Friday, March 20, 2009

Trail Vandals have struck

Some bonehead drove into the first part of the trail and dumped a bunch of bush clippings on a section of trail near the beginning. Looks like 4 pick-up truck loads. And then they went and did donuts in another area, wiping out some of the single track.

We're checking with Crystal about getting the area along the road better blocked from rednecks and other boneheads.

Steve

Monday, March 9, 2009

Trail Update and Work Day March 28th (Saturday)

Update - this past work day got the final 1/4 of a mile opened up and rideable. But it still needs more work. We had a whopper of a turnout with Tommy, Eric Fisher, and Steve Vines whacking the jungle. They got the trail open - some areas are pretty clear - some tight. This is through a pretty cool section that meanders up a drainage area, so some elevation is available for a fun trail. Charlie and I hit the trail in the afternoon with the MEGA BLOWER. Charlie walked after me and picked up old trash from the 70's and 80's. Lots of pull tab cans, insulated Pepsi bottles, and a few oddities - like a tube sock (with colorful stripes at the top), a disposable flashlight, and a boot. He filled a 5 gallon bag 4X. The blower really opened up the new trail - it removed all the stems, twigs and other debris along the path. We also blew debris off the first 1/2 mile of the rocky trail near the pump station. I can't wait to hit the trail again to see the new improvements.

Trail work needed - The last section opened up needs to be buffed. A commercial weed-eater or grubbing hoe and a set of pruners is needed. There are a lot of small things sticking up along the corridor. The weed-wrenches will be needed to pull up some stobs along the area.

The next trail day is March 28th - This time it's on a Saturday. We hope to have lunch this time - TBD I can bring a grill and charcoal - we'll see if we can round up some grub from with in the group - but we'll need to know who will be there. Because spring is just around the corner, this may be the last time for a hard effort to open up the trail and hopefully hit 5 miles. The next trail day in April will likely for maintenance of what has been built so far. We have some good ideas to minimize the work needed, but it takes a lot of effort to keep 5 miles of trail open.

Keep the dream alive - invite a friend to ride Shutes. Hopefully, they will be another trail building commando.

Steve