Big Run Trail Project Description
Date: Sat. 10/26
Meeting Place: Gauley Ranger Station just East of Richwood, WV on Hwy 39.
Meeting time: 10:30 a.m.
General duties: Moving large rocks with rock bars and rock slings to build a gulley crossing & digging.
Event sponsor: Monongahela Outdoor Volunteers, https://www.facebook.com/Monongahela-Outdoor-Volunteers-1180448575459861
Contact info: Steve Jones (615) 419-7601, teamperform@mindspring.com
This is an important part of an economic development project to increase recreation tourism, specifically mountain biking and hiking by clearing trails. Economic development is particularly critical in this area and mountain biking tourism is a proven method for boosting local economies. For instance, Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina brings in $30M per year in mountain biking tourism. Richwood, WV and other gateway communities of the Monongahela National Forest is an area of great need right next to an area of great potential.
Big Run Trail is important because it makes a loop in an area that has few loop rides. It is also one of the few expert-level trails in the area.
Big Run is a 1 mile downhill expert trail in Monongahela National Forest that descends to Hwy 39 from the middle of Fork Mtn trail. It is not marked on this map, but is descends from Fork Mtn ridge section at about the mid-point: https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8017651/richwood
The only work needed to open this trail is the big gulley near the bottom of the trail, about 1/8th mile uphill from the trail head on Hwy 39. This is a big gulley full of mostly large rocks and is currently too dangerous to ride. See the picture on the next page.
The work to be done entails moving large rocks into place to build a crossing. These will be rocks too large to be washed away when the gulley is running with water. Moving them will require a crew using rock bars and rock slings for one work day of approximate 6 hours.
We hope to get free camping within the National Forest for volunteers. We also offer all volunteers a 1 day lift pass and bike rental at Snowshoe Mountain Bike Park for 12 hours of work. We will consider drive time part of that 12 hours for people driving down from Morgantown. Note that the Bike Park closes on Oct. 13, 2019, so the passes will be good for 2020.
NOTE: Student volunteers have the option to arrange their own transportation to the Gauley Ranger Station or they can get a ride there and back in one of our WVU vans -- leaving the Mountainlair at 8 am and then returning at 8 pm back to the Mountainlair. Please indicate which transportation option you will be selecting when you sign up for this volunteer need in iServe. For more information regarding transportation on Saturday, October 26th, please contact Doug Arbogast (the WVU project lead) at 304-288-3890.
