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)

High Bridge State Park set to Open Singletrack, Sept. 28th, 2013

High-Bridge-State Park is set for a Grand Opening of some new singletrack options on Sept 28th. 

While mileage is not epic by any means, the 2 mile loop that is approximately a mile and a half east of Farmville is just the beginning of a bigger network. 

Dig a little deeper and you'll find that the master plan calls for Mt bike Trails going in on 2 separate tracts. One between Farmville and the bridge and the other south of Rice. 

When combined with a ride from downtown Farmville and out across the Bridge including a loop of the new trail will net you 15 miles and some great scenery! 

In order to expand the system, the volunteer base will greatly need to be expanded.  One person has been doing all of the planning and cutting thus far, so if you live or know folks in the area, please consider contact the park to get involved! 

* Talk about it here on CCVA Forums.
* High Bridge State Park

First Legacy Project for Richmond 2015 Announced

By now, just about everyone has heard about Richmond2015 Legacy Project at PSP.   The idea is simple, make Richmond a destination for mountain biking by being one of only 10

or 11 IMBA Ride-Centers in existence!What is an IMBA Ride Center?  Is a prime destination spot for mountain biking that not only has trails for riding, but lends itself to enrich the experiences of mountain biking by creating a more proactive environment.  The idea for the IMBA Ride Center is to include both Pocahontas State Park (PSP) and James River Park System (JRPS) as the destination spot.  Plans of linking both systems via road and off-road bicycle travel are being considered. The plan is calling for the Northern section of PSP, just South of Courthouse Rd to receive the largest amount of changes, including: 

• 100 spot parking lot

• Hand Cycle Station / Storage

• Hand Cycle Trail

• Approx 30 mls of new mountain bike trail

• Skills Area (both for Hand-Cycles training and obstacles)

• Shelter

• 3 Acre Staging Area

• Restrooms / Showers

• Possibility for a small repair shop

Estimated costed for the Legacy Project range from $800k to $1.2Million.  But 1st a series of obstacles must be hurdled, the least of which the Master Plan for PSP must be changed.  PSP

revisits the Master Plan every 5 years and the last plan for set forth in 2011; so to move forward, a proposal and public hearing must 1st happen (happened on Aug 1st) followed by the state of Va. to revisit the old master plan, create an amendment, send it in for a vote, and approve or disapprove.  

Even if approved, the cost of the project is the single largest factor for failure or success! The Gov.has pledged $50k of funding towards the project and this is to be matched from Dominion Power, but that still leaves at least a $700k balance to complete the project.  

The other issue will be volunteers; All projects related mountain bike trails are from the efforts of volunteer groups, from downtown Richmond to PSP to the mountains in the West part of Va.  Without volunteers working in their spare time, none of the trails we ride our bikes on would be here today. NONE of THEM.  It takes thousands of hours of work to complete these trail and it simply can not be understated that in order to get Legacy Project 2015 from idea phase to completed, it will take thousands more and you help will be needed. 

That said, ETA for the project (if approved) is April 2015.We are a long way to getting there, but it will also be upon us before you can blink an eye. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation should be voting on the amendment to the PSP Master Plan by early Sept. Once given the "OK", Local groups like the Friends of PSP and Richmond-MORE will be setting their bars high for fundraising events! 

Talk about this on CCVA.

DCR Townhall Public Meeting @ PSP: IMBA Mountain Bike Ride Center Aug. 1 @ 6pm

 8/1: Please Share this with you friends! 
Straight from Friends of Pocahontas State Park, if you want to see the IMBA Ride Center happen at PSP, a must is having a SOLID showing from the mountain bike community at the DCR townhall meeting!

It's imperative for the MTB community to show up in support to change the master plan regulations that will allow for the IMBA Ride Center to be installed at PSP!

August 1st, that's 8/1 @ PSP's Heritage Center @ 6pm sharp

Virginia Regulatory TownHall Meetings

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:

EVMA: A Call to Action.

EVMA: a call to action. 

When:  Saturday, January 12 @ 9AM
Where: York River State Park

Take up your tools and fight for trails at York River State Park! We have over 12 miles of new trail flagged at YRSP and are waiting for approval. 

At 9 am on Saturday, January 12, the YRSP Park Manager will be meeting with DCR Officials and our crew of trail volunteers. We want YOU there to represent the EVMA and ask for approval for the proposed new trail. 

A good turn-out of volunteers will demonstrate to DCR our commitment to this project. 

We will be meeting in the maintenance area, look for the EVMAbanner. 

Come out and show your support for more trails at York River State Park. After the meeting we plan on 2 - 3 hours of trail maintenance. Please stay for the trail maintenance if you can. 

The meeting should be brief, but good attendance is critical. If you plan on staying for trail maintenance please bring work gloves and a rake. 

If you have a high powered backpack leafblower, bring it.

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

The Ralph White Story

Here is a GREAT STORY that shows the roots of the JRPS and how it got where it is today! 

A huge Thank You to Ralph White taking it on the chin from the city and maintaining course because the brilliance of your vision of the JRPS has come to light! 

Without Ralph and his cutting through the "RED TAPE" of the City, the JRPS and the volunteer groups of the local parks would still be in 2001, full of garbage and drugs. THANK YOU RALPH WHITE!

Ralph White Article on Style Weekly

Westmoreland State Park Project

FAMBE leading up the Westmoreland State Park Project

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!

If you've used North Shore Trail recently, you must have noticed the dozers! Richmond is clearing out the homeless camps... Northbank Trail mystery; homeless camps to be razed Richmond Outside richmondoutside.com

Lodi Farm Trail Update: Installed the new trailhead bulletin board today. Special thanks for monetary donations from A. Coleman, L. Rovira, L. Thornton in support of this project. Additionally, thanks for the support from L. McCall from McCall's Home Services for the build and help with the install. Lodi trail map and trail information will be installed soon! New online forms and payment coming to website soon to support Ms. Grigg and help decrease the potential for vandalism and theft.

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.

POSSIBLE LOGGING NEAR POWHITE PARK

Hey All-

I good friend to CCVA an avid outdoors person today notice what might be a real issue to the state Powhite Park.

The long and short of it is that there may be the possibility of logging to property adjacent to Powhite Park. This may have a devastating effect on park itself and we'd like to ask local residents to please take the time to email the City of Richmond to voice concern.

Here is the link to Kathy Graziano's office. Please email or call if you have any concerns. Obviously, the bigger the response, hopefully the more attention it'll get==> kathygraziano.com


Here is a link to the whole thread with better explanations of what it happening in the park.
CCVA Thread

Past Weekend Update: 3/12-13

On the Richmond front, JRPS Trail Mgr and Richmond-MORE completed the boardwalk area on Buttermilk Proper giving some sweet new lines for all to enjoy! They've also made a few changes to the trail at the Reedy Creek climb to River Side Dr.

The E.V.M.A. Crew finished up Loop E @ Freedom Park this weekend! Trail totals are now about 20 miles there alone!

Few Updates from the weekend.

Richmond-MORE and JRPS have been doing some work on Buttermilk including fixing and adding to the boardwalk section.

Here's a photo!



Also, a few trail changes have happened @ both ends of Buttermilk Proper (22nd St & Ready Creek)

FHP has a tree down just after you get back on the trail at the top of Reedy Creek.


Pocahontas States Park: All it took was a few warm days and the ticks are out. So if you ride PSP, make sure to check yourself or wear repellant.

Freedom Park: James City County has informed us that construction clearing for the Interpretive Center began yesterday. There will be parking challenges from now until the end of construction. During construction parking will be permitted along the roadway inside the park. Please do not impede traffic and use good judgment, especially when it’s wet. Additionally, parking will be allowed at the schools on Jolly Pond Road.

Spotsylvania recently approved a 92 mile proposal for more trails in Spotsylvania co., projected completion time is 2036; but hey, it's a start...
*Note: A section of the multiuse trail and the connector trail on Trail A at Freedom Park will be closed indefinately due to construction debris.

Thanks for all the hard works folk!

Ra-MORE Trail Work on Belle Isle

Where: Belle Isle Trail Work
When: Sat: 1/22/11 Saturday @ 9am

Parking: Tredegar street parking lot (Underneath the train tracks)
Bring: Gloves, Work boots(if you have them!), water, & a snack.

Work: Continued work on the new trail on Belle Isle. This is the trail that takes you from the service road near the hydro plant back around to the lost garden. The trail is looking great but it’s not quite finished yet. That could be different if we get a few extra pairs of hands out there on Saturday.

“A Day In The Park For Wayne” on Saturday, December 4 at 2:00 p.m.

MOUNTAIN BIKERS: A Wayne Goodman Benefit– “A Day In The Park For Wayne” on Saturday, December 4 at 2:00 p.m. at the main shelter (shelter #2) in Forest Hill Park.The plan is to spend “A Day in the Park for Wayne”.

We will be taking donations and selling “G-Man” t-shirts where all proceeds will go towards helping Wayne with his finances. We will have coffee, hot cider, brownies, cookies and anything anyone else would like to donate.

Wayne is has a long recovery ahead of him @ the VCU Medical Center’s spinal cord rehabilitation unit after suffering from a mountain bike accident earlier this fall.

For the last 5+ years, Wayne has donated literally thousands of hours of his time as well as money, blood, sweat and tears, to help create/maintain our downtown trails and now he is in need of our help.

Please STOP in and say, "Thanks," by helping out a friend in need.

We are also planning to post a donation link on Wayne’s website at http://cantholdagoodmandown.com/ in order that donations can be accepted from individuals or groups wishing to help out but don’t have the availability to attend fund raising activities.

Additional events are now being discussed and further information will be provided as the details are confirmed.Wayne remains very positive in his recovery and his rehab team reports very encouraging progress. The road is going be long and Wayne knows this will be the toughest race of his life. As a team, all of us can pull together to help someone who has enabled us to enjoy a park that is unique not only in Virginia but on a national level.

Thank you! (remember - come on out and start early but be sure to either park at "Wayne's Shelter" or drop by and drop off a small donation)

“A Day In The Park For Wayne” on Saturday, December 4 at 2:00 p.m. Forum Thread