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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse (Read 1576 times)
zino
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Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
02/14/15 at 12:18am
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I talked to Rodney at the Uwharrie District office today.  Of course the multi-use thing at Uwharrie mandates that both Supertree and Keyawee fire roads get "graded" (by a bull dozer, not a front end loader....hence the crude nature of the "grading").  He says if we, the mountain bike community, come up with a proposal to keep these sections of the fire roads open thru our work of clipping tree growth, etc,......well, then they can stop using the bull dozer.

Given we've spent over a hundred thousand dollars on this trail it seems logical we can come up with some type of effort to keep the total obliteration of the trails.

If we don't?  Well, Keyawee fire road is next.  Rodney is very open and willing to work with us.

  
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Enoch
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #1 - 02/14/15 at 12:51am
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THe corridor is 20+ feet wide now. THere were not any drainage issue that I could tell on Supertree that could not have been handled by a small skid steer at best. Most of the puddles could have been drained by a little hand work.

  
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zino
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #2 - 02/14/15 at 1:22am
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I find it interesting that yet again we are asked to fill out questionnaires on Uwharrie- full evidence of the "study" and "plan" culture that both delays and sucks so much time and money out of the act of building and maintaining mountain bike trails....all while there is nearly zero communication or knowledge about what is already there on the ground and how fragile the trail system is to a D-10 Caterpillar bulldozer.

Supertree could have been navigated by a Prius prior to the grading.  Now?  Well, a monster truck is needed.






  
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #3 - 02/15/15 at 5:47pm
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Help me be clear on what I am reading.  Are we saying that after 10 years and $100,000.00 (maybe more) of grant money plus much work by volunteers, Uwharrie COULD end up as a 7-8 mile Mtn. Bike trail........ which is the primary use of that area.
  
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Robert C.
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #4 - 02/16/15 at 4:56pm
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I'm lost here, but I'm sure it's me.  Is the issue that there are dozers working on the fire roads, or have they actually started to dig into the trails themselves.  If the trails, how much mileage has actually been damaged?

  
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #5 - 02/16/15 at 8:26pm
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Robert C. wrote on 02/16/15 at 4:56pm:
I'm lost here, but I'm sure it's me.  Is the issue that there are dozers working on the fire roads, or have they actually started to dig into the trails themselves.  If the trails, how much mileage has actually been damaged?



Actual trail has not been touched, the lower road leading in to the trail has been graded to and past the flat creek crossing. It is now (this no exaggeration) wide enough for 3 large firetrucks to ride side by side.  They started off pretty good, but after the creek is pretty rough. It will be horrible after a rain and the freeze/thaw.  Lots of exposed red clay and a very rough and bumpy surface. It was way smoother before the work,  that area had become almost impervious to the thaw cycling. It took 2 years to get that way after the last logging session. 

I do hope they forgo work on the upper section of road. It is at least 30 feet wide now and only had 2 small sections that had signs of water puddling.

Once again, the trail is ok, but you have to ride the road to get there.
« Last Edit: 02/16/15 at 8:40pm by Enoch »  
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Robert C.
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #6 - 02/16/15 at 8:32pm
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Thanks for the clarity Jerry.
  
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #7 - 02/16/15 at 8:57pm
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Maybe I'm dense, but how does this type of "grading" support "multi-use?"  It seems like it would be difficult for anything to get through if it's that messed up.
  
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #8 - 02/17/15 at 1:57am
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Yes it would be far better for the vehicle access and mountain bikers if once the road is graded correctly, which it mostly was before the current dozer invasion, to run a bush hog around the fire roads once every two years or so.  The roads are mostly in the shade so the undergrowth is slow to get started.

I really don't understand how any adult can rationalize what is done to the Uwharrie fire roads.  The Keyawee timbering and trucks running that corridor a couple years ago left the Keyawee fire roads in the best condition ever.  But......the logger had to re-condition the forest so this bunch literally plows the Keyawee fire road up and down the hill, vastly increasing the erosion and making the trail completely stopped, or a mud slog, for mountain bikers.  Grass was planted and it grew for 3 weeks before dying.

As I've written our ancestors would have belly laughed till they fell down with stomach spasms watching plowing that followed the fall line.  Planting grass in super acid soil in the shade?  I knew better than that when I was in middle school.

Please guys, sit on your hands and do nothing!
« Last Edit: 02/17/15 at 1:58am by zino »  
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #9 - 02/18/15 at 2:32am
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Forgive my ignorance, but I'm puzzled as to what other use they're trying to enhance. What use requires being able to take vehicles all the way around the Supertree fire roads? It was my understanding that the area was designed for mtn biking, hiking, hunting,and camping. I don't see that the massive grading did anything at all to facilitate those activities, and in fact detracted from all of them. Unless they want hunters to be able to drive to their tree. (I deer hunt as much as I mtn bike, so I'm not attacking hunters.)

Just trying to understand the objective here.
« Last Edit: 02/18/15 at 2:34am by Cherokee »  
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #10 - 02/18/15 at 3:27am
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First of all, I understand that riders get emotional when a trail system is facing any kind of modification.  Whether it is an improvement or otherwise, it should understandably grab the mountain biking community's attention. 

Uwharrie, unlike other trails, could be lost due to lack of involvement not to new development.  Instead of focusing on the past issues, look at the current status of trail and how to protect this delicate resource.  I understand that this is not everyone's back yard trail, but it is worth the effort.   

And yes, I am in for whatever help is needed.  This is a special trail that should be more appreciated. 

  
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #11 - 02/18/15 at 1:16pm
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The problem isn't lack of involvement or that the trails could get lost.  Not at all.  The forest service people want us there 100%.  The problem is that what is known today by the Uwharrie District people is not handed off to the new personnel.
  
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #12 - 02/18/15 at 4:46pm
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OK, Talked to Rodney today,  They were closed Monday and Tuesday due to Presidents Day and the Weather.

He believes they are currently done with the grading right now but is going to check to make sure.  If more grading is necessary then he will contact us and give us the chance to take care of what they are looking for before moving forward with what they have done in the past.  The biggest reason for the grading..... Fire Break.   They have to do some controlled burns soon so it is necessary for them to have a good Fire Break in place.  The easiest way for the under funded forest service to create a good fire break is to use one large machine operated by 1 person to do what we have seen been done.  They are very in favor of passing this task off to another group to do this (Free Labor for them) and will contact us in the future.  We would have to meet with them to see exactly what they are looking for, and then we would be able to organize something, within a reasonable amount of time, to take care of it before they have to take care of it.

Stay tuned.  If you have any questions feel free to ask or PM me.  Ill tell you what I know
  
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #13 - 02/18/15 at 5:08pm
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Thanks Tom.
  
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Re: Major Uwharrie trail issue....set to get worse
Reply #14 - 02/18/15 at 6:48pm
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Doc00t wrote on 02/18/15 at 4:46pm:
OK, Talked to Rodney today,  They were closed Monday and Tuesday due to Presidents Day and the Weather.

He believes they are currently done with the grading right now but is going to check to make sure.  If more grading is necessary then he will contact us and give us the chance to take care of what they are looking for before moving forward with what they have done in the past.  The biggest reason for the grading..... Fire Break.   They have to do some controlled burns soon so it is necessary for them to have a good Fire Break in place.  The easiest way for the under funded forest service to create a good fire break is to use one large machine operated by 1 person to do what we have seen been done.  They are very in favor of passing this task off to another group to do this (Free Labor for them) and will contact us in the future.  We would have to meet with them to see exactly what they are looking for, and then we would be able to organize something, within a reasonable amount of time, to take care of it before they have to take care of it.

Stay tuned.  If you have any questions feel free to ask or PM me.  Ill tell you what I know

Fire break makes more sense than for multi-use.
  
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