Trailblazers

Mountain biking is a growing sport at Vestavia Hills High School, but the team can’t really fit practices into the school gym.

For the 15 to 20 middle and high school students on the Vestavia Hills team in its second season, that has meant driving to Oak Mountain State Park or attempting to avoid traffic while riding in Liberty Park. Right behind the high school, however, was an ideal site for practices that head coach Tina Chanslor and team director Doug Brown never knew existed.

“I’ve lived in Vestavia forever and I’ve never gone down the little road to McCallum Park,” said Chanslor, who is also president of the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers.

At McCallum Park, Chanslor and Brown see the potential to build a new trail, not just for mountain biking, but also for anyone looking to walk, hike or run in the area.

The mountain bike team is in its second year and is one of 23 Alabama leagues in the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), with the race season running from November to May. Chanslor said the team competes in several locations across the state, in races anywhere from five to 20 miles depending on the riders’ skill level.

The sport is not just about being the first to the finish line. Riders have to deal with challenging terrain and must fix any mechanical problems during the race on their own. Brown, who is also a member of BUMP and founded Trips for Kids, said every member of the team has taken a bike repair class. Chanslor recalls one student whose wheel came off after a wreck with another rider. When he put the wheel back on and crossed the finish line, he wasn’t upset that the wreck slowed him down.

“‘Coach Tina, I passed 20 people to catch back up,’” Chanslor remembers him saying. “It’s not necessarily about being the one who gets to get on the podium… They all finish and feel like they’ve accomplished it.”

Despite being a new sport, Brown and Chanslor agreed that the team members love it. Chanslor has students who now bike from Liberty Park to the high school since joining the team, or wake up earlier each morning to fit in an extra ride.

“All we have to do is get them out one time and then they’re hooked on the sport,” she said.

The coaches think having a trail close to the school will be important in fostering more excitement from students to join the team. They’re working with Michael Enervold of TrailVisions, a recreational trail planning and construction company, to make it happen.

Creating the trail requires a lot of cooperation. The city of Vestavia Hills is excited about the project, according to Public Services Director Brian Davis, but some of the land that they want to use for the trail belongs to the Board of Education or the Freshwater Land Trust. Brown and Chanslor have to get these permissions and work with the city’s engineering department before any work begins.

The final design of the trail will be determined by these permissions, but Enervold is envisioning a 1.5-mile “urban wilderness” dirt trail, including a series of turns and switchbacks on the hill owned by the BOE and the Land Trust. It will include some features specifically for bikers to enjoy, but all will be accessible to pedestrians. Brown said it would make a good practice site for the VHHS cross-country team as well.

“If it’s good for bikes, it’s great to walk and run on,” Enervold said. “Most folks actually like trails that are natural.”

He also thinks it will greatly improve accessibility to Rocky Ridge neighborhoods and businesses. The trail can provide a walking path for residents, but Enervold also sees it as a potential draw to mountain bikers who don’t live in Vestavia Hills. When they come to ride, he said, it’s likely they’ll stay to dine or shop.

“People that exercise tend to eat and drink afterward,” Enervold said.

The job involves clearing out rocks, privet and other overgrown plants to make the path, but without causing erosion on the hillside or other long-term problems. The students on the bike team are committed to helping maintain the trail and have worked on area trail maintenance projects before, but Enervold still wants to make it a quality trail.

“What we want to construct is something that won’t be a maintenance burden,” Enervold said. “It takes a lot of time to actually lay out a good trail.”

Since the students will also volunteer their time to construct the trail, Enervold, Brown and Chanslor expect the project will cost about $15,000 to complete. After they complete the necessary processes with the city and landowners, financing the trail project will be their next challenge.

“This is going to enhance the city and it’s being done the right way, but it’s being done on the cheap,” Brown said.

Enervold estimates that an extra $10,000-$12,000 would have to be spent if the students were not volunteering their labor.

Chanslor said they hope to begin building the trail this summer, when students are out of school. Enervold said that the project, once begun, will take a month or two to complete.

“We’re ready ASAP. The kids are ready as well,” Chanslor said.

In the future, Enervold said enough interest could prompt the addition of more biking amenities, such as a pump track or tot track for riders learning about mountain biking, with benches nearby for parents to watch. However, he believes just the addition of this new trail will add a lot of enjoyment to McCallum Park.

“It may not be long… but it can still be super fun and super cool,” Enervold said.

And for those who may not understand the enthusiasm around one of Vestavia Hills’ youngest competitive sports, Chanslor invites them to the next NICA race, on March 6 at Tannehill Ironworks State Park.

“The energy level at the race is just unbelievable,” Chanslor said.