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Windrock NOW!!!!!

motobutane

Monkey
Apr 27, 2010
516
0
WNC
Yes, kind of. Will probably be in the woods to the left of 14 and I was thinking of coming into the freeride section on the old go around of the first little double before the first big drop.
Holy crap all this sounds like I might need a map to get down:eek:
When is this total restructure gonna take place?
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Yep. It will make it easier. Just drop in a trail and shred. No choosing and cross crossing.

It will take at least a couple months to get all of it done. But well do one trail at a time.
 

motobutane

Monkey
Apr 27, 2010
516
0
WNC
Yep. It will make it easier. Just drop in a trail and shred. No choosing and cross crossing.

It will take at least a couple months to get all of it done. But well do one trail at a time.
I really don't know what to type:shocked: I guess I'm use to the pansyazz MTBR crowd:eek: for someone to have a plan is usually unheard of.Their idea of trail maint. seems to be a " Lets dumb it down" approach, but to be concerned about " Flow" = thats thinking in the right direction!I was already impressed with how many trails there were(even though some were short/connector type trails)and they all had a gravitational pull which seems to feed my adrenaline need :weee:
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Thanks. Windrock is Windrock for a reason. Its always been well thought out and crap doesn't make it to market. In fact there are trails in progress that haven't been opened because they aren't up to Windrock standards yet. Just like any good company making a product we product test with experts, get feedback, make adjustments, and when its ready we open it.

Maintenance has always been top priority and we don't build new stuff until the old stuff is fixed and rideable. There are hours of erosion control work done that most can't even see. Things like leaving the leaves on in the winter and how to reroute water are tricks we've learned in the past 8 years. I can't count the days I have gone up there in the rain to walk the trails and find water problems to be fixed. Its a labor of love. Spending an entire Saturday to weed eat and get stung by yellow jackets in oppressive heat is not how I want to spend my time, but the first run down makes it all worth it.

Guys like Brian Poston, Mark Webb, and Terry Jeffers have a gift. They can see and build trails that work so well. I crapped one golden egg (Starting ****) and even then it took two years to be routed and re-routed to make it what it is today. I usually handle maintenance and let those guys lay out the masterpieces.

We do have a plan and stuff like this happens every year. It keeps it fresh and we never take out a trail, we just reroute, let the old ones heal, and eventually recycle them back in to operation.

If you want in your face old style Windrock wait until we open the new Dark Hollow. Last time I rode it in 2004 I broke two vertebrae. :eek:
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
If you want in your face old style Windrock wait until we open the new Dark Hollow. Last time I rode it in 2004 I broke two vertebrae. :eek:
That's the one I think Joey and Ben took me on when I asked for some variation my second time there and then afterwards said. "I'm good!" If I recall, it's like Southern Rocks if you flipped it on it's end? Maybe somewhere between Snake Rock and the old race course....:confused:
 

drkenan

anti-dentite
Oct 1, 2006
3,441
1
west asheville
You've gotta be kidding...are you planning to reopen dark hollow? I'll come and help just for the shear joy of watching other people try to ride that. And Butch is right - it's like a steep version of Southern Rocks.
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
The Omni-Shield. Its tuff stuff. I saw it get thoroughly tested in Rail Yard.

Yeah, I'm not sure how Dark Hollow is going to turn out. But its not my intention to just hack together a death defying run like it used to be. But I'll spend as much time as possible to build up the trailbed and get rid of the holes that made it so technical. Calling Brian Poston. Calling Brian Poston. Rock work to be done.

But Windrock needs a bit more in your face stuff.
 

ncrider

Turbo Monkey
Aug 15, 2004
1,564
0
Los Angeles
All that sounds awesome. Rode southern rocks for the first time last weekend and thought it was really fun. It reminded me a lot of a short version of Tunnels in Santa Barbara. Not very technical though, just fun rock plowing. Dark Hollow sounds like it'll be the big brother of Southern Rocks. So glad I bought a year pass!
 

jekyll991

Monkey
Nov 30, 2009
478
0
Belfry, KY
Any particular weekends you'll be working on the trails, or is it going to be an every weekend ordeal?

I'd love to come down and help for a weekend. I've worked with Woody @ trail dynamics in NC on a few occasions (helped re-work cornmeal shoals and green's lick) - so I know the basics of building sustainable trails.

I'd also like to ride some of the moto single track with you guys, but there aren't enough days in a weekend for that and I'm sure you all don't want to have to wait on my slow ass the whole time haha.
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Oh yeah. We don't work from the IMBA handbook. We try to make sustainable where forced but kick ass is really the only guideline we build to.
 

miragebass

Chimp
Oct 9, 2008
88
0
I think NCrider meant the other trail he was talking about wasn't very technical. The more I ride Southern Rocks the more I start to see the little techy lines through it. Of course last weekend was about the worst run through it I've ever had. I suppose it doesn't help if you do two higher speed windmill runs right before it, including the extended ending, then do So. Rocks as your last run.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
1,053
behind you with a snap pop
I think NCrider meant the other trail he was talking about wasn't very technical. The more I ride Southern Rocks the more I start to see the little techy lines through it. Of course last weekend was about the worst run through it I've ever had. I suppose it doesn't help if you do two higher speed windmill runs right before it, including the extended ending, then do So. Rocks as your last run.
I hear ya.
Southern rocks is about finding the RIGHT speed to go down it. Too slow and it ends up bogging you down and beating you up. And too fast, well then you end up like Loo upside down with your business in the air, and holes in your fork. ;)
Man, I need another dose of Windrock.
 

jekyll991

Monkey
Nov 30, 2009
478
0
Belfry, KY
Oh yeah. We don't work from the IMBA handbook. We try to make sustainable where forced but kick ass is really the only guideline we build to.
Yeah I figured so, I just felt it was worth mentioning...


It may be a couple weeks before my moto is running. Valves need shimmed and I'm pretty sure the decompression mechanism isn't working on my intake cam so I have to get that lined out before I bother with the shims. I'll let you know when I do though. :thumb:
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Snakerock got a major face lift today. There is some really good new stuff.

Railyard and Old Windmill don't have a complete ending right now. So be aware. We are rerouting back across the creek like the old exit years ago. Get ready for some STFD!

We'll be back up there next Saturday and should have those new endings finished.
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Reopened right turn in Snakerock. This used to be the original line in Snakerock just after the power line crossing. Last year's line went straight here just to the right of the sapling but we closed that and brought back some classic Windrock turns. This also added some trail distance and rejoins the trail at the little drop just before the next hard right hand turn.



The other big changes are a reroute of the first flat rock garden. That got closed and the line got moved to the left about 20 feet. A line was started there year's ago and was never finished. I think its going to be good. Its rocky, as usual, and has some cool features. For now thew old line will remain closed. Additionally Snakerock is now separate from the Road Gap. To access the Road Gap take Middle Finger.

The other big new addition is the closure of Jawbone and its run out from the Earnhardt line. Just before turning right to run into the Jawbone drop the trail will go straight and take the old Dragon line that was built year's ago. We need to do some reworking to massage the flow and speed but I really look forward to its addition. I think for now Jawbone might stay open but can only be accessed from taking the Bedrock connector, if you know where that is.

As mentioned Rail Yard and Old Windmill are getting rerouted so that they don't rejoin Jawbone but go to the left and will finished where the other Windmill trails finish.
 
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motobutane

Monkey
Apr 27, 2010
516
0
WNC
Damn I'm wore out from just reading what was done. This is really gonna be a new experience for me, I have only ridden WR with total leaf cover and alot of turns were missed and not seen altogether.Now I'll have to change tires and put on a nice jersey:weee:
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
I'd like to see the result of Bobbitt on a DH bike!
I predict high air pressure in the tires and super stiff suspension.;)

As an aside to Southern Rocks, mega-props always go out to Brian Quillen for taking on Southern Rocks on his 3rd DH run....EVER! It old news, but still pure awesomeness. And not one complaint.:thumb:
 

Metal Dude

Turbo Monkey
Apr 7, 2006
1,139
0
Smackdonough, GA
Bobbitt and his buddies used to ride with me at my slalom track alot about 6-7 years ago.
He had some Dj's behind his house that were pretty cool, they actually rode bikes alot and were good at it for sure.
I tried to talk him into getting into racing back then and he wanted to just didn't have the time with racing motorcycles. I would imagine that if he were going to give it a try it would have been back then.
 

drkenan

anti-dentite
Oct 1, 2006
3,441
1
west asheville
The other big new addition is the closure of Jawbone and its run out from the Earnhardt line. Just before turning right to run into the Jawbone drop the trail will go straight and take the old Dragon line that was built year's ago. We need to do some reworking to massage the flow and speed but I really look forward to its addition. I think for now Jawbone might stay open but can only be accessed from taking the Bedrock connector, if you know where that is.

As mentioned Rail Yard and Old Windmill are getting rerouted so that they don't rejoin Jawbone but go to the left and will finished where the other Windmill trails finish.
Damn this sounds awesome. So now Snakerock finishes at Earnhart, right? Then we'll have the option of going the old way or the new Dragon line?

And Old Windmill finishing up where New Windmill does seems strange. Isn't there a big creek in the middle?

When's the next work day?

Edit: Squeezing in one more question - are coal berms still open?
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Damn this sounds awesome. So now Snakerock finishes at Earnhart, right? Then we'll have the option of going the old way or the new Dragon line?

And Old Windmill finishing up where New Windmill does seems strange. Isn't there a big creek in the middle?

When's the next work day?

Edit: Squeezing in one more question - are coal berms still open?
Yeah you could put it that way. Snakerock ends at Earnhardt with two options.

1. Bedrock to Jawbone to Spine
2. Earnhardt to Dragon to Spine

Once you choose you can't cross back to the other.

Yes there is a big creek to cross. You actually cross two of its tributaries on the Old Windmill. There is a new rock bridge across its narrowest point just below the Coal Berms. Yes the Coal Berms are still open. They can only be reached via Rail Yard or Old Windmill but you will not be able to get back to Jawbone. These two trails will exit at the finish of the other Windmills runs.

They are calling for 100% rain on Saturday with 1"+ rain. Even with the upper 60s weather we have been having we have had a lot of rain this week. Expect wet to gross conditions on Sunday with lots of deadfall. I think Windrock got 5" of rain on Monday. We had some epic flooding and wind damage. Harper's Bikes Shop got flooded. We have a crew going in on Sunday to clean up and repair.
 

bmbass

Chimp
Sep 20, 2010
52
0
Hippyville, NC
Any chance of there ever being a fast flowy park-like run out yonder in windrock? I do love the rocky gnar-gnar and appreciate the hell out of all the work that goes into it. Just think it would be a nice addition.
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Any chance of there ever being a fast flowy park-like run out yonder in windrock?
Windrock is Windrock. No changing that.

Let me explain a little further.

Its not that we haven't tried to. But two big reasons keep it from happening. First, the mountain is nothing but rock. Dirt is pretty rare. Its pretty amazing how much rock we have to dig through and remove when we bench a trail. Its tough on rogue hoe blades.

Second, like it or not we build the trails for ourselves. There is a small group of locals that make the investment to build these trails. We don't get paid or even get a cut from the land use permits. We take our weekends and even some vacation time to build trails that we want to ride. The longer we ride and build up here, the more we come to appreciate and fall in love with Windrock's unique favor. Steep and rocky.

Like you said park style courses are fun and I look forward to trips where I can experience that style of trail. Places which have full time trail crews have the budget, equipment and staff to build and maintain those types of trails.
 
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