New Trail Open

Friends:

The new trail connecting Pavilion I to Pavilion II is now open. The trial is not 100% complete but is clear for use. I want to thank Adam Queen for his help building the trail as well as Merri and Suva for helping clear the entrance and making the trial more visible for park users.

Future plans for this section of trail include: building a small bridge to cross the drain by the road leading to the trail; using rock to armor the areas where the trail crosses several natural drains; smoothing rough areas on the trail; placing some big rocks between the areas where the trail meanders near itself so that people do not cut the turn; and dealing with some of the drainage issues in the area and divert that water away from the trail.

All are now welcome to enjoy this new section of trail.

Other future plans are to re-route part of the small loop behind Pavilion I. The part to be re-routed is the area near the creek where the loggers damaged the trail. The new section will take users gradually up the hillside and will eliminate the steep uphill section leading back to Pavilion I. The new route will also increase the length of the trail.

Chris

Race Photo

This photo has nothing to do with Rotary Park. It is a picture of me taken at a race in Columbia Tennessee that Roy found on the Columbia Cycling website. I just thought we needed an action photo on the site and I like this one. Anyways, our trails are better than this one. You guys bench a much better trail - hope no one from Columbia reads this - if so, "Hi, guys. Mucho love."

New Trail Being Built

New Trail
There is a new section of trail currently being built that will connect Pavilion I and Pavilion II. This trail begins directly across the street from Pavilion I and ties into an existing trail that used to begin by the fence at the park entrance and end at Pavilion II. There are several reasons for the newly built section, which bypasses the trailhead at the fence but still ends at Pavilion II. The old section went outside the park boundaries (my fault, I did it hoping that the adjacent property would not be sold, lesson learned). A portion of this trail was recently taken by development on that property. The new section of trail is entirely within the park boundaries (as best I can tell from the three stakes and old fence markings I found). Another reason for the building of the new section is to move the trailhead to make it more visible from Pavilion I and align it with the existing trailhead on the other side of the street. By aligning the two, it makes for a more consistent loop-style trail network. Last but not least, this new section of trail takes the user to a beautiful area of the park previously not seen by many. The view from the hillside is much better than that of the old trail.

When complete, this trail will become part of a series of trails that will connect all three pavilions in the park. Trail users will be able to use all three trails to complete a medium sized loop approximately two miles long. There are already trails connecting the other pavilions, however, some sections of those trails are in need of repair, and they will eventually be re-routed themselves.

What to Expect
When the new trail is complete, it will meander back and forth traversing the hillside. There will be three large climbing turns in the new section. It will not be straight nor as tight and technical as the old section. There is a section where the trail will turn and come within 10 feet of itself. A rock divider will eventually be built there to discourage users from bypassing the first turn. The trail crosses two drains, one of which is about a foot and half deep. Rock bridges will be built in both of these similar to the rock crossings found on the old trail to which this section connects. In another section, a rock crib wall will be built to raise the lower level of the trail tread (the design will be similar to those found on the yellow trail at Montgomery Bell State Park). There are also plans in the works to build some cedar benches to be installed at the highest point on the hillside by the trail. The trailhead will get some dirt fill to keep it from being so steep.

Currently, the trail has been flagged and most of it raked. It can be hiked but not biked. Some of the rocks have been moved to the area to begin the rock bridges. A lot of vegetation has been removed, but there is still more to go. I have removed a small amount of trash from the area, some of which I am convinced is older than me; I'm 31.

Goal
The goal of Friends of Rotary Park is to create a "stacked loop" trail network built consistent with the principles of the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). IMBA's trail building principles guide trail builders in building multipurpose trails, such as those needed in Rotary Park. Both hikers and bikers are permitted on the trails in Rotary Park and all new trails are being built with both in mind.

Patience
Good things are happening at Rotary Park. Keep in mind though that it has suffered three major blows within the past year. Several miles of trail located outside of the park were lost to development; an F2 Tornado touched down in the park causing serious damage; loggers hired to remove downed trees destroyed tons of trail and damaged the beauty of the park by building temporary logging roads. I ask that all of you remember how downtown Clarksville looked after the 1999 tornado. Look at it now. It looks better than ever with more improvements on the way. The mechanics are in place to make Rotary Park better than ever; some of it already does. However, it is going to take time, money, and volunteers. You can help by joining friends of Rotary Park and by voting for candidates that understand the importance of public parks and put your money where their mouth is.

New Trail Being Built

New Trail
There is a new section of trail currently being built that will connect Pavilion I and Pavilion II. This trail begins directly across the street from Pavilion I and ties into an existing trail that used to begin by the fence at the park entrance and end at Pavilion II. There are several reasons for the newly built section, which bypasses the trailhead at the fence but still ends at Pavilion II. The old section went outside the park boundaries (my fault, I did it hoping that the adjacent property would not be sold, lesson learned). A portion of this trail was recently taken by development on that property. The new section of trail is entirely within the park boundaries (as best I can tell from the three stakes and old fence markings I found). Another reason for the building of the new section is to move the trailhead to make it more visible from Pavilion I and align it with the existing trailhead on the other side of the street. By aligning the two, it makes for a more consistent loop-style trail network. Last but not least, this new section of trail takes the user to a beautiful area of the park previously not seen by many. The view from the hillside is much better than that of the old trail.

When complete, this trail will become part of a series of trails that will connect all three pavilions in the park. Trail users will be able to use all three trails to complete a medium sized loop approximately two miles long. There are already trails connecting the other pavilions, however, some sections of those trails are in need of repair, and they will eventually be re-routed themselves.

What to Expect
When the new trail is complete, it will meander back and forth traversing the hillside. There will be three large climbing turns in the new section. It will not be straight nor as tight and technical as the old section. There is a section where the trail will turn and come within 10 feet of itself. A rock divider will eventually be built there to discourage users from bypassing the first turn. The trail crosses two drains, one of which is about a foot and half deep. Rock bridges will be built in both of these similar to the rock crossings found on the old trail to which this section connects. In another section, a rock crib wall will be built to raise the lower level of the trail tread (the design will be similar to those found on the yellow trail at Montgomery Bell State Park). There are also plans in the works to build some cedar benches to be installed at the highest point on the hillside by the trail. The trailhead will get some dirt fill to keep it from being so steep.

Currently, the trail has been flagged and most of it raked. It can be hiked but not biked. Some of the rocks have been moved to the area to begin the rock bridges. A lot of vegetation has been removed, but there is still more to go. I have removed a small amount of trash from the area, some of which I am convinced is older than me; I'm 31.

Goal
The goal of Friends of Rotary Park is to create a "stacked loop" trail network built consistent with the principles of the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). IMBA's trail building principles guide trail builders in building multipurpose trails, such as those needed in Rotary Park. Both hikers and bikers are permitted on the trails in Rotary Park and all new trails are being built with both in mind.

Patience
Good things are happening at Rotary Park. Keep in mind though that it has suffered three major blows within the past year. Several miles of trail located outside of the park were lost to development; an F2 Tornado touched down in the park causing serious damage; loggers hired to remove downed trees destroyed tons of trail and damaged the beauty of the park by building temporary logging roads. I ask that all of you remember how downtown Clarksville looked after the 1999 tornado. Look at it now. It looks better than ever with more improvements on the way. The mechanics are in place to make Rotary Park better than ever; some of it already does. However, it is going to take time, money, and volunteers. You can help by joining friends of Rotary Park and by voting for candidates that understand the importance of public parks and put your money where their mouth is.