Reminder: Richmond-MORE's Trailicious 2 Fundraiser

If you use any RVA trails or just want to support a great local cause, we're talking to you! 

No matter your preference for trail use, the trails in and around RVA require lots of volunteer time and and money to create and upkeep.  Or maybe you've heard about the new Richmond Regional Ride Center?  

Championed by Richmond-MORE, and sponsored by the City of Richmond, Trailicious 2 on Feb., 22nd, 2014 will provide loads of information on pushing forward with Project2015 and more. 

Taking place at the Carillon at Dogwood Dell, there will be a raffle, beer, band, videos, games and more; as-well-as many local favorite food-trucks out to the parking lot if you get a bite to eat...

Your $20 donation gets you 2 beer tickets from Sierra Nevada a proud sponsor, a raffle ticket for local retail prizes, and the warm fuzzies from contributing to the next big steps in the long history of trail building and cycling in the area. 

** Tickets must be purchased online prior to the event!

This event is for everyone who loves the outdoors and is family friendly. Word is a few celebrity types from the surrounding areas will be in attendance. Though we won't name drop. Might want to bring a pen for an autograph. 

Where: Carillon (600 S. Boulevard, Richmond, VA) 
When: 6:30-10:00 February 22nd Saturday 
Register online: https://www.bikereg.com/trailicious
Parking: The Carillon - Parking on site or better yet, ride your bike.
Enjoy: Raffles. Food & Beer. Live Music. Videos. Good Vibes.

Tickets: $20.00 pre-purchase only! (no tickets at the door)

Scout Camp Trailwork

Richmond-MORE trail crew lead by Bill Swann is having a trail care day out at the Scout Camp on Saturday, Jan 20th. 

We’ll be meeting this Saturday – January 18 at 9:00 a.m. at the welcome pavilion on the Cub Scout side, leaving at 9:15 to head to the work site. Last work session we got about 300 feet of new trail with 10 hard working trail riders. Just think, if we could get 30 of those same kind of hard workers, we could finish it – then ride it!

We will work till 12:30/1:00 and will ride as soon as we finish working…so be sure to bring your bike. Remember, before you ride you will need to sign in as you normally would for  a ride AND…the ride won’t start till everyone’s done and back at the pavilion.

What you should bring:

• Work gloves
• Hydration
• Food/lunch
• Bike and bike stuff

Richmond-MORE's Trailicous 2

If you use any RVA trails or just want to support a great local cause, we're talking to you! 

No matter your preference for trail use, the trails in and around RVA require lots of volunteer time and and money to create and upkeep.  Or maybe you've heard about the new Richmond Regional Ride Center?  

Championed by Richmond-MORE, and sponsored by the City of Richmond, Trailicious 2 on Feb., 22nd, 2014 will provide loads of information on pushing forward with Project2015 and more. 

Taking place at the Carillon at Dogwood Dell, there will be a raffle, beer, band, videos, games and more; as-well-as many local favorite food-trucks out to the parking lot if you get a bite to eat...

Your $20 donation gets you 2 beer tickets from Sierra Nevada a proud sponsor, a raffle ticket for local retail prizes, and the warm fuzzies from contributing to the next big steps in the long history of trail building and cycling in the area. 

** Tickets must be purchased online prior to the event!

This event is for everyone who loves the outdoors and is family friendly. Word is a few celebrity types from the surrounding areas will be in attendance. Though we won't name drop. Might want to bring a pen for an autograph. 

Where: Carillon (600 S. Boulevard, Richmond, VA) 
When: 6:30-10:00 February 22nd Saturday 
Register online: https://www.bikereg.com/trailicious
Parking: The Carillon - Parking on site or better yet, ride your bike.
Enjoy: Raffles. Food & Beer. Live Music. Videos. Good Vibes.

Tickets: $20.00 pre-purchase only! (no tickets at the door)

Richmond-MORE Social

Richmond-MORE is hosting a get together at Hardywood Brewery Tuesday, December 17th from 6pm to 9pm.  Come out and try some of Hardywood’s best beers find out what is happening with the trails and meet some fellow trail enthusiast.

Cash (beer) bar – 1 Free beer with every new membership.  Doantions suggested.  Light appetizers.

We hope to see you all there!!

James River Parks System's New Manager = Nathan Burrell

A huge and well-deserved congratulations to Nathan Burrell! 

After a nation-wide candidate search, Nathan J. Burrell, who has worked in the parks system full-time for approximately 10 years now, and has been Richmond's Trail Manager since around 2005, will be the City's new JRPS Manager.

Nathan will be now be moving from acting Interim-JRPS Mgr. to adopting the position permanently.  A position that has been open since Ralph White retired from the department after more than 30 years back in Dec. 2012. 

A quote from Nathan Burrell, “I’m excited about this opportunity to help in making Richmond one of the most livable cities in the U.S. with my focus on the management and development of one of our greatest resources, the James River Park,” said Burrell. “I am especially committed to maintaining a balanced approach between adventure recreation and environmental stewardship, which is critical to the future of the park.”

Talk About this-CCVA-Forums
Link to Times Dispatch Article:

Ra-MORE: Jan 5th Trailwork

Trail Work - January 5th

Ancarrow's Landing

Saturday's trail work session will take place at Ancarrow's Landing. Ancarrow's Landing is the easternmost section of the James River Park, it’s a popular fishing spot with a concrete boat ramp and a parking lot that accommodates over 100 cars and trailers. It’s also the beginning of the Richmond Slave Trail. 

With an agreement with the Public Works Department, we will be working on a two mile section of trail. There's about a mile of new trail to build and 1 mile of trail corridor to be cleared.

Please come out and lend a hand with the newest trail addtions to the James River Park area.

When: Noon Saturday, Januray 5th
Where: Ancarrow's Landing - head east on Murray St. It will turn into Brander St near the Waste Water Treatment Plant and dead-end at the parking lot.
Bring: Water, Snack, Gloves

Chapel Island Trails

New Trails and Boat Put-in Coming to Chapel Island

Over the next couple of months, Nathan and the City Trail Care Crew will be building a boat put-in and new beginner-level and greenway style trails on Chapel Island near Great Shiplock Park (Dock and Pear St.).  This work is part of the recently passed Richmond Riverfront Master Plan.

They will be working there during the week and having volunteer days each Saturday from 9am - 1pm. Janurary's focus will be on the boat put-in and corridor clearing.  February's focus will be on trail building.

Many volunteer groups will be helping out during this time and we encourage Richmond-MORE members and friends to come out and help whenever they can. We'll keep you up to date on the progress and let you know about scheduled Richmond-MORE work days.

Best Urban Trail

Once again, jrps gets NOD! 

Blue ridge outdoors

BEST URBAN TRAIL

Editor's Picks...

BUTTERMILK TRAIL, RICHMOND VIRGINIA
Part of Richmond, Va.’s award-winning urban James River Park system, Buttermilk is revered by the city’s outdoor sect. Everyone from dog walkers to advance mountain bikers use the trail, so it can be slightly crowded, but you won’t find a better trail in the middle of a major city. This singletrack trail is well maintained and has everything one could ask for: steep climbs, roots/rocks, and consequence. Steep drop-offs line the riverside part of this trail, so beginners on bikes are urged to use extreme caution. Trail runners love the short climbs and riverside scenery; mountain bikers love the speed, tight turns, and technical sections. Linking up Buttermilk with the North Bank Trail and the Belle Island system will give you a 12-mile ride through the inner forest of the inner city.

source: BlueRidgeOutdoors.com Dec.28th, 2012

North Shore Trailcare

Awesome work from Richmond-MORE! 
To help out, Check Out Richmond-MORE.org, Richmond MORE FB, or CCVA for the latest trail work days!

Illegal Trail Mods to Buttermilk

It's being reported that someone is modifying Buttermilk Trail in numerous areas by removing features and rocks. It is illegal to perform any work to state or city property without permission; not to mention it undermines the users and working relationships with the city and state. If anyone sees someone damaging the trails, PLEASE report them ASAP! In some cases, it appears that the illegal work is actually being done with a sledgehammer, so they should not be too hard to spot.

Belle Isle will have a new destination point! Richmond-MORE and the City of Richmond are planning Bike Skills Course Planned for Belle Isle, under the bridge. Richmond MORE (Mid Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts) is planning to begin construction of the new bike skills course in April, 2012 and should have it wrapped up by mid-summer. They will need a helping hand from the community via man hours to make this project finish quickly, so please consider heading down to Belle Isle on Sat. mornings to lend one. See the Richmond-MORE site or CCVA's posts for trail building dates and times.

JRPS & Richmond-MORE Trail Building Class, Sat., Oct. 23rd, 2010

Greetings Fellow Mountain Bikers and Trail Enthusiasts,

The James River Park System and RA-MORE will be conducting a trail building and maintenance class on Saturday, October 23rd starting at 9:00am. The morning session of the class will be held at the Stone House in Forest Hill Park. Following a short break for lunch, the class will then continue to a section of the North Bank Trail which is slated for a re-route. The afternoon session will end around 4:00pm.

Topics covered in this class will include the following:

* Sustainable trail design
* Basic Construction
* Turns, drainage, and bridges
* Trail re-routes
* Trail reclamation
* Rock Work
* Mechanized trail building vs. manual trail building
* Effective use of signage
* Political environment

The class will be taught by Nathan Burrell and Mike Burton of the James River Park System.

Nathan, the James River Park System trails manager, brings a wealth of knowledge to urban trail building and has lectured at the state and national level on sustainable trail building in an urban environment.

Mike, a principal in Long Cane Trails LLC, is a professional trail builder who just relocated to the Richmond area and is now on the staff of the James River Park System. Mike has extensive experience in urban trail building and mechanized trail building in particular. Go to Mike's website at http://www.longcanet.../portfolio.html to see examples of his work.

This class is a unique opportunity to gain insight into the rationale behind the methodologies and techniques we use to design and maintain the trails in the James River Park System. Participation in this class will greatly enhance your appreciation and evaluation of the local trail system.

Class participation will be limited to 25 participants. The class is free and open to the public. Food and beverage will be provided by RA-MORE.

For registration information, contact Clark Jones at C.Jones0679@comcast.net.

Where: The Stone House in Forest Hill Park. Located across the street from Crossroads Coffee Shop.

When: Saturday, October 23rd, 9:00am to 4:00pm

Length: 1 Day

Cost: Free, Class limited to 25 participants

Bring: Water, work gloves, sturdy shoes, and an open mind

Richmond-MORE Trail Care: Dec. 5th

Greetings Fellow Trail Builders,

Sometimes it seems we just don't get any breaks. We've got work to do and Mother Nature is not cooperating. I don't why she's been angry lately but it's getting old. Maybe we'll get some breaks soon.

This weekend we're going to finish the Maymont Ramp project. There's just a little more to do. Most of the work will involve reclamation but there's some rock armoring that remains to be completed. We need to add about five more feet of rock to the top of the trail. There's a little gully developing at the top and that area needs to be addressed.

We're hoping the weather will cooperate this weekend but it doesn't look good. We're keeping our fingers crossed. We look forward to seeing you there.

Look forward to exciting news coming soon.
_______________________________________________________
In case of rain or unforeseen events, please check for cancellations on our website. Any cancellation notice will be posted by 8:00am on Saturday in our News section. Our website is at: www.richmond-more.org.

Here are the details:
Where: Meet at the corner of Hampton St. and Kansas Ave. behind Maymont, just above the ramp
When: Saturday, December 5th - 9:00am to 4:00PM
Bring: Water, work gloves, and sturdy shoes, and a small snack

Forest Hill Park Lake Maintenance.

What: Forest Hill Park Lake Dredging.
Where: Forest Hill Park, Richmond, Va
When: Spring/Summer 2009

The City of Richmond has worked with the Contractor to develop plans to minimize the mess that may occur from the project of restoring the Forest Hill Park Lake back to it's formal self.

The $1.7 million restoration project over the next six months began in early May and is expected to take approximately 6 months.

Tthe City is sensitive to limiting the impact on our neighborhood streets and the park itself during the project.

Dredging and restoration work at the park will begin on weekdays around 7:00 a.m. and will end approximately 5:00 p.m.
Saturday work will not occur unless the project falls behind schedule and no work is scheduled for Sunday's.

Spring and summer programs are still scheduled to occur in the park!
Park Events:
~ Every Saturday, Farmers Market will re-open near Shelter #2 on Saturday, May 2.
~ Music in the Park will again continue on selected summer Sunday evenings.

What's Off-limits?
Easy, just look for the orange fencing roping off the area around the lake.

** This does have an affect on how the trails are accessed and is you are wanting to use trail know that a reroute plan is in effect.
Please don't tear down the fences! This has happened twice already and the city has already approached the local mountain bike club to help spread the word to keep out of this area.

Ric-MORE Booth Volunteers Needed.

Richmond MORE will be represented at the RiverRoc event on the 15th and 16th.

We're asking members/volunteers to come out for one hour and work the booth.

Hours:
6:00PM to 9:30PM Friday
9:00AM to 4:00PM Saturday.

It'll be a lot of fun & the booth will have an interactive bike blender.

This event is to raise money and to get the public aware of the advocacy work we do.
Funds go directly to the club for bridges materials and to buy tools.

You can contact Greg Rollins, VP RA-MORE via PM on the CCVA. Just follow the link Below, contact information is in first post.

Talk about it here...

Richmond-MORE & Westview on the James create MOU.

RA MORE / Westview Cooperation

A verbal MOU agreement has been reached between the property owners/land managers of Westview On the James and Richmond-MORE for trail development on their land.

Notable facts:
~ Ed Jones, AKA "Cycle'sEd" fantastic trail building at Camp Brady was the reason Westview approached the club about such a co-op.

~ Greg Rollins and Steve Hodson are the duo working on behalf of Richmond-MORE to develop this plan with Westview, as well as design and develop the trails on the land.

~This project has been in the works for approximately 1.5 yrs and still has much more work to come.

~ Opportunities for Richmond-MORE members as well as the general public to get involved will be coming up in the future.

In the up coming month the club will be taking a property survey of the property, so Stay Tuned!

Last minute info and chat about this topic: Ra-MORE/Westview Trail MOU.

Powhite Trail Work Saturday, 2/07/09

First, a big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who showed up last Saturday for our first effort in Powhite Park.

We accomplished quite a bit more than we thought possible for one day, with a good deal of new trail being cut and old trail reclaimed. Our goals for this weekend will be to buff out the new section that was built last weekend, while installing a berm or 2, and also to cut new trail to continue the new line near the back fence. Additionally, we will be working on adding more technical(rocky) lines to the new trail. The weather should be beautiful both Saturday and Sunday, with highs for trail work on Saturday around 60. Hope to see everyone out on the trail.

Where
Although we will be working near the "back gate" of the park, Nathan has asked that we park in the parking lot just off Jahnke Rd across the street from the hospital and walk or ride our bikes in to the work site. The reason for this is that the dead end near the back gate will have equipment and a City vehicle or 2 parked there, and we would like to be considerate of the residents and not block the street any more than necessary. For those who have never been to Powhite Park, just follow the trail coming from the parking lot down the hill, cross the creek on the 60' decked bridge and bear left. Continue on this trail which borders the swamp(keeping the swamp on your LEFT) until you come to another, smaller bridge. Cross this bridge and you should see the work site up on the hill in front of you. If you have any questions, feel free to call Nathan Burrell at 357-8897.

What to bring:
Wear sturdy shoes or work boots and bring work gloves. Dress in layers because you'll probably warm up rather quickly once you start working. It is also recommended to bring some water and some kind of snack. It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Cancellations:
In case of inclement weather, any cancellations of Trail Care will be made by 7:00am Saturday morning.
Notification will be made on the Cycling Central VA forums (www.cyclingcentralva.org/forums), the Richmond-MORE website, or via email.
Currently the weather forecast for Saturday is supposed to be partly cloudy with a high of 41, and rain is not expected.

Follow Thread Here...

Powhite Trail Care Begins

Powhite Park will finally be undergoing a long overdue facelift starting Saturday, January 31, 2009.

This effort will be lead by Kevin Clark (Powhite Trail Liaison for Richmond-MORE) and under the direction of Nathan Burrel (Richmond City Trail Mgr).

It's been a long, long time coming, but that time is finally here. Powhite Park, the proverbial "Diamond in the Rough" of the Southside, has been in need of some serious TLC for some while.

On our LOOOONG laundry list, there are several short-term goals we have for the park over the next year, and also a few goals further on down the road. Among the short-term goals are items like....

1. Establish a new "outer loop" beginner level trail around the perimeter of the park, with appropriate(but not overcrowded) signage, while rerouting the trail as necessary to pull the trail off private property, closing unsustainable fall line trails and making the best possible use of the terrain available.

2. Establish a ped specific trail that runs the length of the "Swamp Trail" at the bottom of the park, paralleling the existing multi-use trail down there presently.

3. Repair/upgrade existing bridges in the park and create info kiosks at entrances to the park.

4. Create a newer, more visible & attractive trailhead at the parking lot entrance.

Several long-term goals as well, such as....

1. Create advanced and expert level loops inside the big outer "beginner loop", retaining Powhite's tight & technical character, including an overhaul of "The Buzz", to make it just that much sweeter.

2. Create new trails and update/reclaim old trails, all to IMBA standards.

3. Prepare Powhite for increased user traffic in anticipation of, you guessed it, the long-fabled "POWHITE CONNECTOR TRAIL" that will connect Powhite to the JRPS, hopefully without ever having to cross a strip of pavement. This project is in the very early stages, but officially in the works and is favored by the City of Richmond. Adding to that, there are other potential greenway projects that will incorporate Powhite as a "weigh station" of sorts on the way to points South in the City, then the County.

A few notes-

"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine." Powhite has remained relatively unchanged in the past, but now faces a new set of circumstances. Yes, the park and some of the trails will change, but it will still retain the "old" style as much as possible.Fun, tight, twisty, and with obstacles abounding. A note to the logpile crew- most of the old, rotted logpiles will be coming out, but fear not. We've heard your distant cries in the night, and there will be logpiles o'plenty coming with the upgrades to the park. After all, it just wouldn't be Powhite without the logpiles, now would it?

Trailwork will start on Saturday, January 31st. More details TBA, and soon at that. Please come out to help!

Thanks for reading & stay tuned!

For the latest information, goto Powhite Trail Care Thread.

Richmond-MORE's Dec. 08 Meeting Summary

This is a summary for the last meeting for Richmond-MORE in 2008.
Discussions included the development of a strategic plan for 2009, had a local park update.

Some stats for 2008 was 3000' of new and improved trail created with over 3000 man hours invested. In that trail care, the huge project of bridges and stone work in Buttermilk Heights in which the stone work alone consumed over 1000 man hours!

Listening and reacting to the input of riders, the park also noted the installation of 25 TTF's (technical trail features) while the need to remove only 5 TTF's.

Richmond-MORE also the need to fulfill board openings for Treasurer and Secretary, and for someone to be our lead person for Park Patrol at JRPS. A person was also nomination for Ride Coordinator, but I don't have the name to report.

A huge thanks to everyone who helped Richmond-MORE work through 2008. Being involved takes a lot of time and commitment!
Thank you from CCVA.

Link to post and conversation on the forums.