Trailblazer News Archives

03/31/2008

Jetton Beginner / Adaptive Trail Dedication! Greetings Fellow Mountain Bikers! The Tarheel Trailblazers would like to invite each and every mountain biker to attend the grand opening of our newest mountain bike trail at Jetton Park (19000 Jetton Road), this Saturday, April 5th at 10:00 AM…This is going to be a huge celebration with many local politicians, county commissioners and various Park and Rec officials from Char/Meck, Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and other local municipalities… Not only are we dedicating the beginner friendly trail, but we are also introducing off road cycling to the adaptive sports (disabled) community, as we dedicate two off-road hand cycles…The hand cycles were custom built by One-Off Titanium, just outside of Boston, Mass…We were fortunate to have received funding ($10K) for the hand cycles through Transamerica Reinsurance Co. A large turn-out by the mountain bike community would go a long way toward opening doors for more land access in the future…We encourage you to attend (wearing your Trailblazers colors, of course!) and be a part of history as the Trailblazers dedicate the first specific built, adaptive sports trail in the world! Tom Mathews Past President Tarheel Trailblazers TomMathews@tarheeltrailblazers.com

03/20/2008

Mtn Trikes Arrive! The two hand powered mountain trikes arrived at The Cycle Path yesterday and Mark has already put 'em together and they are ready to go! We have planned an outing at the Jetton Park trail this Saturday, March 22nd starting at 10:00 am where the trikes will be available for use. We have asked several adaptive use organizations in the area to try to get some of their interested members out to the park Saturday to try out the trikes. I sure don't see why anyone who has an interest in giving them a try shouldn't go for it. I know I want to. These are hand-built, sophisticated machines that are sure to impress. They have dual Phil Woods hubs up front, Avid BB5 mechanical disk brakes all around (3!), incorporate a gearing reduction ratio of 1350 to 1 and a mid-chassis coupling that allows then to be easily broken down into 2 pieces for transportation. I'd like to ask our members to consider donating some necessary accessories for first time/new riders to use the trikes. We can keep them at the Cycle Path where the bikes will be stored and available for use by physically challenged users. I figure we could use 3 or 4 helmets (Adult SM, Med (2?) and LG) and the same for gloves. We also should have some protective eyewear available. (The Trikes are adjustable to accommodate different sized users, but at this time we are not sure if the trikes will be usable by smaller kids.) If you are interested, contact Mark Sullivan at the Cycle Path (704.896.3331) to make arrangements. Also, there is definitely an opportunity here for someone with some creative ideas about how we can make it easier for the physically challenged users to transport the trikes to and from the trailhead- say with a specially designed "trike rack" or by pursuing donations for a trailer, etc. If someone or a group could take on this challenge, it would be really great! I want to recognize our past president Tom Mathews for his vision and commitment to realizing both the Jetton Trail and the acquisition of the Mountain trikes. In conjunction with Greg Jackson and the Mecklenburg Park and Recreation Department, Tom saw the need for an adaptive use trail and an opportunity for the Trailblazers to make a real difference in our community. We should all be proud, and thankful. Don't forget, the Grand Opening ceremony for the Jetton Park Trail and the formal introduction of the trikes will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday April 5th. This will be a celebration and everyone is encouraged to attend. Jim G. President

03/14/2008

Mountain Trikes Grand Opening 4/5/08 The mountain trikes grand opening will be held at Jetton Park on April 5, 2008, at 10:00 AM. Please join the Trailblazers and Parks and Rec in celebrating the addition of these trikes!

02/22/2008

May 2 BIKE!Charlotte Begins-Mayor's Ride BIKE!Charlotte Begins with Mayor's Ride from Dowd Y to Wachovia

02/22/2008

April 19 6 HR Race Anne Springs 6 HR Grind at the Greenway at Anne Springs Close Greenway, 11 AM-5 PM. Fast, fun singletrack racing! Go to www.charlottemtnbike.com for details.

01/31/2008

9th Annual CSC Winter Training Ride 2/9/08 NEW LOCATION 30, 55 & 70 mile routes 10:00 AM Hickory Ridge High School Fundraiser for the Giordana-Clif Bar Cycling Team. For more info go to www.charlottemtnbike.com.

12/30/2007

Winter Short Track Races 1/27, 2/2, 2/3, 2/10, 2/16 E Blvd Bar & Grill and Heartwood Tree Service presents the Winter Short Track race series beginning January 19 at Renaissance Park. Go to www.charlottemtnbike.com for details.

12/29/2007

2008 Polar Bear Metric Century Date Set! Please join the Rocky River Road Club for the 10th Annual RRRC Polar Bear Metric Century on Saturday, January 12th, 2008! Please note: This years ride will start at Bailey Middle School in Cornelius due to construction at our normal venue. Pre-ride and sag support sponsored by The Cycle Path in Cornelius and Cool Breeze Cylcery in Mooresville You can REGISTER ON-LINE at ActiveZach.com (* FREE Water Bottle to first 200 people to register!): http://www.activezach.com/events/eventDetails.cfm?pEventId=2351&pID=585B5605

12/29/2007

Polar Bear Cyclo Cross Race This is Race #3 in the Winter Cup Cyclo Cross Series. And this will be the first race at Fisher Farm Park in Davidson. See NC cyclo cross at http://www.nccyclocross.com/ for registration and more details.

11/15/2007

USNWC Trail Review -TONIGHT - 6 to 8pm The US National Whitewater Center will have a meeting on December 4th from 6-8pm at the USNWC conference center. The USNWC will share some info about the trail system and listen to input attendees would like to provide about the trails at the Center. It will be open mic style and if you prefer to provide written comments only you can do so at the meeting. The Center is also working on an online survey that will help them gather trail use information, possibly by mid November. Check USNWC.org

10/24/2007

DD and THTB Year End PARTY! Friends, trails, yummy BBQ, cool raffle items…oh, and a big cake! Let’s CELEBRATE another successful and productive year for our Clubs at the Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers Year-End Party, Sunday, November 4th at Anne Spring Close Greenway in Fort Mill, SC! 1:30PM Coordinated trail ride(s) departing from the Field Trial Barn 4:00PM BBQ dinner and refreshments (catered by Lola's) Bring camp chair(s), if you’d like, and your own adult (alcoholic) beverages [NO GLASS containers please…glass and bike tires/tubes don’t play well together, ya know]. And don’t forget to bring extra cash for the big raffle to benefit Project Angel, the Dirt Diva initiative that provides bicycles and safety gear to underprivileged kids. Free for Dirt Diva members + one guest each For Trailblazer members, a $10.00 voluntary donation is requested per person to help defray the cost of that delicious BBQ…and CAKE…so TB funds can continue to go toward stewardship of the many trails they build and maintain for all of us to enjoy. (The Trailblazers are set up a little differently from the Divas). R.S.V.P. required by Nov. 1st, 2007, but it really helps us out with headcounts for catering if you can respond sooner. So, make like a fireman and be a "First Responder." Thanks! Questions about the party: email traceylewis[at]comporium[dot]net DIRECTIONS: Thanks to new construction connecting Gold Hill Rd. directly to Springfield Parkway, it’s now pretty much a straight shot from Exit 88 of 1-77 to the Field Trial Barn: From Charlotte take I-77 S to Exit 88. Go LEFT at the light at the top of the ramp (if coming from the other direction on I-77, you’ll take a RIGHT at the top of your ramp). Continue straight along this lovely new roadway* (don’t be tempted to turn left or right at any of the intersections) for ~3.3 miles and look for the Anne Springs Close Greenway entrance on your right (big stone sign at entrance), Continue ~1/4 mile up entrance road to RED Field Trial Barn on the left. *The new roadway will begin as Gold Hill Rd, then merge with Hwy 21 for a bit, then become Springfield Parkway. Don’t be dismayed by these apparently arbitrary shifts in hwy. nomenclature…just continue on new roadway and you’ll get there!!

10/24/2007

Fall Short Track Series Race No. 1 BANK OF NC SHORT TRACK SERIES - RACE #1 - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27th - HARRISBURG The first of the 5 race series kicks off at the Harrisburg Town Park @ 10:00 am. The trail will be marked and open for pre-riding by 9:00 am. There are categories for all levels of riders. This is a great trail for first time racers to enter a mountain bike race. Registration opens at 9:00 am. Register for all 5 races on Saturday and receive a $10 discount. Registration is also available on Active.com. For directions to the trail see "Harrisburg Half" under the trails tab at www.tarheeltrailblazers.com. To view the race flier and/or print a copy go to www.charlottemtnbike.com and click on the Bank of NC series link. The recent rain has made the trail near perfect. It hooks up, and it's fast. We race rain or shine. All proceeds go to fund polio eradication and Alzheimer's research through Rotary International. Come on out to the Harrisburg Town Park on Saturday and see if you can handle the Harrisburg Half!

10/11/2007

November Meeting NEW LOCATION The monthly meeting on November 1 will be held at Fuel Pizza in the Park Road Shopping Center.

10/01/2007

Harrisburg Half Trail Work Day The Bank of NC Short Track Series kicks off at the Harrisburg Half on Saturday, October 27th. Rick Hoffarth has scheduled a workday for Saturday, October 6th from 9:00-Noon. The trail is very good shape. A few of the berms need some crush 'n' run to be in top form for racing. There are a couple of places where we need to place a few landscape blocks in order to eliminate an off-camber grade in a couple of turns. If you can make it out, bring wheelbarrows, shovels and hard rakes.

09/20/2007

5th Annual Big Stampede and Southside Spanker Road Ride November 11 The Big Stampede and Southside Spanker Road Ride will be held at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Sunday, November 11. This is a fundraiser for the Tarheel Trailblazers so we will need volunteers to assist with the ride. Go to www.bigstampede.com for more information.

09/19/2007

2nd Annual Treeshaker 12 HR MTB Race November 3 Presented by Heartwood Tree Service and BikeSource, the event will be held on November 3 from 9 AM - 9 PM at the Anne Springs Close Greenway. Check out all the details on www.charlottemtnbike.com.

09/19/2007

Season Finale Charlotte Mountain Bike Series This Saturday Sept 22 The race will be a N Meck Park beginning at 9:00 AM. For more information go to www.charlottemtnbike.com

09/18/2007

2007 Fall Short Track Series! The Bank of North Carolina, Tarheel Trailblazers and a host of other present the 2007 Fall Short Track race series at The Harrisburg Half! Race Dates: Oct 27, Nov 10* and 17, Dec 1* and 8. *The series will include TWO night races. For more info, see the attached flyer! See ya at the Half!

08/25/2007

2007 Fall Classic Century Tarheel Cyclists 2007 Fall Classic Century Come on out for this fall classic! For those of you riding the MS150 it will be a great warm up. The proceeds help support The Spokes Group (www.thespokesgroup.com) Location: Waxhaw Elementary School Distance: 35 miles, 62 miles & 100 miles Saturday, September 8 Registration: 7:00 AM Start: 8:00 AM Full Century 8:30 AM others Fees: Pre-registration: Ride $20.00 Membership & Ride $30 Day of event: Ride $20.00 Membership & Ride $30.00 Register online at active.com Technical Support: Bolt Brothers Cycles More info: www.tarheelcyclists.org/FallCentury.htm Dwight McKnight 704/364-0730 President@TarheelCyclists.org This ride will be fully supported with rest stops staffed by Boy Scout Troop 118 and SAG support by our members. A great lunch is provided by of several of Waxhaw's local restaurants: Bridge & Rail, SouthSiders, and Mama Lenas. All riders will be given a meal tickets good for the day of the ride. Save time on the day of the event by registering online at active.com.

08/17/2007

Car Break-ins at USNWC Please be advised - DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES VISIBLE IN YOUR CAR - at the US National Whitewater Center trailhead parking lot. Several cars were reported broken into on Friday, Aug. 17th in addition to other recent car break-ins at that location.......

08/15/2007

Tour de Jetton On Monday, August 20th, officials with Charlotte Mecklenburg Park and Rec will be in attendance to ride the new trail at Jetton park. Jim Garges, the new Director of CMP&R will be on hand to ride with us and see first hand what it is that we do as a club... You as members not only of the Trailblazers, Dirt Divas, and PASA, but as the mountain biking community, are invited to join us for our ride. The time is 2:00 - 4:00 and CMP&R will be providing refreshments for all riders... This could be a really big day for our club and the future of mountain biking in the Metro-Charlotte area. I realize that the timing probably couldn't be worse (Monday afternoon, August heat) but a strong turn-out would be beneficial to us all. If they like what they see on 20 acres, who's to say that 220 acres isn't in our future? Check your schedule, grab your favorite club jersey, and make plans to join us this coming Monday, August 20th, 2:00 - 4:00 PM at Jetton Park... And as always, we appreciate your support!

08/15/2007

Help Needed For Riverfront Race! Yo Trailblazers!!!! HELP...HELP......HELP!!! It's that time of the year again, the Catawba Riverfront Classic is this weekend at the US National Whitewater Park. The Riverfront is a fundraiser for the club and we need your help in making the event a success. We plan to use the entire loop for the race. For the most part, the trail is in great shape but there are a few spots that need a little TLC. Action Items: We need a person to lead trail work on Saturday morning at 8:30AM. I am planning to be at the park on Friday and Saturday after lunch to mark course. I plan to get the bulk of the trail marked on Friday so people can pre-ride the race course. If you would like to help with trail marking or can lead trailwork, shoot me an email at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com. We plan to use the fire road that crosses the carpet trail as the start of the race(it needs to be trimmed back). Racers will start at the bottom of the fire road hill and climb towards the parking lot, then descend the hill once it opens up on the power lines, cross the culvert, turn left onto the gravel entrance and into the beginning of the single track. We will use the same finish the Cowbell crew used. Once you come onto the power lines, near the end of the trail, instead of turning left and the fast descent through the tight cutover under the power lines, participants will stay straight and descend the fast gully(old burned out truck ravine) and head straight towards the parking lot on the outside of the gravel. This will eliminate two way traffic on the entrance to the trails. The finish line will be in the parking lot, beside the entrance to the trail. For those classes racing multiple laps, the participants will U-turn and head back down the gravel entrance for their second and third laps. Day of the event. We plan to be at the park by 7:00AM for set up. We need club members for set up, to run registration, park cars, fill water coolers, assist with finish line and results, preride the course and serve as course marshals. Course will basically just ride the course during the race helping anyone who may be hurt or watching for people cutting the course. We will have EMS onsite. Plan for the day: 7:00AM Club members arrive 8:00AM Registration Open 9:00AM First set of races 3:00PM Begin Breakdown of the course. 4:00PM Drink a cold beer at the Eddy!!! If you can't help the whole day, we appreciate any and all time spent helping at the race. Come on out for half day. Last be definitely not least, encourage a friend to come out to the race. If every member in the club encouraged just one person to participate in the event, we could have a huge turnout. Info on the event can be found at http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/2007RiverfrontClassic.pdf The course is absolutely great condition and it looks like its going to be nice this weekend. Thanks a bunch. I look forward to seeing everyone this weekend. Cheers Neal

08/14/2007

Tour de Tots for Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital 9/8/07 Tour de Tots at NE Medical Center for Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital - For 2007, Charlotte Sports Cycling, the Tarheel Cyclists and the crew from NE Medical Center are teaming up to host an event that offers something for all cyclists. We will be offering four different routes for the 2nd Annual Tour de Tots ride: a full century(100 miles), a metric century (62 miles), a half metric (31 miles) and 5 mile family fun ride. LOTS of rolling hills, great training for MS 150 or a good warm up for Bridge to Bridge. After the ride, stick around and enjoy a full catered meal of hot dogs and hamburgers and homemade fixins.

07/30/2007

7th Annual Giordana Crossroads Classic August 1-5 The event this year will feature a $30k+ purse and five exciting races over five days in five different NC Cities: Aug 1 - Mocksville Aug 2 - Salisbury Aug 3 - Statesville Aug 4 - Charlotte Aug 5 - Winston-Salem Pre-registration is highly recommended at www.bikereg.com and www.active.com. For more info go to www.crossroadscyclingclassic.com

07/29/2007

Southern Classic Race Series is coming to USNWC Be sure and make plans to attend the Southern Classic MTB Race Series at USNWC on Sunday, August 19th, 2007! This is the first time that the series race has been held at the new venue and it is sure to be best yet with all of the Whitewater Center's facilities that are now available including The Eddy Restaurant and Bar, rafting and kayaking, climbing, and finally, restrooms. We will post the race flyer link here soon. Here is the Series schedule for now: http://www.paulsracing.com/SouthernClassic/Southern_Classic.htm

07/25/2007

The Cackalacky Cup August 25, 2007 The Cackalacky Cup (formerly Crossroads Festival) presented by First Flight Bikes will be at the Lake Norman State Park on August 25, 2007. The event will include a time trial on the Monbo loop and a technical time trial on the Itusi loop. For more info go to www.charlottemtnbike.com or www.firstflightbikes.com.

07/24/2007

Dirt Divas Road Ride August 25, 2007 Dirt Divas 3rd annual Road Ride - Pedaling for Patricia August 25, 2007 at Waxhaw Elementary, Waxhaw, NC. This year's fundraiser will not only benefit the Club, but the National MS Society and the Club's Treasurer, Patricia Boudreau, who was diagnosed with MS this year. 30 and 60 mile options. Register at Active.com

06/29/2007

USNWC TV Documentary A new documentary about the US National Whitewater Center entitled "Take it Outside" will air this Sunday, July 1 at 2pm and 6pm. Catch the film on your local PBS (WTVI) station. We hope you enjoy this film, it has been in the works for a long time. You will see pre-construction photos and interviews, phase by phase construction footage, and incredible shots from the completed site. We would like to thank everyone for their support throughout this process.

06/26/2007

Trailblazers Awarded REI Grant The Trailblazers will be receiving a check for $5,000 from Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) as benefactors in their grant program. The money is earmarked for the future trail system in Mt. Holly. A great deal of appreciation goes out to Jeff Smith and Brian Hynes for their efforts in the grant process. Special thanks also go out to Joey Norman, outgoing Outreach Coordinator at REI. Joey has been instrumental in assisting the Trailblazers awareness in the outdoor community. Best of luck in your future endeavors, Joey! As a side bar to this good news, Trips for Kids also received a $5,000 grant from REI that will go toward the purchase of 13 bicycles, to be housed in the northern part of the county at Fisher Farms. The grant will assure that virtually all underprivileged kids will be able to ride a bike on the TFK outings. Congratulations to Harry Johnson and Paula Frickie who have spent countless hours assuring that TFK Charlotte is a success.

06/25/2007

Final Jetton Push! Our final push to complete the trails at Jetton Park will be this Saturday, June 30, 9:00 – 12:00…In addition to the Trailblazer faithful, the Dirt Divas AND Trips for Kids will be joining us… We will be grooming the final ½ mile of trail, moving crusher-run to a glass covered switchback climb, finishing construction of a banked turn, closing some of the maintenance short cuts, a little chainsaw action and a few other special projects… We will have the Bobcat and Ditch Witch on site to load gravel, dirt, etc., and the Quad (our 4 wheeler), complete with dump trailer will be moving the gravel to the worksite, so we’ll be keeping the back breaking work to a minimum…. It should go very quickly and allow everyone time to ride not only our newest trail, but if you’re from the south side of town, it would be a perfect time to check out Lake Norman State Park in Troutman, Fisher Farms (Davidson) or North Meck Park (Huntersville)…And Poplar Tent isn’t that far away, either… We will be in need of loppers, Pulaski’s and McLeod’s, so if you have a few extra tools, please bring them…Long pants (poison ivy is bad in one or two places, but we have completed work in those areas), gloves, a hat, sunscreen, water and a snack are recommended… We hope that you can take a few minutes out of your summer to give a little back to the sport that you cherish! And as always, we thank you for your support! (To Jetton: Take I-77 to Exit 28 (Cornelius)…Go EAST on Catawba Avenue. Turn RIGHT onto Jetton Road….The park entrance is approximately ¾ mile on your LEFT…The trails are ACROSS Jetton Road from the park entrance…There is a weekend parking fee at Jetton, but if you tell the guard that you’re part of the trail crew, you should be allowed to park for free…A second option would be to turn RIGHT off Catawba Avenue onto Old Jetton Road, park at the Harris Teeter and ride/walk to Jetton and the trail head.)

06/12/2007

Lake Norman Excursion Fundraising for the American Red Cross Lake Norman Office Saturday, July 21, 2007 40, 65, and 100 mile Routes 12 Mile Family Fun Ride The Lake Norman Excursion Ride has a long tradition among North Carolina cyclists. The ride was created by long time cyclist Mr. Dwight Calloway of Calloway Homes. Originally the ride ran from Denver along the beautiful shores of Lake Norman and offered a 100 mile circumnavigation of the lake. This year's routes are more rural / scenic routes through Iredell, Rowan and Catawba counties, because circumnavigation of Lake Norman isn't practical until more work is done on bikes lanes along the larger more developed roads. (see below for links to actual routes). The new routes will follow a few of the proposed roads on the Lake Norman Bike Route (LNBR); a regional bike circuit encompassing Lake Norman. Now in the planning stages, the main spine around the lake is intended to be 70 miles, with approximately 80 miles of excursion routes throughout the Lake area. Participating in this ride will also serve as advocacy to raise awareness for this important project,so that in the future we may again circumnavigate the lake.

05/23/2007

IMBA Trail Care Crew Coming to Tsali IMBA is coming to Tsali, NC, June 2-3, and you're invited to join in the special events. Anna Laxague and Jason Wells of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew are teaming with SORBA and the United States Forest Service for a weekend dedicated to improving local trails. Come celebrate National Trails Day with IMBA. The visit features an IMBA Trailbuilding School, an evening social and a group ride. This is your opportunity to rub shoulders with the IMBA Crew while learning all about trailbuilding. Check out the details below and come join in the fun. You are receiving this email as an IMBA member or contact. Help us get the word out. Please use the "Tell a friend" button below to send this invitation to other area mountain bikers, land managers and trail users. The more the merrier! If this event is too far away for you to attend, we understand. We sent you this email to not just invite you but also let you know about the important work IMBA is doing in your area. Schedule: SATURDAY (National Trails Day) 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM: IMBA Trailbuilding School classroom session at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) Kleinrath Hall. Lunch at NOC 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM: IMBA Trailbuilding School field session at Tsali. 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM: Volunteer Dinner and "Around the World with IMBA" at the NOC (slideshow starts at 7:30) outside by the river. SUNDAY 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: IMBA Trailbuilding School field session at Tsali. 1:30 PM: IMBA/SORBA Group ride. Please RSVP for this event. spencer@imba.com For more information, please contact Walt Bready.

05/14/2007

THTB Lake Norman Chapter... Yup...that's right. The TTB LKNM/JR. chapters will have it's first official meeting on Thursday May 24 at Sho Mars in Mooresville. That's exit 33 close to Cool Breeze Cyclery. Meeting starts around 7:30 PM. All ages welcome Directions: From I-77N Rt. @ exit 33 Lt. @ next traffic light Look for ShoMars straight ahead to the left Call The Cycle Path for more information Mark Sullivan 704-896-3331

05/08/2007

Trailblazers Release First Official Map The Trailblazers have received their fist shipment of our USNWC trail map! We hope this will be the first of an inclusive library of all of our trails. We will be selling the maps ($2 each) through the USNWC and your favorite local bike shop. We are currently working on our second map, Col. Francis Beatty. Many thanks are in order for the volunteers that have donated their time and talents to make the USNWC map a reality: Dan Burns has done a tremendous job of taking the raw GPS trail information and including it in a map that is accurate, informative and stunningly beautiful. Ivan Konermann has spearheaded the effort as project manager and has collected the GPS trail data. Cathie Docherty has donated the action image of Patty Smith as our cover photo. And special thanks to Mike, Lance and Jeff at the USNWC who bent and rolled with us to get make this dream a reality. Check them out at you LBS...

05/07/2007

Fat Tire Music Festival June 16th The Fat Tire Music Festival will be on Saturday, June 16th, 2007 in east Charlotte. It will be a day of great LIVE MUSIC from local bands including The Moonshine Racers and The Accentrix to name a few and the proceeds will benefit the trail building efforts of the Tarheel Trailblazers. Check out: http://www.myspace.com/fattiremusicfest for more info. Ticket information coming soon......

05/01/2007

BIKE! Charlotte 2007 BIKE! Charlotte 2007 is set to begin this Friday, May 4 with the Mayor's Ride/Bike to Breakfast. Please help us spread the word about this important event. While the Mayor's Ride/Bike to Breakfast may be a short ride, it's the impact that makes this event so important. The event will once again start at the Dowd YMCA at 7:30AM and head into Uptown Charlotte for breakfast provided by Lola's at the Wachovia Plaza. BIKE! Charlotte is ten days of bicycle-related events and promotions used to encourage families, friends and colleagues to break out the bike and integrate it into their daily routine. This ten-day event will be held Friday May 4 and run through the following Sunday May 13. The theme for the seventh annual event is "The Power of the Pedal." Whether used for transportation or recreation, bicycles are efficient, nonpolluting modes of travel with great health benefits. The intention of the 2007 edition of BIKE! Charlotte is to empower the citizens of Charlotte to incorporate the bicycle into their life. Whether you are pedaling to better health, to save money, for cleaner air, to have more energy, for losing weight, independence, easier parking, or to have just plain fun -- you can get there with "The Power of the Pedal". The 2007 event features a diverse agenda of exciting activities and promotions for all to enjoy, many of which are free. This year's festivities will kick off Friday with the Mayor's Ride/Bike to Breakfast in Uptown Charlotte. Saturday, the events are in full swing with Dilworth Criterium, bicycle safety rodeos, and bicycle rides. During the weekdays, many of the local bicycle shops are hosting bicycle maintenance clinics that address different ways to keep your bike in top shape. The second weekend of BIKE! Charlotte is once again full of great events and highlighted by Cycle Charlotte. Cycle Charlotte is a bicycle festival in Uptown Charlotte starting at the Dowd YMCA with three supported bike routes and live music. Whether you are a beginner, an avid rider, or just happen to own a bike that's been hanging in the garage for a year, there is an event for you during BIKE! Charlotte. Break out the bike and head to a BIKE! Charlotte event. A detailed list of BIKE! Charlotte events can be found at www.bike-charlotte.org or check out the BIKE! Charlotte special section in the Charlotte Observer on Wednesday, May 2. For more detailed information on the week of events, contact Neal Boyd at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com or CDOT bicycle planner Ken Tippette at 704-336-2278.

05/01/2007

Sherman Branch Grand Opening Celebration! Saturday, May 5 The Tarheel Trailblazers will hold a grand opening celebration at Sherman Branch on Saturday, May 5th, in conjunction with BIKE! Charlotte... We will offer guided rides between 9:00 and 11:00 AM, followed by lunch - burgers and hot dogs - from 11:30 - 1:00 (provided by the Tarheel Trailblazers). This event is open to the public! Bring your friends and family and show support by joining in the fun and celebrate the opening of this wonderful new, ~10 mile trail. Most of the arrangements have been taken care of, but if you can volunteer with leading rides, food prep and/or clean-up, it would be greatly appreciated. Directions: From Pineville: Go 485 (Outer Loop) go to Albermarle Rd. exit. turn left towards Albermarle, take fist left on to Rocky River, go about 1 mile, turn left into field at mailboxes after you pass Camp Stewart Rd. From Harrisburg: go 485 (Inner Loop)to Harrisburg Rd., Exit 39, turn right onto Harrisburg, go about 1 mile to Camp Stewart Rd. and turn Left, follow until road dead ends into Rocky River, turn left, go 200 yds, turn left into field. Due to the limited available parking, we are requesting Trailblazer members to park at the Bradfield Farms Swim Club…A detailed map for the parking lot location is here: http://www.tarheeltrailblazers.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/nph-YaBB.pl?num=1177446765/21#21 We look forward to seeing you this Saturday for the celebration!

05/01/2007

Mayor's Ride to Breakfast BIKE! Charlotte is set to begin this Friday, May 4 with the Mayor’s Ride/Bike to Breakfast. Please help us spread the word about this important event. While the Mayor’s Ride/Bike to Breakfast may be a short ride, it’s the impact that makes this event so important. The event will once again start at the Dowd YMCA at 7:30AM and head into Uptown Charlotte for breakfast provided by Lola’s at the Wachovia Plaza. For additional details of events, please visit: www.bike-charlotte.org

05/01/2007

May Trailblazer Meeting! May 3, 7:30 PM Dilworth Neighborhood Café Join us as we kick off BIKE! Charlotte 2007, with the monthly Trailblazer meeting. Come meet and greet your mountain biking brothers and sisters in a relaxed atmosphere, as we discuss the issues that are important to you, the mountain biking public! As usual, there are many topica to discuss, especially – BIKE! Charlotte!

04/26/2007

USNWC Trails Closed after 3pm Monday 30-April On Monday, April 30th we have a large group booking the entire facility from 5-11pm. In preparation we had been considering full closure to the public on that day in preparation for the evening arrival. We would like to remain open to the public for at least part of the day and are willing to leave the facility open until 3:00pm. Please post as appropriate that trail users have to be off premises by 3:00pm on April 30th. After that point it will be very hectic as we prepare for nearly 2,000 visitors in a small time period. Thanks for your cooperation and please contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center Work 704-391-3900 Cell 704-497-7260 www.usnwc.org mkafsky@usnwc.org

04/23/2007

Road to USNWC IS NOW PAVED! The long and dusty road to the Whitewater Center is now as smooth as asphalt. It was apparently done in one day on Tuesday, April 17th. Now we can all breath a little easier on our way to the long and dusty trail!

04/19/2007

Cycle Charlotte 2007 * A Safe Streets Bicycle Celebration * Experience Charlotte without a windshield! Be a part of the 2nd annual one-of-a-kind urban cycling adventure on Saturday, May 12, 2007, 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. The Dowd YMCA, located at 400 East Morehead Street, will host this year’s festival which includes a bike safety rodeo, free helmets for kids, vendor booths, live music from the popular Gigi Dover band and lots of free food for participants. Choose a 3-mile family fun ride or 13 and 24 mile touring rides on some of Charlotte’s most beautiful streets. This year, cyclecharlotte and the YMCA will highlight the health benefits of everyday cycling. Over 500 people enjoyed the inaugural ride in 2006. Hopes are that the crowd on May 12 will exceed 750 individuals and families. Register on-line at: www.cyclecharlotte.org. Tonia Bendickson, well-known newscaster at WBTV-3 returns as emcee sharing the stage with special guests City Councilman Pat Mumford, County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts and other dignitaries who advocate safe streets for all vehicles. cyclecharlotte was originally inspired by the life example of Todd Weaver, a popular bicycle commuter who was tragically killed two years ago leaving as survivors a wife and two young children. Proceeds from the Cycle Charlotte celebration will be used to donate bicycles to the C-M Police Department, safety awareness programs of B.I.K.E.S. of Charlotte Mecklenburg, and Community Outreach for the Dowd YMCA. OrthoCarolina is the title sponsor for the second year in a row. We also have the endorsement of the Center City Partners and a move to a great location in the Uptown area … the Dowd YMCA! * * * Contact persons: Malcolm McLean - malcolm@carolina.rr.com Jane Cacchione - jane.cacchione@ymcacharlotte.org Martin Zimmerman - martinzimmerman8@yahoo.com

04/19/2007

Summer Race Series One week and counting……until the start of the seventh annual Christenbury Eye Center Charlotte Summer Mountain Bike Series. The 2007 series is proudly presented by the Tarheel Trailblazers and will kick off on Wednesday, April 25, at the US National Whitewater Center. The rotation of the series will be USNWC, Beatty, Renaissance, and N Meck Park and will take a break every fifth race, totally sixteen exciting races. New for the 2007 event, the singlespeed category. In order to add the singlespeed category, we had to change a few other categories. There will not be a Masters category but we have changed the age requirements of the Beginner and Sport Categories. The age break downs for the Beginner and Sport Categories will be 19 – 39 and 40+. All other categories are the same as previous years. One other change is the entry fees. Since the inception of the series, the entry fee has been $10, and the one day NORBA license being $3. This year, the entry fee is going to be $12 for those who have an annual NORBA license, with the option of the one-day NORBA license being $3. If you would like to purchase an annual NORBA or USA Cycling Mountain Bike license, visit www.usacycling.org . Not only do you save money purchasing the annual license, you receive lots of great benefits including a substantial secondary health insurance policy. For more membership info, visit https://www.usacycling.org/forms/Member_Guide.pdf If you would like to register for the entire summer series, online registration is available at http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1440559 Registration is broken down into those who hold an annual NORBA License/USA Cycling Mountain Bike License and those who want to purchase one-day licenses. You will still have to fill out an event wavier at each and every race. For directions, dates, rules and all other pertinent information on the summer series, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com Special thanks to the 2007 event sponsors: Christenbury Eye Service, Tarheel Trailblazers, US National Whitewater Center, Meck County Parks and Rec, Huntersville Parks and Rec, Endurance Magazine, BikeLine, SouthPark Cycles, Bicycle Sport, Bicycles East, The Spirited Cyclist, Cycle Path, Ultimate Bike, Cool Breeze Cyclery, Gaston Bicycle and Service, REI, BikeSource, iRide Cycles, Sun and Ski Sports, First Flight Bicycles, Lucky Cycles, Middle Ring Cycles, Bolt Brothers, KONA, Fox Racing, Shimano, Giodana, SockGuy, Clif Bar, Trek, Gary Fisher, and Easton Sports. More to come very soon! See you on the bike. Neal www.charlottemtnbike.com

03/30/2007

Opening of "Figure 8" Completes USNWC Trail I wanted to thank all who came out to help over the last several months on the Figure 8 trail. Over this week several people have volunteered time and my staff have put in some long days doing final prep work. We are happy with the enormous amount of energy put behind this part of the project and even more thankful for not having to haul telephone poles, rip rap, or gravel anymore (at least for the near future). Nicely done. We have an awesome trail available to us now and I am happy to say not only did we hit our opening date, but we are opening early. That’s right - get on your bike and hit the trails on Saturday and try a fantastic advanced trail that has some great trail features. One day early of our projected opening date of April 1st! If I only could I would set up a golden spike and have Frank drive it in on Saturday morning. He has been great to work with and we have learned so much from his consistent involvement in the project. Thanks need to go out to so many people of some I just know faces and I apologize, but I hope to see you on the trails sometime enjoying the fruits of your efforts. Cheers to all and happy riding. Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center

03/30/2007

Figure 8 Loop and Restaurant/BAR Opening Sat. March 31st at USNWC The long-awaited openings of the Figure 8 Trail Loop and the Restaurant/BAR at USNWC are finally here! The Figure 8 Trail Loop is opening 1 day ahead of schedule and the restaurant/BAR will be open for the weekend with its official full-time opening on Mon. April 2nd. Come enjoy riding a challenging re-construction of the famous Figure 8 Trail Loop that was once in the most remote part of the park. It is now a black diamond option off of the existing North Trails Loop with narrow bridges, rocks, drop-offs and roots galore. After your ride enjoy a snack, a meal or a cold one at the restaurant/BAR in the main building. A big Thank You! goes out to the many people who contributed much time and effort to making this difficult but rewarding trail building experience come to completion. Thanks especially to Mike K. of the USNWC for his tireless efforts in pulling together materials and resources and for putting in many back-breaking hours with his crew and volunteers to make the huge bridges that were needed to span the drainages a reality. His patience and creativity while working with the Trailblazers on these unique structures is much appreciated. Be sure to check the OPEN or CLOSED status of the trail on either the Tarheel Trailblazers' or the US National Whitewater Center's website when there has been recent rainfall. We make efforts to update the posting by 10:00am each day. So get out and ride! Frank P.

03/28/2007

Monbo Opens at LNSP! From Ranger Casey Reinhardt: The MONBO LOOP (Phase III) of the ITUSI trail opened today a little after 8 am. TRAIL CLOSES AT 6:30 PM during March. It will stay open until 7:30 pm during April and May. The Monbo loop is about 900 feet shy of 6 miles in length. The original two phases of the ITUSI are 6.7 miles (including the Hawk, Norwood Creek and Hicks Creek loops). The Hawk loop is the original trail minus the Hicks and Norwood loops. On behalf of NC State Parks, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to ALL of the volunteers that made this possible. Bob and Jeff deserve special recognitions. This entire project would be non-existent without their leadership, dedication, professionlism and unselfishness. We all owe them a steak dinner. They have sacrificed countless weekends away from their families on top of working 60+ hours per week in their paying jobs. In my 25 years in the parks and recreation field,I have never known two individuals that have done more for the public, the environment and trail users than these men. Thanks Bob and Jeff. You build beautiful and sustainable trails. I also want to recognize and thank Mike Hamm, Lee Hentz, Ross Dowswell, Big Wes, the Tarheel Trailblazers and the Dirt Divas for their continuing support and volunteer efforts. You are all a great bunch of folks and we look forward to working with you for many years to come. Enjoy, Casey

03/14/2007

New Itusi Trail Hours Currently the Itusi trail at LNSP closes at 6:30 PM, through the month of March. Starting April 1 and through May, the trail will stay open until 7:30 PM.

03/07/2007

Final Monbo Workday! bOb and Jeff have completed the machine work this past weekend in preperation for our 3/10 work day. For this weekend, we have 2 projects to complete. 1) Finish the tread work on the machine cut trail. 2) Rock armour 4 or 5 gulleys to reinforce them against erosion. These projects will use the rock that was harvested last month along with the gravel that was transported into the woods. After that, it is just a matter of getting the inspections done and the signage up (both responsibility of the state)..........and then RIDE. The Monbo Loop will be able to be ridden on the work day, by volunteers, but remains closed until the inspection process is complete. So let's get another HUGE turn-out for the last trail day on the Monbo! Once again, the Mooresville Starbucks will be supplying coffee and Cool Breeze Cyclery will provide a BBQ lunch! Then it's time to ride the Monbo! 13 miles at LNSP!

03/02/2007

Workday At USNWC this Saturday, March 3rd 9am-1pm We will be working hard on completing preparation of the Figure 8 for opening by April 1st. Come out, lend a hand and have some fun. The trail will probably be too wet to ride on Saturday, so come out and help us get things ready for a (hopefully) drier Spring! Frank P. If you can come please attend the Trail Day this Saturday: ---------------- PLEASE JOIN THE TEAM FOR: WHAT: 4-Hour Trail Building Event WHEN: Saturday March 3rd from 9:00 am-1:00pm & Saturday March 24th from 9:00 am -1:00pm WHERE: Meet at the USNWC River Center of the @ 9:00 am (Main Building) HOW TO GET THERE: 820 Hawfield Road Charlotte, NC 28214 http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl&q= BRING: Warm clothes, water, boots, gloves, and a garden tool such as a shovel, pick, pruners, or metal garden rake. Wheel barrows have been of great use to bring as well in help placing materials on the trail. The trail system at the USNWC exists because of volunteer support. Become a part of the USNWC trail system and help maintain the health of the trails. Under the direction of the Tarheel Trailblazers the volunteer goal of the March work days will be to prepare the remaining 1.5 mile section of the Figure 8 Loop for opening on April 1st. This construction will consist of clearing new trail, causeway construction, and armoring several parts of trails. Additionally several other trail needs could use attention. Please come, grab a friend and lend a hand for a few hours. It is truly amazing what can be done in such a short period. With the knowledge of the Trailblazers, volunteers gain an understanding of sustainable trail building techniques and add to the unique single-track trail system at the USNWC. ASAP please RSVP to mkafsky@usnwc.org if you and any others will attend. We will have to prepare for the number attending. Your efforts will help in the final stage of trail connection. Thanks for your time and consideration! Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center Work 704-391-3900 Cell 704-497-7260 www.usnwc.org mkafsky@usnwc.org

02/28/2007

New Meeting Location! This is a reminder that the March 1st meeting of the Tarheel Trailblazers will take place this Thursday (7:30 PM) at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill, 911 E. Morehead St. We will be holding a “State of the Trails” forum, so please plan to attend to learn and contribute to this discussion. We have many interesting and exciting projects on board and we need you to make them a reality! In addition, we’ll have the latest in Trailblazer socks, pint glasses, hats, and a few jerseys…So plan on attending and checking out our new location at the Dilworth Neighborhood Grill! And as always, we thank you for your support! -tom

02/21/2007

Feb 24th LNSP Workday! From Jeff Archer: bOb and I have been working hard for the past month to make sure we have plenty of work for ya'll next Saturday (Feb 24th)! We were hoping to have all of the machine work done but came up just a little bit short. We will meet at the Itusi Trailhead Parking Lot trail head parking lot at 8:30 and then car pool to the work areas. We have 5 big tasks to accomplish on Saturday: 1)We are going to send 4 crews (3 people per crew) out to do the final corridor clearing. You will be using loppers to clear branches back to the required 6' width and 8' height making sure to take into account the spring growth and weight of the new leaves. You will also be making sure the trail is clear of debris as well. Not terribly strenuous work and it will be a great way to see a big chunk of the trail. 2)Finishing the 100 yards of 2 way trail that will connect to the road. The section has been cleared but no tread work has been done. This will take a pretty good sized crew who want to get their hands dirty. 3)Finishing 2 sections of machine cut trail. This moves along pretty quickly and consists mainly of root removal, back slope work and beautification. There is also a small section that has not been machine cut and could be finished by hand if we have enough bodies. 4)Rock harvesting for a a couple of rock armoring projects. We have a couple of area with a good number of rocks that need to be brought out of the woods on sleds, loaded on a truck, taken to the other side of the trail and then taken by sleds/wheelbarrows into the woods. 5)There will also be a trailer load of gravel that needs transported into the woods. There is a GPS map @ http://www.firstflightbikes.com/lake_norman_trail.htm if you want to check out the end result. Bring your bikes. All volunteers will be able to check out their handiwork after trail work. Please remember that the Monbo Loop is still not open any time except on work days. If you have and questions, give me a shout @ jeff at firstflightbikes.com. Hope to see in the woods! Jeff FFB Special thanks in advance to the Dirt Divas, REI and Joey Norman, Starbucks for some of their fine brew, and to all who are planning on attending! And of course, we owe a ton of gratitude to Jeff and bOb for their efforts over the past five years to make the trail a reality...Opening the remainder of the Monbo trail at LNSP will be a boon for the area and truly result in a destination trail for the region. And don't forget that all volunteers receive a pair of Trailblazer socks for their efforts! See ya on the trail! -tom

02/14/2007

Trailwork Day at USNWC PLEASE JOIN THE TEAM FOR: WHAT: 3-Hour Trail Building Event WHEN: Sunday Feb 18th from 9:00 am-12:00pm WHERE: Meet at the USNWC River Center of the @ 9:00 am (Main Building) HOW TO GET THERE: 820 Hawfield Road Charlotte, NC 28214 http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl&q= BRING: Warm clothes, water, boots, gloves, and a garden tool such as a shovel, pick, pruners, or metal garden rake. Could even use some wheel barrows for those adventurous souls looking to haul out some trash. The Trailblazers provide a limited number of cool fire fighting hand tools like the Pulaski, Mattock, and Mcleod to those adventurous enough to try. Actually they are way more efficient and fun to use! The trail system at the USNWC exists because of volunteer support. Become a part of the USNWC trail system and help maintain the health of the trails. Under the direction of the Tarheel Trailblazers the volunteer goal of the February work days will be to connect the remaining 1.5 mile section of the Figure 8 Loop. This construction will consist of clearing new trail, bridge construction, and armoring several parts of trails. Additionally several other trail needs could use attention. Please come, grab a friend and lend a hand for a few hours. It is truly amazing what can be done in 3 hours. With the knowledge of the Trailblazers, volunteers gain an understanding of sustainable trail building techniques and add to the unique singletrack trail system at the USNWC. ASAP please RSVP to mkafsky@usnwc.org if you and any others will attend. We will have to prepare for the number attending. Your efforts will help in the final stage of trail connection. Thanks for your time and consideration! Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center Work 704-391-3900 Cell 704-497-7260

02/12/2007

MT. Holly Meeting POSTPONED! Tonight's meeting at Mt. Holly has been postponed to allow us to schedule a better meeting where we will have more time to discuss the issues. Hopefully, cooler heads with an eye toward the vision of trails on the site will prevail... Sorry to pull the plug on this issue in the 11th hour, but a face to face with all interested parties will better serve the situation. Thank you for your support of the Trailblazers and this important issue! Tom Mathews

02/12/2007

POSTPONED: A Call To Action For Mountain Bikers! This meeting has been postponed to give us more time to present the issues. Stay tuned! Thank You! The Trailblazers have been working on plans to develop about 15 miles of mountain bike trails on Mountain Island Lake in Mt. Holly for about 2 years now. We have $60,000 in grants for this project and are working on more, but we can't seem to get trail construction started due to disagreements with the local division of the NC Forest servce, who manages the land. The Mt. Holly City Council has requested the Trailblazers make a presentation to them at the City Council meeting to discuss the open project issues. They have also invited the Forest Service, along with the previous mayor, Brian Hyatt,who asked us to build these trails. He remains a big supporter. The meeting is this Monday, February 12, at 7pm at City Hall, 131 South Main Street in Mt. Holly. For a map see: http://www.ci.mount-holly.nc.us/images/mainstreet.pdf Please attend the meeting and show your support for this important project. We do not understand why we are encountering such opposition on conservation land when mountain biking is allowed on US Forest Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, and NC Parks land, along state and local government land across the nation. We are confused why there are such special standards in this case. Bring a bike helmet so they know what you are there to support. Unfortunately some people in the Mountain Island Lake organization have come out in opposition of this project due to misinformation and may come to the meeting to try and sway the council. They have gone so far as to write a letter to the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the organization that funded the purchase of the land. That is interesting because they also helped purchase Dupont State Forest, a mountain biking mecca. We need to have a presence! Thank You, Brian Hynes, Jeff Smith, Tom Mathews

02/10/2007

Uwharrie Land Management Plan Uwharrie National Forest Proposed Land Management Plan Available for Public Review and Comment The Uwharrie National Forest Proposed Land Management Plan is now available for public review and comment. The Proposed Plan is the result of a collaborative effort among the USDA Forest Service, numerous members of the public, and other local, state, and federal agencies. "I'm proud of this plan as much for what it represents as a community effort as for what it represents as a change in direction for forest management," states Marisue Hilliard, Forest Supervisor for the National Forests in North Carolina. "The public has worked with us to build this Plan every step along the way." This Proposed Plan focuses around three main themes: 1. Restoring the forest to a more natural ecological condition: For example, reducing the amount of loblolly pine plantations in favor of reestablishing longleaf pine forests or oak-hickory forests. 2. Better managing heritage resources: The historic and prehistoric sites and artifacts found on the Uwharrie would be protected, but we would also use them to provide opportunities for research, teaching, and interpretation. 3. Providing outstanding and environmentally friendly outdoor recreation opportunities, with excellent trails and facilities: Our focus for this program would be on improving the conditions of the horse and off-highway vehicle trails in the Badin Lake area and working to complete the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail. Another big change called for in the Proposed Plan is the designation of 32 Special Areas on the Uwharrie National Forest, comprising a total of 5,391 acres, including areas with unique or rare botanical, zoological, geological, historical and archeological, scenic and/or recreational values. They also include the best examples of more commonly encountered ecological systems, such as intact oak/hickory forests. People may submit comments on the Proposed Plan for a 90 day period starting February 15th. The Proposed Plan, along with several related documents, is available electronically at: http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/uwharrie_plan/. Hard copies of the Proposed Plan or any other of the other documents may be requested by e-mail at: comments-southern-north-carolina@fs.fed.us; Or, make a written request to: Proposed Land Management Plan NFsNC/Uwharrie National Forest 160A Zillicoa Street Asheville, NC 28801 A final decision on the Proposed Plan is expected in the Fall of 2007.

02/06/2007

Winter Short Track MTB Series WINTER SHORT TRACK MTB SERIES Final two races of the series – Saturday, Feb 10 and Sunday, 11 2007 Weather looks great for the two races this weekend. Check out the photos of the previous events at Renaissance Park http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventthumbs?event=0GOV002Z Event Info: www.charlottemtnbike.com Hotel Info If you are coming from out of town and need a place to stay near the park, the Holiday Inn at 321 W Woodlawn Rd has given us a special rate for Saturday evening of $69.99, normally $89.99. Just mention Charlotte Sports Cycling. The number for the Holiday Inn is 704.523.1400. Special Treat This weekend, our Shimano regional tech rep is going to be at the races this weekend with a couple of demo bikes built with the new Shimano XTR. Come on out and give the new XTR a try, it's FREE! Also, we are working on getting the Monster Energy Drink Truck out to the event. They will be bringing out all of the latest and greatest drinks from Monster. If you haven't participated in the short track series, it's an absolute blast! We've had great numbers at the first three events. After each the events, we will have hot chili from East Blvd Bar & Grill and vegetable soup from Charlotte Sports Cycling. The short track is a great place for anyone and everyone to give mountain bike racing a try. We've had huge junior categories at the first three events. Invite a friend and come on out. After the race on Sunday, the 11th, we will head over to East Blvd Bar and Grill for the series ending party. Free appetizers will be served from 4:00PM to 6:00PM. ATTENTION: We just found out the Athletic Complex at Renaissance Park is currently under construction. Participant parking will be located in the first parking lot on the left. All four gates leading to the middle of the softball complex will be open. Cheers Neal Charlotte Sports Cycling 2022 Dembrigh Lane Charlotte, NC 28262 nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com www.charlottesportscycling.com

02/01/2007

Trailblazer Meeting Postponed! Due to inclement weather, the February Trailblazer meeting has been postponed until Thursday, Feb 8th, 7:30 PM at Jack's on 7th Street... Please pass the word....

01/31/2007

Trail Work at the USNWC Join us this Saturday, February 3 as we work toward the completion of remaining 1.5 mile section of the “Figure 8”. This construction will consist of clearing new trail, bridge construction, and armoring several parts of trails. Additionally several other trail needs could use attention. Please come, grab a friend and lend a hand for a few hours. It is truly amazing what can be done in 3 hours. With the knowledge of the Trailblazers, volunteers gain an understanding of sustainable trail building techniques and add to the unique singletrack trail system at the USNWC. Please RSVP to mkafsky@usnwc.org if you will attend. We will have to prepare for the number attending. Your efforts will help in the final stage of trail connection.

01/31/2007

Trail Work at LNSP The Trailblazers and Dirt Divas have a huge trail work day at Lake Norman State Park, scheduled for February 24th in conjunction with REI. We’ll meet at the Itusi trail head parking lot and shuttle to the Monbo trail. We have a goal of a 100 volunteers to really put a dent in the remaining 1.5 miles of trail. Remember, the Monbo trail has been largely constructed with mechanized equipment, and we will be grooming the trail. Starbucks Coffee will be on hand to distribute coffee and bottled water. Rumor has it that Starbucks will donate $10 per volunteer. That could be a significant fundraiser for the club. In addition, the Trailblazers will be offering each volunteer a pair our new SockGuy Socks. Mark your calendars and come out on the 24th.

01/04/2007

Winter Short Track Series! Kick off for the 5th Annual East Blvd Bar & Grill Winter Short Track Series This year, the event is presented by Heartwood Tree Service, the Dirt Divas and Charlotte Sports Cycling. The series will consist of five races, Jan 20 and 28, Feb 3, 11 and 17 all held at the infamous Renaissance Park short track. If you haven't ever participated in the short track series, come on out and give it a try, it's an absolute blast! It takes in elements of mountain biking, BMX and a road criterium. After each event, we will have hot food from East Blvd Bar & Grill. We have added a new category to the event, Junior Girls. The short track is a great place for kids to give mountain bike racing a try. Invite a friend and come on out. Big thanks to our series sponsors, East Blvd Bar and Grill, Heartwood g Tree Service, Dirt Divas, SouthPark Cycles, Bike Line, Bicycle Sport, Lucky Cycles, Ultimate Bicycle, Bicycles East, Sun and Ski Sports, Cool Breeze Cyclery, Bolt Brothers, BikeSource, Hawley Company, Michelin, Allen Racks, SockGuy, Fox Clothing, Giordana, Kona, Park Tool, Caribou Coffee, Monster Energy Drinks, Prudential Carolinas Reality, Endurance Magazine, Clif Bar, and Meck County Parks and Recreation. For more info on the series, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com

01/03/2007

Doin' The Monbo! From Jeff Archer...See y'all on Saturday morning? Did anyone out there make a New Year's Resolution to get more involved in the community and get some volunteer hours in???.......boy, are you in luck!! We will be resuming construction of the Monbo Loop starting January 6 and working every Saturday and Sunday until it is finished. The Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers will once again be helping us out on a monthly basis and have scheduled January 6 and February 24 so far. The Monbo Loop is about 6.25 miles long and will bring the total mileage of the Itusi Trail to about 13 miles. We have finished approximately 4.5 miles of the loop so there is just about 1.75 miles left to groom plus a few rock projects. Just imagine being able to ride 13 unique miles this spring.....now is the time to make it happen. bOb spend the past week getting some machine work done so we will have plenty of handwork to do. Finishing the machine-cut tread is much less back-breaking and is very rewarding since you can move forward rapidly. No more spending 2 hours on a 20 foot long section! We will still be meeting at the old homestead site, through gate #9. If you enter the park through the main gate on State Park Road, just continue past the existing trail head to St. Johns Road, take a right on St. Johns and the gate is a couple hundred feet up on your right side. You are able to ride the Monbo Loop on the day that you volunteer but keep in mind that the Monbo Loop is NOT open. It is a $145 trespassing ticket and unfortunately, several folks have found out the hard way. See ya in the woods!

12/20/2006

LNSP Closed on Christmas Day! Merry Christmas to everyone, especially our trail volunteers. FYI Lake Norman State Park and the Itusi Trail will be closed on Christmas Day. Entry by foot, bicycle or any other means is not allowed. Please allow park staff this one day to spend with their families. If conditions allow, the trail will be open at 8 am on Tuesday, December 26th for your riding enjoyment. Park Staff

12/12/2006

Trips for Kids Clean Up! All of you have been especially invited to get your hands dirty for a couple of hours next Saturday December 16th. Trips for Kids Charlotte will need help in our annual bike clean-up & repair. We will have all the mountain bikes that we have used during the year at the Re-Cyclery and will stage the bikes so that we will not be spending very much time.... I'm guessing 3 hours max. We will meet at 10:00 am at the Re-Cyclery which is located off of North Davidson at 15th Street. The shop is in the basement and can be accessed behind the " Area 15" building. Parking is available on 15th Street or in the grassy lot beside the building. We would like to leave as much space as we can at the rear of the building for the bike trailer and and the bikes. Please respond to this e-mail if you can make it. The more that show up, the quicker we're done. Thanks so much. Harry Johnson (rain date is Sunday the 17th, in the afternoon... )

12/11/2006

Car Break-in at USNWC Forwarded from a fellow rider...Heed his warning... I thought I would spread this disturbing news to you and you may decide to send this out to the trailblazers as a warning. Last Thursday 12-7-06 at 3:00 PM, I was riding at USNWC with 3 other guys for roughly 1 hour. In the time we were on the trail, my Expedition was broken into and a single credit card was stolen out of my wallet, which had been hidden in the center console. The perpetrator used a screwdriver of similar device and jammed it into the lock on the driver side door, breaking the lock and gained access to the SUV which has an alarm that was armed. In addition, when we left the parking lot for the trails… there were people around. We parked close to the bathrooms on the back side of the gravel lot roughly 100 yards from the kiosk and trail head. Whoever did this had some serious balls to pull this off in the middle of the day. My credit card had 3 charges that evening totaling only $58 and all the charges were in the vicinity of RT 16 Brookshire Freeway. Fortunately, I was able to cancel the card quickly once I got home and called the stolen card dept. with MasterCard. Hopefully this guy tried to use my card again after I reported it stolen and was caught, but who knows. I think it would be a very good idea to inform USNWC and the rest of the trailblazers of this event and encourage patrons to be on the lookout and also not to carry a large quantity of valuable items in the vehicles when they go to the park. In this case, the only thing of value in my truck was my wallet, and I will be carrying that in my camelback from now on.

12/05/2006

December Trailblazer Meeting The December meeting of the Trailblazers is scheduled for this Thursday (12/7) at Jack's on 7th Street...We have plenty of interesting news to discuss, the club continues to grow and expand, with some really cool happenin's on the horizon... We will have jersey's, hats, Harrisburg Half sox and many other Trailblazer items for sale…A great way to pick up a gift for that someone special... Don't forget the BIG trail work day, scheduled for this Sat (12/9) at the USNWC (Catawba) where bridge and trail construction will be taking place to work toward completion of the "Figure 8". Time is 8:00 am at the trail head... If you can't attend on Thursday, the Trailblazers wish each and everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

11/02/2006

New Directions to DD/THTB Party! Due to ongoing development and construction in the Fort Mill / ASG area, the directions to the Field Trial Barn have changed!! Hope it'll be a beautiful fall day again, just like last years' Year End Party. Hope to see you there!!! New Improved Directions!!: From Charlotte take I-77 South to exit 90. Turn LEFT at the light at the bottom of the ramp. Continue through 5 lights for 1.3 miles and turn LEFT onto US-21 Business. ('Times TurnAround' Gas and convenience store is on the corner.) Continue for 1 mile. There is a new road pattern and traffic light. Turn Left at the light (still on Bus. 21) and continue about another .75 mile. At the white fence and white house on the right, turn LEFT onto Springfield Parkway. Go 1.2 miles. Just after passing the new "Springfield" neighborhood on the left, you'll see the ASG entrance sign on the Right. Turn RIGHT. Continue ~ 1/4 mile on this gravel road and you'll see the RED Field Trial Barn up ahead on the left. (When you are on Springfield Parkway, if you come to a fork in the road, you've gone too far.) Thanks, Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers

10/20/2006

DD & THTB End of Year Party! Dirt Divas & Trailblazer's Year End Party -- and Ride !!! Host: Dirt Divas & Tarheel Trailblazers Location: Anne Springs Greenway FIELD TRIAL BARN Springfield Parkway, Fort Mill, SC View Map When: Sunday, November 5, 1:00pm Yep, it's time to CELEBRATE another great year for our Clubs! The Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers are co-hosting a Year-End-Holiday Party, complete with a mountain bike ride, dinner, and fabulous prizes!! (We don't know what the prizes are yet, but we're sure they will be fabulous!) All activities will be based from the Field Trial Barn (NOT the Dairy Barn). o Coordinated trail ride(s) will start at 1:30pm. o BBQ dinner and refreshments (catered by Lola's) will be served at 4:00pm. Ride and socialize with other Dirt Divas, Trailblazers and friends; we'll have drawings for prizes and announcements. The 2007 Membership Directories will be distributed to DD members and the all new 2007 Dirt Divas Calendar will be available for purchase by all. BYO adult (alcoholic) beverages; NO GLASS please. This event is free for Dirt Diva members, and each member is welcome to bring a guest. Trailblazers are requested to make a $5/person donation to defer costs (our membership isn't devised to include party costs).. Friends, Mountain Biking, great food, door prizes, what more could you ask of a Year End Party?? Hope to see you there!! R.S.V.P. is required by Nov. 2nd. Contact president@tarheeltrailblazers for your reservation. Directions: From Charlotte take I-77 South to exit 90. Turn LEFT at the light at the bottom of the ramp. Continue for about 1.3 miles and turn LEFT onto US-21 Business. ('Times TurnAround' Gas and convenience store is on the corner.) Continue for 1.8 miles. You will pass the Elementary School on the right. At the white fence and white house on the right, turn LEFT onto Springfield Parkway. Pass the High School on the left and continue for about 1 mile. Turn RIGHT at the large Anne Springs Close Greenway entrance sign (just past the Farmers Market stand on the left). This is a gravel road. The RED Field Trial Barn should now be within your view up ahead on the left.

10/19/2006

IMBA News! IMBA Board Election and Report Card Voting is Underway We need your participation in two important online voting campaigns. Make your voice heard! Board Elections IMBA is pleased to present three new nominees, and three candidates for renewed terms, for election to our Board of Directors. The Board is elected by IMBA’s membership. Although this is an uncontested election, your vote is important to affirm our status as a membership-based nonprofit. Only members current with their annual dues are eligible to vote. Members may vote through this anonymous online form, or by mailing/faxing a paper ballot, distributed in the Fall edition of our printed newsletter Trail News (Vol. 19, No. 3). Paper ballots must be postmarked on or before the Nov. 1 deadline. You may vote for as many as six candidates. Voting is anonymous. Voting will end midnight (MST) on Nov. 1, 2006. Report Card The 2006 IMBA Report Card is just around the corner and we're calling on riders to submit commentary and grades for their home regions. The report card grades create buzz, and can spur the press, land managers and other leaders to take action in your locale. We need your input to shape this year's report, and to provide accurate information about local-level issues affecting riders. Last year's report recognized Scotland as a global superstar, and pointed to Virginia as a leader among U.S. states. In addition to using our online form, you can send an e-mail to communications manager Mark Eller (markeller@imba.com) with Report Card Comments "[STATE/PROVINCE/NATION]" as the subject. Tell us how bike access is shaping up in your neck of these woods. Voting will end midnight (MST) on Nov. 3, 2006.

10/19/2006

Hiking Event at Col. Beatty, Oct 21st Mike Daly, our contact at Park and Rec (Col. Beatty), has requested that mountain bikers refrain from riding at Col. Beatty, this Saturday, Oct. 21st between the hours of 8:30 and 9:45 am, as there will be an organized "hike event" at the park. I know that most of us avoid city park trails on the weekend due to large numbers of walkers/hikers on the trail, so I wouldn't think this would be an issue with our riding faithful. We appreciate your respect of the request...

10/18/2006

More Racing @ the Half Hey, Everyone! Last Saturday's races were great. Everybody had a great time. The turn out was probably normal for the first race in a new series at a new trail, but a little smaller than we are used to at most mtb events in our area. With the rain this week and cool temperatures, the trail should be in great shape again this Saturday. With all of the berms finished and "ridden-in" we are sure to see more great racing. Last week we gave away FREE CUSTOM HARRISBURG HALF SOCKS (by SockGuy), provided by the Tarheel Trailblazers, to all who registered. This week, October 21st, there will be more FREE SOCKS, and WATER BOTTLES provided by the Cabarrus Convention & Visitors Bureau. October 28th will feature night racing, and every registrant will receive a FREE CUSTOM BLACK HARRISBURG HALF T-SHIRT provided by Extreme Car Wash & Lube on Poplar Tent Road in Concord. And...Papa John's Pizza and Zaxby's will, again, provide FREE PIZZA, and CHICKEN WINGS & TENDERS. If you didn't make it out last Saturday, come on out this weekend. And, TELL YOUR FRIENDS! We have competition this weekend with the Tree Shaker 12 Hour MTB Challenge at Renaissance Park. My friend and mentor, Neal Boyd, is putting this on, and it will certainly be a great event. BUT, not everybody has 12 hours to race this weekend. The races at H/2 are comparably short, but fast. Spread the word and let people know racing is happening in Harrisburg. Thanks, again, for your support with the Harrisburg Trail and the race series. Many of you have helped build the trail and maintain it since we began construction last October. Even if you're not a racer, come on out and check out the action. It is great racing! ....One last thing, remember we are RACING FOR A CAUSE: the proceeds from the race series go to ROTARY INTERNATIONAL'S WORK TO ERADICATE POLIO WORLDWIDE. See you @ the Half! Rick rickhoff@bellsouth.net Bank of North Carolina Short Track Mountain Bike Series October 14, 21, 28, & November 11, 2006 Town Park • Harrisburg, North Carolina

10/18/2006

Tree Shaker 12 Hr Mtb Race The Tree Shaker 12 Hour MTB Challenge is this Saturday, October 21st! Don't miss out the most exciting event of the fall. We've had people all over the southeast contacting us about the event. Snail mail and online registration is now available at www.charlottemtnbike.com or http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1372946 Detailed info including maps, directions, schedules and accommodations is also posted on the event website. The event will be held from 9AM to 9PM at Charlotte's oldest mountain bike facility, Renaissance Park. While Renaissance Park may not have a lot of challenging climbing, the trails at the park will create a unique demanding endurance test of the mind and body. We plan to have ten different categories at the event, including, solo male, female, and single speed, duo male, female and single speed, and three person male, female, coed, and masters. The course will be a longer version of the 6.2 mile loop at the park, more than likely totaling around eight miles. We have the entire facility to ourselves, so we plan to use it. We have plenty of paved parking for everyone to set up the most elaborate of team tents and of course, places to stretch out your back. We will have both port-a-jons and indoor restrooms, bike wash station, neutral mechanical support, free food tent, beer gardens, and live music. Prizes and trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in each category. All team members will receive prizes and trophies. Prizes are being donated from our event sponsors, Heartwood Tree Service, BikeSource, SouthPark Cycles, Clif Bar, Giant, Specialized, Fox, SockGuy, Kona, Giordana, and Gary Fisher. We picked up a few new sponsors including SourceBurn and hopefully Pabst Blue Ribbon(still in the works). For more info, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com if you are interested in getting emails about upcoming events, join the even list serve on the website.

10/13/2006

Southside Spanker on the Northside! The Southside Spanker on the Northside will be held on November 12 in conjunction with the Big Stampede at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Last year, the club cleared a nice chunk of change from the event. If you don’t like to do trail work but want to help out the club, here’s your chance. We have several needed items for the event: Brochures: We need help getting the brochures out. Neal Boyd has the brochures at SouthPark Cycles. We need helping passing the brochures out to other shops and to any and all events that are taking place over the next couple of weeks. Gorilla marketing is cheap but it’s time consuming and you can’t do it alone. There’s and event this Saturday in Davidson where we need help passing out the brochures. Volunteers for the event. On Saturday afternoon November 11, we’ll need three to four people to help Neal mark the course. On Sunday, we need quite a few volunteers to help run registration, man rest stops, serve as sag support, serve food, and to help set up and break down. We need around 30 to 40 people to help with the event. Lola’s will once again be serving their infamous BBQ for lunch…It freakin’ rocks!! We will not be able to run this event with your help, PLEASE get involved, it’s easy!

10/10/2006

Short Track Racing at Harrisburg The new Bank of North Carolina Short Track Series is scheduled to begin this coming Saturday, October 14th. Registration opens for all categories at 9:00 am. The first wave goes off at 10:00 am. Event parking will be inside the park across from the Library, and off of Robinson Church Rd. at the site of the restored historic post office right next to the railroad tracks. Check the race flier on www.charlottemtnbike.com for a complete listing of all race categories and times. If you need directions to the Harrisburg Town Park, check the Harrisburg Half under the Trails tab on the Trailblazers home page. All of the proceeds from this race series go to Rotary International's fight to eradicate polio and to local service projects of the Rotary Club of Southwest Cabarrus. A new feature in MTB racing in the Charlotte area will be short track racing @ NIGHT in Harrisburg on October 28th! Registration opens at 4:00 pm. Races begin at 5:00 pm. Reminder: NORBA requires all racers to have both FRONT and REAR lights. Come on out and race this weekend! Bring a friend... and race for a cause. Thanks. Rick rickhoff@carolina.rr.com

09/28/2006

Trailwork at USNWC Oct. 7th Please come and join members of the Trailblazers and the USNWC on Saturday, Oct. 7th from 9:00am to 12:00 noon. Meet at the new trailhead off of Hawfield Rd. We will be working to get the rest of the 1 1/4 miles of trail connectors grubbed out (cut-off saplings dug out) and also work on final grooming of the trail tread. Once we get Phase III of the connectors grubbed, we will be able to get the Bobcat and the new dozer blade back in there to handle some of the heavy benching in a couple of sections. Bring your long pants, boots, workgloves, eye protection, a snack and water. If you have any dirt digging tools like mattocks (Pulaskis) or heavy rakes (McLeods), bring them, as well as loppers or a folding saw. The Trailblazers will have a lot of hand tools available also. Thanks and see you there! :D Frank P.

09/05/2006

September Meeting Agenda Trailblazer Agenda – 07 SEPTEMBER 06 Welcome Visitor Introductions Minutes of the July Meeting – Available Online Treasury Report – Frankie Membership – $20/individual, $25/Family, Corp/$100. Bill Austin – Reni – July 16th – tragic loss for all. Moment of silence… NO AUGUST MEETING – Apologies for anyone that may have attended. Too many conflicts. November Elections 3.1 The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee prior to the 1st of October each year. 3.2 The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of officers at the October meeting at which time the slate shall be opened to nominations from the floor. 3.3 The Slate of Nominees shall be published in the newsletter or mailed to the members on the roster at least fifteen days prior to the November club meeting. New Land Acquisitions –Jetton – PRC agenda – Approved on June 13 – handicap accessible…Rec’d Contract from Huntersville on Holbrook’s Road property – Dump Trail – Advanced level trail. Catawba – Re-opened August 27TH! – Mike Kafsky - Entry through new Hawfield Road entrance. Park in SE corner of parking lot. Trail starts at kiosk. Current hours dawn to dusk. Trail closes when wet, check website. Mount Holly Update – RTP Grant – Present Letter from NCDENR…Pending environmental compliance. Renni – Mason Zimmerman? City Park to be constructed on old Coliseum lot. MZ is an ally, selling green Loop at City Park bracelets with the Trailblazers as the benefactor of the proceeds for the Preservation and Enhancement of the Trails at Renaissance Park. Stand to lose approximately 1.5 miles of softball loop. Hope to reconstruct new trails to replace. Autocross donations. Sherman Branch – Jerry Adams – New CMP&R Contact – 4.5 miles have been constructed! Working toward a parking lot… Jetton Park – Construction begins fall of 2006 – Wheelchair accessible LNSP – Construction of Monbo Loop resumes in late fall. Trail length ~13 miles Huntersville – Dump Trail, Pump Track? Cane Creek Update – Neal Boyd – cleared $1,000 Summer Series Update – Neal Boyd Endurancefest Update – Tim Long Diva Update – PASA Update - Trail Maintenance Renaissance – Frank Beatty – Doug North Meck – Tom/Kim Poplar Tent – Jerry Fisher Farm – Mark LNSP – ? Springs - Jeff MacConahy Bobcat – working on acquisition of new blade and trailer. Red Jerseys – On order! Sold ~70 Limited Edition Big Stampede Ride – CMS – Nov 12, 11:00 AM – Fundraiser. Need VOLUNTEERS! Website - Migration to new ISP has been fruitful. Contribute! Shops - Sport/Ultimate – S. Park – Cycle Path - B. Source – Lucky Cycles – Black Sheep – Bike Line

09/05/2006

Final 3 Summer Races! The Charlotte Mountain Bike Series will visit the US National Whitewater Center this Wednesday(Sept 6) for the first of three summer series make up races. The trail is officially open and in great shape. It's getting dark a little earlier, so the race will start at 6:00PM. Please make sure to get there in time for the early start. We will park at the US National Whitewater Center. See below for directions. The parking lot off Heavy Equipment School Rd. is NOT open! USNWC Directions: I-85 to Sam Wilson Rd exit, turn north off the exit, 1st left on Performance, Right on Moores Chapel, 2nd left on Hawfield (says it's a dead end) pavement will turn to gravel, then you will see the US Whitewater Center. We now have very clean restrooms and running cold water. Please remember if you are using I-485, you need to exit onto Wilkinson Blvd and travel to Sam Wilson Rd. On Saturday morning September 9, we will host the second makeup race at Renaissance Park. The race will start at 10:00AM with food to follow. Saturday morning, September 23 will host the series finale at N Meck Park in Huntersville. The event will start at 10:00AM with food and the awards ceremoney to follow. Bonus prize for the last three races of the series. SouthPark Cycles and Shimano have given us a set of Shimano XT Tubeless Disc Wheels to raffle. All you have to do is come to one or more of the last three races and you will be entered in the raffle. If you come to all three, your name will be in the drawing three times. For more info on the series, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com

09/01/2006

Lake Norman Adventure Race & Clinic Imagine combining mountain biking, trail running, orienteering, and paddling into one continuous adventure. All you need are sneakers and a bicycle. We’ll provide the expertise so that you can learn the skills for success in adventure racing! - A short afternoon race designed for everyone to finish. Activities will include mountain biking, orienteering (map and compass navigation), and paddling. - Morning clinic taught by local world-class adventure racers - Written skills outline for essential skills in navigation, gear, teammates, food, training, race preparation, race schedules, first aid - Discount coupons and door prizes from Great Outdoor Provision Co. - Fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association One day clinic and race on Saturday, October 28, 2006. 8:30-12:00 skills clinic and 1:00-3:30 race. Recommended donation is $60; pay what you can. 100% of profits will be donated to the American Diabetes Association. 10% discount for any groups. Bring your friends! Or come by yourself and we’ll create teams of 2-3 people. Beautiful location at Lake Norman State Park, I77 at exit 42. Contact: Doug Gray, 704.895.6479. Pre-registration necessary. All details are at www.action-learning.com/adventure

08/31/2006

Mt. Holly Grant Approval Jeff Smith is happy to report that our 2006 Adopt-A-Trail application has been approved by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The $50K grant is to be used for construction of 15 miles of "natural soil trails" in the Don E. Carmichael Conservancy, in Mt. Holly. Pending approval by the Division of Purchase and Services for environmental compliance, we hope to be starting trail layout this fall, followed by construction this winter. Mt. Holly will be making a contribution of $10K toward this project and we will be working with Trail Dynamics to build the trail corridor, with the Trailblazer volunteer faithful finishing the trail through grooming (much like LNSP)... You can find the letter of approval, here: http://bucketboys.servebeer.com/thtb/images/grant_approval.pdf

08/26/2006

USNWC Trails Set To Open 8/27!!! It’s been 18 months in coming, but the mountain bike trails at the USNWC are set to reopen on Sunday, August 27th! We will be utilizing the southern +/-6 miles of the park, until which time we complete the reconnect that will allow us access to the northern area of the park. Please take a moment to read and understand the guidelines that will be posted at the trailhead. The USNWC and the Trailblazers wish to make your ride an enjoyable experience for all. And thank you for your patience as we have worked through the temporary closure with great results. We look at Mike Kafksy and his staff as new partners and are excited by the possibilities of our relationship. Please utilize the parking area at the White Water Center, by turning RIGHT onto Moore’s Chapel (from Performance Drive), the taking the second LEFT onto Hawfield. The trailhead is in the southeastern corner of the parking lot. New trail map can be found, here: http://bucketboys.servebeer.com/thtb/images/USNWCMap.pdf

08/16/2006

Group Ride at Fisher Farm Park There will be a group ride at Fisher Farm Park in Davidson on Thursday, Aug. 17th at 6:30 PM. All age groups and skill levels are welcome. This ride is sponsored by Davidson Park & Rec. and the Tarheel Trailblazers (us). Meet in the parking lot at the end of the gravel driveway. See the "Trails" tab for directions. If you have any questions or wish to help out, please call me (Mark Sullivan) at 704-896-3331.

08/09/2006

Development of the Coliseum Property Information on the Development of the Coliseum Property Guest Speaker this Thursday, 8/10/06 7:30PM at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill (911 Morehead Rd, Charlotte, NC) **All Are Welcome - Free** Find out what the future holds for runners and cyclists at City Park (the new vision for the old Charlotte Coliseum). Mason Zimmerman, Senior VP of Pope and Land (the owners of the Coliseum and 170 acre surrounding property)-and fellow runner and mountain biker- will be talking about the future recreational plans of the property, including uninterrupted cycling, running, and walking routes without traffic! This development will be something charlotte has never seen and will impact the athletic community in a very positive way. We will also be answering any questions about Endurancefest(www.endurancefest.com) and we'll have registration forms for Endurancefest on hand along with a few give-aways like commemorative Endurancefest T-shirts. Join Sharksbite Road Runners for the Thursday night run beforehand at 6:30PM at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill, then hang out afterwords for food, drinks, and good information. Please forward this to friends and anyone you feel may benefit from this information.

08/04/2006

Cane Creek Cup Series Comes to Catawba! The Cane Creek Cup Series stops at Catawba Riverfront Park, home of the US National Whitewater Center on August 20, 2006. As the largest fundraiser of the year for the Trailblazers, we are looking for volunteers to assist in any number of ways, from registration to timing & scoring, to course marshals, you name it, we’ll need it! All interested individuals should contact Neal Boyd at: nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com The race brochure and registration form can be downloaded here: http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/RiverfrontClassic/2006RiverClassic.pdf We’ll look forward to seeing you at the races!

08/01/2006

Limited Edition Tarheel Trailblazer Jerseys! You've asked and we've responded! A special edition THTB jersey, this time in a RED to BLACK fade... We are offering the mesh jersey with full zipper front in Men's and Women's sizes (we must have a minimum of 10 jerseys of each style to complete the order)... Jerseys are available to members of the Trailblazers and Dirt Divas for $50 each...Non members are $65 (that covers the jersey AND $5 off a Trailblazer membership)... Order deadline is Friday, August 18th...Please follow the link below to view the order form:

07/31/2006

NO August Meeting! Just a reminder that due to the many conflicting events scheduled for August 3rd, there will be NO August Trailblazer meeting...See y'all on Sept. 7th, 7:30 PM at Jack's on 7th Street!

07/31/2006

REI Grand Opening Rides and Events The Tarheel Trailblazers and Dirt Divas have been invited to a Community Bike Ride hosted by REI, the outdoor clothing and gear company, to celebrate the Grand Opening of their first store in the Charlotte area, at the Carolina Place Mall. Morning Community Bike Ride Saturday August 5, Morning 7:30am – 9:30am (Ride starts at 8am) Meeting Place: Pineville REI, located at the Carolina Place Mall (near Dillards) Summary: This event is a community ride to be held Saturday morning Aug. 5th of the Grand Opening Weekend. Bring your mountain bike; the ride will be a modified urban assault, going from the REI Pineville store to McMullen Creek Greenway and back (around 9 miles). REI has invited the Tarheel Trailblazers, Dirt Divas and Trips for Kids (who agreed to change their scheduled ride for this event). All participants meeting at Pineville REI site at 7:30am, ready to ride at 8am, ending the ride at 9:30am. Will do “Big Check” presentation upon arrival at new Pineville store, just before opening (9:45am). Sunday Aug. 6th from 12 - 3pm, the Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers will have an information booth on site at the upper level of the REI store to promote both clubs. (FYI -- just 2 weeks ago, 34 volunteers from REI and 11 Trailblazers descended upon the trails at the USNWC (Catawba) to re-route a drop onto the "Trail of Joy" and to work on a new connector to link the south side of the park with the 2-miles of sweet single track on the north side. A big thank you to the REI crew and to the Trailblazer faithful, who gave up their Sunday afternoon and flocked to the park on (very) short notice!) If there are any questions about the ride or REI's Grand Opening events, please contact: Joey Norman Outreach Specialist Pineville REI 106 704 444-2629 jnorman@rei.com

07/28/2006

EnduranceFest! EnduranceFest Sports Event and Music Festival Hosted by City Park September 2nd, 2006 at the Coliseum. What makes EnduranceFest different? It's a full day of excitement for athletes from many different sports. Runners, Mountain Bikers, Cyclists and Multi-Sport Athletes will all find challenge in one or more of the separate events. Participants may do one event or combined events. The mountain bike course actually goes INTO the coliseum at one point! Other activities and entertainment include, live music, great food from local restaurants and hotel, micro-brewed beer from a local brewery, soft drinks, endurance drinks and bottled water, local artists, prizes including cash, some free hotel rooms given out, running gear, cycling equipment, gift certificates, trophies and medals. There is literally something for everyone, and will be the last event held at the Coliseum. EnduranceFest kicks off with an expo, bike demo, registration and packet pick-up with all-you-can-eat pre race dinner on Friday, September 1st and then the three individual events take place all day Saturday, September 2nd. Info at www.endurancefest.com or 704-507-9337. Tell everyone you know!

07/28/2006

Catawba Workday! PLEASE JOIN THE TEAM FOR: WHAT: 3-Hour Trail Building Event WHEN: Sunday August 6th, 2006 / 8:00am-11:00am WHERE: Meet at NALL or at the back of the USNWC Parking Lot at 8:00am. HOW TO GET THERE: Directions Below BRING: Plenty of water, boots, pants, and a garden tool such as a shovel, pick, pruners, or metal garden rake. The Trailblazers provide a limited number of cool fire fighting hand tools like the Pulaski, Mattock, and Mcleod to those adventurous enough to try. Actually they are way more efficient and fun to use! The trail system at the USNWC exists because of volunteer support. Become a part of the USNWC trail system and help reconnect the trails. Under the direction of the Tarheel Trailblazers the volunteer goal of the August 6th trail event is to gather the majority of support from the heartbeat of the project including USNWC, Liquid Designs, and Rodgers Dooley. Please come, grab a friend and lend a hand for a few hours. It is truly amazing what can be done in 3 hours as shown during the last trail event. Speared on by REI the last trail event provided 49 volunteers including 35 from REI, 4 from USNWC, and 11 from Tarheel Trailblazers. With the knowledge of the Trailblazers, volunteers gain an understanding of sustainable trail building techniques and add to the unique singletrack trail system at the USNWC. ASAP please RSVP to mkafsky@usnwc.org if you and any others will attend. We will have to prepare for the number attending. Please join in reestablishing the USNWC trail system. Your efforts will be a strong step in meeting the goal of reconnecting the 11 miles of trails. Thanks for your time and consideration! DIRECTIONS: From Uptown Area: 85 South Exit 29 - Sam Wilson Rd Right at end of exit ramp heading North Take first left on to Performance Rd Travel about 1 mile and turn right into office entrance at 4200 Performance Rd Hit a stop sign? Went a few driveways too far. Turn around. Anyone meeting here will depart for the site at 8:00pm if you want to meet at the site continue directions below To Meet at the Site: Continue down Performance Road Turn Right at Stop Sign onto Moores Chapel Road Travel about 1/2 mile and turn left onto Hawfield Road Follow Hawfield all the way into the site (Hawfield becomes a rough gravel road) Bear left at power lines and meet at the far end of the big gravel parking lot. We will group here and head out on foot with tools in hand. Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center

07/20/2006

Bill Austin Donations Please make donations payable to: The Tarheel Trailblazers 3611 Woody Grove Ln. Charlotte, NC 28210

07/14/2006

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07/11/2006

Update from Booty Headquarters! 24 Hours of Booty is almost here! Thank you for all you are doing - fundraising, spreading the word about the event, and offering to volunteer. We are planning another amazing event for you this year. Here are the latest updates. 24 HOURS OF BOOTY FUNDRAISING PRIME! Do you know how professional cycling races spice things up? They throw in a prime! (pronounced "preem," for no good reason). A prime is an intermediate sprint during the race for some sort of prize. The announcer rings the bell as the pack comes through the start/finish area to let them know that a prime is coming up. On the next lap, the first rider over the line wins the prize. You are a fundraiser in this 24 Hours of Booty pack, and the bell is about to ring! Keep your eyes on your email box and get ready for details! FUNDRAISING GOAL AND JERSEY LEVEL AWARDS Thank you for the amazing work you have done so far. Please know that your efforts are doing incredible things for the cancer community, locally and abroad. Keep up the great work! We still have a long way to go to reach that $400,000 goal! If you missed the July 1st Jersey Level cutoff, don't worry. You can still qualify for all Jersey level awards all the way up to July 21st, and up to August 4th to qualify for the top 3 fundraisers ("Podium Fundraisers") and top fundraising team ("Team Prize" recipients)! The top fundraiser will also receive the highly coveted Booty Cup trophy and a 2005 TREK Madone Bicycle to be presented just prior to the start of the Bank of America Criterium! FUNDRAISING Q & A Wondering where to mail offline donations or to whom your donors should write their checks? Can't remember the fundraising level details? Starting your fundraising now and need a quick sample solicitation letter to plug in to your emails? All these questions and more can be answered at our fundraising webpage. http://www.24hoursofbooty.com/fundraising.php REGISTRATION DEADLINE: JULY 21 It's not too late to register for the 24 Hours of Booty, as an individual or as a team. The registration deadline is July 21. There will be no registrations accepted after this date, so go ahead and sign up now! TRAINING FOR 24 HOURS OF BOOTY If you wish to do some training for 24 Hours of Booty, you'll want to follow a plan that best represents your goals, ability level, and willingness to train. Per4mance Training US Cycling Elite Coach, Chad Andrews, has developed a training plan that can assist you in reaching goals of 4, 8, 16, or 24 hours of riding at the 24 Hours of Booty. There is a link to his plan on our F.A.Q. page: http://www.24hoursofbooty.com/faq.php#twelve Remember, you are not required to have any particular goals for 24 Hours of Booty; you can just come out and ride for fun and join the excitement! FESTIVITIES We've got some exciting things planned for this year's event. In the next few weeks, we'll be giving you some details about music, food, vendors, and noteworthy appearances from special folks, including a special visitor from the Lance Armstrong Foundation! VOLUNTEERS We have received many kind offers to volunteer. Thank you! For folks who have already emailed us, we'll be sending you important information very shortly. If you would like to volunteer at 24 Hours of Booty, please send an email to: volunteer@24hoursofbooty.com. All volunteers will receive a very cool 24 Hours of Booty t-shirt! Thank you for all your support of 24 Hours of Booty! Spencer and the 24 Hours of Booty Staff 24 Hours of Booty 100 N. Tryon Street, Suite B220-235 Charlotte, NC 28202-4029 704-839-6103

07/04/2006

July Trailblazer Meeting Yes, it's that time again! The July Tarheel Trailblazer meeting will be THIS THURSDAY, July 6 at 7:30 at Jackalope Jack's. Come early for some food/drink/socializing...

06/26/2006

9th Annual TFL Mountain Bike Challenge On Saturday, September 30, 2006, the 9th Annual TFL Mountain Bike Challenge Ride will be held at pristine DuPont State Forest in Henderson and Transylvania Counties, NC. All proceeds go towards Henderson County Partnership for Health’s Tobacco Free for Life program and our mission to prevent tobacco use by the youth of Henderson County, NC through education, awareness and community collaboration. The Challenge will feature three courses: Advanced ~ 25 miles (approx. 3,500’ of climb), Intermediate ~ 10 – 15 miles (moderate climb) and Beginner/Family Fun – 3 - 5 miles (minimal climb). The first 200 registered riders will get a TFL Hincapie jersey (opt out available). Entry fees are $55 for pre-registered rider with jersey and $35 for pre-registered riders without jersey. Pre-registration deadline is Sept. 20. Event day registration is $65 per rider with jersey (if available) and $45 per rider without jersey. Event will be held rain or shine. Registration will be held 8:00 to 9:15 a.m. and the ride begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. All riders will receive a boxed lunch from Atlanta Bread Co. Back by popular demand is our Challenge silent auction! More than $2,500 worth of items have already been donated, including a Giant Trance, valued at $1,200, donated by Bikeways. Bring cash, checks or credit card…there will be lots of good stuff! For additional information and/or registration forms, contact Event Coordinator – Amy Williford at 698-4600 or tobaccofree@p-f-h.org. You can also register for the TFL Challenge on active.com: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1335153

06/22/2006

Final Cowbell Update Cowbell Challenge – June 24th You have probably seen the updates be here are a few points about this years race you need to know: Last Call For Regstration Without A Late Fee If you register the day of the event there is a late fee. Don’t fret, the late fee will go to charity. There is currently still registration online and will be registration available here at SouthPark Cycles. Volunteers still needed We are still looking for a few more volunteers to help with the event. Mostly for parking, registration etc. If you are able to volunteer please email Connie connie@therightwordz.com. Cowbell Challenge Video Michael “Dolby” Lee will be producing a Cowbell Race Video. We will be prebooking orders for the video at the race. Expected cost is around $30. Action Photos By Charlotte Sports Photo That’s right, we know everyone likes to see themselves on film. Charlotte Sports Photo will be out there again taking action shots of all the racers. Photos will be available for purchase. Pre Race Dinner and Pre Registration Packet Pick Up Tomorrow night (Friday June 23rd) is the dinner and pre registration packet pick up. Dinner will be catered by Chef Bruce Stewart of Lolas/Center City Catering. From 6 to 9 at SouthPark Cycles from 6 to 9. All registered Racers (and significant others) and Volunteers are welcome. All others are welcome for dinner for a $20 donation. We will also start the bidding for the silent auctions and chain guessing game. Cowbell Challenge Socks This year we had some great socks made to help raise extra money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. $15 for 1, $25 for 2, $40 for 4 Chip Timing Same folks that did the Burn 24. Everything worked flawlessly at the race a couple of weekends ago Winners Jerseys This year we have jerseys for all of the first place finishers in the 12 hour race Cowbells – as usual we have cowbells for the top 3 in each category. Silent Auction – This year we will also have a silent auction starting Friday with all kinds of good stuff (frames, clothing, etc). All proceeds go to LAF. Guess The Number of Chain Links – kind of like beans or pennies in a jar but were logically using chain links. $1 will get you a guess. The winner will get a 18” Kona Unit 29er frameset. All proceeds go to LAF. Avoid the late fees and lines by preregistering online and picking up your packet on Fridays pre race party and packet pickup. For All of the info www.cowbellchallenge.org Thanks

06/19/2006

Itusi Trail Work Hey guys It is time for a little Itusi lovin'. The park staff has been trying to leave the trail open a little more often and it is beginning to take its toll. Bob has marked quite a few areas that need some work and we are going to try and knock a few of them out next weekend. We will meet at the trail head on both Saturday 6/24 and Sunday 6/25 at about 8:00 AM (to try and beat the heat). If we can fix some of these problem areas, the trail will be more weather-proof which would allow for fewer trail closures. If you miss this one, we will have another one during the last weekend of July, August and September. Early October will bring the new season of trail work on the Monbo Loop. I took the GPS unit out to make a track of the new loop and there is right at 1.5 miles that needs to be finished. The Monbo Loop definitely has a bunch more up and down than the current trail and there are 3 nice downhills that will be great fun. Just remember that the new loop is not open yet but with a good turnout in fall, we may be riding it in early '07. See ya Jeff Archer FFB

06/13/2006

Uwharrie Trail Maintenance What - Uwharrie Trail Maintenance and prep for trail creation. When - Sat 06/17/06 @ 10:00am - Running late (Catch up with us on Supertree) Where - Uwharrie Wood Run Trail - (Meet in parking lot) What to bring - your hard working cycling body :) Want to give back??? Help Frank Murray, the Wheelmen and the UMBA clean up the Woodrun Trail System and set out flags for 5 new routes. Yep 5, you know like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. That would make 7 total trails to create a network of routes from. Can you say Epic! However we need your help so we can turn the routes and plans over to the USFS for public approval. Deborah Walker is the USFS Ranger and is extremely helpful with keeping our interests in order. The ball is in our court now. If you would like to voice your interest in seeing improvements on new and existing trails the Uwharrie USFS # is 910-576-6391 Brian Bristol EMail: brianbristol@middleringcycles.com Phone: 704-322-3559 Toll Free - 1-877-MDL-RING Web: www.MiddleRingCycles.com

06/11/2006

IMBA Defense Fund Can you believe mountain biking is still attacked as an illegitimate use of trails? First, we were accused of speeding erosion. Then, we were labeled a “dangerous menace.” IMBA is dispelling these false allegations and reopening trails—but a new danger looms. Liability concerns now pose a significant threat to our sport. That’s why I’m asking you to please donate to IMBA’s Legal Fund today. Contributors of $35 or more will receive the hardcover chronology, Stumpjumper: 25 Years of Mountain Biking, signed by Ned Overend. Our goal is simple: Use the clarity of the law and the power of IMBA’s 35,000 members to defend mountain bikers’ rights. The Legal Fund helps support three crucial areas of IMBA’s work: Spearhead the development of risk management resources Defend against daily attacks on local trail systems Influence legislation that determines access for mountain bikers Please donate now or read more about the Legal Fund at IMBA.com. As I write this letter, National Forests in Montana, Colorado, West Virginia and California are considering banning bikes from hundreds of miles of great riding. Your contribution will help ensure that IMBA’s rapid response team is ready to act with an effective action alert when disaster strikes in your region. Your donation to IMBA’s Legal Fund will help expand and improve our role as mountain biking’s guardian. We’re confident you’ll feel your tax-deductible donation is a savvy investment in the future of our sport, please contribute today. Thank you for your continuing generosity, Jenn Dice IMBA Government Affairs D