Kristian Jackson, senior lecturer in Appalachian’s Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education, enjoys building mountain bike trails — and playing on them. And Jackson — a senior lecturer in Appalachian State University’s Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education (RMPE) — has managed to transform his personal passion into an act of stewardship and community service, as well as an educational opportunity for his students. Jackson has been instrumental in leading volunteers in the development of Boone’s Rocky Knob Park, a 185-acre mountain bike park with elevations climbing to about 4,000 feet.