Despite the dreariness Josh and I headed out for some turn rerouting/modification yesterday.
First up with everyone's least favorite turn - Speed Killer. It's a hard left hand turn, it's a blind turn and it avoids a nice slope. We re-routed it to the originally planned line that was ignored during the treading.
We essentially straighten it out and reclaimed the old tread.
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| Old SK reclaimed to the right - new line to the left. |
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| Looking up hill, you can see the reclaim with the rock and limbs. |
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| Looking downhill. This will lead nicely to the rock steps or to the ladder drop when it done. |
This was the other of significant reroutes. It was a very hard right hander that required you to kill speed after coming down a short slope. It just didn't flow well and it made the next section less enjoyable - a little dry creek to pump. Now you can make the easier right hander, you can push off a small berm and now really pick of speed to hump or jump the little creek.
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| 45 degree turn with press berm instead of a blind hairpin a little further down. |
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| Little dry creek bed. |
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| Looking down the line from the new turn - the original line was opposite to where Josh is. |
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| Looking up to the new line and turn. |
There were 2 other turns in PP that we worked on, but they were less significant, one was rerouted just to the inside of where it was, the turn was stretched a little to make it less sharp, it has a natural bank to it that we use. The final one, was just a widening to the outside of the turn. We also relocate a nice decorative stump - a big one that was leaning into the trail as a odd spot. The stump is still there for the visual but should not impede the rider. We actually added another significant visual stump to it, so now it's art.
SUNDAY
Depending on what Josh does today Sunday is up in the air a bit, but most likely I will be at DT at 8am to collect tools and head to EBD and start on bench/stump/limb maintenance from that point. I don't recall for sure but I don't think there is much to work on until we get back up into the Hollows, but perhaps some stumps/limbs need taming and just walking and packing in with the McLeod is in order as well.
Please let me know if you are going to make it Sunday. I don't plan on spending more than a couple of hours on maintenance, because I would like to ride too.
I most likely will not be able to attend Sunday. As a note, I did notice quite a few stumps in the Hollows that could be cut to just sub tread level. More tire slicers that anything. Other than that it's just little stuff here and there until you get to the Bonus. (I guess the Bonus is considered part of the Hollows since it's accessed from Satellite/Hollows entrance yet it lies beneath snot rock and "The Ridge"....I would propose we keep the Satellite. It's kind of a fixture in my mind. But if you haul it away, no biggie. I guess it stands to reason that some fuckhead will just throw it back down the hill if we set it back up. It's one of the more iconic pieces we have out there....along with the random black shoe, basketball, pink ball, etc etc haha. Gotta love the names of the segments.
ReplyDeleteOh, now I am finally seeing what you all did with that one turn in the Preplunge. NICE. Damn, I wanna ride. At least the weather blows, making it easier to stay inside and do this school stuff.
ReplyDeleteRode all of it today. The preplunge is much better. Nice work fellas. Had a blast riding today, and even almost made the rooty climb. The tread should be PERFECT tomorrow and/or Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteI'm planning on a work day Thursday (3pm-ish to Sundown). My first objective is Ravine Drop to Jammer.
Good to hear. I didn't like the idea of re-working it without riding it...but that's how it was done.
DeleteI am curious to see how it rides, especially the subtle turn that had all the boulder and big wide posts. It was a small change, but with the natural bank as the back of the turn I feel like it will make a big difference.
Anyway, I plan to ride it today after Josh and I work.
I'll try to get out there Thurs to help, I know Ravine Drop area will be a lot of work to really bench/crib it up.
yeah can't wait to get it squared away now that I know what has to be done. oh how far we've come from ravine drop. crazy
DeleteMike, do you have any particular thoughts or plans on Slick and Snot? Just curious. I like the fear factor and really don't think they are an erosion issue. Coming down from Jammer, people do seem to blow off Slick Rock, personally I just slow down enough to make it.
ReplyDeleteAlso curious if your thinking a rerouting of the small but steep climb that joins Bonus to Cradle is necessary. I'm sure we're all making it, but it's been an area of concern for a while.
Let me know what you think and I'll plan and work it accordingly.
I am NOT working trail today, other than serving to pack it in and beat down Project X. I think it's time to unveil PX...
theres still one turn when youre heading back out (the one after the Stump Art) thats too tight for speed in my humble opinion but lets see what you think. go ahead and hammer that pillow bike through there and try to get a little speed if you can;)
ReplyDeleteWhich Stump Art? The one Josh and I did in PP? Assuming it's below that one, little depression and a slight S to it, we widened it so you wouldn't slip and go boom. I'll hit it today with buckets-o-speed and see. It's the rider after all and not the bike.
Deletehaha do it. nail it and see if it feels natural. it feels right going the other way (coming from the hairpin)....again just my 2¢
DeleteI didn't plan on doing anything with snot rock at all. I'm not sure exactly what slick rock is I Dont think. can you refresh my aging memory?
yeah I dont know on that one piece below cradle. if people could just not skid down it we'd be golden, but thats obv not reality. I'm fine with leaving it or rerouting it. makes for a bitchy little climb as is. I like the challenge aspect of it.
oh and as a side note....big cedar is a CHOICE turn now. nice collaborative effort.
DeleteMaybe you just ride too fast. You need to slow down and enjoy our work, become one with nature. Maybe that 29er is just too damn fast for you...
DeleteI don't think Snot needs anything. Slick is the small rock patch just like Snot, it's before Snot when riding from Ravine Drop to Jammer.
Cool on the Craddle hill, I like it and you have to slightly finesse your weight around when you go up it, as far as down, brakes, we don't need no stinking brakes!
yeah we'll leave those two as they sit. nice mind effs.
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