Good call on the Labor Day issue. I completely forgot about that. Unfortunately I have another event on Tuesday, but one of these days I'll make it for a group ride! I may even bring my bike to work one day this week and go knock down some spiderwebs.

Trekker and all.  Get up with me sometime soon and I can get you tools and resources.  I have at least one IMBA trail building book to get to you for reference.  Call my phone, send me an email or stop by the shop on Saturday.

Mark

PS  Thanks for stepping up!  My best advice is to get what's already there in excellent shape before you start adding additional trail and/orfeatures.  I can do a training session if you guys want to come up to Fisher one Sunday.  (And I could use the extra hands to help clear drains.   )

The club also has OTF (Optional Trail Feature) building guidelines that we have in doc. or docx form.

Thanks for coming out Sirnotappearing. The guy on the orange Airborne musta been Pat. I haven't encountered mosquitoes out there yet but with the creek running through they must be out there. We HAVE gotten some rain and humidity lately, that probably stirred them up. 

Maybe check out the group ride tomorrow night?

Great work guys and gals!  FYI we would love to meet some/all of you at the meeting this Thursday.

abruzzopat wrote on 09/02/14 at 1:05pm:


UNAUTHORIZED TRAIL WORK?? 

I'm going to go on a Cycle-Pathic rant in 3-2-1... 

Why would you "unbuild" something? Oh, I'm too inept to ride this, so I guess I'll just take it down. Gee, these roots are unpleasant to my delicate posterior, guess I'll rip 'em out. This pile of logs offends me, they must be destroyed.

There are features on trails that I choose to ride around (there was a ride around for this, btw). I've never had the urge to dismantle things for others. 

That being said - seems like we're going to have a big crowd tonight, and I'm looking forward to riding with you all (I won't let this ruin it). 

Cheers.

I actually ran over a turtle on the way out the first time I rode it. He was in the middle of the trail but it was overgrown back then and I didn't see him until there was no time to miss him. Fortunately, I hit him dead center so he didn't get kicked out and had time to unweight the bike a bit so he didn't get crushed. 

When I went back to check on him, he was right as rain. Are you coming to the ride on Monday? I think my Fuel is going to be in the shop... But I will come out on my old Trek 4300 hardtail. 

That should be interesting.

Glad you made it out there. I've been trying to do social group rides out there on Mondays but was a little busy this week and with the weather being pretty dicey I wasn't able to schedule one. 

The spiderwebs out there can be intense, and probably will be until it starts seeing heavier traffic on a more regular basis (we're working on this). I've never run it in reverse myself because it flows so well and so quickly counter clockwise. We are working on getting a few more signs out to show people the best way to complete a 2.5 mile loop.   

As far as secure parking lots and facilities go, I think it's actually one of the better trails around. 

Feel free to join us on the upcoming workday (September 27) and review the trail under the "trails" section. Thanks bro.   

So I just popped on here, first time in a few months and am pleasantly surprised by the response and attention this trail has gotten. My riding activity has really taken a back seat to my current schedule, plus with the weather getting colder, my appetite for riding at all has dried up. I don't have decent gear, or clothing etc for colder weather. 

I thought about going for a ride today because it looks nice out but it still too cold for me. All I have are summer clothes for a MTB ride. 

A friend of mine told me those mosquitoes are tiger mosquitoes native to Japan. If the ones anyone else has encountered were like the ones that attacked me, they were black and white and they were vicious, like a small swarm of them all at once. They love rotting and damp/moist places, which explains why I got hit so hard when I tried to clear out that rotting tree I mentioned in my review.

I still want to do trail work and show some love to this trail one day but I don't know when I can. Right now the best times for me would be early mornings, Friday or Saturday Mornings are the most open. I work 3rd shift, that's why. 

In another thread, Trekker1 mentioned Quote:
What are these? (the tabletop more so?)

To be honest, I've never had a problem with mosquitoes at the trail, and I'm pretty sure I ride there more than most. 

I have, of course, heard the reports of them and don't doubt that they are true. Must have been something climatic (e.g. humidity, rains) or environmental (the rotted log you were moving may have been their nest).  

In terms of other wildlife, I have seen deer, turtles, a black king snake, and what was undoubtedly coyote droppings on the trail. 

As for the trail itself - Pat, I look forward to trying the new and improved tree skinny. Hopefully I don't bust a tire (or my head) at the end. A "kicker" is a small jump built into the side of the trail Amber. It isn't big (probably a six to eight inch incline) but, hit with speed, will give you a little boost of speed and a small kick of adrenaline to keep you moving. A tabletop is like a jump only it has a level section on top and a ramp on the downward side as well which gives you the option to roll it at lower speeds or jump it if you are hauling mail. 

I don't know how I feel about the reroute at the liquor kicker, to be honest. It seemed to me like if you hit it right and knew how to lean your bike there was no need to widen the trail to go between those two trees (Tom and I had actually discussed this the day we made it, and identified the line that is there now as a possibility, but consciously opted not to widen the trail). I didn't care enough to drag logs across it, but, like I said, I'm conflicted. 

Vis a vis "the leaves." Tom and I have been playing message tag, and I think he may very well have gone out and done it today. If not, one or both of us will be out there soon to make sure the trail (and drains) are clear for winter riding. 

Thank you all for your help at the trail and all that you are doing to bring it back. None of this would ever get done without all your contributions (and patronage of the trail itself).

Enjoy SWDP.

Doc00t wrote on 11/10/14 at 5:13am:


You rock... thanks Tom! I actually have the afternoon off and will be out there for sure (before more leaves fall).