SORBA News & Events

REGISTRATION WILL BE OPEN SOON!

Join SORBA’s volunteers, land managers, advocates, and members in Johnson City,TN, May 15 – 18 for the 2019 Southern Mountain Bike Summit. Workshops, presentations, panels, networking, socials, bike riding, and lots of fun will be had by all.  Johnson City and SORBA Tri-Cities are hosting the summit.  Participants will have access to the new Tannery Knob Bike Park and the Tweetsie Trail, breweries, shops and restaurants, which are all within walking/biking distance from the host hotel, the Carnegie Hotel.

Click HERE for more exciting info about Tannery Knob Bike Park!

The Southern Mountain Bike Summit is a not-to-be-missed event. Nowhere else will you see such a passionate group of mountain bikers in the Southeast meet and work together to create better trail opportunities for all. And, you get to ride your bike on the finest trails in the Southeast!

Special thanks to Tri-Cities SORBA and Johnson City for hosting this Summit!

Summit Location – Carnegie Hotel, 1216 W. State of Franklin Rd, Johnson City, TN 37604

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, May 15 

• Chainsaw Certification for Sawyer B – Bucking Only – Instructors, Chuck Ramsey and Jim Holland – The Sawyer B – Bucking only is a two day course designed to train volunteers to safely and effectively clear downed trees. Participants will learn to independently buck and limb any size material in moderately complex situations.  Just as a prospective driver does not go to the local DMV expecting to learn how to drive, prospective sawyers are expected to be comfortable with chainsaw use and to have basic chainsaw maintenance/troubleshooting skills before certification and must have a current CPR/First Aid Certification.

• Trail Crew Leader Training Course – Trail Design, Layout & Construction Class – Instructor, Walt Braedy The Trail Crew Leader training course is a two‐day course for any volunteer that wants to learn the basic technical trail work skills to lead a crew. It will cover natural surface trail design, construction, maintenance and crew leader training. The focus is long term sustainability that can reduce overall maintenance needs and user impacts on natural resources. Trail crew leaders should have a strong commitment to building sustainable trails and get satisfaction out of helping others have a good time while doing good work.

• Women’s Trail Maintenance & Construction Course – Instructor,  Valerie Naylor – The Trail Maintenance & Construction Course is a one-day course geared towards women.  Basic trail sustainable trail planning, design, construction & maintenance.  2-3 hours indoor instruction, 3-4 hours outdoor instruction.

Thursday, May 16

• Chainsaw Certification for Sawyer B – Bucking Only – 2nd day

• Trail Crew Leader Training Course -Trail Maintenance & Crew Leader Training Class – 2nd day – Ladies who have completed the Women’s Trail Maintenance & Construction Workshop on the prior day, have the option to participate in the Crew Leader Training Class on this day to be Crew Leader Certified.  Both courses teach the same curriculum on the first day.

Friday, May 17.   Land Manager Day – Advocates and land managers are welcome to attend a series of sessions geared for the land manager.  Coffee reception, lunch, group ride and evening social are included.

Lunch with Chris Bernhardt. Chris is the Principal with C2 Recreation Consulting and former Director of Field Programs for IMBA.  Chris who has worked on major trail development projects from China to Switzerland (not to mention Coldwater Mountain in Anniston Alabama), will share his knowledge of current trends in trail building and design.

Sessions will include

• Johnson City, A Success Story – Learn from SORBA Tri-Cities, local land managers, property owner, bike shops, IMBA Trail Solutions worked together to create an awesome place to ride!
• Managing Bicycle Speed on Multi-Use Trails, Valerie Naylor, Trails Specialist
• The Power of Trails and Trends in Outdoor Recreation:  Your park, mountain biking and the bottom line.
• Portland Oregon’s Off-Road Cycling Master Plan: The surprising challenges for mountain biking in a cycling paradise!
• Tour of Tannery Knob Bike Park and the Latest Trail Building Techniques
• Group Ride
• Evening Social

Saturday, May 18.   Advocates Day – Land managers, SORBA chapter representatives and advocates are welcome to attend sessions geared for our advocates.  Coffee reception, lunch, group ride and evening social are included.

Sessions will include

• SORBA Board of Directors Meeting for chapter representatives
• National Trails Strategy & 10 Year Trail Challenge – Chris Sporl, Director of Recreation, Wilderness, Heritage and Partnerships/Volunteer Resources, USFS Region 8
• Thinking Strategically Panel Discussion including the MTB Market Analysis – Deb Caffin, Trails Program Leader, USFS Region 8, Jill Van Winkle – Portland OR Parks & Rec,
• Working with your Local Government Officials
• IMBA is in the House – David Wiens, Patrick Kell and Anthony Duncan:  Updates on IMBA and chapter support.
• Chapter 101:  For new chapter leaders.
• Bike Patrol Training – Kelly Pruitt, SORBA Woodstock
• Group Ride
• Evening Social

All programs, clinics and sessions are designed to meet the increasing demand from our chapters, land managers and mountain bike communities for developing and maintaining more trails close to home!

Lodging

Host Hotel – Carnegie Hotel, 1216 W State of Franklin Rd, Johnson City 37604  423-979-6400 * Special rate of $130 + tax.  The summit meeting and sessions will be here.  Clinics will be on another location.  Easily accessible to downtown and Tannery Knob Bike Park.

Other hotels – Hampton Inn, 508 N State of Franklin Rd, Johnson City 37604,  423-929-8000                                      Quality Inn, 1900 Roan St, Johnson City, TN 37601   423-928-9600                                                                            Fairfield Inn, 3078 Hamilton Pl, Johnson City, TN 37604   423-900-8640

Camping – Woodsmoke Campground, 215 Woodsmoke Dr, Unicoi, TN 37692   423-743-2116  (20 minutes)              Camp Stonefly, 200 Blevins Rd, Johnson City, TN 37601   704-301-4080  (15 minutes)                                              Warriors’ Path State Park, 490 Hemlock Rd, Kingsport, TN 37663   Reservations (30 minutes) 12 mile MTB Trail

Registration Fees – We are working on that now!