Chestnut Ridge Loop – sigh.

This is a good article, Chestnut Ridge should allow bikes, but I'm so sick of the argument. I'll just go elsewhere where bikers are accepted and appreciated. Let's start with Bedford County - Here's a community who I doubt has a great deal of revenue by the very nature of its failed industry etc. They have dedicated money and resources to build two great mountain bike venues (Falling Creek and Montvale). There has been some work I think on a 3rd park in Moneta. They also regularly host events where I feel very comfortable and welcome; and that I make a point of supporting.

As for the BRP, I've enjoyed its scenery since I was a kid, but there is no money in the Park Service budget for anything. They really need to focus on what they want to do and be in the future. Do they want to be an overgrown, rutted up roadway that few people want to travel to because the once scenic vistas have now significantly grown less scenic due to overgrowth of trees? In this day and age of technology, do you see families taking a drive from Roanoke to say Mabry Mill? I wonder what percentage of the current local population even realizes where the parkway begins and ends. Does the park service think it wise to isolate current users? This has already be evident by the stakeout they had a few years ago to ticket people on the way to Floyd Fest. They ticket road cyclists for riding two abreast (granted this is not proper etiquette, but really?) They've been known to ticket people walking their bikes across the social trails that they so desperately want to close. So take away a large group of users in these categories and you can watch the population of users dwindle that much more.

I don't care one way or the other what they do with Chestnut Ridge Loop at this point because I do have other welcoming options, so during the time everyone is arguing about what to do, I'll just head on out to the Cove, Mill Mountain or Bedford to enjoy the opportunities I already have. I'm also tired of the statement "volunteers will take care of the trails." Um, yea stretch those people too far and watch what happens? I've been a volunteer in another area and when it came down to the same old people doing everything, less got done. Burnout was high and now that activity is suffering mightily. Without quality leadership this isn't going to work either – example, Roanoke's most recent attempt at the National Mountain Bike Patrol. I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to trail maintenance or trail work. I have the best of intentions to go out and work on trail days, but I also have a full time job and schoolwork; so again, when faced with work on the trail or ride, I tend to chose to ride. I am also opposed to workdays when it's sweltering out and the greenery is at its full growth due to allergies. I've tried to help the trailwork cause by continuing to watch over Mill Mountain's trails and by networking on various websites to bring attention to the trailwork days hosted by VAST. From my last conversation with Brian B., it has worked as the message board posters have shown up and have said that they found out about the workday because of the posts on the website.

Who knows what will become of Chestnut Ridge, I suspect that nothing will change. The Park Service has said there is little money to deal with any of the options that were presented at the Explore Park meeting. People will continue to run on the trail, horses will continue to use the trail and people will still continue to ride their bikes (illegally) on the trail. Meanwhile, I'll just sit back and watch!