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
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5 comments:
Good to see that you and Charlie were able to get the trash removed. As you said there was a tremendous amount of trash along that section of trail. Some real antiques!
I hate that I'm always out of town on the workdays. I'll do what I can to get out there and run the clippers, pick up trash and rip laps. Thanks for all the work.
Unfortunately the March date falls on a busy weekend for Nashvillians, there are a lot of events going on that weekend. I'll not be able to get out there, but the April dates are looking better for participation. I'm hoping to drag a crew out to help with trail work.
Thad
I rode the trail with Eric Fisher yesterday and he was really stoked at the new section that he, Steve V. and Tommy hacked open. The blower really made it rideable.
I only have one more section to use the blower on and it's not bad now. I hope to get some afternoon chain-saw tweaks soon since the time change will allow for this. We hope to speed up some spots. The previous improvements are starting to shine now.
Definitely a gem in the rough!
Count me in for Saturday and please let me know if there's anything I can bring. Otherwise, I'll plan to man a weed wrench.
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