We cut the last bit, prettied it up. We walked from RG to EBD and conducted maintenance - stumps, benching, limbs, etc. Notable work done on LJ switch back (dug it, leveled another 6 inches), UFL stumps and benching and Chunk.
Next up is maintenance from EBD to the original trail head at The Trunk - ultimately we need people to suck it up and pony up for a big maintenance push. Less glamorous, but keeps the trail fun.
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| YES! Wish all of you could have been here (to pick up the tab)!!! |
We are immortal! But still could have had our beers paid for. Ha. Anyways so kick ass we are linked up. Hopefully people will stop short cutting out now. I know it won't ever end because people nail out for various reasons.. Fitness, bike failure, spirit crushed etc... Now onto much needed trail up keep.
ReplyDeleteDid you leave the entrance at DT a little obscure or did you tread all the way to DT? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteI know of a few things specifically I would like to address from EBD back to trunk. The main ones I can think of at the moment are benching in the Ridge and Ravine Drop. Otherwise, I spent 1/2 a day a while back and cut back limbs and stumps from Trunk to Ravine Drop. I guess the bonus needs some attention, although it's rideable and ultimately not an issue for me personally, but whatever...we'll get an ever-changing list going.
For the moment, though, thank God we're done doing the bulk of the work on phase one. Only a year in the making! Nice work fellas.
It isn't treaded all the way. It is kinda visible if you are looking that way heading down path though. Tried to keep it bushy and as trees grow will be better. Eric also through out the idea of planting a few small trees in the RG area to conceal. Maybe one or two at punch through would be useful.
ReplyDeleteYea, it's not hidden, but it's not obvious. Most ppl will walk by, and because the trees on either side and the curve in the DT, they won't even notice. If you know there's a trail head nearby and you're looking you will see the cairn stones and make out the path.
ReplyDeleteYea, we could transplant a few small cedars - they grow fast, evergreen and sturdy. The soil at the hump will come in handy, plus we have the 5 gals of water there too. The thought is just to screen that open area and RG a bit.
Who's going to roll the last of those boulders from the pile? They look unnatural where they are.
As for maintenance - completely agree Hollows and Ravine Drop need a good amount of bench maintenance. Other than that - the 3 turns - 2 in PP and the SK turn and cactus trimming - I think we'll be much happier with the trail when this stuff is done.
Bonus - what do you call the Bonus? LFL? The turns?
bonus is from just after cradle through to split oak (aka The Puzzle) - the area below snot rock basically
DeleteGotcha, I remember the reference to it being a bonus. Yea, lots of looseness...but going to be a bitch to re-work.
DeleteMy availability the rest of this week is sparse. Friday afternoon is probably happening though (Josh and I will probably meet) - I'd like to ride and work. Saturday is definitely out, but Sunday morning is a definite IN.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if you work - post up what progress you made and where you left off. Ideally working from EBD heading east. Maybe we have a small moving tool stash - a saw and Mcleod, maybe lopper to indicate the latest stopping point.
Mike I know you worked from the Trunk to Ravine, but I think cacti are starting to move in since then, so we do need to make a pass thru it again trimming back those pencils biatches and prickly pear.
So again, we should work from the TOP of EBD and head to the original end of the trail.
Spoke to Mark y'day and he can be out on Saturday.
A word about benching and cribbing since we have noobs out helping greatly:
Benching/bench cut - A bench cut is the result of cutting a section of tread across the side of a hill. If you look at the side profile of this cut it looks like a bench, hence the name. WE DO FULL BENCH CUTS whenever possible - no partial cuts that rely on the slough we cut away.
Cribbing - timber retaining wall to hold the trail along a slope, turn or switchback.
We don't have to crib this extreme, but this gives you an idea -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebxtreme/3375424997/sizes/o/in/photostream/
cribs basically serve to hold earth onto the trail on a slope. Sometimes benching is not enough. We generally use cedar logs pinned against cedar trees or stumps to serve as the primary backer - then fill with larger rocks before finer earth.
Some nice and simple benches with cribs:
http://mstwatauga.blogspot.com/2009/06/trees-trails-tree-trunk-cribbing.html
Good info:
http://www.americantrails.org/resources/trailbuilding/BuildCribWallsMtnBike.html
I really want to show you all the crib work that has been done on Ken's trail - amazing stuff on >30 degree slopes.
yeah I didnt cut cactus back...only limbs. I haven't found cactus a problem but I certainly won't argue about slicing some back. definitely imperative we all do this maintenance pass in the same direction with the condensed tool stash. another idea could be we have a set of mcleod,loppers, and saw at ebd and one set at trunk trailhead and work toward each other. the thinking is that maint won't require multiple people. just a thought.
ReplyDeleteas for crib examples, cum drop is not the most fascinating but can demonstrate a local example. most of our cribs you won't notice when riding only, but if you look closely there wouldn't be trail there if no cribbing were in place.
yeah I didnt cut cactus back...only limbs. I haven't found cactus a problem but I certainly won't argue about slicing some back. definitely imperative we all do this maintenance pass in the same direction with the condensed tool stash. another idea could be we have a set of mcleod,loppers, and saw at ebd and one set at trunk trailhead and work toward each other. the thinking is that maint won't require multiple people. just a thought.
ReplyDeleteas for crib examples, cum drop is not the most fascinating but can demonstrate a local example. most of our cribs you won't notice when riding only, but if you look closely there wouldn't be trail there if no cribbing were in place.
I think the cactus trimming will go quick - not labor intensive or skilled labor. We are down 1 good lopper at the moment, we only have the shitty one right now. I suppose if the lopper isn't repaired or replaced by the weekend I'll get a new one.
ReplyDeleteThe bench & crib work will require both. The handful of turns will require moderate effort.
C Drop is some sweet stuff and great example of a creative crib. I don't think the noobs know what feature this is. My "trained eye" I am always admiring nice bench and crib work.
We need to divide and commit - I will work on:
1.Pre-Plunge - 2 turns that kill speed as the wrong time - not good flow.
2.Speed Killer - I am going to re-route it even before assessing the ladder drop - it needs re-routing regardless.
After I complete those I'll move onto whatever is next and not spoken for.
Amazing amount of work you all accomplished in a year!
ReplyDeleteDo you need any other supplies, Loper's, saw's, mcleod's, etc?
Lemme know, and I'll hook ya up
Thanks again,
Neil
Thanks Neil. We appreciate your contributions, but we still have your donation so the loppers are covered ;) Hopefully Jesse repaired the other ones - though I think they should be replaceable at Lowe's under warranty.
Deletetoday I'm going out there but just to ride. when I go work I plan on working on ravine drop up to jammer/satellite. speaking of...do we know what happened to the actual satellite?
ReplyDeleteSomeone tossed it downslope - some dumb-ass. I will hike it up to the street and haul it off. It was trash to begin with, but at least it wasn't thrown off in the brush like it is now. I've been meaning to take out some bags and do a trash pick up, there's a lot out there I'd like to clean up. Some let a tube hanging from a tree and a beer bottle - I packed them out Tues. Josh picked up some trash too. I've been picking crap up off DT everytime I'm out there. It's the polluting ass hats that probably wind up complaining about our trail. Jack wagons!
DeleteJust did a warrenty exchange on the lopper, and left it a the trail. Let me say this the trail looks f'n fantastic. Going get this weekend to work and ride the trail.
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Thanks a bunch. I think Josh might be leading up a new project this weekend - he could use some help. He, Mike and I need to discuss that off line a bit - I don't think we'll be posting the details on this blog.
DeleteOk here is the deal. I plan on getting out to do work on need project Sat. Not positive on time just yet and not sure yet how long I can stay. But I am itching to start and if we can get a few people I think we can make it a good ways into project. So if anyone that is available Sat wants to help let me know what times work best. We will meet at trail head at whatever time is decided
ReplyDeleteBy trail head you mean the east trail head ;) Below Dodge Cattle Drive, right? You know, cause have 2 trail heads now.
DeleteThis will be a nice little easy level of effort, high reward project too. Low hanging fruit tastes so sweet.
I will be available in the afternoon sat
DeleteOk. Like 12? Or later?
DeleteNoon would be good doing some adopt a highway work along 620 @ 8
DeleteIndeed East trail head. Forgot about that aspect.
ReplyDeleteJust sayin'... in the event we actually get rain I highly recommend we get lots of wheels down on the trail as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteI can't commit to anything but I'll be watching the blog to see when people are going out. there is a slim chance I can join.
ReplyDeleteEric I'm going to throw that turn at the bottom of the 1st LFL line back to you. I don't know what to do there. that first LFL line is sickly fast and I bet I skidded 10-12ft when I saw the left turn at the bottom. maybe a wooden wallride? still not sure about the rooty climb above log jam. if everyone else is making it but me then ill leave it alone, but it feels off. so what say you all? the descent along barbed wire will need something maybe...not sure what...maybe just rain. all in all had a blast riding an out n back at 90% effort yesterday. next thurs I will for sure be fixing up ravine drop to jammer
ReplyDeleteSo the King of Berms can't handle this one? C'mon that turn was cut all wide for YOU. I'm not going to invest in a wall ride on something like that, if I have to do it it will be a nice sized berm using the perfect soil right there - borrow pit dug behind the berm. If it were further from the BCRT I would consider a wall ride. Maybe cut the telephone pole to create the shape for the dirt berm. Your placement of berms has always been pretty reliable though, so I thought this turn would be all you. There's a price to pay sometimes when milking as much as we can outta the land and sometime that price is a sharp turn...
DeleteRooty Climb is tough I don't care either way, but I think I could master it given a few attempts - I have only tried it once - my first ride and it was at the END of my ride and I think my rear slipped due to fatigue-impaired technique more than anything.
Josh and I looked at LFL fence descent and thought we'd see how the rain packed it in before benching it more...it's got a small bench up high where it needed one.
We are mtg today to reroute Speed Killer and the 2 turns in Pre-Plunge is we have time for all 3.
I went out today a little before noon for a hike with a garbage bag, and most of the trail seemed like it was still dry. I swear this thing handles rain better than City Park. I don't know the names of any of the sections, but one of the more gnarly sections (I'll call it Donkey Punch) there was a rider stopped with a broken Der. hanger. I asked if he needed any help, and he just said he would walk it out, and bitched about how ridiculous some of the feature's are. Made me smile, and I think that should be a compliment to you guys.
ReplyDeleteyeah I already broke a der hanger out there...i got to break my chain, remove the der. and push coast my bike from the street by satelite back to my house. I was just glad my bike would roll. some days the trail wins in a big way. long live deception, long live the trail!
DeleteThanks a bunch, Neil!
ReplyDeleteHaha, nice. Frankly if someone is seriously bitching then they are on the wrong trail or they don't have the proper skill set yet. I am by no means even remotely a rockstar and if I can ride it out and back with fewer than 6 dabs after 3 months off the bike it's really not all that ridiculous. It is very challenging absolutely, but it's no Thumper or Mirador either - that is some ricky-dickerous shit there.
Gotta run, late for mtg Josh out there.
Josh and I rerouted 3 turns, Speed Killer and 2 in Pre-Plunge. We made a subtle modification to a 3rd PP and adjusted a large cedar stump there as well.
ReplyDeleteWe reclaimed the existing trail, so I don't expect ppl to mistakenly take the old lines. I'll post pics tomorrow.
Josh and I will be meeting at around noon today (Monday) to do work and ride in some tread on Project X and perhaps more.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to meet us, you need to let us know so you know where we are - we are NOT mtg at DT or the tool stash.