Tannery Knob Bike Park

Johnson City is raising the bar for fun and exciting attractions with the addition of the Tannery Knob Bike Park to downtown.

The Johnson City Parks and Recreation Advisory Board held their monthly meeting on last Thursday in order to discuss the plans for opening phase 1 of the highly anticipated Tannery Knob Bike Park. Located only a half-mile away from downtown, the park is expected to attract riders of all skill sets ranging from beginner to expert. “It’s unique versus some other parks in the fact that it is located so close to downtown” said Chairman Johnathon Kinnick, who is an avid biker himself and owns a bike shop here in Johnson City.

Phase 1, which will consist of 3-4 miles of beginner level trails, is on track to open around Thanksgiving of this year. The following phases will be more for experienced riders and will even incorporate a pump track, which is a type of track that is designed using banked turns and features that allows the biker to ride the track without pedaling. The trail was designed with the help of Trail Solutions, which is a part of the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

The design for this project was carefully planned in order to make sure riders of all abilities would be able to ride the trail. “Statistically, there’s way fewer experts than there are beginners that will be using the trail” said Kinnick. The completed trail, all phases included, will consist of 8 miles in trails total.

With the construction of phase 1 almost complete, multiple high schools in the area have been discussing the possibility of forming mountain biking teams and using the Tannery Knob Bike Park as the main location for their races. This is just one of the many ways that the community will be able to use the park. There’s even talk of holding professional races there once the project is complete.

Along with community activity, the board expects to see an increase in economic activity as well once the whole project gets completed. “Instead of being outside of town, its downtown, which will lead to more people spending their money here, and more importantly, their time.” So next time you’re in an active mood and want something new and fun to do, give the Tannery Knob Bike Park a chance. Who knows, you might just be the next big thing in mountain biking.

Written By: Trevor Rice

Going for a Run

Running is an great way to get outdoors, even though you don’t necessarily have to go outdoors nowadays with the invention of the treadmill. In my opinion, no piece of machinery and replicate the difference in hills and mountains that you have to climb.

Jogging is an awesome way to get better cardio and to basically get your whole body in shape. Its a great workout for your legs and even your upper body. Plus the best thing about jogging is, you can literally do it anywhere. With marathons and 5ks being so popular, now you can even go run and support a cause while you’re doing it.

No special equipment is required to go for a nice jog besides some light clothing and a good pair of shoes, although it might help you in the long run to invest in a pair of running shoes just because of how light and flexible they are.

Hiking

Hiking is a great activity to do if you’re trying to get outdoors and do something fun. Honestly, its probably one of the easiest hobbies to pick up, considering all you really need is a good set of shoes and the determination to make it up the trail. Wherever it is that you live, I can almost guarantee you that there is a hiking trail within 5 miles from you. The sheer accessibility of hiking is what makes it so appealing.

Trails vary in difficulty ranging from beginner to expert. Although the trail might get pretty tough at some points, just keep pushing. I like to say life is like a hike. It might get hard every once in a while, but as soon as you reach the top, its absolutely beautiful and worth every moment.

 

Fishing

Fishing can be thought of as one of Americas greatest past times. I can always remember as a kid, getting so excited when my dad mentioned he was going to take me fishing. For me, fishing isn’t just standing on the side of the creek hoping something will bite, its the whole process of finding the best spot and actually having to get there. Some of the best parts about fishing aren’t event the fishing itself. The different views and scenery that you’re able to access are like no other.

Theres all sorts of different types of fishing. You can go deep sea fishing, fly fishing, bass fishing on the lake, trout fishing in the creek, etc. I would probably prefer fishing in the creek, but that just because I somewhat know what I’m doing. Now if you asked me what type of fishing Ive always wanted to try, then the answer would definitely be deep sea fishing.

Although fishing might not be the most physically demanding activity, it still a great hobby to pick up if you enjoy being in the outdoors. In my opinion, its probably one of the closest ways you can get to fully submerging yourself in nature.

Hitting the Sickest Line

Kayaking is often thought to be a very relaxing, leisure activity, mostly done in lakes or at the beach. With this being said, there are also more intense locations where you can go kayaking.

A super popular sport known as white water rafting is starting to gain more recognition as an international sport itself by becoming part of the Olympics. Different countries compete in a slalom style course that is man made. The main objective is to get through the course by going around different poles. If the rider misses a pole, then they will get penalized by having more time added to there overall run time.

Kayaking is a great sport for the upper body due to basically all of your energy being spent on paddling. With this being said, it can also be great for the mind. The different locations that one will find while kayaking will amaze you.

Podcast

Podcast

This post includes the podcast that I recorded with my 3 roommates. We sat down and had a nice conversation about different outdoor activities we like to participate in such as hiking, fishing, and kayaking.

For Melvins activity, he talked about how he likes to go fishing in his off time, and when he says off time, he means all the time. Just trust me, after living with this guy for a little over a year now, its so easy to see how much he truly loves this activity.

Braydens choice of something to do outside was to go to the lake. He specifically mentioned how growing up as a kid, him and his family frequently visited the lake. I love to hear things like this. Its so important to get kids involved with the outdoors at such an early age.

Andrew went with hiking as his favorite thing to do outdoors. He went into depth about why he enjoyed hiking and a place that likes to frequent. For myself, I must say hiking is one of my favorite outdoor activities. You can honestly go hiking about anywhere and the views you get while you’re hiking make it worth the trip.

Martial Arts

Mastering the Art

The origins of martial arts date all the way back to 3400 bc. Cave paintings that depict people performing different moves can be found in ancient Egypt. The activity was originally created for personal defense. While still being used as a form of personal defense, martial arts have blossomed into a sport of its own.

Martial Arts as a Sport

Martial arts became a sport when different forms of sparring became competitive. Even the Olympics have accepted martial arts as an event. The different events consist of Judo, taekwondo, boxing, and wrestling.

Benefits

Martial arts is a exercise for a persons physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Through the practice of martial arts, a persons physical fitness will be boosted such as strength, flexibility, stamina, and coordination. Learning different forms of martial arts will also equip you with different moves to use for self defense.

 

Think outside the rocks.

The World is Your Gym. Now go use it.

Rock climbing has been a popular sport and outdoor activity ever since humans started exploring new territory. At first, it was just a way for mountaineers to find new land and maybe get somewhat of an adrenaline rush. Now, rock climbing has blown up and essentially created its own subculture.

Get Informed

In the sport of rock climbing, there are different forms of climbing that are practiced. One of the most accessible and popular forms of climbing would be bouldering. Bouldering requires no harness or ropes since the highest you usually get is around 10-15 feet. Originally is was a way for rock climbers to practice specific moves at a safe distance from the ground. With this being said, it has now became a sport in itself considering there are bouldering competitions that are held virtually all around the globe. With the health benefits being so great, rock climbing is a great activity for people to get out of the house and get some exercise, all while having a fun time.

Get Started

With rock climbing originally being an outdoor activity, some people might be turned off from it since not everyone loves the outdoors. Well no need to fear, climbing gyms are here. Climbing gyms are indoor facilities that have an array of different routes that vary in difficulty. Not a professional rock climber? Good. You don’t have to be. This is the great thing about these gyms. You can get started on a very easy route and eventually work your way up to a V12 (very difficult).

Get Signed Up

So now that you’re informed and know what a climbing gym is, go find a local one and try it out. I can promise you that you will have a great time and maybe even get a blister or two.

Going on a swim

Swimming is an activity that has been dated all the way back to prehistoric times. Images of people swimming in big waves can be depicted by paintings on cave walls. While swimming, an individual uses all of the muscles in their body, including their brain. Its a low impact activity, which means it doesn’t cause much wear and tear on the body. Therefore, it is the perfect activity for people who have limited mobility, such as older people.

Learning the strokes

With most people being pretty comfortable around water, there is still a large amount of people who have a fear of water or just cant swim. This all comes down to how you were raised and if you grew up around water or not. Like for myself, my mom had put me into swimming classes when I was 5 years old, so needless to say, I enjoy the water. With this being said, there are also cases where people weren’t able to have a good experience with water as a child. This is enough for someone to be afraid of even standing next to a pool.

Relaxation for the Mind and Body

Yoga

For years, yoga has been used to release the body of negative energies and to bring good energy though the body. You do this by entering a very calm state in which the body and mind become one. Once you have your mind focused, you perform a series of different stretches. Yoga is a great way for a person to gain better posture and have better balance. Yoga can even be used as a form of therapy. Benefits of yoga consist of a drop in blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and also prevents cartilage and joint break down. These are a couple of good reasons why yoga can be good for the elderly.