Written by Bob Lessard and Daniel Stuart
We are excited to announce that we will soon open a new progressive flow zone above the golf course. NWTA has been busy over the last year planning new trails, reclaiming old trails, and extending the well-loved area containing Switchblade, Buck Knife, and Butter Knife into the new clearcut below it. The area, now dubbed “The Everblades”, includes progressive flow/jump lines down to the bottom of the clearcut.
We worked closely with Weyerhaeuser on the timing of the Everblades project. There is a narrow window of time between cutting and planting, where we essentially have free rein over trail routing and machine-based construction. The tight spacing between seedlings makes it near impossible to build flow trails after planting. NWTA will continue to be strategic about maximizing access, so expect new trail construction to quickly follow after good trail terrain has been harvested.
Designed by Thomas Lindner with input from Daniel Stuart and Chris Bernhardt, the trails are intended to help build skills progressively from intermediate through advanced. The features increase in difficulty the further you go down the trail, and although some of the features are quite advanced, all features are optional and made of dirt. Once you can clear all of the features on the blue line (Machete), you’ll be ready to graduate to the black line (Crosscut). When you reach the bottom of the descents, there is a mellow climb trail (Butter Knife) to pedal back up. Please note that a return climb is required. The area below the Everblades is private property.
Your membership and donations are what allowed us to fund this project and work with professional builders Jason Wells and Douglas Johnson. Rest assured that your membership dollars go directly back into improving and building more trails for you to ride.
The trails are still being finished, so please respect the builders and do not ride them until we announce that they are open. We are fixing some drainage problems, tuning the terrain features for safety, and ensuring that the trails have good flow. Watch our social media for an announcement of the official opening, which is expected to be sometime in April.
NOTE: Machete and Crosscut descend over 500 vertical feet from the top of the Everblades to the edge of the Wildwood Golf Course, which is private property. Only ride down these trails if you are committed to climbing back back up. You are not allowed to exit the Rocky Point trail system through the golf course. It’s private property. Please be respectful. (911 emergencies are an exception).