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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Trail closures - who decides? (Read 2039 times)
NC_Pyga
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Trail closures - who decides?
09/18/14 at 7:05pm
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Just after some clarification regarding trail closures.

I was free yesterday afternoon and would like to have gone riding but the trail conditions shown on the home page showed them all closed.  I see that some people rode Sherman yesterday and found the trail OK. I didn't want to risk going out and getting into trouble for riding a closed trail so who decides if it's open or if it's too wet to ride and what are the thresholds that determine a trail too wet?

I apologize if this is a lame question but I'm still relatively new to trails here. All my previous riding was in Portugal where the only restriction was how brave you wanted to be in the mud.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #1 - 09/18/14 at 7:14pm
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Sherman has been open since the 14th.  If the homepage says its open then go ride.  If when riding you see the trail is so wet that you are leaving ruts in the ground then you should probably cut your ride short because your damaging the trail.

Each trail has somebody (usually a Trail Coordinator)  that make the call and can log onto the forum and change the status.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #2 - 09/18/14 at 7:18pm
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Don't ride closed trails.  Sherman wasn't listed as closed.  Although it was at the bottom of a long list of closed trails so I can see why you may not have read to the end.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #3 - 09/18/14 at 7:37pm
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The trail coordinators are pretty good about updating the status promptly when conditions change, but they have lives like everyone else and sometimes cannot get to it right away.  If recent weather conditions lead you to think a trail might be ok to ride, I do not see any problem with heading over there as long as you are prepared to bail if the trail is too wet (i.e. leaving ruts).  The same goes for "open" trails that turn out to be too wet.  Let good 'ol common sense be your guide.  The exception would be gated or barricaded trails such as WWC , Sherman, or LNSP in which case you would be trespassing.
« Last Edit: 09/18/14 at 9:12pm by Enoch »  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #4 - 09/18/14 at 7:40pm
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Just wanted to add for clarification that not all the trails are controlled by THTB peeps. USNWC does their own thing, as does Anne Springs and LNSP is determined by the park rangers.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #5 - 09/18/14 at 7:44pm
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Thanks for clarifying. I can't believe I missed that Sherman was open  Embarrassed
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #6 - 09/18/14 at 7:54pm
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Just a suggestion, but look into rocky river trail. It gets such little traffic that Steve keeps it open more then any other trail and I find it the most fun if any trail I've ride in the area. Definitely the most physically demanding on the 4 climbs but also by far the most rewarding for said climbs.
  
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NC_Pyga
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #7 - 09/18/14 at 8:43pm
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Thanks for the suggestion. I definitely need to get out there.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #8 - 09/18/14 at 8:45pm
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Tjkraft wrote on 09/18/14 at 7:54pm:
Just a suggestion, but look into rocky river trail. It gets such little traffic that Steve keeps it open more then any other trail and I find it the most fun if any trail I've ride in the area. Definitely the most physically demanding on the 4 climbs but also by far the most rewarding for said climbs.


The soil composition at Rocky River is also vastly different than most of the other trails.  It has very little red clay and drains quite a bit faster than most of the other trails.  And the amount of traffic has a lot to do with the rate of erosion a trail sees.
 
I hope everyone has noticed that I keep Fisher Farm open a lot more now, as well.  For whatever reason it's been draining very well this year.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #9 - 09/18/14 at 8:46pm
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Just go ride poston.  it never closes
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #10 - 09/19/14 at 12:25am
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Here is how we handle BYT/PRP. We use chains to kinda close the trail and post up on the home page. We have a couple of people who live very close and take the chains up and down when it seems to be dry enough. I do use the 24 hour rule but if we get lots of rain with what kind of dirt/poo dirt that dosent drain very well we sometimes close it an extra day. It is up to me and my trail gnomes. I drove an hour and 15 min to put up chains the other morning because the gnomes couldn't. All I can say is use your best judgment and come out to a workday to see the otherside. Thanks for your question and I hope this helps some.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #11 - 09/19/14 at 11:41am
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Unlike many other acts of disobedience, riding a closed trail does not just put the scofflaw at risk of getting caught or fined.  It can also damage the trail for the rest of us.  Please do not ride closed trails, regardless of how lucky you are feeling!

73 Cool
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #12 - 09/19/14 at 11:58am
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Well I'm glad I asked the question. Lot's of good information.

Worker-rider, I'll definitely try make it to one of the trail work days. I'm keen to see the logic and technical side of building a trail and understand why things are done a certain way.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #13 - 09/19/14 at 11:58am
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Kudos to everyone on a mature discussion of a sensitive issue. Not what I expected when I opened this thread.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #14 - 09/19/14 at 1:09pm
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Gravitythief76 wrote on 09/19/14 at 11:58am:
Kudos to everyone on a mature discussion of a sensitive issue. Not what I expected when I opened this thread.


I was hoping for vitriol and mother directed insults...  Cry
« Last Edit: 09/19/14 at 1:10pm by Banjopickin »  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #15 - 09/19/14 at 1:11pm
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I've never really understood the insulting of ones mother thing.  Cheesy Huh
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #16 - 09/19/14 at 1:51pm
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At RRT I make the decision based on duration sometimes more than amount plus time of year. The winter being much more restrictive. I had another 1/2" of rain last night but have not closed it. Hopefully this afternoon it will have dried more I don't expect more than a rider or 2 before then. This is a low traffic trail and that makes a big difference. I do have ropes and a trail closed sign that I use when necessary.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #17 - 09/19/14 at 1:57pm
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Banjopickin, here comes the vitriol!!!
(just kidding)

I think there should be a link on the site, or a sticky on the boards about this. In particular, some information about why trails are closed when they are wet would be good. A lot of people come from other places where trail closures are rare. For example, I lived in Oregon and Northern California where there is very little clay in the mountains, and ruts are not much of a problem. Also in Europe trails are pretty much open all the time (in the UK they would never be open if you closed them after each rain).

As someone said, it's common sense:

1. Even if a trail is not "officially" closed, if your tires are picking up mud, or you are leaving ruts, bail out. Ruts later channel rainwater which leads to deeper ruts. Eventually the trail can be one big rut.

2. Artificial berms are fun, but rain is their enemy... bikers who use them in the rain are their worst enemy.

3. Go through puddles... when people go around them, the trail becomes wider and wider which just adds to erosion, looks bad and is not respecting nature.

« Last Edit: 09/20/14 at 12:16am by abruzzopat »  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #18 - 09/19/14 at 4:47pm
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I try to follow IMBA guidelines but I also bend the crap out of them. Believe me when my brother and I started building trails it was straight up and down the hills and we paid the price for that. BYT has been rebuilt twice until we got it. So now I just build crappy trails that have no flow but still people keep coming back for more. I will be having more workdays really soon to get ready for the greenway closure next year. Keep checking website and I will put up signs on the trail for workdays also.
  
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Re: Trail closures - who decides?
Reply #19 - 09/19/14 at 7:12pm
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Banjopickin wrote on 09/19/14 at 1:09pm:


I was hoping for vitriol and mother directed insults...  Cry

I too am sadly disappointed in the direction of this thread... Smiley
  
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