PUBLIC NOTICE
Construction on the park’s new visitor center is scheduled to begin on July 15th, 2013 and last at least one year. It will be located on the opposite side of the parking area from the Itusi Trailhead (near the boat rental building). Access to the shelters, picnic area, fishing dock and Alder Trail will be limited, if not, restricted. Boat rentals will close for the year at 6 pm on July 14th. Except for porta-jons, restrooms will be closed. Potable water will not be available. At least half of the 240 parking spaces will be blocked off. Parking on road shoulders will not be allowed. Visitors may be directed to park at the swimming area on busy weekends and holidays.

Doesn't relly matter. Since the end of May. Trail has only been open 1 or 2 times a week anyway. The Itusi Trail Nazi's have been busy

Hey Hippy, you can always take up road riding to stay in shape when the trails are closed. It takes alot of time to maintain 30.5 miles of trail if ridden too soon after it stops raining. I think some people think the trails take care of themselves, but that is not true. I appreciate the rangers closing the trails when they are too wet to ride. I like to ride as good as the next person, but someone has to keep the trails in shape.

Maybe he wasn't complaining about the trail being close after long periods of rain, but some 20 minute showers might dump over an inch of rain. Most of the trail might be dry enough to ride, but some areas stay wet longer and if they open the trails, those areas will get tore up and need repair.

Or state park is open go ride before it rains again

My point was if you go do some trail work you will gain some insight into the damage the trails sustain under normal use. Then you will know how much effort is put into maintaining them and not complain so much.  But, hippies have never been known for being hard workers or productive.

Hippies could always drive up to Wilkesboro, where they tend to stay open despite some rain. The State Park is a total Gem and if it's too wet in The Ranger's opinion then tough luck. And BTW, I don't think they check up on all 30 mi. each day. That's a little much to ask. And speaking of Wilkesboro...

Hippy:
Lets look at the big picture at LNSP. Granted one or two or 20 MTB's do not leave much footprint. But when looking at the total usage during the month taken from the trail counters in place we see a different picture. Just Hawk loop which has an infrared counter that combines both MTB and pedestrian we find that 1200 people on average use the trail per month. Laurel is getting near 200 bikes per week. We do not know for sure how many walkers. That is for the days those loops are open. The count is similar for Monbo. When that many feet and wheels roll over a wet or marginal trail then major damage occurs. As has been pointed out that is a 30.5 mile system. We have only about 6 rangers for the whole park. The regular volunteers to maintain the system are stretched thin and probably fewer than the number of rangers. In short we do not currently have enough regular volunteers to maintain the system. To answer your question that volunteers get to ride because they do trail work, the answer is NO. We cannot use motorized equipment to haul tools in to where work needs to be done. We do not get to ride an atv to do trail work. Only one or two are licensed to use a chainsaw, and then only to cut trees that are already downed.  Please have some consideration for the situation. We fought hard for many years to gain MTB access into the State Park System, and the Itusi has become the gold standard for future builds in the NC SP system. Hopefully our current legislature will not cut any more funding and allow the system to mainain at least the current access, and perhaps see growth in other facilities. The LNSP system has reached it MTB capacity as far as mileage. 
Thank you for your consideration.

the national weather service says we will receive a above average amount of rainfall this year. I have found that in NC that means no legal riding. So since my riding will be cut back. I guess that means my annual  contribution to IMBA will be null. If no one rides the trails. What then needs to be done that takes money. Trails do not maintain themselfs. But if there is no one to use them. I'm through, you guys would rather insult me with your hippie name calling.. Life is too precious for your texting buy everything on credit mentality. 

Impaler 58 wrote on 07/01/13 at 1:34am:


Darn you Mother Nature!  Darn you NC!  Darn you IMBA!  I pay good money and I don't deserve to be treated this way!!!   

Sometimes when my kids don't get thier way they act like this too, then they get sent to time out.  Another grouchy abbrasive old guy signing off?  Buh Bye 

yeah, no clt trails gonna be open this summer...prolly spring and winter too. people are gonna have to DWI and just go ride peewees and signal thrill