Trail Crew Update
With the end of Summer 2026 approaching, we would like to share an update on everything the SHARC Trails Crew has been involved in this season.
Races
While summer means trail work season, it also means mountain bike racing season for many trail enthusiasts. As part of our partnership with Pocahontas Trails, SHARC assisted with course preparation and event staffing for all three of Pocahontas Trails’ race events: Minetana XC, Monday Lick Enduro, and Slatyfork Enduro.
Each event drew 70–100 participants and helped showcase some of the Snowshoe Highlands’ premier singletrack. Take a look at the courses for each event—the included tracks feature some of the region’s most recently maintained trails.
Trail Work
This season’s major task was the completion of 295 deferred maintenance locations dispersed throughout the 9.5-mile span of Kennison Mountain Trail. Work consisted of clearing existing drainage, installing grade dips, rock armoring wet sections, enhancing the trail corridor, completing multiple re-routes, and constructing a bridge using materials harvested onsite.
To learn more about this project, check out our its portfolio page.
As our trail work season continues, the crew looks forward to completing several deferred maintenance projects along Shavers Fork Trail. This project includes the use of a mini excavator to remove extensive sediment buildup, followed by our hand crew to complete the finishing touches. Extensive corridor enhancement is also being completed as the crew progresses along this scenic trail.
Community Outreach
In July, we teamed up with West Virginia University’s Brad & Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative to host a trails training workshop. Seneca State Forest Superintendent Jeff Layfield was gracious enough to allow us to conduct trail work on the lakeside portion of the Thorny Creek Trail.
Volunteers from several different trail maintenance organizations joined us to learn the basics of trail re-routing and cutting sustainable backslopes into existing trail. There will be another opportunity to learn from the OEDC Trails Training staff in October, when they return to Pocahontas County to host a rock armoring workshop.
Follow the link below to learn more and register: Rock Armor Trails Training.
