rhdy
Little Ring
Posts:90
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| 08/05/2008 12:57 AM |
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I found this on the Spencer County paper's site:
http://www.spencermagnet.com/articles/2008/07/30/community/01trails.txt
"Since last November, volunteers have spent countless hours clearing
pathways to be used not only by horsemen, but also mountain bikers and
hikers."
"...the project received a $100,000 recreation trails grant thanks to the
efforts of Taylorsville Lake State Park Manager Brian Pharis"
" “Most of the increase in trail usage has been with the horses in recent
years,” said Pharis, who said the trails are used by hikers and
advanced mountain bikers. “But horse trails are what we are known for.” "
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zherz
Little Ring
Posts:64
Registered Users
l-ville
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| 08/05/2008 9:34 AM |
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| That place is a horse hoof crater feild. I went there once when i first move to louisville and it was like riding on a railroad track. Even if they re-routed the entire system I can't imagine it would take it long to go right back to craterville with all the horse traffic it gets. I will say it would be a great mtn. bike park though if they could regulate it. Beautiful out there, tons of wildlife. |
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s0ckeyeus
Big Ring
Posts:186
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| 08/05/2008 9:38 AM |
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Taylorsville Lake definitely has potential. It would be a lot of fun if it weren't for the horses. I may be camping out there next weekend and will check it out (unless we go somewhere else).
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russell g
Big Ring
Posts:376
Registered Users
Louisville, KY
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| 08/05/2008 9:56 AM |
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| They can have it. |
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chuck_clark
Big Ring
Posts:345
Registered Users
Louisville
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| 08/05/2008 1:46 PM |
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| Yep, the place is crap. It has to be perfectly bench cut and never ridden by horses in order to be used by anyone other than equestrians. My story about the place is well known. Trails go straight up and down every hill. Possum Ridge Loop was cut in with a Caterpillar with little respect for proper trail design. As others have said, it's very pretty and full of wildlife. I know they want to pump more tourist dollars into the place, but if history is any guide, it will never be more than what it is now. |
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s0ckeyeus
Big Ring
Posts:186
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| 08/05/2008 3:11 PM |
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| It'd be nice if bikers could cut new trails on the other side of the state park. There's an old road that turns off towards the lake a couple miles east of the state park that now serves primarily as access to the wildlife management area. There aren't any trails (other than deer trails) back in there. It'll probably never happen, but it would be nice. |
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rhdy
Little Ring
Posts:90
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| 08/05/2008 3:53 PM |
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When I ran across this article, Chuck was the first person I thought of.
One of the first times, if not THE first time, I helped with trail building was at Taylorsville with Chuck. I can't remember who else was there, but it was within a week after a tornado came through the area, and Chuck showed me and one other person some of the area the trail he invisioned would cover, as well as some downed trees from the tornado. That was, what, 4, 5, 6 years ago? Man - time flies when you're having fun. |
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Chris Ward
Big Ring
Posts:217
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| 08/05/2008 4:56 PM |
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I dont' remember who said this, but it makes sense.
There is no such thing as a multi use trail that is shared with equestrians. Once a multi use trail is used by equestrians it becomes an equestrian trail because no other user groups will want to use that trail.
I hunted in the WMA at Tylorsville for several years and it would be great to have hiking and biking trails. I have no interested in working on trails that are shared by equestrians, it is a waste of time and effort. |
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TWL
Little Ring
Posts:77
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| 08/05/2008 5:26 PM |
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Taylorsville would be really convenient for me if it were worth riding.
Tom and I rode it three years ago. I remember the ride because:
1. Even though it had rained 2-3 days prior, there were mud pits so huge that Tom lost a shoe in one.
2. We saw the largest snake I've ever seen in the wild. This thing could have swallowed one of you little guys whole.
3. They were having the half-iron man competition that day. I've never seen a group of men look so miserable. Made me really not want to take up the sport.
4. The trail that took you to the scenic overlook was off-limits to cyclists. That really sucked.
5. The area definitely has potential. |
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russell g
Big Ring
Posts:376
Registered Users
Louisville, KY
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| 08/05/2008 6:10 PM |
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Several years ago we had a large KyMBA meeting and the land managers and some tourism guy from Taylorsville attended. They seemed very interested in introducing Mtn bikes to the park, however once they heard our side that it's impossible to share trails with horses the discussion was at a stalemate. I proposed the idea of an entirely new trail system devoted soley to hiking and biking they were skeptical of excluding horses off of any trail. If proposed again with the right sales pitch I think we could have a shot at creating our own trail system there. I think the terrain and soil are ideal for mtnbike trails. Plus it is a great bike/swim day. We rode one day at taylorsville when it was 90 degrees stopped at the lake and swam then rode again, very nice.
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chuck_clark
Big Ring
Posts:345
Registered Users
Louisville
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| 08/05/2008 6:22 PM |
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The Wilderness area sockeyes mentioned is where the network of trails would have extended to. The first step would have been putting a short loop from the roadway and connect further loops in ala Brown County. There is enough land there to actually have a network that big if it was done right.
Rhdy: yeah, actually the trail we were working on would have been the re-route of the Possum Ridge Loop. I could have easily doubled the distance of that single trail if they would have simply followed the contour. |
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koolaid
Granny Gear
Posts:26
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| 08/05/2008 7:03 PM |
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| while we build new (more) horse trails we may as well build trails for atv's too, since neither will build , maintian or pick up their trash. (or wipe their own arse)! |
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russell g
Big Ring
Posts:376
Registered Users
Louisville, KY
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| 08/05/2008 7:50 PM |
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hell just give me 50K of that money and I will take a year off work and do nothing but make sweet singletrack. Go to the link above and voice your opinion to the paper, I did. you never know>?
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russell g
Big Ring
Posts:376
Registered Users
Louisville, KY
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| 08/05/2008 8:12 PM |
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Just went to trails.com and posted a bad review for Taylorsville lake. I advise you do the same. The more pressure the better. I wouldn't do one minute of work out there until something is in writing guaranteeing a trail that does not and will not allow horses.
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Chris Ward
Big Ring
Posts:217
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| 08/05/2008 10:52 PM |
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I'm glad to see this enthusiasm for new trail. It would be great to add another venue. You guys know we have a great opportunity over at O'bannon Woods in Southern Indiana. The terrain is there blows Taylorsville away, (there is no comparison really), there is more acres (26,000) the DNR has already commited to a separate bike and hike trails, we have already begun construction on the first bike and hike trail and to top it off the State of Indiana has already commited money to the project. O'bannon is about the same distance as Taylorsville Lake. Why would we waste our time at Taylorsville, we have already done that once.
With the opportunity we have over in Indiana I don't understand why we would really even think about Taylorsville again. |
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TheWaverlyGhost
Little Ring
Posts:89
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| 08/06/2008 12:03 AM |
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| Chris makes a hell of a point, sometimes.. :D
Another option is to come out to the Waverly trail days and help open up the killer new trail thats going in.
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Rowbear
Big Ring
Posts:393
Registered Users
Lexington, KY
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| 08/06/2008 9:06 AM |
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| Because O'bannon woods is in Indiana duh, we're in Kentucky. Why would we want to help them hoosiers? J/K. Although, Obannon woods and Taylorsville may be equa-distant for the louisville folks, it looks like the lake would be closer for us central kentuckians, frankfort and points east, as well as e-town and all that area. Am I right? I don't really oppose O'bannon woods. I'm just saying Taylorsville would be a nice option also, especially for those of us that aren't 5 minutes from the IN state line. |
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nick
Little Ring
Posts:70
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| 08/06/2008 9:34 AM |
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| rowbear....you live outside of louisville now. your opinion doesn't count anymore ya know. ;) |
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Rowbear
Big Ring
Posts:393
Registered Users
Lexington, KY
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| 08/06/2008 9:50 AM |
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my opinion never counts, ask my wife. I get no respect I tell ya, no respect.
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zherz
Little Ring
Posts:64
Registered Users
l-ville
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| 08/06/2008 10:01 AM |
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My problem with building anything at T-ville lake is that it is in "good ole boy" land. Where I'm afraid horses would never be regulated or penalized for riding trails they were not allowed on.
If any new trail goes in around here I would rather we all push for JMF. We need to start storming those meetings in hordes. I always had the idea to push having them gives us one area ,like horine, where the trails are horridly steep fall lines, do the work ,and to sweeten the deal for Met.parks make it pass only accessable. Annual or daily passes. I would buy a $10 annual pass to have access to some new JMF trails. Think of the events you could hold if we were to have Horine. There's camping, facilities, plenty of open space and all with in 15 minutes of downtown. Man it would be sick. It could be THE mecca for this area.
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