News From AMBC

August 2020 Meeting Recap

We have the usual crew of Wes Soward, Matthew Kellogg and Dave Stanley PLUS a new special guest, Mr. Russell Manning!

  • Mr. President recently visited Pisgah and Dupont and reports that both are “well used”. LOTS of folks seem to be taking to the woods.
  • Loyston is a popular go-to. Especially with all the rain we’ve had (see below).

THE WEATHER

Dave Stanley, who has been slacking recently, says we are still on track for a record breaking year for rain and a new goal is in sight – we could achieve the 9th wettest August EVER and there is still a week of rain to go! Things have been cooler and we haven’t had any days in the triple digits this summer.

REPORTING TRAIL ISSUES

Our friend and all around good guy, Russell Manning, did a little tutorial about what to do when you encounter a down tree:

  1. Dismount (or bunny hop and then dismount depending on skill level).
  2. Take a photo of the trail impediment.
  3. Open your preferred trail map app (Trailforks, Mountain Bike Project, etc.. ) and screen shot your location.
  4. Email the club at [email protected] and POOF JUST LIKE MAGIC our dedicated team will add it to the list and get it taken care of.

WORKDAY RECAPS

In addition to the VERY MANY down trees and jungle-like brush we’ve been tackling, we’ve had progress on some more projects.
  • Elevon + US Bank teamed up to remove invasives at Ijams around the Turnbuckle Trail. Ijams has been educating volunteers about “cutting and treating” so we don’t have to revisit areas in the future.
  • Vinnie has been doing some treadwork at Lippencott – you should check it out if you haven’t before. It’s a fun little section of trail and a good connection between parks. John Baker has recently fixed the SUPER COOL instrument at the trail head. Get your jam on.
  • Dave Williams has cleared most of Barn Burner and moved onto the dirt. Watch for continued improvements. Please don’t run over Dave.
  • We have brand new signage for Marie Meyers + #YRGD and could use a few volunteers to help install. UPDATE: We need One person familiar with Marie Myers to help
  • BAKER CREEK SMALL PROJECTS – SIGN UP HERE if you want to join us on Sunday to work at Baker Creek. Two groups will head up to Devil’s Racetrack and one will help out on Barn Burner. Groups will be limited to ten people each. We’ll have a fully masked safety talk to start the day and then hit the woods. We provide the tools. Rogue hoes tend to be good for distancing…

EVENTS

  • The drive-in movie was great! We had around 90 cars full of people come out to enjoy a night of nostalgia and an excellent mountain bike film. Big thanks to Harper Audi for getting us out of the house and raising money for trails!
  • Knox Bike Racing has their last race of the season this Wednesday. Race safe y’all and don’t forget to distance!
  • Join Mayor Indya Kincannon, members of City Council, and Urban Wilderness stakeholders for a 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27 opening celebration at the Baker Creek Bike Park, 3700 Lancaster Drive! Yep, we know you’ve all been getting shredy already but if you’ve got time, come tell the city THANK YOU for your fun new park (sport your AMBC gear)!
  • Ijams Symphony in the Park has gone virtual! If you’ve parked at Meads Quarry, you’ve enjoyed Ijams. Become a member and contribute if you can. They’ve got some pretty sweet silent auction items.. guided ride led by AMBC.. wink wink.

OTHER NEWS

  • Our new Eco Counters are in and we’ve already started to get data. We’ll be getting daily info and UT will graph it over the next three years.
  • Membership is up over 50% this year! Inquiring minds want to know WHO we are are WHERE we hail from. We are going to work on extrapolating that information to get a better picture of AMBC and will try to have some interesting factoids for you next month. Are YOU a member? JOIN HERE!
  • The new Urban Wilderness trail maps look good and should be out soon. We’ll keep you posted on how to get yours!
  • We’ve reached out to our neighbors at the Norris Dam State Park and they are interested in working together to fix some problem erosion spots on the Norris trail system.

You all knew it was coming – there will be no in person fall fest this year. “It’s a pandemic”. We are very sad BUT we can do some things!

  1. The RADDEST BIKE RAFFLE IN ALL OF THE LAND.
  2. FRESH MERCH! We are working on a creative, safe, in-person shopping experience for you. You won’t want to miss out on this year’s LIMITED EDITION foam hat. We don’t know what it will be yet but rest assured – you want it.
  3. SILENT AUCTION! You won’t be able to throw real elbows this year but it’s on! If you or yours, has an item or experience to donate to our good cause, we would love to hear about it – [email protected]
  4. FUN CHALLENGES + SWEET PRIZES! We have to ride bikes, right?

Stay tuned for lots more – we’ll be rolling out all of the fun stuff soon and hope that you participate with your usual (well almost) level of enthusiasm!

Thanks for tuning in, folks! We’ll be back again next month to do it all again!

CHEERS!

July 2020 Meeting Recap

It was our fourth Facebook live meeting and we’ve hit our stride! Extreme efficiency (and sadly, lack of fun events) has made for short and highly entertaining monthly meetings.

Matthew and Wes were safely reporting in from their own homes/sunflower fields and weatherperson, Dave Stanley, exhibited extreme multitasking skills from the BRAND NEW pumptrack at Baker Creek.

If you weren’t able to catch the broadcast, you can do it HERE.

TRAIL REPORTS

  • Sharp’s is good!
  • Charit Creek Lodge is a great stop for a Big South Fork bike packing trip!
  • There is a new bike park in Hendersonville – check it out!
  • Our super rad bike park is OPEN. Please remember to give each other space and watch for wee shredders. “Pre-ride + Ride + Free-ride”. ALSO, we shouldn’t have to say this but LITTERING IS NOT COOL.

THE WEATHER

Dave Stanley, whilst ripping backwards around the track (not really but the special effects were top notch), reported that after an extended dry period, we’ve finally gotten some spotty rain. We are actually still on track for a pretty wet year. His prediction is that we’ll have a top five finish for wettest year ever. Also in with the fun fact: asphalt gets hot, y’all! 140-150 degrees hot! Watch yourselves out there and HYDRATE.

WORK DAYS

They aren’t really a thing but we have some killer volunteers that have been busting stuff out!

  • U.S. Bank & Elevon joined forces for a socially distanced day in the woods. They worked on clearing at Hastie Park.
  • David Brichetto and Moose Halstead have been putting in the time at Concord, Corey, weed eating wizard, has been clearing at Baker Creek.
  • Brian Hann, Wes Soward and Keith Crouch need a crew to help build a new trail. Shoot us a message if you are interested in helping out. Planning for the end of next week.
  • [email protected] for downed trees, yellow jacket alerts, and tool borrowing.
  • AMBC has Dave Williams working out on the trails with his primary focus being dead fall and Baker Creek. Thanks Dave!!!

EVENTS

  • Knox Bike Racing has a revised race schedule. We know you are stoked about things happening but please be safe and remember to keep your distance in the parking lot.
  • The Hartford 50 is on! You can sign up day-of and they do need some volunteers. Info at rapidexpeditions.com.
  • Harper Audi is sponsoring a DRIVE-IN movie on Thursday, July 30th at the Parkway Drive-in in Maryville. Accomplice by TGR will be on the big screen! Great turnout – Thanks Y’all!

OTHER NEWS

  • Best Medicine (the beer) is back in stock! Ask for it by name!
  • The Great Smokey Mountain National Park is taking comments on the the proposed Wears Valley Mountain Bike Trail System. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. Make your voice heard! For more information and trail plans click the link below and then review the document list with descriptions and potential trail maps. Comments can be made now – August 19th.
  • The Trailforks app has a “Trail Karma” program. They offer some prizes and opportunities to donate to whatever trail system you are riding. It’s pretty cool and we’ve already gotten some donations. Consider using it when you travel or just when your stoke is high at home.
  • The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club and AMBC are looking at the feasibility of a crushed stone trail along the historic Smoky Mountain Railroad. This is fun news and we will continue to keep you updated.
  • We got our Eco-Counters! They are capable of sensing direction and counting users – we’ll know how many people make it past Baker Creek! UT is in charge of facilitating the program and managing the data.
  • The sunflowers are blooming and our logos (thanks Urban Horticulture Supply!) should be visible from space soon!
  • The new trails and playground at Sharps are not open yet – we’ll keep you posted on this Legacy Parks Foundation project.

Thanks for tuning in, folks! We’ll be back again next month to do it all again!

CHEERS!

June 2020 Meeting Recap

June 2020 FACEBOOK LIVE Meeting Notes

Matthew Kellogg and Wes Soward both gave this month’s updates from their respective locations at the Eastern terminus of the Urban Wilderness! Our weather person, Dave Stanley, was on location in the Sahara.

If you weren’t able to catch the broadcast, you can do it HERE.

THE WEATHER

Mr. Stanley says there’s been just enough rain to “keep the forums interesting”. It’s hot and sometimes it rains. We are still up 13 inches for the year. Happy Solstice! The days are long and you have many hours to ride.

WORK DAYS

  • Our National Trails Day “Small Projects” were a success and lots of work got done at Concord, IC King, Hastie, Transfarm, and Burnett Creek Road (adopted for little pick-up duties)! Big (not small) thanks to all of our great and knowledgeable crew leaders!
  • We were up to $7500 worth of trail maintenance hours for the last month!
  • Stay tuned for more organized opportunities. If you want to head out alone or with your quaranteam, we’ll provide tools. Give us a shout at [email protected] and don’t forget to keep track of your hours.
  • Corey has covered A LOT of ground with the weed whacker and is currently averaging about a 41 minute mile. Kellogg thinks “that’s a little slow.. :)”

EVENTS

  • Knoxville Bike Racing Wednesday race series has started. Please keep social distancing in mind if you participate.
  • July 30th – Teton Gravity Research and AMBC will host the premiere of Accomplice at the Parkway drive-in theater in Maryville. Grab your tickets here!
  • We are seeking ways to stay engaged while distancing. Shout if you’ve got good ideas!

AMBC + UHS IN SUNFLOWERS

Because why not! Wes (from way up high) showed viewing audience the progress out our sunflower project with Urban Horticulture Supply.

‘In other AMBC agriculture news – Crossing our fingers for a good crop of AMBC fundraising pumpkins..

OTHER NEWS

  • Raccoon Mountain is back open.
  • Matthew and Carly from Catalyst Sports went to Loyston for a ride, they’re riding at various trail locations to learn more about how adaptive cycles can utilize existing networks.
  • Our Elkmont Exchange beer, in its SERIOUSLY AWESOME CAN (YAY Sara Whitt!), is out and available at all of your favorite watering holes. Mary Beth says “chop those tops off and use as a cute vase when you are finished”.
  • There’s an open comment period for the Nantahal -Pisgah Forest plan. Make your voice heard HERE. Keep an eye on surrounding SORBA chapters for more outdoor initiatives.
  • We were awarded a grant from REI! In years past we’ve used these funds for lots of cool stuff (hello awesome trail-side water fountains)! This year we’ll be working on making the Baker Creek to #yearroundgetdown connection all weather.
  • Speaking of REI – they are open which means the in-store AMBC zone is too (touch, feel and try things on in person) Did you take care of your dad on Father’s Day? He wouldn’t mind some belated swag!
  • Speaking of swag – we’ve got Sara Witt’s rad beer can design in note card and poster form at REI and in our online store!
  • Chris DeRolph, local cartographer, has created a super cool map that is available for pre-order. Proceeds will go to the AMBC and Legacy Parks!
  • Quinn reports that the new trail a Norris is starting to get good! We’ve got a meeting on the books to discuss some fresh connections out there so it’s only getting better!
  • BIGGEST NEWS OF THE MEETING – YES, YOU GUESSED IT – THE BAKER CREEK BIKE PARK IS OPEN. OPEN WE SAY. OPEN! There’s still some site work and other finishing up to do but you can ride your bike! Give former Mayor Rogero and current Mayor Kincannon a BIG shout out if you have the opportunity. They both have been serious champions of this project. We’ll have a proper celebration one day!

TRAIL PROJECTS

  • Zirkle + volunteers have been continuing to tweak and harden Victor Ashe.
  • We’ve moved the club machine out to Far East and are plotting a climbing line that will get you to two downhill runs ending at Burnett Creek Road. There’s some pretty hard digging that needs to happen in steep terrain and we’d welcome help!

MEMBERSHIP

  • IS UP! Thanks to everyone that has become a new member or renewed. The system does send a reminder when you are set to expire and you can configure things monthly or annually.
  • IMBA’s drive runs through the end of this month and you will be entered in the drawing if you auto renewed during this time.

Thanks for tuning in, folks! We’ll be back again next month to do it all again!

CHEERS!

May 2020 Meeting Recap

Weatherman, Dave Stanley, reporting from the front lines of Hurricane Meryl

There were no polls during this evening’s show, but we’ve definitely upped our graphics game.

If you weren’t able to catch the live broadcast, you can catch it HERE.

TRAIL REPORTS + THE WEATHER

  • It’s pretty wet out there kids. You know the drill – Sharps, Loyston, #yearroundgetdown and Baker on slightly dryer days.
  • Poachers aren’t cool. The new Baker Creek Bike Park is NOT open. We’ll mention this again.
  • Weatherman, Dave Stanley, reporting in from the angry outer band of hurricane Meryl gave the latest stats:
    • We are 15” over our normal rainfall for 2020
    • 4.5” over last year at this time – and last year was WET
    • Temps are pleasant in the upper 70s and low 80s
    • He’s got a 100% chance of kicking some cash towards local mountain biker and all around good guy, Scotty Wilson. Scotty had a bad crash and messed his pretty face up. Give HERE if you are so inclined.

WORK PARTY RECAPS

Obviously our regularly scheduled work party events have been cancelled but you all are CRUSHING IT solo style.

  • You’ve logged 226.5 solo work hours since the last meeting
  • 26 more people contributed their valuable time since last meeting
  • All of this time equals $6,000 of in-kind donations
  • We’ve had people:
    • Work on drainage and improvements at Ft. Dickerson and at IC King
    • Cut SO MANY trees at Concord – GO HALSTEADS!
    • Work on Transfarm and Far East
  • Build new trail! Hello Keith Crouch and his “Mayor’s Hot Tub” project. Named for former Mayor Rogero’s hot tub which he now possesses. Mayor Kincannon rode it the other day and had a delightful time. Go check it out.

BIG SHOUT OUT

Club member and trained chef, Chad Riggs, who has been cooking YOU ALL (seriously lots) of people dinner at Fall Fest has been presented with his official AMBC apron. The apron was donated by Marc Nelson Denim and adorned with a leather “AMBC” patch from the multi-talented Jay Basile. THANK YOU CHAD!

EVENTS

  • Lots of STRONG Knoxvillians participated in the Giddy-Up for Good Everest Challenge. They rode enough vertical feet to accumulate the same elevation gain as it would take to reach the summit of Everest. 29,029 feet with no stopping. Yes, you read that correctly. The event raised funds for COVID relief.
  • Knox Adventure Collective hosted Solo de Mayo, a multi-sport solo Strava race. Keith Crouch (previously mentioned in the Mayor’s Hot Tub segment) was the big winner. “Way to win, Keith”.
  • The TVB Checkpoint race has been cancelled.
  • Knox Bike Racing has their updated schedule online.

National Trails Day 6/6/20- We have cancelled our weekend of camping fun. Big sad. Instead we will be hosting a variety of socially distanced work parties. They’ll be limited to a leader + nine people and tools will be provided. CHECK OUT THE SMALL PROJECTS HERE!!!

WE HAVE A NEW AMBC BEER – IT’S REAL AND YOU CAN BUY IT

It’s a “hoppy kolsh” brewed by Elkmont Exchange and currently available at their North Broadway location. It should be available at both Trailhead spots, Casual Pint, McScrooges, Sokno Taco, and Cycology Bike Shop within the week! POW!

The super RAD can was designed with the talented Sara Witt! Give her an appropriately distanced shout out if you see her on the trail.

BIKE PARK

Yes, we know it’s tempting but please don’t ride the park. It is still an active construction site. We are patiently waiting on some work to get finished up, as well as signage. “Keep off, no really.”

MERCH

It ain’t no game!

We’ve got a fresh batch of our ever-popular lightning bolt socks in stock! The poison ivy is not messing around out there y’all and neither should you. Protect those legs.

Big thanks to everyone who has been placing orders. We were hoping to be outfitting the masses through our partnership with REI but.. well you know. Every order makes a difference and helps maintain trail.

TIDBITS

  • Troy University is doing a survey on traveling and mountain biking. It will take less than 10 minutes of your time.
  • We applied for an IMBA grant for trail counters. It would be cool and beneficial for more trail user data. Fingers crossed, and we’ll keep you updated.
  • IMBA is having their membership drive RIGHT NOW through June. You can win things. It’s been pretty great to see everyone’s membership roll in – we are up 30%! JOIN!

EMAIL ADDRESSES TO HELP US HELP YOU

  • [email protected] – report any downed trees or issues you spot on your rides. Please drop a pin and take a picture. Any info you can provide is helpful.
  • [email protected] – if you want to check out any of our tools for trail maintenance. Don’t forget to log and report your hours pretty please!

Thanks for tuning in, folks! We’ll be back next month to do it all again!

CHEERS!

April 2020 Meeting Recap

We went LIVE on the internet and it was.. ridiculous! If you couldn’t tune in on Monday night, you can still watch HERE.

We had about 72 people join us from the comfort of their own homes. Matthew Kellogg (Executive Director) and Wes Soward (President) tag teamed the meeting with flair AND distance. We had comments, polls, and many outfit changes.

Matthew, sporting a jaunty Alliance hat, cracked a matching Alliance beer and welcomed the group.

TRAILS REPORT + THE WEATHER

  • POLL: Where have you been riding during the shutdown? Lots of people have been hitting up the Urban Wilderness. Sharps Ridge and Loyston have also been popular but it seems like all of our trails have been seeing tires.
  • We are SUPER lucky to have lots of options and good partnerships with the City of Knoxville, Knox County, private land owners, the State of Tennessee, Legacy Parks Foundation, Aslan Foundation, Ijams Nature Center, and all of our awesome sponsors.
  • Downhill directional trails are still closed and we will report back as soon as we have any information from the City. ***UPDATE – As of 5/4/2020 City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation has reopened all trails. Please use social distancing practices on and off trial.***
  • Our regular weather man, Dave Stanley, has a new future shredder at home so Wes gave the weather report. Proudly wearing his new Southcoast Pizza tank top – “Suns out, guns out”. We’ve had some rain in the last few days but Sharps has been good. “Good for your gardens, bad for the trails”.

WORK PARTY RECAPS

  • Matthew, clad in our awesome AMBC wool trail builder shirt and sipping a Hi-Wire Brewing cold treat, gave some impressive stats!
  • March 7th – Harper Audi fed fifty volunteers and Hi-Wire Brewing kicked in the cold beers! We worked Lost Chromosome and trails in Hastie in the Urban Wilderness.
  • Our spring work parties had a total of 259 volunteers and 900 hours documented for a total of around $23,000 of value!
  • Twenty-three people OF THEIR OWN ACCORD have put in 104.5 hours for a total of $2657.44 of value! If you, or your quaranteam, would like to work on your neighborhood trail, we’d be happy to check our tools out! Reach out to Matthew Kellogg about our Rogue Hoes To-Go program [email protected].
“Work days aren’t for everyone but they are for most people.”
~ Matthew Kellogg

THANK YOU ALL!!!

POLL: Which is your favorite trail building tool? Multiple choice: rogue hoe, loppers, bucket or sledge hammer? The clear winner was the rogue hoe with loppers coming in second.

EVENT RECAP

In a snazzy Sokno Taco shirt sipping from our environmentally friendly AMBC stainless steel cup, Wes reports:

  • The Tennessee National race at Windrock Bike Park happened on March 7th. Two local pro riders made the podium! These guys love to train in our back yard!
  • The always fun Tres Amigos Sokno Taco 3rd Anniversary Celebration and Scavenger Hunt (benefiting AMBC) was March 1st and a good time was had by all!
  • We have a new date for our BIG BAD Marathon Water Stop! November 15th BEER THERE!

POLL: What was your favorite race stop? Everyone loved all of the awesome small business check points 🙂

NEWS

  • Matthew, utilizing the new blaze orange Trailhead buff as a handy mask and sipping a “juicy takeout IPA, wants you to help us help you. We’ve got two new club email addresses:
  • Please report any trail issues or down trees to [email protected]. A screenshot of your location on an app or map showing the location of the problem is super helpful. We’ll get it taken care of!
  • Please log your volunteer hours at [email protected]. Knowing when and where you are spending your time helps us let our partners know what we are up to and we’d love to give you a high five if we see you! SEND PICS!
  • Dave Williams is available to work on some problem spots. On the list currently are touching up the currently closed downhill trails and drainage on Booger and Pit Viper at Fort Dickerson.
  • Socks are back in stock in the club store! Katie Tugwell says “Take my money!” GET SOME!
  • The Knoxville Adventure Collective has set up Solo de Mayo, a solo virtual “race” happening May 1-10th. Ride! Paddle! Run! and log your times on Strava. Winners get prizes!
  • IMBA is having a membership drive during the months of May & June. Go online to check your status and tell your friends! Don’t worry – we’ll remind you again.
  • WE HAVE A BEER! Elkmont Exchange + Lipman Brothers = easy drinking “Best Medicine” goodness with a can designed by our very own Sara Witt! Stay tuned for a list of retailers!

Wes, with a refreshing beer from Simpl and quick quarantine takeout poll. Support our supporters!!! Don’t forget our friends at Sweet P’s BBQ, and Central Flats and Taps.

AND WE FINISHED WITH A BOTTLE ROCKET SEND OFF. As you do…

CHEERS!

If you are interested in any of the many featured looks or delicious treats from this evenings show, please hit up the AMBC online store and consider reaching out to our awesome local favorites. They support us during good times and can really use our help right now.

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