The time has come for some trail trimming. If you are a regular rider, we need your help. Shutes Branch MTB Trail has been built and maintained by a handful of local riders for the past 5 years. The COE has provided us a great place to ride and enjoy the woods, but all building and maintenance is by volunteers only. This is Mt. Juliet / Old Hickory’s only mountain bike trail and the newest in Middle Tennessee. Help us keep it awesome by donating some time and effort.
We primarily need weedeating to trim the trails. The trimming needs to be 6 to 8 ft wide due to the height of many of the weeds that call Shutes home. Also, weedeaters work great on the newer growth that become face-slappers. Make sure to trim it to the ground and around all rocks. This will make the effort last longer. A light trimming will only last a few weeks.
If you don’t have a weedeater, pruners and loppers work great too for the face slappers. Just make sure to trim the branches so they don’t become little spears along the sides of the trail.
Please wear eye and hearing protection when weedeating or pruning. I use a forester’s helmet w/ screen face shield and safety glasses when trimming.
For those of you new to Shutes, the Jungle Weed will grow about 6 to 12 per week in the middle spring period. And, those pretty little white folwers become the world’s worst stick-tights that are great at ruining socks and gloves. But, if these plants are weedeated to the ground early enough, they pretty much give up. Most sections only need trimming once per year or less. Some sections will need trimming 2x per year, or more. Luckily, the COE will be spraying the beginner trail this month with herbicide. These sections would need to be mowed about 5 times.
Shoot me an e-mail at shutesmtb@gmail .com if you want to help volunteer!
AND - looks for the new connector signs. BSA Troop 150 out of Mt Juliet just completed another Eagle project at Shutes. The signs look great and will help folks find their way around the trails.
