down near the pond on the extension.   This is very close to being done.   I think about 8 more man-hours will have this section ready to open.  This will be a very fun 

little section with some switchbacks that will come around the pond on the city property and meet with the existing trail right as it enters the woods on the MDC property.   I will have a map of this soon (if Neale Shour comes through like he always does!!!).  

There will be a lot of small workdays in the coming months, so watch out for emails.   

Remember, our big workday will be Dec. 6th.   I think this is going to be a big day for corridor clearing to really establish the trail headed north in the woods.  

Thanks for those who came out today:

Buzz and daughter Lauren.

Neil Battrum

Steve Matthews from Paceline Products

Trace Larson and relatives.  

Also don't forget the Halloween ride at Smithville on Friday night.   Folks will arrive between 8 and 9 (after the kids are done grabbing candy).   A night ride and then chili/drinks and a fire to follow. 

Map Version 2.0 with the New Trail Extension!!

Once again Neale Shour hooks up with a good looking map!

Don't forget to come out on Saturday!

Post trailwork ride photos.

Neale smiles more when he is on his bike.  So do we.

Ron is so fast he is blurry. 

Not sure why Clay is grimacing so much.  You would think he is working hard or something.

The Extension is finallly open!!

We finally finished the extension between #5 and #6.  Thanks to Neil, Neale, Buzz, Ron, Clay and Chuck!!

Smoothing out the field a bit.

The last little bit of benching.

    

Trail Workdates for 2008-09

O.k. all,

ERTA had their big pow-wow to set trail building dates. The plan is
similar to years past. Each trail will have local dates at their
discretion for smaller workdays and at least one big workday.

Our big workday will be December 6th. We hope to have about 2 miles
of trail flagged and there should be plenty of corridor clearing to
do. Watch for posts closer to time, if the corridor gets cleared
more than I expect, this could turn into more of a bench cutting
day. We may well have an option for another big workday late in the
season, like March or later. If so, this would almost surely be a
benching day.

Also, watch for posts on a regular basis for smaller work days. There
will be quite a few of these in the coming months and there will be
ample opportunity to help out. I think we have Buzz Taylor and Ron
Bodine tapped on a couple of smaller projects that will be very cool
additions and they might appreciate an email to see how you can help.

As always, give me a shout with questions.

Thanks.

Matt

Trail Building Kickoff, Oct. 4th

We decided to have a little social event to kick off the trail
building season.

This is just a social event, no actual trail
building will be done! 

Come out to Stocksdale/Walnut Woods on Oct. 4th around 1 p.m. 

Food around 2 p.m.  There will be a little riding/hiking/trail running and then some food
and socializing. You can find out what our plans are for the coming
building season. We hope to add 2- 2.5 miles of new trail in the
coming months.

I know we have some great people lined up to help out with the day:

Platte Valley Bank will be supplying a big grill and some chefs.
(these guys were great to help us out at Spider Fest at Smithville a
couple weeks ago).

Orange Technologies will be throwing in some food. This is Neil
Battrum's company. Now if we could get him to set up webcams for the
trail!

I know some of the local bike stores might be there (we have let
Cycle City, The Wheel and Biscari know about it)

Paceline Products might be there as well (Chamois Butt'r saved me
today with my third day riding in a row). They were critical for our
trail opening in June and have given us great support.

What to bring: Your bike. Your family. A lawn chair.

Hope to see you there!

Stocksdale and Walnut Woods Trail Opening

Well, I may have missed it due to vacation, but the trail opening was
a success. Sounds like 50+ people came out to see and enjoy the trail.

Angie from the Tribune was nice enough to forward some nice photos of
the event.

Trail Map 1.0

Thanks to Neale Shour we have a preliminary trail map:

.....and the Liberty Tribune

Public invited to grand opening at Stocksdale Park

By Angie Anaya Borgedalen

Thursday, June 5, 2008 1:30 AM CDT

In the early 1980s while living in Houston, Texas, Clay Lozier read an article about mountain biking and was hooked.

"At that time, you couldn't just go to a bike store and buy one. They had to special order one for me," said Lozier, who grew up in Liberty.

Within two years, Lozier said bike stores were carrying more of the sturdy, knobby-tire mountain bikes than they were of the more common road bikes. Lozier rides both types and owns two of each.

"I probably ride about four days a week," Lozier said. "I tend to ride my mountain bikes more between October and May."

But since he helped blaze a hiking and biking trail earlier this year between Stocksdale Park and Walnut Woods Conservation Area in east Liberty, Lozier may find himself on the trail more often.

He said it was important for people to use the 2.7-mile trail to keep it clear of growth, and with the grand opening of the trail set for Saturday, June 7, he said he hopes more people will learn about it. Eventually the trail will be about six miles long.

"This is truly a single-track, off-road trail with rocks and roots. It's for mountain bikes, trail runners and hikers," Lozier said. "It's not a smooth, paved trail."

Matthew Woody, who along with Lozier is a member of the Earth Riders Trails Association and also helped cut the trail with other volunteers, said he had been riding for about 10 years. Woody is the volunteer manager of the Stocksdale trail.

Instead of having to drive to Smithville Lake to ride his bike, Woody said he could now just ride from his house to the local trail head at Stocksdale.

"I also ride my bike to the Liberty Square and on errands. It cuts down a lot on my driving and conserves gas," Woody said. "As the word gets out, people will be able to ride from their homes to the trail. It's a good place to walk dogs, too."

After the 10:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting, Lozier said Paceline Products would be grilling hot dogs and providing soft drinks at 11:30 a.m., giving those in attendance a chance to walk or ride on the trail. Representatives from local bike stores, Biscari Brothers, The Wheel Cyclery and Cycle City, will also be there, he said.

Woody said it was important to follow proper etiquette when riding or hiking on a trail.

"A big local rule is don't ride when it's muddy, because that leads to trail erosion," Woody said.

The following rules come from the International Mountain Biking Association:

• Ride on open trails only; avoid trespassing on private land without permission.

• Leave no trace; pack out what you packed in.

• Control your bicycle; obey speed regulations.

• Always yield the trail; don't startle others; a friendly greeting or a bell is considerate.

• Never scare animals; use special care when passing horses.

• Plan ahead; know your equipment, your ability and the area you are riding.

Free food, camaraderie:

- What: Grand opening for hiking, biking trail 

- Where: Stocksdale Park, 901 S. LaFrenz Road 

- When: 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 7 

- More information: 439-4360

From the KC Star:

Northland events mark National Trails Day

By DAVID KNOPF

The Kansas City Star

Northlanders can mark National Trails Day at several locations on Saturday and do it the old-fashioned way: By hiking, jogging or walking at a leisurely pace.

A new twist will be available beginning Saturday when the Earth Riders Trails Association and local enthusiasts cut the ribbon on a new mountain bike trail at Liberty's Stocksdale Park.

"We thought that would be an appropriate time to do this," said Clay Lozier, one of the organizers.

Ribbon-cutting for the new 2.75-mile trail will take place at 10:30 a.m., followed by a complimentary lunch of hot dogs, chips and soft drinks served by Paceline Products, a Pleasant Valley business that caters to bicyclists.

Several Northland bicycle shops also will be on hand Saturday, Lozier said.

Of course, the real highlight is for outdoor enthusiasts to try out the trail. It winds its way through city of Liberty property in Stocksdale Park and an adjoining tract owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

"I have ridden it and it's very nice," Lozier said. "People are encouraged to hike, jog or ride their mountain bikes."

A trail expansion is already on the calendar. "Next fall, we'll get after it and hope to add another three miles to it," Lozier said.

Earth Riders volunteers developed the trail through agreements with Liberty and the Department of Conservation. The new mountain bike path offers enthusiasts a new option in eastern Clay County. The next closest dirt-path trails are at Smithville Lake and in Blue Springs, Lozier said.

Let's Have a Trail Opening!!

All,

Now that the work is done on the trail for the season we need to have a "Grand Opening" for the Stocksdale/Walnut Woods Hiking and Mt. Biking Trail.

June 7th at Stocksdale at 10:30 there will be a ribbon cutting!

Paceline Products will be there grilling dogs and providing drinks! (anticipate food around 11:30).

Biscari Brothers, The Wheel and Cycle City will be represented as well from what I hear.  

So, if you are a hiker, trail runner or mountain biker come on out and enjoy a great new trail in a beautiful park.  

We hope to see everyone there!

Directions at:    http://stocksdalewalnutwoods.blogspot.com/

Matt Woody

Another workday closer

We had another workday today to get closer to opening trail. A nice
day for benchcutting. Anne was out helping a little and watching
Clay's dog, Vince.

Hope to have the trail open by the end of May. Keeping fingers
crossed!!

Big Workday on April 12th!!

Well, we had a very successful workday today! 17 people showed up
on a lousy weather day (for April anyway). It actually made for some
decent work weather, even with ice pellets and
snow. We got a ton of benching done and are very close to have
rideable trail. Having such great volunteers is awesome.

What press!!

Today's Kansas City Star has an article about the trails!  O.k, so it is just in the Liberty insert in the Star, but hey it's still press.  

Seems there was a reporter at the last City Council meeting and heard about the project.  He contacted Clay the next day.  I think the article is pretty accurate.  

See the article here.

Workday Photos

Just a couple of  shots of the hard work on January 20th, 2008. 

Great to have such awesome volunteers creating trail for the commmunity.

Here is Clay in action with a rogue hoe.

Here is more of the motley crew we had out that day.   Trace, Andrew, John, Neil and Clay.  There were more that left before they were subjected to the camera.  As I recall, the temp was in the single digits to begin with in the morning.  It didn't take long to warm up though!!

The Scoop

Here's the scoop on these trails.   These trails are a cooperative effort between Earth Riders Trails Association, Missouri Department of Conservation and the City of Liberty.   They are located in Liberty and involve both city park property (Stocksdale Park) and MDC property (Walnut Woods).    

These trails are designed to be beginner friendly, but yet offer features that will appeal to the more advanced mt. biker.  They are excellent trails for hiking and trail running as well.  At this point in time the first phase of trails is nearing completion and we anticipate trail opening during the month of April 2008.   The ultimate hope is to have 6+ miles of trail within 2-3 years.