Rider safety is important. Risks can be reduced if trails are well-maintained, bicyclists are educated to ride responsibly, and riders are notified of unforseen hazards. R. J. White installs another caution sign at the sand pits. 
Persistent flooding from unseasonal winter rains closes trails and halts work. A nice reprieve is the December visit of the IMBA/Subaru Trail Care Crew.International trail consultants Mike and Jan Ritter (white shirts) give advice to the WTA on new trail building, maintenance and restoration techniques. Flooding prevents a hands-on demonstration but the impromptu seminar is lively and informative.When the trails finally dry out the WTA finds extensive erosion along Morris Bridge trails.
Much work is needed to repair these trails. Hillsborough County orders truckloads of shell. Jonathan Noll, Tina Russo and Rob DeGraaf fill an erosion hole, one of many filled that day. 
Volunteers relocate a bridge that had washed away in the Morris Bridge area. Ranger Bill and other park staff work hard to help get the trail ready for the grand opening in July, 1998.  WTA trail stewards
are an important part of the volunteer activities. Trail stewards ride the
trails and provide assistance to other riders, assess trail conditions,
and monitor closed areas. Anyone can be a trail steward, so if you would
like to volunteer, please join the WTA Yahoo Group by sending an
email to WTA_BikePatrol-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Managing the work projects and activities of the volunteers is no easy task. Jonathan Noll (left) heads up the Wilderness Trails Association. Wes Eubank (right) runs the SWAMP club and has contributed countless hours over the years to trail care.
WTA volunteers meet for trail work the third Saturday of every month at 9:00 a.m. at the Morris Bridge Canoe launch. Planning meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. at the Flatwoods Visitor Center. New faces are always welcome.
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