IMBA week in North Carolina

IMBA Trail News
Volume 12, Number 4
September 1999

Located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, Nantahala Outdoor Center is one of the premier outdoor recreation destinations in the country. Surrounded by the Nantahala National Forest, NOC is base camp for hundreds of miles of nearby mountain bike trails. Seven miles from NOC lies the US Forest Service-managed Tsali Recreation Area, which boasts more than 30 miles of some of the sweetest singletrack anywhere.

IMBA and NOC have teamed to bring three exceptional mountain bike-related conferences and workshops to this beautiful part of North Carolina. Don't miss out on this chance to visit this spectacular area and learn from some of the most knowledgeable people in mountain biking. Register for one or more of the following:

November 5-7
'99 National Mountain Bike Patrol Instructor Training Conference

The third annual NMBP Instructor Training Conference will be a mixture of presentations, panel discussions, question & answer sessions, scenario training, and hands-on practice sessions. The goal of the conference is to enable attendees to return to their respective regions
with the necessary education and information to start a patrol group and train patrollers.

Registration fee is $125 and includes lodging Friday and Saturday night, and meals (Friday dinner through Sunday lunch). For more information or to register, contact IMBA at 303-545-9011 or email .

November 8-11
(two overlapping sessions)
Land Manager Workshops

These two-day workshops taught by IMBA's Trails Resource Director Kurt Loheit will cover the design and construction of non-motorized multiple use trails. This program is specifically designed for land managers. The course is spread over two overlapping days that provide repeated sessions, giving attendees the option to best schedule their time, or to revisit important topics.

The first day of the workshop will start with an overview of the program, and move into trail design techniques. Topics covered will include defining control points, structures, and contouring. The classroom session will be followed by a walk of an ongoing trail construction project at NOC to discuss the approach used for the design. The second day will provide construction workshops in the field. The morning session will focus on trail alignment techniques, followed by afternoon construction workshops that include switchback, rockwall and drainage projects.

Registration fee is $100 and lodging is $13-$18/night. Meals are available at the on-site restaurant. To register, contact IMBA at 303-545-9011 or email .

November 12-14
1999 IMBA/NOC Trailbuilding Camp

Join a weekend of fun and learning, working on mountain bike trails in the Nantahala National Forest, with free lodging, cheap meals and guidance from some of the country's leading authorities in trail design, construction and maintenance.

Friday night's discussion of techniques and methods of trail work will be put to use on Saturday when participants will roll up their sleeves and spend a full day building and fixing trails. Saturday night's panel discussion with representatives from area bike clubs, IMBA and the USFS is guaranteed to provide an informative look into the all-important skills of working with local land managers. Sunday provides a choice of continuing to learn and work on various trail projects or riding and admiring the fruits of Saturday's labors.

Registration is only $20 and lodging is free. Meals are available at the on-site restaurant. For registration information, contact NOC Bike Programs at 888-662-1662 ext.600. Visit www.noc.com/trail.htm .

-Jon Alegranti

Photos courtesy Nantahala Outdoor Center