Virginia: Building a Strong Foundation

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew visits western Virginia.

Chris Betz, of East Coasters Cycling and Fitness, rides up the newly rock armored corner on the Old Farm Trail in Blacksburg.
Trail Care Crew leader Mark Schmidt teams with Homer Simpson (actual name) to gather rocks for the trail project in Blacksburg.
Lora works with a volunteer to place the large rocks.
A proud but tired crew takes a break to look at the new piece of stone pitched trail. Learn more about rock armoring.
The 'before' and 'after' of the new trail section in Blacksburg. Rocks can be used to reduce user impacts but are not the solution to erosion caused by water. If you are hardening a trail with rock make sure to include proper drainage.
Douthat State Park was the site of a land manager training that saw more than 50 attendees from all over the state.
What better way to learn about trails then to go out and use them? The land managers all got a chance to check out some of Douthat's legendary singletrack.
While one group was off riding, other groups learned to layout trail, and then got their hands dirty building some bench.
Once everyone had the chance to swing a tool, Rich Edwards from IMBA's Trail Solutions program brought out the big toys and demonstrated how to construct trail with a machine.
Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leader Lora Woolner samples the new trail built during the school.
To wrap up IMBA's visit to Virginia, Chris Scott (IMBA state rep) organized a mini mountain bike summit. Advocates from all around the state shared ideas and successes from the past few years.

Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner toured western Virginia this April, visiting George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in the Appalachian Mountains. The team left their legacy of sustainable trail design and construction behind as they worked with volunteers and land managers from throughout the state.

In Blacksburg, members of the Friends of Pandapas Pond, Poverty Creek Mountain Bike Patrol, and East Coasters Bike Shop set out to repair a severely eroded corner on the Old Farm Trail. With guidance from the Crew, volunteers learned the ancient technique of stone pitching and left behind a dramatic statement of what can be accomplished when a few people put their minds (and muscles) together.

Douthat State Park, in Millboro, was the site of a state-wide land manager training, sponsored by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. The Crew partnered with IMBA Trail Solutions' Rich Edwards to conduct an IMBA Trailbuilding School focusing on issues specific to Virginia land managers and showcasing the use of mechanized tools to construct trail. Later in the week, mountain bike advocates from all over the state gathered in Douthat to share concerns and successes, and discuss the formation of a statewide organization.