The OHV Trail Report

DRaider90

DRaider90

Uwharrie Off-Road Volunteering
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Location
Weddington, NC
The OHV Trail Report - UPDATED!

In an effort to keep all the trail related information in one area I have come up with this little idea. All information including trail work/modifications, trail re-routes, new trails, re-opening old trail(s)/road(s) etc will be posted here. Sure it will probably be covered in the work day threads etc when stuff happens, but this will be the main place to check/keep up to date with what is going on. Because during the up and coming couple of years there will be a lot of changes to the OHV Trail system. :beer:
 
Alright here we go. Got to talk with Terry Savery today and got to discuss what I can release as far as trail information goes.

First off lets cover the new trail(s)/trail expansion that is being planned. They will be releasing maps during the commenting period for people to preview what is planned for the Trail System. I wasn't given an exact time frame on this but as soon as I know I will let you guys know. So not only do we get a new trail(s)/trail expansion, we will get time to comment on their plans to make changes etc.

2nd we have trail re-routes that will be taking place. The big re-routes will be covered in the comment period. The closest one to bet implemented is for Saw Mill, they will be laying out the re-route next month in July. So the re-route may be done as early as the end of summer, we will see though. Other trails have re-routes planned, BUT the details aren't set in stone for these trails so I was told not to release anything about them yet. Just know Saw Mill won't be the only trail undergoing re-routes.

3rd we have major trail construction will be going on starting after the July 4th weekend. Rocky Mountain Loop and Falls Dam will be the subjects of this work. She didn't have the contract details but there will be some fairly large changes going on. Due to the extensive work being done, the current plan is to close those 2 trails during the week, and have them re-open during the weekend until the trail work is complete. Which is better than what happened in 2008 when Falls Dam was closed for a couple months for the Art L. Memorial Campground construction.

4th is the bridge that will be going in. Most of you know the little tiny stream crossing before the "easy rock climb" on Dickey Bell (aka Streams Ledge). For those looking at a map the section between roads 553 and 6584. A bridge will be going in across the little stream to avoid sedimentation/runoff issues. So this section of Dickey Bell will also be closed in the post 4th of July weekend time frame. This is the smallest closure because that little section only accounts for maybe 5% of the Dickey Bell trail.

That part of the trail is technically an ATV Only section of Dickey Bell. If you have driven it before you probably noticed its a tight fit in areas with some sharp/close turns. This is why. It originally wasn't meant for ORV travel. But over time more and more rigs (ORVs) have been on it, so not many even know that its ATV only. So to keep this section of Dickey Bell open to ORV and ATV use, the bridge is going in.

That covers it for now. There is a lot more information out there concerning the trail system, it just hasn't all been cleared for public release yet. As more information is marked for public release I will post it up! :beer:
 
Update on the Falls Dam and Rocky Mnt Loop Closures, plus trail closures related to the bridges:

The work on Rocky Mountain Loop Trail will be done in sections so sections of the trail will be closed during the maintenance work. The contractors intend begin at the southern crossing below Dutch John Trailhead and go counterclockwise onto the east side. These sections of trail will be closed during weekends at some times during the rest of the season. They are going to have it so that is a certain section is closed off that people would go onto Sawmill Trail, Slab Pile Trail or Dickey Bell Trail. The Falls Dam Trail maintenance will be done from the Falls Dam and Art Lilley TH down to the Flatwoods TH. This trail will be closed during the time when they are doing the maintenance work including some weekends. They are hoping and aiming to be completed on Rocky Mountain Loop Trail & Falls Dam Trail by Labor Day Weekend, but it might take longer.

Additionally, we will be getting 2 trail bridges installed this year. One will be installed at the stream crossing on the Dickey Bell Connector Trail down next to Green Gap Road near the Flatwoods Trailhead. This section of trail will be closed during this work and during this time OHV use will be allowed on the Green Gap Road including ATVs, UTVs, and dirtbikes.

The 2nd bridge will be installed at the northern Rocky Mountain Loop Trail crossing. While this bridge is being installed and a new culvert is installed under the road, etc. the existing crossing will be left in for OHV use but there will be times when that section of trail would be closed or there would be flaggers there directing traffic.
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Since this is the trail report thread.....

Can we get some kind of an update of what the contractors are doing & possible date of completion. If not from the forest service maybe contact the contractor & speak with them?

I would like to see this thread used for more than a "bump"
 
From what we gathered during the last work day they are almost done with Rocky Mnt Loop and have just now started on Falls Dam. They are also working on bridges on RML and Dickey Bell. Their projected finish time of Labor Day weekend has come and gone, now they are talking mid to late October.

I will try to find out more specifics but currently we don't even know who "The contractor" is. I will ask Janet what she knows when I talk to her this week.
 
Very nice, Thank you....
 
DRaider90 said:
From what we gathered during the last work day they are almost done with Rocky Mnt Loop and have just now started on Falls Dam. They are also working on bridges on RML and Dickey Bell. Their projected finish time of Labor Day weekend has come and gone, now they are talking mid to late October.
I will try to find out more specifics but currently we don't even know who "The contractor" is. I will ask Janet what she knows when I talk to her this week.
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Uh, this link to the bid award was posted back on the 14th by HannahWCU on the Dickey Bell bridge thread, the contractor name and info is clearly shown as it also is on the signs. (even though they mis-spelled the name of the trail)
HannahWCU said:
The Bridges and all the Trail work is to keep URE from closing. These are preventative steps to help keep environmentalists from doing what they did at Telico.
As for the bridge, here is a link to the bid that went for the bridge. It includes a detail drawing for the Bridge (LINK).
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ai204.photobucket.com_albums_bb129_78cherokee_URE_20Workday_209_18_10_100_2389.jpg
 
UPDATE

Update: RML has been packed in in some places and the reroute is done.

I just drove the RML last night.

I came from Dutch John, hopped on Rocky mt loop then headed towards the ledge and on towards kodak and Budwesier... etc....
I kept going and everything is same then got to the gnarly downhill section where you flex like hell.
NOT so much anymore.
They packed dirt in those flexy spots.
sucks.
Then keep going and I had to stop.
I didn't know where I was.
There were 5 large half-tire size boulders in front of me and I got out to see if I got off trail. NOPE. Trail was rerouted there.

They rerouted that section where there is jagged rocks that go sideways across the trail then down towards the last gnarly downhill section.
Its completey new reroute. You have to go around unless you got prolly 37's and clearance.
They packed a LOT of dirt on the backside of RML.
and now the little mud hole on the way out is DRY.
They cut a path to drain it and put gravel on the bottom of it.

Their machines are still there gated in at the entrance above the double parking lot and now on the side towards Daniel they are digging a trench they have boxed in with those metal walls.... didn't get a pic of that - too dark. possibly laying pipe for drainage.... don't know - last time I saw it they had a lot of hay bails there and lots of digging. couldn't tell what the hell they were doing.
 
They set that re-route up before the August work day, and my understanding was they weren't supposed to be doing that. Because the right hand line (if you are going down RML) they have created between the trees as the re-route is too damn narrow for larger vehicles. I will have to talk with a few people again about it, but by the time the work is done it shouldn't be that way anymore. Unless the Forest Service decides something different, which is out of my control entirely.

As far the the mountain decent goes and the other areas that got filled in, that was expected. And most of it (mud pits/ruts/descent) has been done (Filled in) for a couple months now. The mountain descent (after the Kodak Rock Garden etc going down) has always been a yearly fill in deal. And as far as the trench they are digging goes it will be apart of the bridge going in.

I guess it was my fault for assuming just about all of the above posted was common knowledge over the past 2 months/old news. I will keep things update a bit more with even the smaller stuff.
 
Lorenzo816 said:
In th few years I,ve been wheeling I don't ever rmbr that MUCH fill in.
Seems unnecessary.
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They usually only filled in the ruts on the bottom side before the Double Ledge, and the descent on the top side after Kodak and the Saw Mill exit. One year it didn't get done, so it got a lot worse. Besides the fact when they would fill it in, they don't tamp/compact it at all. So by the time summer rolls around its all washed away from rain or been kicked up by spinning tires.

But filling in all the mud holes with gravel and draining them hasn't been done in almost 5 years to my knowledge. Last time I remember them doing that was back in 04/05 or so, close to when I first started wheeling at uwharrie.
 
Due to weather I didn't make it out this past Sunday. I will share an importanat tidbit for those that haven't seen it posted online. If you are planning to stay at the Arrowhead Campgrounds while you are wheeling, keep in mind there probably will be a very limited amount of campsites available. They are working on the Upper Loop, so there are no reservations being take for that part of the campground. If you made a reservation before August 31st they will be honoring those. Otherwise the Upper Loop will be first come first serve depending on what sites are even open/being worked on in the Upper Loop etc.
 
Was down there today in the 626 and talked breifly about a couple things. The trail repairs are still on going, and no word back yet about the various boulders on Rocky Mnt. Loop. There are still trail re-routes in the works, so the trail work is far from over.
 
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