Monday, November 5, 2012

PrePlunge Reroute and Plans

The Plunge re route (PrePlunge) has been flagged. Josh cut a significant portion of it as well, but no treading was done as of Friday afternoon when we left. I didn't quite milk all I had hoped out of it, but it will definitely be worth the effort.

PrePlunge tread should be done during the weekdays during the day time. The first part is pretty close to houses and there are a few spots of visibility and definitely noise can be a factor, not to mention 2 very yappy dogs.

Whoever continues the work on PrePlunge will need to haul a McLeod from the stash all the way back.
Easier done if you drive/walk into get the McLeod from the stash (short cutting by the cradle is easiest).
Easy access to tool stash area: Satellite http://goo.gl/maps/4qzC7
Easy access to PrePlunge via Dub Step http://goo.gl/maps/mEh1R

Reminder regarding PrePlunge - please leave the access to/from the existing trail and PrePlunge untread until we are ready to connect both ends AND obscure the existing tread. If you are the one(s) completing the reroute make sure to COMPLETELY block off the existing trail - rocks, logs, cactus, etc - try to make it look natural though. The routing was done to make the trail flow into the new stuff and flow out well.

My plans this week:

  • Tues - working trail after 4pm til dark and hopefully riding - most likely flagging at Grotto to keep that end progressing.
  • Fri - tentatively working trail 4pm til dark - same
  • Sat - riding in and working trail ~12 til 4 or 5
  • Sun - riding in and working trail ~9am til 12
Finally...
As we near the d-track we might consider the enhancements, maintenance, etc we have talked about previously and seriously consider planning them soon. In addition we might consider cutting the Spaghetti Bowl on the other side of the tracks, it would add a nice warm up before hitting Deception - I see on Strava people ride up into the existing dead end up there anyway (like I often do). Perhaps we progress on to the d-track and dead end at the Hump and go back to wrap those things up before forging on - I'm afraid they just might not happen otherwise.

26 comments:

  1. I might come out Tue night and night ride out with you. Will need that light though. Thur I should be able to hit up some work during the day. I will work the re route. This weekend is up in the air. Waiting on word of something first.
    I am all in on a ride of the unmentionables. If we can post a few Sundays that work best I can tell you if I work any of those.
    Back to deception.... I assume that I will focus on reroute since I have daytime free during the week more so than others.

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    1. No problem, I'll bring extra lights.

      I am pretty sure Mike plans to join you during some days to help out on PrePlunge, but not sure on his scheduling changes lately.

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  2. Josh, please confirm you are coming and needing lights - if not I would prefer not to lug 4 lights/batteries on my ride. If you are, no problem, lights are charged and I will be happy to bring them.

    Where are you riding from today? I will park there and ride in from there, so I can get the lights after our ride. The end on Hairy Man is cool or anywhere in between.

    I am leaving work at 3 today, so I should be at the end no later than 4 - should get in 2 hours of flagging/cutting before it's too dark to work. Because Josh will probably focus on the PrePlunge during the days I am planning on cutting quite a bit as I flag from tool stash onward.

    Ride after, planning to ride out and probably to the Y and around there before heading to the truck. If we feel fresh maybe another out and back on Deception.

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  3. My plan to work for the week is pretty limited. I will be able to put in a couple of hours Thursday (2:30pm-4:30pm). Other than that, it will be as I am able over the weekend. I will most likely ride in the entire trail (not totally given up hope on my sunglasses just yet), get a McLeod, and take it back to PrePlunge and do some work there.

    I might be able to get out Sunday....just have to play it by ear. My availability right now is limited at best. Sucks, but I will get out there every chance I get.

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  4. As far as when we do Spaghetti Bowl and all that....The only reasoning I can apply to that discussion is the following: I would propose doing all of that AFTER the part between doubletrack and 183A simply because of the tool flow.

    To me it makes more sense to just keep the tool stash moving toward the end goal (with the exception of PrePlunge), and then once completed, we bring the tool stash back toward our homes. Otherwise, you're completing to the double track, then hauling all of the tools back to spaghetti bowl, then BACK to doubletrack.

    Ultimately, I'll do whatever. Just my 1.5 cents.

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    1. All tools - you crazy? It would be easily accomplished by one with a saw and a McLeod (optional on that terrain actually) - we're talking about a 1/4 mile at best. Heck, I could probably do it all in a few hours without even using the flags.

      All that said, I agree, it would make sense for tool flow since we'll be doing Creekside as well. So might as well make one big tool move at the end of Deception - whatever works. Knock out Spaghetti Bowl and then over to Creekside, just a few yards down and across the BCRT.

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    2. Alright, you have committed to doing Spaghetti Bowl in a few hours. When is this happening?

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    3. I'm thinking Turkey weekend sounds good.

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    4. Ok, you said a few hours. I'll just need some formal documentation of when you begin and when you are done....What is the over/under on this deal? 6 hours, 8 hours, 4 hours?

      Also, does this include tread...if so, then what is our number?

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  5. Wherever we park is fine.parking close might be little better. I have tentative plans after, but don't alter Shit for me. I just finished riding it. So meeting and working on trail end tonight?

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    1. I'll park at the lake, so that's a 30 minute ride it. I should be there by 4.

      Yep end of trail, we'll flag and cut down from where we are below Grotto down to at least Waterbreak (downhill with big rock slab at the bottom, drop and turn). Perhaps we make a turn back and try to flag to that nice ravine you and scouted separately - try to find a sweet swoopy line thru it.

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  6. Josh and I finished treading and cutting to below Grotto and started on the next section, but didn't get very fair before dark. The PrePlunge is really the only area of significance ready for serious treading/cutting. Although there are 40-50 yards or so at the end that can be tread.

    I hope to be out again on Friday for a couple of hours to work on the end. Otherwise I will put in a few hours on Saturday and Sunday.

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    1. I won't be out this weekend. But I did order some lights. Monday I should be able to go out. I plan on cutting all of the pre plunge unless it is done by then.

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    2. Nice...we'll start getting some night cruises going. I'm off school most of December, so assuming it's not too cold I can put in some hours then.

      I'm going to go out tomorrow and I'll probably do the stuff at the end. I'm gonna be looking for the sunglasses as well (yeah I know...snowball's chance in hell of finding it), so it won't be a really productive day for me, but I'll try to do SOMETHING....even if it's finally dig out the area between snaggle and rainy day....hey, that could be an idea.

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    3. Well, got hemmed up doing school stuff and was not able to get to the trail today. Bummer, but oh well.

      Hoping to get out Sunday at some point, but for sure next Tuesday. Like I said, I'm going to make up for all this unavailability in December when I'm off from class.

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  7. Well Eric and I had an eventful nightride last night. The emergency rush to the HEB bathroom pre-ride (for me), the flat rear tire (Eric), the being yelled at by both a car full of dudes and an old man near Satellite made all made it a very interesting evening.

    Just a heads up. There was a guy I think up on the street above the Grotto...or in his back yard. I don't know...Eric may know better where the guy was, but he was yelling something about "you better come out of the green belt with your flashlights before I call the cops".

    We weren't entirely sure what he was trying to say, but we heard "call the cops" and that leads me to believe that at some point we're going to have to talk to the police if we're night riding. In all fairness I'm sure it's unssettling for some people to see lights flashing through the trees in the greenbelt "late" at night. Some of them might not care once they realize it's old dudes like us riding mountain bikes to TRY to get some exercise, and some of them might simply want to call the cops because that's just how they are. This guy could have been concerned, as Eric mentioned, that it was after 10pm (late)....who knows? In any event, we just kept going and finished the ride.

    So be aware that the trail is going to be more and more exposed...especially at night when we have lights on. I don't think that NOT nightriding the trail is the answer....I guess it'll just be rational discussion with the cops that we're on public land not harming anyone and that we're not 16 year olds doing drugs and robbing houses. I dunno.

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    1. But can we still do drugs and rob the houses?

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    2. haha...like bobby brown said...that's your perogative

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  8. Brushy Creek Trail
    Hours: sunrise - sunset

    http://parks.wilco.org/Home/Trails/BrushyCreekRegionalTrail/tabid/1769/Default.aspx

    Personally, I am going to ignore that "curfew" until I get caught, besides, technically we are not on the trail or in a park while on OUR trail ;)

    My suggestion is to keep chatter to a minimal when we are night riding in areas such as The Trap, The Hollows (Satellite, Grotto, Waterbreak, etc).

    My second suggestion is that perhaps we limit the night riding to before 10pm, but I am not making the rules, it's just a suggestion and I will likely not heed my own.

    Frankly, a guy calling 5-0 from the Grotto really doesn't affect us, response time should be >10 minutes at which time we should be out of the area unless we happen to be lingering while hefty a few hundred pound of rock to de-sanitize the pussy lines.

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    1. Guys, I think the constitutionality of the park curfew can be challenged. I will continue digging. I like having an affirmative legal defense.

      Curfews directed at adults touch upon fundamental constitutional rights and thus are subject to strict judicial scrutiny. The U. S. Supreme Court has ruled that "[t]he right to walk the streets, or to meet publicly with one's friends for a noble purpose or for no purpose at all—and to do so whenever one pleases—is an integral component of life in a free and ordered society." Papachristou v. City of Jacksonville, 405 US 156, 164, 31 L. Ed. 2d 110, 92 S. Ct 839 (1972).

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    2. Nice. Papachristou v. City of Jacksonville...noted.

      Yeah, I have had Cedar Park cops stop me in the parks after 10pm only to tell me that there is no police coverage in the parks after that time, so I'll be riding along the trail at my own risk.

      I have seen them and ridden past them as well without their saying anything to me. I guess, though, if someone calls the cops they have to respond (I think)...In that case, I'll have a chat with the cops and see what they have to say about it.

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    3. Also I have my concealed carry so if anyone gives us Shit.....

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