In case anyone is wondering, the opening of phase 1 at SMP Freeride has been put on hold. The gents at the top are working through some details and we hope to have a resolution soon. Until then we ask that you respectfully stay off the unopened trails at SMP.

Happy Shredding,

Shannon

Picture update from recent work

Here are some pictures of the recent work over the weekend.  We are really making some progress towards having a rideable loop.  We have started on two bridges that needed to built before it can be ridden because they spanned very rocky unrideable sections of trail.  Both are nearly completed. The one by the entrance just needs a few more rungs, and it will be good to go.  This bridges has a cool "dirt topped" bridge that was made by building a box frame, filling it with rocks, and then topping it with dirt to finish it off.  The other bridge is at the opposite end of the trail, and spans a small rocky ravine.  All it needs is the rungs put on it.  It will have some  challenge to it due to the exposure on the right side.  A big thanks to Doug and Tony for helping out on their day off, and to Brock and Sean for helping on Sunday.

Stay tuned for a big workday soon. 

Picture update

We have begun working on the features at the entrance to the trail.  This is a bridge that you ride up to get to the trail that takes you to the drop zone. It incorporates some of the rocks we have all over out there. 

Workday Sunday 10-23

Workday this sunday from 3-6.  We will working on a new feature near the entrance so we can connect the entrance with the drop zone.  We'll be setting posts for a new bridge...and that means breaking rocks again.  The good news is that this one isnt nearly as long or as extensive as the drop zone bridges.  We also need to clean up the trail between the features.  This involves some destaubing and a small bench cut section.

Bring gloves, mccleaod, pulaskis.

First Section Done!

This section is finally done. It is NOT open to the public just yet though. We still have to get approval from the land manager before it can be officially opened. Basically what this is is an elevated ladder bridge going into a burm that splits into two seperate lines after the burm. One goes to a 5' drop to a transition, and the other goes to a 1-4' drop to a transition. Both lines have a down ladder so they can be rolled as well. The two drops lead into a table jump over a creek.

August Update

Here are some pics of the work over the past month. The smaller drop is completed, and the bigger drop will be completed very soon. All that's left is some dirt work on the transitions, and this section can be ridden! Check back for pics of work on totally new features.

Picture update

Some pictures of the recent work on the trail. It's getting really close to being rideable.

Impromptu Workday - 6-15-11

When: 5pm(ish)
Where: Power line cut on Ogg Rd head East about 100 yards.
Bring: Safety glasses of some sort, gloves, drills, circular saw if you have it, water and heavy duty bug spray.

We'll be laying rungs (decking) on the drop zone and wooden berm. Contact Patrick or I for questions. See you there.

-Shannon

ERTA Workday Recap

Above: Jay, Kevin, Patrick, Pete, Nick, Joe, and Doug.

I'd like to thank everyone who came out to work and anyone who pitched in to make this trail day happen. I would call it a huge success. It took 12 or 13 men and one young man about 5 hours to do what 3 men have done in 2 months. There are pics here of the the progress and completed framing for the wooden berm and drop zone.

We'd like to thank the Shawnee Rotary Club again, for their generous grant, Timber King (portable saw mills) for their donation of rough cut timber.


Paul and Patrick working on the 5' drop.

Banked Berm coming in to drop zone.

Rocks from the post holes. Good thing we rented that demolition hammer.

The Drop Zone.


-Shannon

Workday This Saturday 5-14

We are having an ERTA sponsored workday this Saturday starting at 8am. We are going to work on digging holes for the posts, framing, and putting the rungs on the first feature. There's a chance we might get to ride it when we're done. We're expecting a big turnout, and lunch will be provided. See you there!

Press Release about Shawnee Rotary Grant for SMP Freeride

http://pressreleases.kcstar.com/?q=node/57623



If you haven't heard, ERTA was awarded $1,000 to put toward the SMP Freeride project by the Shawnee Rotary Club. This couldn't have come at a better time and thus has sparked conversations within ERTA regarding more funding. Great thanks goes out to Neale Shour for providing the opportunity to connect with the Shawnee Rotary Club, and to the Shawnee Rotary Club for providing us with this opportunity to expand this project and boost it into overdrive!

I'd also like to thank Ken Miner and Patrick for meeting up with them to explain who ERTA is, what they do and to receive the check.

Things are looking up gents', so if you aren't coming out to the trail days, you better hop on board because the ball is rollin'!!

With this money, Patrick and I will be purchasing a generator and a jack hammer to aid in the post hole digging as well as a couple 1/2" drivers for the wooden features. This should speed up the progress by about 3x and hopefully we'll have a drop zone, wooden berm, creek jump, and some other features to ride come Summer.

-Shannon

Pics from the Workday

Picture Update

Some pictures of the recent work over the past week. The elevated burm is close to being completed.

Pics from the weekend

Some pics from the work this weekend. Started working on the elevated burm. The 4x4's and the 2x10 are just there for visual purposes now. The line is starting to come together.

Workday Report Sunday 3-27

After last month's auger fail, and realizing that where we had planned on setting posts was a massive layer of bedrock about 6"-12" below the topsoil, we made some real progress yesterday. A couple weeks agao, I had the idea to try using a rock bar to break up the rocks in the holes. I wasnt even sure if that would work, but since we had exhausted every other option I was willing to give it shot. To my suprise, it actually worked, and worked quite well. I was able to get these two holes dug, and the post set. Took about 3 hours of digging through solid rock, but I had made progress.
See Shannon's post for the pics...


Fast foward to this past Sunday. With a renewed life in project, we went out Sunday, and got quite a bit done before the weather closed in on us. Yes that's snow in the end of March. Finally preliminary ladder bridge framing has begun!

Here's the pics.

We had a very successful workday today. Things are finally starting to come together. I'll post pictures tomorrow. Thanks to Doug and Shannon for helping out

Patrick's Been Busy

After a devastatingly disappointing workday late last month, any hope of progress in the near future was not evident by the fruits of our labor.

Today however, I received an email from Patrick with pictures of post holes surrounded by broken chunks of rock. Apparently he got an itch to give good ol' elbow grease a shot at getting through the bed rock that gave Western Electric's "mini auger" an old fashion butt whoopin.

So, we are heading out there again on Sunday, March 27, 2011, armed with post hole diggers and rock bars to show this thing who's boss. If you are available to help out and don't mind a little hard work, let one of us know and we'll get you details.

Here's what one man, a rock bar, and a post hole digger can do in a couple hours.

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Pics from the workday

Didnt get as much done as planned, we ran into some problems when augering holes. Here's the two posts that we could get in the ground.