Bike paths a first step in Stokes' bid to be outdoor playground

DANBURY

Tony McGee has a vision that one day mountain bikers will travel from all over the Southeast to check out the challenging and scenic trails that will soon zigzag around the hillsides near Hanging Rock State Park.

After a full day of biking, the cyclists will head over to the Moore's Spring Campground for a sandwich and good cup of coffee, and pitch a tent for a night or two. During the course of their stay, they'll eat in local restaurants, buy gas and maybe check out the county's other natural gems, such as Hanging Rock or the Dan River.

McGee isn't out in la-la land on this one. This could happen. Indeed, the wheels are already in motion to make Stokes County a destination for people who love to play outdoors.

Let's be realistic, however. Stokes County isn't going to turn into Moab, Utah, or Aspen, Colo., but it certainly boasts features that attract adventure-lovers: beautiful and rugged terrain, a river with a mix of lazy and swift-flowing stretches, and rock faces with challenging climbing routes.

McGee's focus is building a network of first-class mountain-bike trails that he hopes will be among the finest in the area. McGee is the executive director for StokesCORE, a nonprofit organization that focuses on economic development. One of the group's goals is to find ways to create jobs and generate revenue from the county's resources.

In the case of Stokes County, its most abundant and sustainable resource is its natural beauty.

McGee knew of a piece of state-owned property near StokesCORE's office at Camp Sertoma that would make a good place for mountain-bike trails.

"You have this steep, undeveloped land, and given its proximity to Hanging Rock, I thought it would be a great opportunity to develop mountain-bike trails because they are such a scarce resource," McGee said. "There are not many places to ride mountain bikes in the Triad."

Man power

The larger story here is the handful of guys who disappear into the woods each day carrying shovels, tillers and other hand tools. Since September, they have been clearing brush, moving dirt and dodging snakes in an effort to build the pathway that will soon become trails. Each participant works for six months. So far, about 18 people have gone through or are involved in the trail-building program.

They were hired by StokesCORE through a partnership with Workforce Development, a program of the Northwest Piedmont Council of Government. As the name suggests, its mission is to teach people basic jobs skills. Workforce Development received a $115,000 grant from the federal government to train people to build the trails.

But these aren't your everyday mountain-bike trails. These are being built following standards laid out by the International Mountain Bicycling Association, an advocacy group for the sport. IMBA-approved trails are built using landscaping techniques that prevent erosion and other problems that plague mountain-bike trails.

The guys who are building the trails were having a hard time finding work for a variety of reasons, said Debbie Martin, who works for Workforce Development.

Some of them didn't finish school, never had work experience or have a criminal record.

"The trails build their self-esteem, their sense of teamwork and cohesion, and give them structure," Martin said.

Each day, they clear about 200 yards of trail. So far, they have built about four miles of a planned 12-mile network. Most of the trails will be technically challenging. Those are the kinds of trails that people will travel hours to ride, McGee said. There will also be a few miles of easier trails for novice riders.

Last week, I visited with McGee and others from StokesCORE and Workforce Development on the back porch of a 100-year-old farm house that was once engulfed in kudzu. Last winter, McGee said, the trail builders needed something to do because it was impossible to build trails with so much snow on the ground. The men cleared the kudzu from the home and built a beautiful covered back porch using limbs and branches they found in the surrounding woods. A huge bonfire kept them warm.

The old house will serve as the trail head and as an information kiosk. I walked a portion of the trail and was impressed with the rock and log bridges that traversed streams that feed into the Dan. The scenery here is first-class, and it's easy to see the trail's potential as a drawing card to the area.

McGee blazed a trail up a hillside where we came across about six guys clearing a smooth, wide path. They said they liked the work because it gets them outside. Ironically, none of them ride mountain bikes.

"As much trails as I've built, I'd like to do it," said Chris Payne of Walnut Cove.

Payne built trails for six months and was later hired by StokesCORE to supervise the trail building.

McGee would love to get his trail builders on mountain bikes so that they can fully appreciate the work they are doing. To donate a bike or parts, drop it off at a local bicycle shop and mention McGee's name.

The folks at StokesCORE hope to have a grand opening for the trails in September. McGee said that, once the trails are finished, he hopes to find the money and more workers to help refurbish the old Moore's Spring Campground, which is not far from the trail head.

FOOT NOTES: Speaking of bicycling, the League of American Bicyclists has designated May as National Bike Month. One of the highlights is National Bike-to-Work Day, which falls on May 21 this year.

The annual Burn 24 Hour Challenge in North Wilkesboro is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The bike race is a relay race that, as the name suggests, lasts for 24 hours. It will start at noon on May 29.