Ben Hawes, Owensboro KY

[nick]

Here are a couple.  finished product in one and the other just has the footers and the outside box in place.  a coupe more cross members where added to the box substructure before the decking was put on.  we left the decking "staggered" like that to make it have a little less prefabbed look to it.  nothing to fancy from the looks of it which is what you want out in the woods really if you want it to blend in.

[ricdix]

In case you haven’t heard….. Brecks is hosting a fundraiser for the Ben Hawes trail project on 8/20. They will be raffling a new bike and selling burgers for lunch… everyone has to eat. Might as well eat there and show your support. Also free swag and a group ride. More detail below.

http://brecksbikeshop.com/

Ready to ride your mountain bike but tired of long drives to hit the trail?
Then help us help the Kentucky Mountain Bike Association finish the multi-use trail at Ben Hawes Park in Owensboro, Ky., during a fundraiser at the Owensboro shop on Saturday, August 20.
We will be raffling a mountain bike valued at $775 that Cannondale has graciously donated to the cause, with the proceeds benefiting the KYMBA Ben Hawes trail project. We’ll have several other surprises during the fundraising event, and a HUGE sale inside the store.
The Ben Hawes trail will be around 8 miles long once completed and  will attract mountain bikers and other outdoor enthusiasts from around the region. More than 3 miles have already been completed, thanks to the City of Owensboro, Daviess County Detention Center work crews and a corps of volunteers from the cycling community. A tremendous amount of time and resources have already gone into the trail project– and they need our help to finish the job!
After the Fundraiser and Sale at Brick’s Bicycle Shop in Owensboro, Ky., we’ll all head to Ben Hawes for a HUGE ride in  a show of support for the mountain biking community of western Kentucky! It will be a great time!

[wanderer]

I can't believe I'm just now hearing about all this.   I wrote Ben Hawes off the last time I was there and then to find out about all this is.   Absolutely awesome.   What he did at Harmonie and French Lick has opened up MTB a lot more for me.   Having another one of his trails nearby is just amazing.

[wkumtrider]

How did the fundraiser and ride go?

[nick]

Fantastic Day.  Breck's Bike Shop Fund Raiser for the Ben Hawes Trails Project donation was over 3,000 Dollars!!!!!  One of the guys that had ben showing  up for trail days won the bike raffel.  Burgers where enjoyed.  Several bike commuters rolled up and had a snack and something to drink and pitched in with their wallets.  Bike community was very much appreciated today for sure!  Helmet cam footage was inside playing all day of the new trails so we could show folks what they are helping build.  Thank Everyone that stopped by or helped spread the word of this fundraiser.  More trail will be on the ground soon!

[ricdix]

Fantastic day indeed! Thank you Breck's and everyone else involved in this very succseful fund raising event.

Also, the project made the Messenger-Inquirer news paper again. Although some of the statements are confusing... its always nice to receive press. (Thanks to Gary Emord-Netzley for the photo)

[ricdix]

“Congratulations to Blake Payne, the winner of a new Cannondale Mountain Bike!
And thanks again to everyone who helped with last weekend’s fundraiser for the KYMBA Ben Hawes/Rudy Mines Trail Project. The money raised will go a long way toward helping the organization and local volunteers complete the first phase of the multi-use trail. We’d also like to commend those in the cycling community who have donated their time and funds to create a great new trail for cyclists, runners and anyone else in the community  who wants to enjoy the benefits of the great outdoors and a healthy lifestyle!”

http://brecksbikeshop.com/

[wanderer]

Finally got a chance to ride the trail today.... Awesome stuff!   I rate the difficulty above Harmony and below Scales Lake.  It's an awesome trail and different then anything around here so far with a lot of turns combined with tight rollercoaster ups and downs.  It's always good to have unique trails, keeps the diversity and helps maintain interest.   Alex is just amazing, he sure knows how to maximize the terrain no matter what he comes across.  All the people working on it get major props from me.

[nick]

We got the local KYMBA volunteers back out cutting more trail this week with the machines.  The Mini x is clearing way to hopefully bring Alex Stewart, with Spectrum Trail Designs, back to Owensboro hopefully at the end of Sept or early Oct. 

Thanks to everyone that is helping this project keep rolling forward.  My mountain bike hours for the year has actually almost past the road bike hours, similar to old times because of all you guys.  This makes me a happy camper for sure!

[Billy Davis]

Nick great work, can you remind me what the goal is for mileage @ Ben Hawes?

[ricdix]

Hey Billy, this push will hopefully open up/nearly complete Phase 1 which is a 6 mile lollypop. (approx. 1 mile out and back to a 5 mile loop) Future plans for Phase 2 will convert the out and back into a shorter loop creating a double stack loop trail system.
Once both Phases are completed we‘ll have nearly 8 miles of new, professionally designed and constructed purpose built single-track! This will complement the existing 4 miles of service roads and double track.
Completion and Grand opening is slated for next spring with plans to host a mountain bike race and trail run sometime next summer.

[wkumtrider]

A mt bike race in the 'Boro would be awesome.  I need to get my butt in shape.

[Billy Davis]

Hey Billy, this push will hopefully open up/nearly complete Phase 1 which is a 6 mile lollypop. (approx. 1 mile out and back to a 5 mile loop) Future plans for Phase 2 will convert the out and back into a shorter loop creating a double stack loop trail system.
Once both Phases are completed we‘ll have nearly 8 miles of new, professionally designed and constructed purpose built single-track! This will complement the existing 4 miles of service roads and double track.
Completion and Grand opening is slated for next spring with plans to host a mountain bike race and trail run sometime next summer.

Kick Ass!

[ricdix]

Guys,

Are you ready for some more sweat single-track? Stupid question….. of course you are!
Thanks to the generosity and support from our local community, KyMBA successfully raised enough funds to bring Alex Stewart of Spectrum Trail Designs back to town.
The game plan is the same as the last visit. To maximize our dollars, local volunteers have prepared the corridor and our machine operators (Scott and Cris) are roughing in the first pass.
Alex will be here to sculpt trail on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week.
The Jail Crew will assist Alex in the mornings and we’ll need your help in the afternoon/evenings.
Remember, the more volunteer help we have with the hand/finish work, the more Alex can utilize his talents on the machine.
I know we’re all very busy so feel free to come as often or as little as you like.
Looking forward to building more purpose built, sustainable, fun and flowy trail. And if all goes well, connecting the loop!

Thanks,
Richard Dixon
852-3747 home
313-0599 cell

[ricdix]

Due to inclement weather, we’ve decided to postpone the start of trail construction by one day. This decision was made thanks to the 3+ inches of rainfall received over the weekend with more predicted in Tuesdays forecast.
Alex will work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week. (And don’t worry…. He’s already checking his schedule for a return trip)
Again, no need to show up on Tuesday. We’ll need all the help we can get Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoon/evening.