As the
Trailblazers patiently await the finishing touches to be placed on their
official affiliation with IMBA-SORBA, the club is moving full steam ahead on a
4.5 mile expansion of the Laurel Loop at Lake Norman State Park.  Completion of the loop will up the mileage at the park to approximately 22, with the promise (through a 2009 RTP grant of
$75K and an REI grant of $10K) to add yet another 8 to 9 miles.  The club mantra is 30 in ‘13–30 miles by the end of 2013! 

IMBA-SORBA donated proceeds of $1,643.00 from the Southern Mountain Bike Summit Silent Auction to the Community Focus Foundation of Brevard, NC. The donation will help fund the Bracken Mountain Trail Project , a six-mile singletrack trail connecting downtown Brevard, NC to Pisgah National Forest.  

By Eric Epley

Flagler Area
Biking SORBA is very happy to report that we have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for the Mala Compra Greenway Trail with Flagler County. Mala Compra, Spanish for bad bargain,
refers to the land’s rich history, which includes Seminole Indian settlement
and a cotton plantation.  Despite the negative name, Flagler Area Biking’s
efforts have resulted in a cause for celebration among area mountain bikers, as
the IMBA-SORBA chapter will officially maintain the existing 5.5 miles of
singletrack in the park.

by Walter Bready

IMBA-SORBA and Trail Dynamics are hosting trailbuilding classes for USDA Forest Service personnel at the renowned Tsail Recreation Area near Bryson City, NC on April 15th and 16th, 2011. Woody Keen, founder of Trail Dynamics, is donating his time and expertise to training Forest Service personnel in state-of-the-art trail building techniques specifically for properly building drainage structures and how to improve trails on old roadbeds.