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Feature article
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Mountain Bike Association adds to Warriors’ Path system
By Doug Janz
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Riding on trails — really good, interesting trails — is something mountain bikers live for. But the trails don’t simply appear; somebody has to create them, nurture them and generally maintain them.
The Northeast Tennessee Mountain Bike Association has long ridden Warriors’ Path State Park’s trails, just like hundreds of other gearheads, both expert and beginner. There’s easy access to steep and technical singletrack, with no fear of ATVs or hunters.
Brian Archer, one of the leaders of the bike club, saw potential for an even better trail system, so the NTMBA went to work on making it a reality. By the end of this month, the club hopes to have its new construction finished.
“We should add a total of a mile and a half up there, giving us a little more than eight miles in all,” Archer said. “It’s a single-track loop around the whole part of the property we have access to.”
Included in the new section will be a long, steep stretch — “It’s the most cosmic,” Archer said — that will be a one-way, downhill-only trail with a few natural obstacles riders can opt to take on.
“It’ll be fun and fast,” Archer said. “We gave names to the trails; one of them is Ridge Top because it goes along the top of the ridge. One is Rock City because it’s got a lot of rocks you have to deal with. This downhill section, I was thinking about what to name it and I got in my truck when I was leaving the park and WQUT was playing ‘Magic Carpet Ride,’ and I thought ‘That would be a cool name.’ And that’s the last part of the current project we’re working on.”
The job started more than two years ago with Archer thinking, “There’s more land here than we’re using.” So he took it upon himself to begin exploring on foot, and to study various maps, including aerial photos, of the area.
There was potential. He saw some good game trails — “Animals tend to make pretty good trails” — along with a few obstacles, like a 15-foot-deep chasm, six or seven feet wide, that drained water and required a bridge over it, plus the stone foundation for an old house that became an interesting trailside sight.
The bike club spent well over 2,000 man-hours on the project, working the last two winters when foliage and ground cover were minimal, and snakes, insects and high temperatures were not factors. Slowly, the mile and a half of new trail has emerged.
Riders will find 1,300 feet of climbing on these trails, despite the fact there is no real mountain to speak of, just a whole lot of up and down.
“It’s very satisfying to do something like this,” Archer said. “I got started seven or eight years ago by volunteering for some trail work, and here I am now designing and developing trails. It’s not only a benefit for ourselves but a chance to leave a legacy for everyone else to enjoy for years to come.”
It’s not complete, but Archer said the club can see the light at the end of the tunnel at Warriors’ Path.
He envisions another construction project sometime in the future that would create a beginner’s loop with obstacles built along the side of the trail, and signs giving some instruction on technique for dealing with those obstacles. This would allow beginners an easy ride, plus the opportunity to develop their technical skills.
The club is also interested in creating a more cohesive, comprehensive trail system in the Buffalo Mountain area outside Johnson City — a vast project that will take even more effort than Warriors’ Path. For now, though, the members think it’s time for some fun.
“We’ve been working at Warriors’ Path every weekend since Jan. 1,” Archer said. “It’ll be nice to see it get done, but we’re tired of working. We’re ready to ride.”
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Doug Janz writes about outdoor adventures in the Tri-Cities and beyond for GoTriCities. E-mail him at DouglasJanz@aol.com.
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