Trailblazer News Archives

06/10/2009

June 14th Kids Ride! We are on for a kids ride this Sunday at Beatty Park Ride time is 1 PM Meet at the Tennis court parking lot We are alternating between Beatty and Sherman every other ride to give those that live on the East side a better chance of attending. These rides are for aimed at kids (boys and girls) ages 6 to 12 with at least one parent riding along. I have seen 5 yr. olds with better than average riding skills join us so it is not locked in as far as age goes.... older are welcome but will probably find the pace boring.... but can be a great help in working with the younger kids... The next ride will be back at Sherman Branch and will be Sunday 6/28 again at 1 PM Hope the see everyone there, Gramps

05/22/2009

New Green Trail at USNWC! Starting Saturday May 21 come help break in the first beginner loop at the USNWC. Over the past 6 months the USNWC has worked with a neighboring landowner and the Tarheel Trailblazers to create the first beginner biking trails at the center. The gentle grades and pleasant views provide a great place to build skills or add mileage to your ride. The 3 mile lake loop travels on private property through a mutual agreement with the land owner. Please be respectful of our neighbors and stay on the trail at all times. We hope this partnership helps to further future trail expansion efforts. Special thanks to all those who volunteered countless hours on the project. Those efforts were incredible and we are thankful for the dedication. Enjoy and tell a friend or a newbie! Mike Kafsky USNWC

05/20/2009

TFK Charlotte on CBS News! CBS NIGHTLY NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC Trips For Kids Charlotte Mark Stresemann, a correspondent with CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and several of his colleagues visited Trips for Kids Charlotte on Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15, 2009. They filmed children participating in the Earn-A-Bike program, spoke with and filmed volunteers, and interviewed our Re-Cyclery Coordinator. Mark Stresemann's story will air on CBS Nightly News with Katie Co tonight (5/20) @ 6:30. Many Thanks! Trips for Kids Charlotte

05/19/2009

Rescheduled! May 23rd Kids Ride! Our Kids social ride this week is on Sunday May 23rd at 1 PM, at Sherman Branch We are alternating between Col. Beatty and Sherman every month for the rides to give those that live on the East side a better chance of attending. These rides are for aimed at kids (boys and girls) ages 6 to 12 with at least one parent riding along. I have seen 5 yr. olds with better than average riding skills join us so it is not locked in as far as age goes.... older are welcome but will probably find the pace boring.... but can be a great help in working with the younger kids... Hope to see everyone there, Gramps

05/18/2009

Trailwork At Southwest District Park Come on out and see the newest single track in town!!! WaterbOb Karriker has done an incredible job with the machinery on this trail that has been a year and a half in the making. The work will consist of finish work to the trail surface, adding some stone work and constructing a fairly large bridge across a creek. This will be the BIG push to get this trail completed. Hopefully the trail will be open by the end of the month for all to run, hike & RIDE!!! Please mark you calendars for May 23 at 9:00 AM.... Brian Malec You friendly trail designer

05/06/2009

May 6th Race at Reni Postponed! Due to the massive amount of rain Renaissance Park received last night and the current overcast conditions now not drying the trails at all, we will postpone the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series race tonight and find a new date for the event. We apologize for any and all inconveniences and hope we have better weather next week at N Meck Park. Please spread the word to everyone. www.charlottemtnbike.com Don't forget about about Cycle Charlotte and Crank it Up this Saturday evening at Amos' Southend www.cyclecharlotte.org or www.amossouthend.com Cheers Neal

04/29/2009

May 3 Cookout and Social at Col. Beatty Date: Sunday MAY 3rd Time: 10 AM - 2 PM Location: Colonel Francis Beatty Park (tennis court parking area) Address: 4330 Weddington Road What to bring: Your bike, a chair and riding partner Beginners through advanced riders are welcome to join us at the park for a ride and cookout. Bring your bike for a ride on the 6 mile beginner friendly trail and a chair to relax afterwards with other mountain bikers. Rides of all levels will be going on throughout the event and a grilled lunch will be provided (while quantities last) courtesy of the Tarheel Trailblazers. Feel free to bring a friend!

04/24/2009

Trailblazers May Meeting and Social Ride Thursday May 7, 2009 Instead of a normal monthly meeting at Fuel Pizza, on Thursday May 7 the Trailblazers will combine a social ride at Sherman Branch Park with their May meeting at the nearby Bradfield Farms Community clubhouse. Details: 6:30 pm Social Ride at Sherman Branch Park, starting at Bradfield Farms Community Clubhouse on 13200 Peacock Lane, Charlotte, NC 28215. 8:00 pm Meeting at the Clubhouse. This will be an abbreviated meeting but should be of interest to everyone. We'll probably have soft drinks and maybe some snacks. (No alcholic beverages permitted.) Directions to the Clubhouse: From I-485 Exit 41 Albemarle Rd: Go East on Albemarle Road, Left at first light - Rocky River Church Rd. (go past the normal parking entrance to Sherman Branch trail); Go Left on Peach Orchard Church Rd.; and Go Left again on Peacock Lane. Lets see how many we can get out to Sherman on a Thursday evening! Jim Grover President, Tarheel Trailblazers

04/24/2009

CRANK IT UP! BIKE! Charlotte Rolls Into Southend for the inaugural CRANK IT UP! An Evening of Live Music & Cycling Advocacy with live performances by: Bryon McMurry Trio Featuring Bryon and Fitz of Acoustic Syndicate Custom Grass Revue Lindy Dobbins and the Red Velvet Manx Amos’ Southend May 9, 2009 Tickets: $18 ($15 in advance at amossouthend.com) Cycle Charlotte Annual Social Ride departs from Amos’ at 5PM Doors Open at 6PM All proceeds will go to the Tarheel Trailblazers and Dirt Divas for trail-building projects in our local communities bike-charlotte.org dirtdivas.net tarheeltrailblazers.com

04/24/2009

Charlotte Mountain Bike Series Kickoff April 29- Charlotte Mountain Bike Series Kickoff The Summer Series is held every Wednesday evening with registration opening at 5PM and the race starting at 6:15PM. Racers will start with their respective category with roughly one minute between each category. The series will once again rotate between five of your favorite local mountain bike facilities around the Charlotte area, Col Francis Beatty, Renaissance Park, N Meck Park, Fisher Farm and US National Whitewater Center. We will visit N Meck Park twice and Fisher Farm Park twice during the series. Each fifth week, the series will take a week off. For more info, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com

04/24/2009

2009 BIKE! Charlotte May 1 - 10 2009 BIKE! Charlotte - Wheels of Opportunity The theme for the 2009 edition of BIKE! Charlotte, “Wheels of Opportunity”, was developed to promote the many opportunities the citizens of the Queen City have to integrate the bicycle into their daily routine. Our goal with BIKE! Charlotte is to empower, educate and encourage the populace that integrating the bicycle into your life can be a very simple process and is quite rewarding. Incorporating the bike into you life will pedal your way to better health, saving money, cleaner air, more energy, losing weight, independence, and easier parking. Tons of great events for all to enjoy!!! Mayor's Ride/Bike to Breakfast - May 1 Dilworth Criterium - May 2 Cookouts, Rides Scavenger Hunts - May 3 Bikes on Buses FREE - May 3 - 9 Kids Bicycle Safety Rodeo - May 7 Cycle Charlotte and Crank it Up - May 9 Mothers Day Ride - May 10 Info on BIKE! Charlotte will be posted at www.bike-charlotte.org

04/24/2009

Cycle Charlotte and Crank It Up! Saturday May 9 Cycle Charlotte and Crank it Up Music Festival Experience Charlotte Without a Windshield Cycle Charlotte is a bicycle festival promoting a friendly and safer environment for bicycle transportation in the Queen City. This exciting festival will feature events for people of abilities and skill levels. The ride includes a police supported 13 mile ride through Uptown Charlotte, Fourth Ward, NoDa, Plaza-Midwood and surrounding neighborhoods.. The ride will travel through several of Charlotte’s beautiful neighborhoods and will have rest stops, mechanical support and follow vehicles. After the ride, enjoy the festival atmosphere with variety of food, live entertainment with Custom Grass Revue, Lindy Dobbins and the Red Velvet Manx and Byron McMurry Trio featuring Bryon and Fitz of Acoustic Syndicate and other activities for all to enjoy. Location: Amos' Southend Ride Time: Ride: 5:30PM to 7:00 PM Music Time: 6:30PM until Ride Cost: $20 entry includes the ride, food and entry into Crank it Up at Amos' Southend Registration: http://www.sportoften.com/events/eventDetails.cfm?pEventId=4107 Contact: www.cyclecharlotte.org or Malcolm McLean at malcolm@carolina.rr.com or 704-572-3488; Neal Boyd at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com The Inaugural Crank It UP! Music Festival Rolls into Historic Southend on May 9 Crank It UP! it up is part of Cycle Charlotte but if you choose not to ride, you can come enjoy the live performances by The Byron McMurry Trio, featuring Bryon and Fitz McMurry of Acoustic Syndicate. Also performing --- The Custom Grass Revue and Lindy Dobbins & the Red Velvet Manx. This event is a fundraiser for ongoing Tarheel Trailblazers and the Dirt Divas trail projects in the Greater Charlotte area and to promote a friendly and safe environment for bicycle transportation in the Queen City. Location: Amos' Southend Music Cost: $18 at the door, $15 in advance at www.amossouthend.com Music Time: 6:30PM until Contact: Neal Boyd at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com Amos' Southend is a NON SMOKING music venue!

04/23/2009

May 3rd Kids Ride! The next scheduled Trailblazer kids ride is set for May 3rd.... first Sunday in May. This is during bike week and will be combined with the Trailblazer cook out and social ride being held from 10 to 2 pm at Beatty park Tennis court parking lot. We will do multiple kids rides that day. As a minimum we will start a ride @ 11 AM and one at 1 PM but may add others if there is a group ready to go. There will be lots of treats for all so come on out and help celebrate bike Charlotte week.

03/20/2009

A Perfect Day for Some Trailwork The weather looks sunny and cool for this Saturday, March 21st, so we are going to work on the new Green Trail at USNWC from 9am to 12noon. I know it's short notice, but this is the first of several workdays we will have in order to get this new Beginner Trail open by mid-April. The corridor has been mostly cleared already by some of our dedicated trail crew, so we are at the stage of grubbing out the cut saplings, grading out the trail and opening up drainage areas. Please be sure to wear long pants, boots or sturdy shoes and gloves and bring some water and maybe a snack. The Trailblazers and the USNWC will supply pulaskis, mcleods and such but feel free to bring your own loppers or hand saws. We will be parking at the compound on the property off of Charlie Hipp Rd. for trail work days only. You can also park at the main Trailhead and walk over if you want to, it's not far. Here are the directions to Charlie Hipp Rd.: - From I-485 take the Moore's Chapel Rd. Exit and proceed through both traffic circles heading towards the USNWC - DON'T turn right after the 2nd traffic circle, but go straight towards the old entrance the the park - GO PAST the old entrance at Hawfield Rd. and take the next Right on Charlie Hipp Rd. (200 yards past Hawfield) - Go through the gate at the end of the paved road and follow the gravel road down to the compound on the right - Park there - If you come later, the gate may be closed but shouldn't be locked - Call me with any questions - Frankie Pietras -- cell 7 0h 4-577-25one7 - For a description of the new trail, see posting under Trail Work

03/03/2009

LNSP 3/7/09 Trail Day Canceled! Due to the current conditions, the upcoming 3/7 Dirt Diva sponsored Trailwork day at LNSP has been canceled... The park received about 4" of rain and 5" of snow so it is very gooey right now plus we will have 2 more freeze/thaw cycles before Saturday.... It appears that due to prior commitments, the best dates to reschedule will be in late April, early May... Please check back for more details!

01/12/2009

THTB News Update Part 3 So in closing, I would like to thank you, our members for your hard work, dedication, donations of time and money as we together are making a difference, a HUGE difference in our community. Our economic times our tough, what better way to help us through it than to contribute to the betterment of the Metro-Charlotte community. It’s membership time. Think about it. Sincerely, Tom Mathews Past President Tarheel Trailblazers

01/12/2009

THTB News Update Part 2 At Southwest District Park, club member Brian Malec has laid out a beautiful 3 mile trail in a distressed neighborhood off of West Blvd. Recent moves by the Charlotte Housing Authority call for the razing of Boulevard Homes (on adjacent property) and in it’s place constructing a mixed use community. The new trail will be one of the first amenities to the park that will also include ballfields. These will complement the Southview Recreation Center, already on site. This is a tremendous opportunity for the club to be in on the ground floor of a community in renaissance. The Trailblazers have received grants totaling $10K (a $5K, NCDENR, Adopt-A-Trail grant and a $5K grant from REI) to construct the trail corridor, once again through a trail construction company. Then we’ll rely on the Trailblazer faithful to finish the trail. Sound familiar? The work Brian and other members have already provided to lay out the trail easily exceeds 200 hours total to date. The Lakewood community has long been forgotten as the construction of I-85 and Hwy 16 has cut it off from easy community access. Trips for Kids, a non-profit organization aimed at getting at risk youth on bicycles has a major foothold in the community. TKF, along with local community groups have banded together to link parcels of land to provide these under privileged kids with a trail to ride within their community. Lakewood in the 1910’s – 1920’s was Charlotte’s, Six Flags. Soldiers would ride the train to the park that included a beautiful lake, boardwalk, Ferris Wheel, food, recreation and relaxation. The park died in the late 20’s as a tornado ripped apart the dam, draining the lake and ruining forever the excitement of the area. To this day, beautiful stone bridges still stand as a testament to the park and an era, gone by. The Lakewood Community and TFK’s were recently awarded a grant through REI that will amount to $12.5K to construct a trail in this community. This is the feel good project of the year! Once again, the Trailblazers will oversee the construction of the trail corridor by a trail construction firm and then rely on you, our faithful membership to groom the trail. Sounds like a broken record, I know, but it’s the wave of the future for trail construction in our area. The community sits on the edge of a proposed CMP&R Greenway and will provide connectivity that the community hasn’t enjoyed in ages. And we’re all a part of it, each and every member of our club… Edward Autry has recently submitted an application for an Adopt-A-Trail grant to NCDENR for the construction of a trail corridor at Park Road Park. The $5K grant would once again allow us to hire some level of trail corridor construction. The new trail would connect with the Little Sugar Creek Greenway. In addition to adjacent trails in the immediate area, this project could result in approximately 12 to 15 miles of stacked loop mountain bike trail in the heart of Charlotte with connectivity to a major greenway. We have recently been contacted by Charlotte Mecklenburg Park and Recreation and informed that our trail at Jetton Park is going to be nominated for a National Association of Counties Achievement Award. The 1.1-mile trail, constructed to allow the physically challenged the opportunity to enjoy the sport of mountain bike on specially designed off road hand cycles, is located in Cornelius. A grant of $10K from Transamerica Reinsurance provided the funding necessary to purchase two of the cycles that are housed at the Cycle Path in Cornelius. We will be providing information to assist P&R with the application process. (Please see Part 3)

01/12/2009

THTB News Update Part 1 One of the biggest problems that we face as a club of volunteers, is dissemination of information to our members. While our website serves us well, especially in the forums, it seems that we come up short when trying to update our membership with club news. And there is a lot of news to share… To begin with, you may know that we are in the midst of our yearly membership drive. In January and February, we encourage club members to renew their membership. This way, we can budget our funds for the upcoming year. And it simplifies the process of when a member is due to renew. The executive board recently added new membership giving levels. We did not raise the basic rates of membership, instead we have added to them and are offering an enticement to raise your contribution. The 2009 membership structure: Basic Membership $20 Fat Tire Family $25 Middle Ring Supporter $40 Trailbuilder $60 Big Ring Supporter $100 Corporate Singletrack $200 Corporate Big Air $500 Corporate Mojo Sponsor $1,000 Contributions at or above Middle Ring ($40) will receive a voucher for a Trailblazer t-shirt. You can register on-line from our homepage or mail in your registration, also available online. As in all things voluntary, we sometimes have a bit of a lag in getting updates and / or upgrades to our website. There may be a few issues with online contributions at certain levels, but our membership director, Emily Sardonas can be reached at membership@tarheeltrailblazers.com. Emily can help you through the process. That said, what happens to our raised funds? Well, recently we have rebuilt our Ditch Witch track machine, purchased two trailers to move our heavy equipment (which includes the aforementioned Ditch Witch, a BobCat, and a Volvo mini-excavator. In addition we have an enclosed trailer that houses our Suzuki 4 wheeler, dump trailers, chainsaws and countless trail tools). Just keeping our fleet of mechanized machinery up and running can be a task in and of itself. Recently (at our December meeting) the club voted to approve the spending of $10K to hire Trail Dynamics (www.traildynamics.com) to punch the trail corridor of Phase IVa at Lake Norman State Park. This new, advanced level trail will be a departure from the feel of the existing Itusi trails (Hawk, Hicks Creek, Norwood and Monbo), as a more narrow corridor and naturally occurring obstacles will elevate the skill level. The corridor will be roughly 3.25 miles in length. This phase will intersect a fire road that will join to a second trail to complete the loop. Next year (2010) we will venture across the fire road (Phase IVb) and complete the loop. The total trail length of Phase IV will be +/- 7 miles, bringing the total available trail at LNSP to approximately 20 miles! This is the first time (other than the point trail at the USNWC) that the club has paid to get trail on the ground. But we feel it is the wave of the future for the Trailblazers. So much so, that Jeff Archer has submitted a Recreational Trail Program grant application to the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources for $75,000 for Phase V at LNSP. 255 acres and upwards of 11.5 miles of additional trail awaits us in this Phase. Once again, the Trailblazers would hire a trail construction company to blast the corridor and then rely on the Trailblazer faithful to groom and apply the finishing touches to the trail. It’s a scene that will become more familiar to club members in the future. (Please See Part 2)

01/09/2009

Membership Drive! New Incentives! It’s time to renew your Tarheel Trailblazer membership! Many of you know that over the last few years we have encouraged our members to renew at the first of the new year. This is basically a means to keep it simple for us as we don't have an automated member renewal notice system. This also helps our budget process. Therefore, we encourage everyone to renew at this time. This is also a perfect time for new members to join. Please don't fret - everyone's membership is good for a full year from when they joined or last renewed! If you want to wait to renew until 365 days since you joined or last renewed, by all means please do so. We just would encourage those that can, to renew now. UPDATED MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION: We're adding membership levels this year to encourage giving. Yea, times ARE tough, and we haven't raised the dues for our basic individual and family memberships. But please give a few extra dollars if you can. We will spend it in the right places. (And besides, if you haven’t heard, our past President, current Co-Vice President and several of their cronies have sworn off beer for the first quarter of this year so your money is safe from that fate! Kind of fun to watch 'em suffer too.) 2009 Membership Levels: Basic Membership $20 Fat Tire Family $25 Middle Ring Supporter $40 Trailbuilder $60 Big Ring Supporter $100 Corporate Singletrack $200 Corporate Big Air $500 Corporate Mojo Sponsor $1,000 BECOME A MIDDLE RING SUPPORTER and GET A TARHEEL TRAILBLAZER T-SHIRT Middle Ring Supporters will all receive a Tarheel Trailblazers T-shirt. The shirt is currently in the design phase, but all new and renewing individual memberships that reach the $40 level (including family memberships that pay $40) will get a voucher to receive a T-shirt when they are printed. The T-shirts will only be available for pick up at monthly meetings and at other Trailblazer events; we won't be able to mail these to you. (We’ll do our best to make them easily available, but remember, this is a fundraiser.) (Please note: Our Web page form doesn't yet reflect the new payment levels, but we will get you a T-shirt voucher when you pay electronically at the Middle Ring Supporter level, or above). To encourage corporate memberships we will apply both cash donations and in-kind services toward corporate memberships. We want to be able to recognize our local bike shops and other corporate supporters who give of themselves and their services to support the club. (This will not apply to special fundraisers for the club which provide promotional exposure to our sponsors such as jersey sales and other club fundraising events. Please contact us with related questions or for sponsorship opportunities.) WAYS TO PAY: 1. If you have PayPal, use the Web signup form on the Home Page* (don’t forget to include your family member’s names for family memberships, e-mail and address, etc.! We can’t get you your renewal without it.) (*Once again, our Web page form doesn't yet reflect the new payment levels, but we will get you a T-shirt voucher when you pay electronically at the Middle Ring Supporter level, or above); 2. Mail your check (including family members names, current e-mail, and address…) to: Tarheel Trailblazers 3611 Woody Grove Lane Charlotte, NC 28210 3. Bring your cash or check to our February meeting Thursday February 5th at Fuel Pizza. (By the way, for those still reading, there will be MASSIVE, really MASSIVE incentives for both new and renewing members to attend February’s meeting. More on that in another message – see you there!) The Board, Executive Officers and I want to heartily thank everyone for your support, both financially and otherwise.

01/07/2009

Winter Short Track Races Start Sunday, Jan. 18th **Come check out the newly expanded Short Track at Rennie http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/short-trackhome.htm 2009 Nothing but Noodles Winter Short Track Mountain Bike Series presented by Heartwood Tree Service and the Dirt Divas January 18 & 25, February 1, 8 & 15 ALL SUNDAYS Charlotte Sports Cycling is proud to announce we have landed a new title sponsor and many new additional supporting sponsors for the exciting 2009 Winter Short Track Series at the infamous Renaissance Park Short Track. We will also be introducing a team competition during the 2009 winter series. Team members will score points throughout the entire series with the top three teams winning $$CASH$$. We will be providing space on the course for all of sponsoring teams and clubs. All team members must wear team kits during the race and provide registration with the proper name. Food, fun and fast racing at all events! Nothing but Noodles will be providing many of their famous pasta dishes at each of the events. Nothing but Noodles has two great locations in Charlotte, one on Rea Rd at Stonecrest at Piper Glen and the other on Elizabeth Ave near Presby. Visit the Nothing but Noodles website at www.nothingbutnoodles.com Info on the 2009 Winter Short Track Series has be posted on www.charlottemtnbike.com

01/06/2009

SWDP Corridor Clearing - Saturday, Jan. 10th Anyone want a sneak peek of the soon to be newest trail in town? Here's you chance, but there is a catch.... eat a hearty breakfast, wear some work clothes and bring gloves because we will be clearing the corridor for phase one of Southwest District Park. Approximately 3 miles of trail is pin flagged and ready for clearing. There is a large amount of deadfall on the ground. By clearing much of this debris up ahead of mechanized work, we will speed the process up and get the trail finished sooner. Thanks in advance! -Brian When: Jan. 10th (this coming Saturday) Time: 9:00 AM until ? Address: 1720 Vilma Street (Southview Rec. Center Parking Lot) Check the Forums under Trail Work for directions...

12/18/2008

No Jan Meeting @ Fuel Pizza! 1/1 Ride at LNSP! Because our normal first Thursday of the month meeting date falls on New Years day, WE WILL NOT HAVE A MEETING AT FUEL PIZZA on January 1. WE WILL HOWEVER have a club ride at Lake Norman State Park on January 1st @ 1:00 instead! Everyone (Members and NON Memebers) are welcome to attend. This will be the first day that the trail direction is reversed for the new year and a good opportunity to have a club gathering OTHER than a normal monthly meeting. Don't go too overboard on New Year's eve and look forward to seeing a large group on the 1st. Further details to follow.

11/21/2008

NO TRAILWORK AT RENNIE ON SUNDAY TRAILWORK AT RENAISSANCE PARK After having a very productive day on Saturday, we have decided NOT to work on Sunday, Nov. 23rd. Hoping to go ride instead! 14 volunteers came out and worked hard to winterize the connector trail between the softball and tennis court parking lots. Check the Trail Work Forum for more info. Thanks.

11/06/2008

TRAILBLAZERS MONTHLY MEETING TONIGHT! Don't forget, the monthly meeting for the Tarheel Trailblazers is this Thursday, Nov 6th, at 7:30 pm at Fuel Pizza in Park Road Shopping Center. Come join us to get up to date on all the upcoming events and also participate in our annual club officer elections!

10/21/2008

IMBA CLUB CARE PROGRAM - NOV. 8th at NEW REI STORE IMBA CLUB CARE PROGRAM When: Saturday November 8, 2008 10:30 am sharp. Where: REI’s new store at Northlake Mall, 9755 Northlake Center Parkway at exit 18 on Interstate 77. Come join the Tarheel Trailblazers as we host IMBA’s Trail Care Crew, Kelly and Collins Bishop, for their presentation of IMBA’s Club Care program. This presentation is specifically designed to help mountain bike clubs develop strategies and methods to become healthy and SUSTAINABLE organizations. Find out how all of us in the mountain biking community can work together and find ways to make our clubs maintain momentum and sustain our efforts to be more effective in advocating for and developing new mountain bike trails. We are encouraging all mountain bikers who are interested in their area clubs and the development of trails to attend. This is particularly important for officers and leaders of area and regional mountain bike clubs. Please come join Kelly and Collins and the Trailblazers for this unique opportunity to share successes and challenges we all face in meeting our goals. Lunch will be served after the presentation and we will follow the program with a group ride for all skill levels at Lake Norman State Park. R.S.V.P. so we can be sure to plan lunch for everyone. RSVP to james.grover@transamerica.com See Directions at: http://www.rei.com/DisplayMap?retailStoreId=115&zoomLevel=9&sessionId=48fc8c96-0369-0005-02b7-75dc-001ec93ccd33

10/21/2008

Trailwork this Saturday - Southwest District Park Come join Brian and the Trailblazers this Saturday, Oct. 25th at 9:00am Google Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=southview+rec+center,+charlotte,+nc&ie=UTF8&ll=35.24646,-80.91671&spn=0.119724,0.163078&z=12&iwloc=A The 2-3 mile main loop was flagged last winter, Park & Rec has approved the layout and we have received nearly $10,000 dollars in grants (thanks REI and the state of NC) to cover the construction costs. The next step is for the trail corridor to be cleared and prepared for mechanized construction in the areas it will be needed. We will begin work on Saturday Oct. 25th at 9:00 AM. The meeting location will be at Southview Rec Center parking lot. (address will follow) This project will continue every Saturday (same time & place) until Thanksgiving unless we finish the main loop before then. If you have never been part of a trail construction crew, we will have a brief mini trail building school before we start each day. If you think riding a trail is fun... Help build one and you'll realize that riding one that you helped to construct is much more rewarding. I look forward to getting dirty with you!!! Brian

10/17/2008

NEW MTB Trails Opening Oct. 24th - Carolina Adventure World Check out their website for more info: http://www.carolinaadventureworld.net/new.htm

10/15/2008

Year End Party - Sunday, Nov. 2nd at Springs Year-End Party for Current Tarheel Trailblazer and Dirt Diva Members When: Sunday, November 2, 1:00PM Where: Anne Springs Greenway at the Field Trials Barn Please join us on Sunday, November 2nd as we CELEBRATE another successful and productive year for our clubs at the Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers Year-End Party! 1:30PM Coordinated trail ride(s) for all skill levels* 4:00PM Delicious BBQ dinner and refreshments (catered by Lola's) *Trail ride groups will depart from the Field Trial Barn promptly at 1:30. - Bring a camp chair, if you wish, for the bonfire. And please bring extra cash for the big raffle to benefit Project Angel, the Dirt Diva initiative that provides bicycles and safety gear to underprivileged kids. ** Trailblazer members please bring $10 for food as this is not included in membership * Please bring FIREWOOD if you have some for the BONFIRE - This event has drawn a big turnout the last few years, so come out and enjoy the day with your fellow riders and trail builders----- Driving Directions to the Field Trial Barn: Take I-77 to Exit #88 Gold Hill Road heading East toward Fort Mill. Road changes to Springfield Parkway. Go 3.1 miles from I-77. You will see a sign for the Anne Springs Close Greenway on the right. Turn in and proceed to red Field Trial Barn. R.S.V.P. required by October 29, 2008, but it really helps with headcounts for catering if you can respond sooner. Please include your name, whether you are a Trailblazer or Diva and let us know if you are bringing a guest. RSVP to: traceylewis@comporium.net Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=springfield+parkway,+fort+mill,sc&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=30.957823,42.978516&ie=UTF8&ll=35.033932,-80.916882&spn=0.062408,0.083942&z=13&iwloc=addr

10/15/2008

Trailwork Sat. Oct. 18th at Harrisburg Half See details at the bottom right corner of the Home page

10/14/2008

Oct. 24,25 & 26th at Fisher Farm - National MTB Oktoberfest Oct. 24,25 & 26th at Fisher Farm National MTB Oktoberfest Three Days of Mountain Bike Events! http://www.nationalmtboktoberfest.org/

09/30/2008

Take a kid Mountain Biking Day - October 4th The IMBA and the Tarheel Trailblazers are proud to bring you the "Take a kid mountain biking day" on Saturday, October 4th, at North Mecklenburg Park, from 10AM until 1PM. For more information, please contact club member Mike Slater at 980-387-0588 Please come out and help plant the seeds for a new generation of mountain biking participants!

08/06/2008

October 4 Tree Shaker 12 HR MTB Race The Tree Shaker will be held at the Field Trial Barn at Anne Springs Close Greenway on October 4 from 9AM-9PM. For more info and registration go to www.charlottemtnbike.com

08/06/2008

September 7 Rivers Edge Mtn Bike Marathon The Rivers Edge Mountain Bike Marathon will be held on September 7 at the US National Whitewater Center. This event is a 50 mile mountain bike race and 12 winners will be crowned the Southeast Mountain Bike Marathon champions! For more info and registration go to www.charlottemtnbike.com.

08/06/2008

August 23 Cackalacky Cup Mtn Bike Time Trials The Cackalacky Cup will be held on August 23 at the Lake Norman State Park. The Cup is made up of a technical time trial on the Itusi trail and a regular time trial on the Monbo trail. For more info go to www.charlottemtnbike.com

07/23/2008

Monthly Meeting August 7, 7:30 pm Our next meeting will be August 7 at 7:30 pm at Fuel Pizza located in Park Road Shopping Center

06/11/2008

NO MEETING IN JULY Since the first Thursday in July is on the 3rd, and that is so close to Independence Day, there will be NO MEETING of the regular Trailblazers Club at Fuel Pizza in Park Road Shopping Center during July. The North Chapter may still meet, so please check the forums for that update. We hope you have a Happy 4th of July! The Trailblazers

05/30/2008

IMBA Coming to Asheville! IMBA is coming to Asheville, NC, May 30 - June 8, and you're invited to join in the special events. Kelly and Collins Bishop of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew are teaming with Pisgah Area SORBA for the Mountain Sports Festival and National Trails Day. The visit features a social, trailwork day, group rides and the Mountain Sports Festival. 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: May 30 - June 1: Come hang out with the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew at the Mountain Sports Festival. Friday: 6:00 PM: Social begins at area venue. Trail advocates present slide shows and explain Saturday's work project. 8:00 PM: Door Prizes Saturday: 9:00 AM: Meet at trailhead and sign in 10:00 AM: Workday begins 1:00 PM: Lunch provided 4:00 PM: Workday ends 6:00 PM: Social and Sunday ride signup at local venue 8:00 PM: Door prizes, volunteer of the day award and movie premiere Sunday: 10:00 AM: Group rides led by local advocates at every trailhead in Pisgah Location: Greens Lick trail located in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Parking: Along 479 as well as the two parking areas located in Bent Creek. From these locations, we will provide a shuttle service up Laurel Branch Rd to the bottom of Greens Lick. This is where the registration will take place for those volunteers that did not preregister on Friday night. You must be registered to work on the trail. Please bring: A hard hat (bike helmet will work), work gloves, comfortable shoes and clothes (be prepared to get dirty), safety glasses (if you have them) and a water bottle. Although water will be provided, containers will be limited. Please sign up for this event. For more information, visit: http://www.pisgahareasorba.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=66

05/06/2008

USNWC Trail Maintenance May 17 & 31 *Free Parking for Volunteers* PLEASE JOIN THE TEAM FOR: WHAT: 3-Hour Trail Building Event @ USNWC WHEN: 9:00 am-12:00pm –Saturday May 17th / Saturday May 31st WHERE: Meet at the Trailhead in the back of the parking lot 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: Durable 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 upcoming work days will be a reroute near the challenge course, trash removal, and a few drainage issues. Project focus is TBD. 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 single-track trail system at the USNWC. ASAP please RSVP to trails@usnwc.org if you and any others will attend. We will prepare for the number attending. Your efforts will help improve the trail experience at the center. Thanks for your time and consideration! *FREE PARKING FOR VOLUNTEERS* - Tell the parking attendant that you are there as a trailwork volunteer Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center Work 704-392-4954 Cell 704-497-7260 www.usnwc.org mkafsky@usnwc.org

05/06/2008

Riverfront Classic XC MTB RACE June 1 at USNWC-VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! This race is part of the Southern Classic Series. It is a fundraiser for the Club so we need lots of volunteers! Come out and race and then volunteer your time. More info available at www.charlottemtnbike.com.

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!

03/14/2008

IMBA Trail School is Coming to NC There are now 3 weekends available over the next few months for you to learn trail building techniques from the best in the business, the IMBA Trail Care Crew. Here are the dates: April 5-6 in Uwharrie Go here for complete info: http://go.imba.com/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=102921 May 31-June 1 in Asheville NC June 7-8 Asheville NC (National Trails Day) Contact Ben Blitch for complete info about the Asheville Trail School: benblitch@gmail.com If you are interested in learning proper trail building and maintenance techniques or if you just wonder why we do things the way we do, this is the place to find out. For those of you who are currently part of a trail crew at one of our local trails, attending an IMBA Trail School is a key part of your education in trail maintenance. It is also a required element in order to become a Trail Coordinator at a new or existing Trailblazer trail. It is a good time, too. They usually feed you lunch one day and go for a ride the other day. Plan on attending both days to get everything out of it that you can. Trust me, you will never look at a trail quite the same after you have been to an IMBA Trail School. There is also an IMBA Club Care session in Uwharrie on April 12 for club leaders and a Skills Clinic for all riders on April 13. See webpage above. Thanks. Frank P. Trailblazer Trail Coordinator

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