The Fats is UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

[treybo1]

I was at the work party today for several reasons. The first of those reasons is that Bill kept telling me how amazing it was. I kept hearing things like "Dark Side of the Moon", "The Brown Wave", and "Shuttle Run" and just had to see this for myself. I assumed that the description of the trails being built were optimistic at best. Well I am the first to admit when I am wrong (those of you who know me well know that the above statement is complete horse!@#$! as I never admit when I am wrong) Man...was I wrong!! The trail that is on the ground right now is nothing short of amazing. I thought that the trail at Tower would be good but I never expected what I was on today!! Banked turns ;D, Big as you want to go jumps , scenic views of the water , and Climbing .Yes actual climbing!! The Fats ( It will always be Tower to Me) is going to be awesome!!

The second reason I went today was my commitment (so many months ago) to the volunteer effort. I committed 50 hours to this project because it is what we have been fighting for all along. All the countless hours of trail maintenance, bridge construction, re-routes, mowing, flood repair, and trail construction are worth exactly squat if we don't follow through and finish what we started. I know ; I know... the yard needs work, I need to spend "quality time " with the wife and kids, and (insert excuse of choice here). The simple truth is that if you committed anything to this project and have not followed through you need to get off your butt and do what you said you would do!! We need your help!! Bill pointed out a very sobering fact today at the work party. He asked me to look around at the people who were hard at work and count how many have ridden the old Tower. I counted three! Of the 20+ people in attendance only three had ever ridden the Tower of old. The other 17 were swinging Pulaskis because they committed to it before the project ever started! That is integrity! I looked it up for those whom the concept is unknown.

integrity
/integriti/

• noun 1 the quality of being honest and morally upright. 2 the state of being whole or unified. 3 soundness of construction

We need to step up and finish what we started!!

My last reason is simple. Good friends, fresh air, and mountain biking...what else do you need?

Trey

***Attention reader...Trey has left the Soapbox!****

[ted]

shame
1 a : a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety

This is my word for the day. I used to have the excuse of being 2700 miles away and couldn't do trail work. Now I'm only 120 miles away and have no reason for not showing up. If Trey can get off his a** and do trail work when there is soooooooo much else he needs to do, then my lame excuses such as too far to drive or my truck won't start, make me feel tremendous shame.
Trey, you are an inspiration to us all...err...well at least me. If you continue to go then I'll have no excuse but to get there any way I can.
Congratulations, only 45 more hours to go.

BTW: Troy never finished SM100 did he?
PS BTW: Why are you still a Fred? Seems like you'd be a gear masher by now. You've been a member since 1999. and

[RF]

Trey hit the nail on the head! The FATS is an AWESOME trail that will blow your mind. I had the opportunity to ride the trail for the first time yesterday after a productive four and half hour work party. My expectations were met and then some. The flow of the trail reminded me of a roller coaster ride. Once you start, you aren't stopping till the end. And then you want more. I felt like a kid in a candy shop.

For all you riders that haven't had the opportunity to help out with this trail, you need to make time to volunteer your effort. You will have a chance to meet a determined bunch that are ready for this trail to be completed. Also, you will see up close how well this trail was built. This trail will be in "your" back yard and believe me, if you like to ride, you WILL be riding this trail.

Do your part and help out! Soon, the trail will be ready to ride and you can say you helped build the "PHATTTEST" trail around. ;D

[azdrawdy]

The better half and myself moved to the CSRA probably five years ago, went to a few meetings, and quickly got pretty involved in the local SORBA chapter. We volunteered to take care of Lick Fork/Horn Creek, but we always heard about the "old school" guys and their fondness for the Tower Trail. There sure as he** weren't any directions to getting to or riding this "Tower Trail", and it seemed like it was a well-guarded old school secret.

Then the talk started about a legal "Tower Trail". Same general area so the terrain would be similar. It was years in the making...It was going to surpass anything the SE has to offer...Twenty to thirty miles was just the beginning...It would be built to present IMBA standards. Our mouths watered. It gave us a chance to be a part of something BIG.

We signed up for 50 volunteer hours each, and waited...and waited...and bought a house less than ten minutes away...and waited...and then the trail building started. And let me tell anyone that is reading this: If you don't get in on the ground level of this trail system, you will forever (if you ride a bicycle) kick yourself squarely in the middle of your brown starfish. This trail, with only five miles built so far, is stunning. This will be a legit, rocking Tower Trail, except the new name is Forks Area Trail System.

Climbs? You got'em! Whoop de doos? Ditto! Berms? WOW! Boy do you have'em! This trail is built with the latest IMBA ideas and knowledge, and it rocks! Some of the areas have unofficial nicknames, and I assure you that a whole bunch more nicknames will follow. This trail has personality.

To go along with its personality, it needs volunteers. We need people out there with shovels and loppers and rakes and McLeods and Pulaskis in their hands. We don't need need you to spend eight hours out there at a time. Two or three will help tremendously! Yeah, just take a few hours out of your time and let's make a trail that will be here for a looooong time! If you have not been in on the ground breaking of a new trail, then you are in for a treat. You will be left speechless!

Looking forward to seeing some people out there!

Michael

[seenvic]

You like jumping?



How about an elevated turn?



Be careful on The Brown Wave:



How about some climbing?



This is your new best friend. Come meet him sometime:

[shaun]

I missed the work party last weekend. Is the loop completed?

[seenvic]

Be ware of the rocks!

Be very aware of the rocks.

And, the trail is still closed to the public. So be ware of the man as well.

[shaun]

Did you guys build a rock garden?? Where? Will loop #2 go up to the old camp?

[seenvic]

2 rock gardens are now in the Brown Wave Loop. One nice rock bridge in the loop under construction.

The loop under construction will eventually come all the way around to the campground. It is estimated to be about 9 miles long.

The FATS is too wet to ride. The freshly turned tread can't shed water like the older, more compacted trails.

Please stay off it.

[seenvic]

Nice pic of the rock to rock bridge the crew built last week:



No pics yet, but they also armored a section that had two seeps in it. (A seep is a where the ground water is "seeping" thru the topsoil creating a wet, muddy mess). It is about 150 feet of fully rock armored trail with two lines to ride. One is pretty basic and the other has rock step ups to get up and over. It's weird to see 150' of trail, locally, with absolutely no dirt visible....all rock. It will be one of the many landmarks of the FATS. I stared at it for 20 minutes in disbelief. Sweet.

Again, the trails are not open to the public, yet. With the wet conditions, the crew can not even "test the flow" anymore. I plead with you all to stay off the trails. They can not take traffic presently.

[wooglin]

Got all the way over to N Augusta from Columbia yesterday on my way to the workparty when I had the sick realization that although I'd turned the water on in the kitchen sink to fill a gallon jug, I couldn't remember turning it off. So I had to turn around and go home.

It was off of course, but better safe than sorry.

[seenvic]

wooglin said:

Got all the way over to N Augusta from Columbia yesterday on my way to the workparty when I had the sick realization that although I'd turned the water on in the kitchen sink to fill a gallon jug, I couldn't remember turning it off. So I had to turn around and go home.

It was off of course, but better safe than sorry.

That's an all time top five