Deception is a 100% rider designed and built trail. The trail is in the process of becoming an official trail of the Williamson County Parks and Rec and is an Austin Ridge Rider supported trail. The designers and builders will continue to be the primary trail stewards and are official volunteers for Wilco and Trail Stewards for ARR.
Deception is NOT Walnut Creek and it's not meant to be EASY - do not modify the trail, elevate YOUR skills.
Immediately across the the creek from the bridge is going to be an Avery Ranch addition. To the left (west) I suspect that trail is the work of BMC for their employees. Interesting.
I never considered breaching the treeline and going out into the open over there.
Yes, the low area on this side to the west gets real narrow at the bottom, but even if the trail is 3-4 feet above the water it would take a major flood to cause issue.
Regardless I think more scouting and discussion is warranted. If I am out solo on Sunday I'll work the current section leaving the option there for going Creekside, but it will be that an option, so the trail will flow with or without Creekside.
So i went on a scouting trip today across BCRT i went all directions including across the creek. Dont know how far across you guys have gone if any but i will give my report and half a cent worth. -Going right or (north) as you face creek. Not a lot of real estate to work with that isnt quickly clearly clearly visible from BCRT. However it is easy treading not a lot of cutting and the grass would be the only possible issue but i dont think it would be unmanageable. - Going left (south) as you face creek. Hidden from BCRT well and offers a cool creek visual next to a mini rock/ dirt wall. This stuff is thick and lots of vines. It also gets kinda narrow between crek and upslope, not sure if that area would get flooded during heavy rains or not but it has the potential. - Across the creek. Issue number one... It is across the creek and a crossing would have to be blazed or made at a low point. I have never seen this creek when heavy rains come but i can imagine it can fill up nice and cause problems if we tried to cross. Over here therye is a lot of ground to work with. But with possible issues as well. Head straight across the creek and through the trees and it opens up to field. Not challenging ground over here at all but it would be a flat ground to open up and crank it out spot i guess. Also heading East once across the creek there is an existing trail that is being made over there. Most of it is dozed ground with a short section of single track through cactus. Not sure if this land is private and the company that is operating real close to it owns it or they are just doing what we are doing and taking advantage of what they got for their employees to take a "nature walk" break or something. The trail is kinda neat doesnt offer much over here except a break from the tech and a nice visual of creek. This existing trail goes all the way down til it almost runs into the new concrete trail that next to 183A. It does have a cool big ass berm and rock steps in one spot. Again not sure if it is private or if you guys would even want to think about using that thing just reporting what i found. So in conclusion.... It is ground we can use just not sure about creek level and the payoff in going across because like i said nothing challenging or real fun just a change of pace and a cool visual. I took a few pics on my phone so if interested let me know and i will throw them up on the blog.
Interesting indeed. Obviously it's too early to say with certainty, but I'm getting the feeling we should avoid crossing the creek. For me personally, the jury's still out on going under the bridge and using that side. Again, just a preliminary feeling I have. I personally want to go explore the other side of the double track. If we can get decent mileage over there and if it's going to be as much of a climbing assbeating as I'm thinking, this trail could be ok at 9-10 miles total?
Maybe our efforts are better spent on a tract of land in the future up along 183A (since the hike n bike is being extended up to 2243 or whatever it is) - something more covert and less "potentially sensitive"....
Just thoughts, but yes, nice work on the recon and pics. Thanks.
This is my official half a cent worth opinion. We continue onto d track but route the trail in a way that we can easily add Creekside at a later date . That way we can make progress and have time to evaluate to Creekside section in different conditions. I like the idea of having Creekside for change of pace and flat out speed if we open it IP to that big open section. We could make an entry/exit under same bridge.or entry in one and exit out the further south bridge.
My line of thinking today has been similar to this. I say we truck on with existing plans and evaluate the Creekside later. I definitely think it'd be worth it, but the investment in time and labor makes more sense after the proposed evaluation per Josh.
I've actually thought that we just expand on the existing short out and back that already exists waaaay down at the beginning of the pasture. It's right across from the D Track at the beginning of our trail. Just have it be a pre/post Deception loop.
In fact I have the hair brained idea of us scouting and flagging, but getting some other yahoos to do the labor ;)
Not picturing which is the out and back you are referring to. Not the spaghetti bowl right? You talking about the trail that parallels bcrt going towards sports park?
You know where the composite bridge and historical marker are just west of the RR tracks. Head west toward the Y from there, looking to the right towards the creek, just about where the pasture begins there is a bit of single track - walking path that meanders along the creek.
Regarding Sunday work plan: I'll try to hit the trail by 9am and put in ~4 hrs. In that time I should be able to get everything this side of DT rerouted and flagged.
I used up ALL the flags this morning. I reflagged some of what I had flagged in order to milk a bit more and hit some features I couldn't hit with just the 2 lines. We now have 4 more lines on Upper Fence Line (UFL) and on Lower Fence Line (LFL) I am working on my third line and will milk the last (4th line) before heading up to Hump. Since EBD we have gone in a East/West pattern, but I switched it up a bit in some of this and the last line on LFL will be pretty squirrely.
I'll pick up more flags before I get out there again. I will definitely be out on Tuesday for a couple hours in the afternoon, I'll try to get out tomorrow (Monday is I can).
Marty if you are reading we could use more of those awesome pink flags - they are more durable, visible and prettier ;)
From tools to where we hit DT above Hump I expect we have another 3/4 mile of trail.
Thanks a bunch Marty! Saves me a trip and $ at Lowes. Plus your flags are much better and durable. Hope to run into you out there soon.
I will be out today at 4, working til dark. I will flag up to above Hump where we will punch across DT. I might stop there and cut as best I can or I might venture across DT to scout and flag.
Some are east of creek some west of it. I think you can tell which side is which by the growth
ReplyDeleteImmediately across the the creek from the bridge is going to be an Avery Ranch addition. To the left (west) I suspect that trail is the work of BMC for their employees. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteI never considered breaching the treeline and going out into the open over there.
Yes, the low area on this side to the west gets real narrow at the bottom, but even if the trail is 3-4 feet above the water it would take a major flood to cause issue.
Regardless I think more scouting and discussion is warranted. If I am out solo on Sunday I'll work the current section leaving the option there for going Creekside, but it will be that an option, so the trail will flow with or without Creekside.
Awesome job with pics and summary.
Moving Josh's report here:
ReplyDeleteSo i went on a scouting trip today across BCRT i went all directions including across the creek. Dont know how far across you guys have gone if any but i will give my report and half a cent worth.
-Going right or (north) as you face creek. Not a lot of real estate to work with that isnt quickly clearly clearly visible from BCRT. However it is easy treading not a lot of cutting and the grass would be the only possible issue but i dont think it would be unmanageable.
- Going left (south) as you face creek. Hidden from BCRT well and offers a cool creek visual next to a mini rock/ dirt wall. This stuff is thick and lots of vines. It also gets kinda narrow between crek and upslope, not sure if that area would get flooded during heavy rains or not but it has the potential.
- Across the creek. Issue number one... It is across the creek and a crossing would have to be blazed or made at a low point. I have never seen this creek when heavy rains come but i can imagine it can fill up nice and cause problems if we tried to cross. Over here therye is a lot of ground to work with. But with possible issues as well. Head straight across the creek and through the trees and it opens up to field. Not challenging ground over here at all but it would be a flat ground to open up and crank it out spot i guess. Also heading East once across the creek there is an existing trail that is being made over there. Most of it is dozed ground with a short section of single track through cactus. Not sure if this land is private and the company that is operating real close to it owns it or they are just doing what we are doing and taking advantage of what they got for their employees to take a "nature walk" break or something. The trail is kinda neat doesnt offer much over here except a break from the tech and a nice visual of creek. This existing trail goes all the way down til it almost runs into the new concrete trail that next to 183A. It does have a cool big ass berm and rock steps in one spot. Again not sure if it is private or if you guys would even want to think about using that thing just reporting what i found.
So in conclusion.... It is ground we can use just not sure about creek level and the payoff in going across because like i said nothing challenging or real fun just a change of pace and a cool visual. I took a few pics on my phone so if interested let me know and i will throw them up on the blog.
Interesting indeed. Obviously it's too early to say with certainty, but I'm getting the feeling we should avoid crossing the creek. For me personally, the jury's still out on going under the bridge and using that side. Again, just a preliminary feeling I have. I personally want to go explore the other side of the double track. If we can get decent mileage over there and if it's going to be as much of a climbing assbeating as I'm thinking, this trail could be ok at 9-10 miles total?
ReplyDeleteMaybe our efforts are better spent on a tract of land in the future up along 183A (since the hike n bike is being extended up to 2243 or whatever it is) - something more covert and less "potentially sensitive"....
Just thoughts, but yes, nice work on the recon and pics. Thanks.
This is my official half a cent worth opinion. We continue onto d track but route the trail in a way that we can easily add Creekside at a later date . That way we can make progress and have time to evaluate to Creekside section in different conditions. I like the idea of having Creekside for change of pace and flat out speed if we open it IP to that big open section. We could make an entry/exit under same bridge.or entry in one and exit out the further south bridge.
ReplyDeleteMy line of thinking today has been similar to this. I say we truck on with existing plans and evaluate the Creekside later. I definitely think it'd be worth it, but the investment in time and labor makes more sense after the proposed evaluation per Josh.
ReplyDeleteI've actually thought that we just expand on the existing short out and back that already exists waaaay down at the beginning of the pasture. It's right across from the D Track at the beginning of our trail. Just have it be a pre/post Deception loop.
In fact I have the hair brained idea of us scouting and flagging, but getting some other yahoos to do the labor ;)
Not picturing which is the out and back you are referring to. Not the spaghetti bowl right? You talking about the trail that parallels bcrt going towards sports park?
DeleteYou know where the composite bridge and historical marker are just west of the RR tracks. Head west toward the Y from there, looking to the right towards the creek, just about where the pasture begins there is a bit of single track - walking path that meanders along the creek.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Sunday work plan: I'll try to hit the trail by 9am and put in ~4 hrs. In that time I should be able to get everything this side of DT rerouted and flagged.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else in?
8:40, I'm heading out to the trail.
ReplyDeleteI used up ALL the flags this morning. I reflagged some of what I had flagged in order to milk a bit more and hit some features I couldn't hit with just the 2 lines. We now have 4 more lines on Upper Fence Line (UFL) and on Lower Fence Line (LFL) I am working on my third line and will milk the last (4th line) before heading up to Hump. Since EBD we have gone in a East/West pattern, but I switched it up a bit in some of this and the last line on LFL will be pretty squirrely.
ReplyDeleteI'll pick up more flags before I get out there again. I will definitely be out on Tuesday for a couple hours in the afternoon, I'll try to get out tomorrow (Monday is I can).
Marty if you are reading we could use more of those awesome pink flags - they are more durable, visible and prettier ;)
From tools to where we hit DT above Hump I expect we have another 3/4 mile of trail.
Ok, will do
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteFlags are by the bucket
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch Marty! Saves me a trip and $ at Lowes. Plus your flags are much better and durable. Hope to run into you out there soon.
DeleteI will be out today at 4, working til dark. I will flag up to above Hump where we will punch across DT. I might stop there and cut as best I can or I might venture across DT to scout and flag.