TJ Kearns, Chris Boone and Tim Kearns stand in front of the Brad Ragan Park sign. They plan to bring a mountain biking pump track to the park. The men discussed the proposal with the Spruce Pine Town Council, which will chip in $5,000 toward the track with Tim Kearns and Boone adding $5,000. (MNJ photo/Juliana Walker)
Brad Ragan Park will soon have a pump track for mountain bicycles.
At the regular meeting of the Spruce Pine Town Council on Monday, Feb. 8, the council approved a decision to fund $5,000 of the $15,000 cost of the track while Tim Kearns and Chris Boone, who are heavily involved in the project, both offered to put in $5,000 each.
A pump track is a looped sequence of rollers and banked turns and, according to track builder TJ Kearns, it’s a great workout for all ages.
“The pump track provides a really, really awesome workout for bikers of any level or age,” TJ Kearns said. “It’s a great way to practice before getting on an actual trail and for parents who want to have their kids in their eyesight but still have them being active. It’s very contained so they can watch over them.”
TJ Kearns, along with his father Tim Kearns and Boone, are trying to get more people in Mitchell County into mountain biking and the pump track is the first step toward a bigger goal.
“We want to provide people in Mitchell County the opportunity to get into this really cool sport, get active and have fun close to home,” TJ Kearns said. “During COVID, people have been craving different activities and this will be a great way to get outside and try something new for a lot of people around here.”
The three men, who are part of the Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance, approached the council to ask for funding for both the pump track and a beginner mountain bike trail that will loop around the park.
The bike trail, which has already been marked out by TJ Kearns and Brett Davidson of MTB Atlanta Pro Trails, would be a little over a mile in length.
“Mountain biking is the fastest growing sport in the country,” Tim Kearns said. “And if there was a good trail here, people would flock to it, which means more people visiting Mitchell County, spending their money and telling their friends about it.”
In addition to mountain biking, the trail would also be open to hiking and trail running.
“We want it to be a multi-use trail for everyone,” Tim Kearns said. “If you don’t have a mountain bike, you should still be allowed to get out and take advantage of the trail and get moving.”
Boone said there is a common misconception that anyone can make a mountain bike trail anywhere with the right tools, but he said there’s a strategy to it.
“You have to think how the water will flow and drain, the terrain and the trees around the trail,” Boone said. “Anyone can make a bike trail, yes, but to make it last and not be ruined by rain it takes some time to design it.”
Boone added TJ is “incredible” at what he does and is a “total professional.”
When the trail is constructed, the three men said they, along with other members of the bike alliance, will keep the trail clean and clear through regular volunteer workdays.
At the town council meeting, Tim Kearns proposed the council provide a 50-50 match for the whole project, which he estimated would cost about $47,500.
However, the council decided not to go forward with the looped trail project yet, which would cost approximately $32,500.
Instead, the council decided to apply for a grant to update Brad Ragan park. In the grant proposal, they said they will include the construction of the new bike trail and updates to the tennis courts, which Parks and Recreation Director Michael Wood said are in need of updating.
If the town applies for and receives the grant, the bike trail will likely be constructed in the winter months next year.