Working... mebbe for others... kinda for me.

I can't remember exactly when it was that I last did trail work.  I recall throwing my back out trying to carry a bridge stringer by myself (that I had no business doing) at the Backyard Trails, and since then?  I don't think I've done much since.  I've been worried about hurting my back again.  I use it all the time, so I'm not so stoked on being in that way.  Ever.

This past weekend, they were doing the annual work day(s) to get the winter short track ready for some racing.  I used to go every year, trying to add some feature that would make it a little more interesting to go in circles for 45-60 minutes.  This past year (or two), I haven't bothered.  No one really seemed all that stoked on bringing such silliness to fruition.  I didn't bother racing at all last year, and I only spectated once or mebbe twice.  Things had gotten a bit stale.

But...

The trail crew announced a few weeks ago that they were bringing out machines and it sounded like this bunch was interested in making short track racing great again.  Sorry. I know that "make ____ great again" is getting old, but that's really what they were doing.

It was time to come out of trail work retirement... despite my promise to my toe to take it easy this weekend.  I hopped on my bike early Saturday morning and headed out the door.

Why ride and not drive?

I needed to at least get some time on the bike, I feel that having a bike around the ride features as you develop them can help keep things going in the right direction, and I wanted to check out some woods nearby for a possible Tour duh Charlotte stage.

Anyways.

These guys did more in one day to bring the short track to a whole new level than I've ever seen before.

Will spearheaded this masterpiece.  I used to hate the berm you see on the left side of the image because it didn't work that well. No more.

Personally, I started my day doing the thing that messed my back up years ago, carrying lumber into the woods.  I made sure to carry reasonable amounts and not try to carry a stringer by myself.

An old bridge was in danger of being washed away.  A bigger, molar better bridge was built.

I asked what was going to happen to the old bridge and was it going to be destroyed and if it was going to be destroyed could I get right to the destruction of said bridge?

Yeth.

Once we got done there, our crew went to the area Brian had designated for multiple optional lines to kinda give those with mountain bike related skills a bit of an edge (or at least a place to make a pass).

So, I got to play with rocks... which is something I like to do.

What we ended up with was three (or four) lines.

From left to right (but with the riders coming at you), the far left line is the long way around with a small, locally farmed rock garden.  The next line will only be for those trying to wow the throngs of spectators that will hopefully migrate from Heckle Hill to watch here.  The next one is a drop off of a flat rock that's... just... about... rollable.  Probably the fastest way through.  The last line is a lumpy but droppable... "thing."

I ended up leaving around 3:00PM so I could have some daylight to assplore a possible Tour duh Charlotte stage.  I was running low on daylight to get home, so I had to bail early... being that I wasn't smart enough to bring lights with me.

By the time I got home, my toe was very disappointed in me but understandingly so.

They were back out there the next day, but I had all my responsibilities I'd been ignoring (for a few weeks) waiting for me at home.

I can't wait to race one or two or five times next year.  I am much stoked on making (some) great bike race and making even more spectations.