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TrillWill
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LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
03/02/21 at 1:31pm
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Hey all, we're hosting a group workday every Sunday in March (starting this Sunday, March 7th) to work through maintenance items on the entirety of the Wildlife, Fallstown and Fox loops.  The plan is to start with the basics (pine needle removal, tread work, mudhole clearing, drainage reestablishment, etc.) and then include some more involved projects with rock armoring later in the month.   

This Sunday is workday #1 and it looks like I've got a small but solid crew coming out. Let me know if you are planning on coming, we could use a few more leaf blower operators to combat the pine needles!  We will meet at the flag pole in the visitors center parking lot and our pre-work intro speech will commence promptly at 8:30.  Per State protocols please wear a face covering as we gather at the flag pole for sign in, social distancing will be maintained once we get onto the trails.  FB is here if you'd like to RSVP there (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

The full month schedule is as follows:
  • March 7th (Will Washam workday leader)

  • March 14th (Lou Gregori and Larry Core are workday leaders)

  • March 21st (Will Washam workday leader

  • March 28th (Will Washam workday leader)
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Thanks and we hope to see you out to get the Wildlife Loops into tip top shape for the next couple years!

-Will
  

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #1 - 03/04/21 at 12:04pm
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Thanks for coordinating this Will.  Looking forward to getting the south trails into the same kind of shape as Monbo. I hope we have a big turnout and some decent weather. PM me if you are planning on coming out on the 14th

Larry (drdirt55)
  

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #2 - 03/05/21 at 9:17am
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These are my home trails, so definitely want to participate, however just had some (minor) surgery on my back yesterday and fresh stitches preclude me doing any bending or stretching (and definitely no tool swinging).  Hope that I will be back to 100% in two weeks and can participate on the later weekends.

FWIW there is a tree down on Fox Loop that has been there since early December.  It is just at that awkward size where I believe it can be handled with a bow saw, but it will be a bit of a task.  If it were on my property, I'd be using a chainsaw Smiley but I understand the limits on power tools in the park.  Fox was only open one day in February, so it hasn't been inconveniencing too many people Smiley
« Last Edit: 03/05/21 at 9:21am by Bonsai Nut »  

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TrillWill
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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #3 - 03/05/21 at 10:57am
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Bonsai Nut wrote on 03/05/21 at 9:17am:
These are my home trails, so definitely want to participate, however just had some (minor) surgery on my back yesterday and fresh stitches preclude me doing any bending or stretching (and definitely no tool swinging).  Hope that I will be back to 100% in two weeks and can participate on the later weekends.

FWIW there is a tree down on Fox Loop that has been there since early December.  It is just at that awkward size where I believe it can be handled with a bow saw, but it will be a bit of a task.  If it were on my property, I'd be using a chainsaw Smiley but I understand the limits on power tools in the park.  Fox was only open one day in February, so it hasn't been inconveniencing too many people Smiley


I saw that tree on Fox last weekend!  We may not get to it on the first Sunday workday but will definitely get it taken care of at some point in the month.

Btw, if you back is able to support a leaf blower lots will be needed to get the 2+ year build of of needles gone on those trails.
  

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #4 - 03/06/21 at 9:25am
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TrillWill wrote on 03/05/21 at 10:57am:


Btw, if you back is able to support a leaf blower lots will be needed to get the 2+ year build of of needles gone on those trails.


Not quite yet.  It is a 4" wound right below my shoulder blade.  I don't know how many stitches because I can't really see it, LOL.  My wife had to use two large bandages just to cover it.
  

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TrillWill
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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #5 - 03/06/21 at 9:02pm
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Hey folks, we have permission to park in the Wildlife Trailhead area.  We will meet there instead of the visitors center for the 8:30 start since we are working on the Wildlife trails.
  

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #6 - 03/08/21 at 5:18pm
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Rode all the trails in the park today (except Laurel where they are doing burns), and the work on Wildlife Loop looks great!  Just enough needle blowing to clean up the trail without making it look denuded, and the stones in those spongy spots are awesome!

I'm sure you're aware of the two primary soft spots on Wildlife, and we will be getting to them in one of the other weekends.  Neither is big deal since both can easily be ridden around, but they stay soft even in the summer, so it is best to deal with them now.

Then of course, we have this monster, which in my opinion is the worst spot in all three south loops.  Try to ride through this and you'll be at least 6" into the muck and water:

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It's that nasty dip on the connector between Wildlife and Fox (using this year's direction of travel).  I actually stop and walk around it because I don't want to make it worse.  There are three in a row that are all bad as you climb that stretch... but the first is by far the worst.  The other two were just soft right now, without standing water.

On Fox there was a new tree down, but I was able to man-handle it off the trail using one arm Smiley  Less than a quarter mile past this spot is the December tree - which is still there and I can't do anything about it because it is too long and wedged among other trees.  However taking a second look it will be easy for someone with a bow saw to deal with it.

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I personally don't think Fallstown needs to be touched.  Smooth and flowy with no water damage or wet spots.  It's a pretty dry trail even immediately after a rain.  There is one spongy spot I know of that is currently dry as a bone... but it does get slick when wet.  Otherwise I think other areas in the south loops are higher priority.

A little off topic... but someone continues to work Monbo trail, and in my opinion it is being overworked.  They cut three separate drain lines into the big hill on the rear of the loop - in an area that has never shown water problems.  Because it is now dry, in my opinion they are just creating erosion problems for the future that will need to be dealt with.  The new work was done with loose and crumbly dry soil that won't stand the next rain.  And what's with the blowing needles 15' off the trail?  Some of us enjoy flowy single track and don't need to feel like we're on a truck trail Smiley  Needles off the trail protect the soil... we want them there.
« Last Edit: 03/08/21 at 5:31pm by Bonsai Nut »  

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #7 - 03/09/21 at 12:07pm
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Bonsai, thanks for the feedback.  We haven't blown the needles off the Wildlife loops yet actually.  I just did a test at the beginning of the trail to show the folks what blowing a single track should look like.  This coming Sunday will be needle removal on all of Wildlife.

Those monster soft spots on the connector between Willife and Fox will be armored at some point this month.  It's pretty fun driving a 4 wheeler through the woods loaded with stone  Grin.

On your Monbo comment, one thing folks don't realize about trail drainage is just because a spot isn't wet or soft, that doesn't mean it's not an area that needs drainage improvements.  On long runs of consistent downhill you need frequent grade dips/grade reversals.  the reason being is that if water flows on the trail for a long period of time it will erode the tread making the trail a rough rut eventually.  What you are seeing is someone trying to reestablish the grade dips/reversals.  They aren't we spots because sediment has filled them in and water is overtopping them and running down the trail.  So the trail isn't wet (becuase it eventually bottoms out and water runs off) but it's technically not draining  Cool.  Those long downhills on Monbo need grade dips/reversals at a regular interval like the picture in the link below.

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #8 - 03/09/21 at 12:38pm
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I don't host pictures online the correct way to put in the forum, but if you want to see pictures from last Sunday's trail work on Wildlife check out our FB group:  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
  

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #9 - 03/10/21 at 6:15pm
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I'll probably ride the trails again tomorrow and I can take some pics of what I'm talking about.

« Last Edit: 03/10/21 at 6:40pm by Bonsai Nut »  

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #10 - 03/19/21 at 12:28pm
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Hey folks, it's almost the weekend and we've the third of our four workdays for March happening on Sunday.  We're meeting at the Wildlife Trailhead, the gate will be open so we can park inside.  Work starts at 8:30 so come a few minutes early to get signed in and your boots laced up.

We had 72 man/woman hours on trail work the first two weeks.  13 people came out last week, lets see if we can get another great turnout!  We've got more rock armoring on tap for the Wildlife loops, needle removal on Fallstown, corridor trimming where the controlled burn happened two years ago, and we will be starting on a comprehensive tread rehab on the Fox loop.

If you are interested in learning more about how to identify and correct trail maintenance issues come on out and I'll be happy to explain the processes.

To keep up with what's happening with trail work at the park join our FB group here:  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

-Will
  

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #11 - 03/22/21 at 10:12am
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Great workday yesterday.  We focused on the Fox loop and covered almost half of the 2 miles getting the tread de-bermed, some rock armoring, and bringing back some eroded rollers to pump and jump.  Check out pictures here (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

We need a strong turnout next Sunday to finish off our March workday series, so come on out!  We meet and park at the Wildlife Trailhead (gate will be open) and trail work starts at 8:30.

-Will
  

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #12 - 03/26/21 at 2:48pm
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What's up folks, let get ready for a great workday to finish off our March workday series this Sunday!  We're meeting at the Wildlife Trailhead (and parking there) and trail work starts at 8:30.  We've been getting everyone done and to their cars by noon so this won't take up your entire day!

  

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Re: LKN State Park March Workdays on Wildlife Loops
Reply #13 - 03/26/21 at 3:23pm
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Bonsai Nut wrote on 03/08/21 at 5:18pm:


Then of course, we have this monster, which in my opinion is the worst spot in all three south loops.  Try to ride through this and you'll be at least 6" into the muck and water:

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)



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FYI we rock armored the mud hole pictured above and got that tree cleared (along with about a mile of other tread work) last Sunday.
  

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