Tour de Volunteer in Tennessee

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leads Trailbuilding Schools from the Mississippi River to the Great Smoky Mountains

Mid-South Trails Association President Eddie Nunn is the proud owner of this IMBA-cycle, which is complete with a Long Live Long Rides fork.
See if you can find all eight different versions of this fall-line trail...
...some of which can swallow a man!
A full bench contour trail will solve the perpetual erosion and braiding problem on Shelby Farms trails. Get ready for more and better trails to come at this huge urban park.
The Friends of Haw Ridge are an eager bunch. Here they pose with the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew before setting out to re-route a fall-line trail that had become a stream.
Working hard and fast, the bench cutting crew built an almost quarter-mile re-route by day's end.
The Friends of Haw Ridge is a multi-user group devoted to Haw Ridge Park's trails. Open communication among equestrians, hikers, and mountain bicyclists have made this city park a multi-use success story.
Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leader Scott Linnenburger tests the flow of the new trail section.

Aaryn Kay and Scott Linnenburger of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew spent the second half of April working with volunteers in Tennessee to create more and better singletrack. From the sinuous trails of the Memphis area, to the incredible rock formations of the National Park Service's Big South Fork National Recreation Area, to the steep ridges of eastern Tennessee, the state has terrain for everyone and a contingent of concerned singletrack lovers to build and maintain the trails.

At each stop, the Crew worked with local bicycle clubs to replace eroding fall-line trails with sweeping, roller coaster-like singletrack. At Shelby Farms in Memphis, the end result will be complete replacement of rutted, fall-line pasture trails with fast, flowing tread. The reinvigorated Mid-South Trails Association is committed to turning this 4,000-acre park into a singletrack haven.

Next up, Scott and Aaryn paid a visit to Big South Fork National Recreation Area. With natural arches, big caves, an incredible river and lots of land, this is a recreation paradise not yet on the radar of most mountain bicyclists. The recreation area is undergoing a formal management plan that includes trails, and the administration is looking at multi-use management strategies. Scott and Aaryn met with the park superintendent and planner to discuss how to incorporate bikers with other users. The park's incredible facilities and terrain could support well over 100 miles of singletrack. If you live within 500 miles of this gem, stay informed of the Big South Fork situation and take the time to write a letter to the National Park Service stating your support for increased singletrack opportunities. For more information, contact Joe Cross at .

The opportunity is already present in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Haw Ridge Park provides 20 miles of ridgeline, lake view, and rocky riding. The Friends of Haw Ridge are taking the maintenance lead on existing paths in the park to nip erosion problems and replace unsustainable trails with a better-designed system that will last decades. With the local Life Development Center launching a Trips for Kids/Sprockids program, soon there will be singletrack opportunities for beginners to cut their teeth and prepare for the technical climbing that abounds on the ridge.

Many thanks to Eddie Nunn, Joe Cross, Chris Stubbs, Boyd Evans, Tom Dunigan, Joanne Grimes, Mark Patterson, and Kent Bailey for all their hard work, support, and mountain biking love. The Volunteer State is on the move and IMBA State Rep, Sam Poyner, is looking to build synergies with clubs across the state. He is currently working to purchase and outfit a tool trailer, and he aims to initiate more interclub ride, work and advocacy activities.