Changes Coming At Uwharrie?

I strongly suggest anyone wondering about the "trail paving" going on as some call it to read this thread:

http://www.nc4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97941

To sum up that thread the trails have been let go as far as maintenance goes in the last 5-6 years. They used to keep them very well groomed so to speak, and the difficulty of the trails reflected this. So now they are doing a bunch of heavy maintenance to make up for the 5-6 years of low maintenance. And then after it rains a couple times, and people ride the trails (and tire spin) slowly the trails will go back to the way they were.
 
DRaider90 said:
I strongly suggest anyone wondering about the "trail paving" going on as some call it to read this thread:
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No one is wondering. No one even mentioned paving! I did mention grooming.

DRaider90 said:
To sum up that thread the trails have been let go as far as maintenance goes in the last 5-6 years.
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That is unconscionable! It is the FS job to maintain the OHV trails, not let them deteriorate! This is exactly the way Tellico got to where it is now!
 
FunkSkunk said:
got any pics of this????
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I think these are what has broken off of Kodak. There was one VERY LARGE boulder in that broke off about a month ago. I attempted to move it and got laughed at. :D That thing is at least 20k pounds. No match for my 4500 pound XJ.
 
The reason the bridge(s)at Tellico were built to the standards that they were was because they had to be built to DOT Highway standards. We tried to get a waiver on that. It didn't happen.
The money was going to disappear for the last one built so it had to be done in a rush or there would be no stream crossing whatsoever.
Don't think that any actions taken by the FS or any Gov't agency means anything. They are a bureaucratic bunch and once something is underway, it is out of their hands so they are on to the next issue regardless of whether the last one made sense or not.
 
RQ speaks truth!

cltdba said:
I think these are what has broken off of Kodak.
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Again, I am not bashing the FS, I am simply stating facts! I talked with Ranger Walker and RS Terry Savery. There was miscommunication between the contractor and the FS on exactly how much "maintenance" was to be done at Kodak according to the FS. He was beginning the process of "fixing" the rocky area. The FS assured me that while some work is going to be done there, they are not going to "fill it in". The ledge before Kodak is on the chopping block though!

According to the FS, the grade stakes do indeed mean that there is going to be grading and maintenance done by heavy equipment on all of the trails during the upcoming winter closure. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is that the FS could do a much better job of communication with interested forest enthusiasts and prevent a lot of speculation.

My talks with FS personnel revealed that, yes, there were supposed to be silt traps installed at the bridge construction sites. A FS inspector had hit them with that last week and they should be in place by this weekends workday.

Probably what set me off, and what I told the FS, is that it pissed me off that their poor communication and planning is counter productive to achieving FS goals for the forest. Case in point is work done by NC4x4 volunteers this spring on Falls Dam. On one of the workdays we rented a Bobcat with auger to install guardrail on Falls Dam. During the recent "maintenance" quite a few of these sections were removed or damaged. We need better communication between the FS, volunteers and "maintenance" workers to prevent double work and better use our volunteer money and manpower!

What this all means is that we must go forward with our volunteer efforts with eyes wide open. Read again RQs post above. All of us, not just Eli, need to be cultivating relationships with FS personnel, staying in communication with them on our part, reading ALL FS memoranda and releases and staying in touch with OUR forest and its happenings!

As RQ said, once something is done, its done and they move on, we need to do continuing education and relationship building to be in position to help effect the changes we as OHV enthusiasts would like to see in our forest!
 
Hope I'm not the first to post this up:

Now why in the hell did this happen? See Kodak? Yep... you don't. Look at the two big rocks in the center of the pic.
I was betting it broke off because I remember the crack down the center base of it but TWO boulders WTH? Did the crew break this off? and what for?

Two good lines are gone now.

1023101333a.jpg
 
Since URE using contracts that are awarded for work most of the work being done recently most likely was started several years ago. In the military the contracts go out for bids and then once a bid is accepted and work begins it could be close to 2-5 years after the bid process was started.
 
Lorenzo816 said:
Did the crew break this off? and what for?
QUOTE]


For Real? maybe they should stop de-nutting those trails and bring some of this off road racing back into those woods.... it would get people more excited about uwharrie and bring more people in to wheel.... Shit if they got rid of the water runoffs and had a race there i'd bring every vehicle we have
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Lorenzo816 said:
Hope I'm not the first to post this up:

Now why in the hell did this happen? See Kodak? Yep... you don't. Look at the two big rocks in the center of the pic.
I was betting it broke off because I remember the crack down the center base of it but TWO boulders WTH? Did the crew break this off? and what for?

Two good lines are gone now.

View attachment 31185
Click to expand...

It was one boulder that broke off. The crews didn't break it off. I "think" they chiseled it in two and rolled them into the crack where they are now.
 
Lorenzo816 said:
Hope I'm not the first to post this up:

Now why in the hell did this happen? See Kodak? Yep... you don't. Look at the two big rocks in the center of the pic.
I was betting it broke off because I remember the crack down the center base of it but TWO boulders WTH? Did the crew break this off? and what for?

Two good lines are gone now.

View attachment 31185
Click to expand...

My last trip to URE we were night wheeling and ended up here, not even kidding I didn't recognize the trail, pulled out the map and thought we had gotten lost somehow, but nope, sure enough.
The view that every vehicle needs to be able to use every trail is going to continue to cause problems at URE. If they continue to grade/groom the trails, eventually it won't even be a challenge for a bone stock Cherokee on streeties. I know some people feel that its public land, so everyone should be able to access all the trails. Ive wheeled URE with open diffs and 33's, and had no issues on any of the trails, including daniel, had a friend with us do everything with a BB lift and 31 M/Ts
 
DavidG4x4 said:
and bring some of this off road racing back into those woods.... it would get people more excited about uwharrie and bring more people in to wheel.... Shit if they got rid of the water runoffs and had a race there i'd bring every vehicle we have
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Man, its not due to lack of effort on Rob and my part...we have had that conversation a bunch....I just don't see a way for anything positive to come from another race.

It could be done, that is not a question we even had it to the point of a "yes"...but it was clear their expectation and ours was very VERY different and I don't see any good coming from it and lots of potential bad...

Then again...if an offroad race IN THE FOREST is what is wanted....I wont say never....
 
gmcjimmy88 said:
Since URE using contracts that are awarded for work most of the work being done recently most likely was started several years ago. In the military the contracts go out for bids and then once a bid is accepted and work begins it could be close to 2-5 years after the bid process was started.
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The current work is from last years funds. Falls Dam is TARP, stimulus, money and Rocky Mount is RTP funds.

SkyHiK5 said:
Then again...if an offroad race IN THE FOREST is what is wanted....I wont say never....
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I agree with you Ron, that very little good could come of a race in the forest and potentially bad results mean we should look for other racing venues.
 
yodaman88 said:
wow they have made it super gay. Now what will it take to make uwharrie a challenge? A 2wd cherokee on 28's?
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peronally, i'd like to see a return to basics type of fourwheeling come back in style. ive done the big modified rigs, and ive been having more fun in stock to mild vehicles.


but......im not for paving the trails. they have been just about right for me.
 
cltdba said:
I think these are what has broken off of Kodak. There was one VERY LARGE boulder in that broke off about a month ago. I attempted to move it and got laughed at. :D That thing is at least 20k pounds. No match for my 4500 pound XJ.
Click to expand...

Was that you in the red xj trying to winch it while the K5s were there? If so, yes we laughed at you :flipoff2:

Duane
 
I talked with Janet about the boulders infront of the rock garden. She and I discussed it, and she will be talking with Terry Savery this week about it. I hear the blockade we put up on Daniel is slowly getting taken apart. Not surprising at all.
 
JC said:
I talked with Ranger Walker and RS Terry Savery. There was miscommunication between the contractor and the FS on exactly how much "maintenance" was to be done at Kodak according to the FS. He was beginning the process of "fixing" the rocky area. The FS assured me that while some work is going to be done there, they are not going to "fill it in". The ledge before Kodak is on the chopping block though!
Click to expand...

DRaider90 said:
I talked with Janet about the boulders infront of the rock garden. She and I discussed it, and she will be talking with Terry Savery this week about it.
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:confused:

Eli, IMO, as liaison between NC4x4 and the FS you need to build relationships and communication directly with Ranger Walker and Recreation Specialist Savery!
 
yodaman88 said:
wow they have made it super gay. Now what will it take to make uwharrie a challenge? A 2wd cherokee on 28's?
Click to expand...


Believe it or not, there is no document that states the USFS is required to provide extremely difficult OHV trails. The Uwharrie National Forest is one of very few forests that offer OHV trails at all. If you think it is "gay," go somewhere else.
 
Nissan11 said:
Believe it or not, there is no document that states the USFS is required to provide extremely difficult OHV trails. The Uwharrie National Forest is one of very few forests that offer OHV trails at all. If you think it is "gay," go somewhere else.
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:beer:
 
Nissan11 said:
Believe it or not, there is no document that states the USFS is required to provide extremely difficult OHV trails. The Uwharrie National Forest is one of very few forests that offer OHV trails at all. If you think it is "gay," go somewhere else.
Click to expand...

:driver:

The idea of making the trails easier does spark my interest, soley because I am in a stock JK. Although I have made it through Daniels, I think it would be appropriate to AT LEAST have moderate bypasses through areas such as the 1st ledge on Daniels. But filling the area is somewhat needed. As we all know, if these areas were left unmaintained, they would just become worse, and eventually impassable.

Areas such as the hill climb on Dickey Bell are a definate yes for trail work. I'm not saying they need to pave it, but they need to fill in some areas and decrease the difficulty by a little.

IMO, Kodak should be somewhat left alone. As we know, there is a bypass for Kodak Rock which means even stock vehicles like myself can make it there.

I believe that each trail should be passable by stock vehicles. I'm not saying they all need to be easy, but some areas of the trails need to be paved in some ways. IMO, for each obstacle on interest such as Kodak and the Daniel ledges, there should be a bypass in which stock vehicles can pass through safely.
 
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