Expanding URE Trails

csudman

csudman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Statesville
I posted this in the Tellico closure thread but it needs it own thread to survive.

This board is a major supporter of the URE Trail Systems. Most all of the 4x4 Clubs that do the cleaning and work weekends are on this board.

Is this something that could be accomplished? I'm sure the 4wheel drive community would pitch in and would probably build the entire thing, if not at least raise money to do it.

I would think a few new "hardcore" short trails would be easy to add. Loops of the main trail system to natural rock formations. And maybe open up some of the old wheeler trails to everyone else again.

I'd be in for $100.00 or so towards the cause. If we could get 250 in, 25000.00 would go along way towards getting it accomplished.

Thoughts?

CJ
 
Sounds good....but $25k wouldn't pay for the environmental impact statement that the FS would have to have done.

Personally, I'll help fight to keep it, but I'm expecting to lose Uwharrie within the next five (probably) to ten (maximum) years. This *opinion* is based on how the trails have changed (deteriorated) in just the past five or so years. Bigger tires, bigger horsepower, more aggressive driving are tearing the place to pieces, and we'll lose it because of that.

The future of 'wheeling is on private land.
 
Right, so build the trails with that in mind and be upfront about it. I hear you on the trails not lasting for ever. But I think one thing that would make a differnce is people having a vested interest in keeping the trails open once the've made a contribution to them.

And to the studies, isn't that the kind of thing we could get a college student to do as his senior project?
 
There are no Trout streams in URE. And the Forest Officials there are a different breed than Tellico, So I would hope there would be a chance of it staying around longer

Brown Mountain is a great opportunity to be a very nice trail system, Right now with only one loop for jeeps, Just opening up some of the existing trails to 4wds would be a huge gain. The trails are there and are capable of handling the extra vehicular travel. Plus there are few streams for run off. Currently there are no "clubs" maintaining trails at Brown, This maybe something to help persuade the forest service. This has been brought up before, but has never gotten any where. Trails 4 and 6 would be a great start.

I will say I and the TJC would be happy to maintain a trail. Seeing how it is right here.
 
Brown would be an opportunity as well, I think the issue with commitment, is most people want harder and harder lines. Is there enough rock, hill, etc... at brown for them to be created?
 
csudman said:
Brown would be an opportunity as well, I think the issue with commitment, is most people want harder and harder lines. Is there enough rock, hill, etc... at brown for them to be created?
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There is a ton of rock.

A buddy of mine rode there years ago and there are hardcore trails that are not open to be ran, That could be opened, Along with what ATV trails are out there, If I had an ATV i could explore the areas.
 
The URE forest ranger or whatever was replaced a couple of years ago when the old one retired. At that time, there was a bunch of talk about opening up new trails and rerouting Sawmill away from the shooting range. The new Ranger is a woman and the word was that her husband had a Jeep and wheeled. I haven't heard anything about this since that initially chatter. I first went to URE in 1989, and there were two more trails open then that I remember. One was Gold Mine that use to start at the same parking lot as Daniel and intersected Dickey Bell near where it crosses the road. You can still see it from Dickey Bell if you know where to look. I was told this trail was closed due to run off into the streams. The other trail was Big Branch or Long Branch and it left from the top of Falls Dam (end of 516) and as best I can remember wrapped around and intersected 516 near Wolf Den. I am not 100% on that last part though. I was told this trail was closed due to bald eagles or some crap nesting in trees near the trails. That was probably 10-12 years ago, so my question is are they still fawking nesting there? Why can't the trail be reopened? It seems like it is easy to close a trail, but impossible to reopen one.
 
csudman said:
Brown would be an opportunity as well, I think the issue with commitment, is most people want harder and harder lines. Is there enough rock, hill, etc... at brown for them to be created?
Click to expand...

Brown mountain has got it! It could be the shit if the FS would let it happen. I use to ride my dirt bike there and that place has serious potential for awesome 4wd trails!
 
drkelly said:
The URE forest ranger or whatever was replaced a couple of years ago when the old one retired. At that time, there was a bunch of talk about opening up new trails and rerouting Sawmill away from the shooting range. The new Ranger is a woman and the word was that her husband had a Jeep and wheeled. I haven't heard anything about this since that initially chatter. I first went to URE in 1989, and there were two more trails open then that I remember. One was Gold Mine that use to start at the same parking lot as Daniel and intersected Dickey Bell near where it crosses the road. You can still see it from Dickey Bell if you know where to look. I was told this trail was closed due to run off into the streams. The other trail was Big Branch or Long Branch and it left from the top of Falls Dam (end of 516) and as best I can remember wrapped around and intersected 516 near Wolf Den. I am not 100% on that last part though. I was told this trail was closed due to bald eagles or some crap nesting in trees near the trails. That was probably 10-12 years ago, so my question is are they still fawking nesting there? Why can't the trail be reopened? It seems like it is easy to close a trail, but impossible to reopen one.
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I agree totally
 
My recollection of the old trails.
 

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drkelly said:
Brown mountain has got it! It could be the shit if the FS would let it happen. I use to ride my dirt bike there and that place has serious potential for awesome 4wd trails!
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I think another fight at Brown would be the Bikes and ATV, That place is full of them, Not sure how they would feel about sharing. I know the Mayor of Morganton really well. I will drop a line and see what comes of it. Could be something that can bring some people to town. Can't hurt.
 
there are a few active arch dig sites in UNF...I *believe* that one of these closed "goldmine"
 
Do that, I would be interested to hear what he would have to say about the tax revenue that would be brought in from the increased tourism. It may be worth your time to call the Town of Troy and see if you can get some figures regarding the amount of traffic they attribute to the trails system.
 
drkelly said:
The URE forest ranger or whatever was replaced a couple of years ago when the old one retired. At that time, there was a bunch of talk about opening up new trails and rerouting Sawmill away from the shooting range. The new Ranger is a woman and the word was that her husband had a Jeep and wheeled. I haven't heard anything about this since that initially chatter. I first went to URE in 1989, and there were two more trails open then that I remember. One was Gold Mine that use to start at the same parking lot as Daniel and intersected Dickey Bell near where it crosses the road. You can still see it from Dickey Bell if you know where to look. I was told this trail was closed due to run off into the streams. The other trail was Big Branch or Long Branch and it left from the top of Falls Dam (end of 516) and as best I can remember wrapped around and intersected 516 near Wolf Den. I am not 100% on that last part though. I was told this trail was closed due to bald eagles or some crap nesting in trees near the trails. That was probably 10-12 years ago, so my question is are they still fawking nesting there? Why can't the trail be reopened? It seems like it is easy to close a trail, but impossible to reopen one.
Click to expand...

I remember hearing some of this. I think there was talk of a trail to connect the bottom of Daniel with the rest of the system. Daniel is a dead end trail and needs to made into a loop. I also heard that one problem was with a flower that had sprung up in those trails. Apparently it was rare or something. The catch 22 was that the flower only grew in old roads around here or something like that. LOL! Isn't the rangers wife the cordinator of the work days at URE?
 
Another older guy told me that all the trails at URE use to be just motorcycle trails and that some group of motorcyclists were responsible for opening them. Daniel was a 'motorcycle only' trail back when I first started going there. They had two steel posts about 2 feet apart at the entrance from the parking lot, and trees on either side, so you couldn't even take a 4 wheeler up it. I think Daniel was widened into a Jeep trail sometime in the early to mid 90's but am not sure.
 
csudman said:
Do that, I would be interested to hear what he would have to say about the tax revenue that would be brought in from the increased tourism. It may be worth your time to call the Town of Troy and see if you can get some figures regarding the amount of traffic they attribute to the trails system.
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The town of Murphy may be a better example of what has been lost, They seem to respond to that better.

Morganton has taken this new mountain outdoor adventurer town theme as of late also that may help the cause.
 
burrellsjeep said:
Dude you altered the map
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Yeh, I did that about 3-4 years ago when this same subject came up on this same website, LOL.

Brown definitely has some big elevation changes, and that is what I think could make it an awesome wheeling location.
 
I am all for exapanding trails, but I sure don't want to lose URE no matter what.
 
burrellsjeep said:
Dude you altered the map
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No he didnt, the FS did by removing those trails.
ghost said:
...Daniel is a dead end trail and needs to made into a loop...
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Its not a dead end if you start/finish there :flipoff2:
drkelly said:
Another older guy told me that all the trails at URE use to be just motorcycle trails and that some group of motorcyclists were responsible for opening them. Daniel was a 'motorcycle only' trail back when I first started going there. They had two steel posts about 2 feet apart at the entrance from the parking lot, and trees on either side, so you couldn't even take a 4 wheeler up it. I think Daniel was widened into a Jeep trail sometime in the early to mid 90's but am not sure.
Click to expand...
Daniel was opened to vehicles in 1994.
 
drkelly said:
Another older guy told me that all the trails at URE use to be just motorcycle trails and that some group of motorcyclists were responsible for opening them. Daniel was a 'motorcycle only' trail back when I first started going there. They had two steel posts about 2 feet apart at the entrance from the parking lot, and trees on either side, so you couldn't even take a 4 wheeler up it. I think Daniel was widened into a Jeep trail sometime in the early to mid 90's but am not sure.
Click to expand...

I took my old blazer up Daniel back in the 90's maybe in 94 or 95.
 
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