zrx24

Just to confirm, this logo?

How about this?

Maybe just post the signs the City used to do.

We've been considering making up signage to post at these problem areas. Great idea about using more official logo of some sort. 👍

I really hate the look of stacked brush and branches along a trail. A single track through the woods, be it an animal path or a MTB trail is a beautiful thing. Barricades are like graffiti to me. Just plain ugly. I really hate having to do this. But I also hate the thought of losing this park. I LOVE this place!

After. I rarely ride this cheater trail section, so if anyone happens to notice new cheater trails forming in this (or any other area in the park) please do not hesitate to contact me. TIA

The efforts to establish new cheater lines around existing cheater lines continues at City Park (Emma Long). It is most definitely MTB riders doing this. If anyone knows the person(s) doing this, will you kindly inform / remind them that at Emma Long this activity has very serious consequences. Austin Parks and Balcones Canyonland Preserve staff perform regular inspections throughout Emma Long and even have game cameras in place in their efforts to monitor activity. This new trail cutting is precisely the activity they are looking for, which will be used as justification to close trails or limit access / use of the park. This is not a joke or an exaggeration in any way. Please help me spread the word. I just closed up this newly established cheater trail at the Devil's Staircase cheater trail. In this case, great efforts were made to remove previously established barricade materials. Only MTB riders have been using this from my observations today, but it doesn't take long before Moto guys start using it and then it doesn't take long for the ledges that exist just below the surface to be exposed.....leading to more cheater trail. I had already started replacing rocks and barricade material when I snapped this pic.

Not a rant. A notice of an issue and request to help me educate those that don't know what they don't know. I don't care where they come from or their age. UT was simply an example of new people moving to Austin. I could have just as easily have used Californians as an example. Thank you for your efforts. Much appreciated! :-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the confirmation. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They do not believe the mapping data we have provided to them is accurate enough. I will be meeting with the City's GIS dude next week to work with him on acquiring the data needed to formalize trail locations. They intend to do this for ALL trails located on BCP land, which includes not only Emma Long but most all the Green Belt. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All trails allowed to be ridden at City Park are well established. There are signs in the parking area reminding users to stay on the established trails. From time to time there will be evidence of a moto trying to bypass a difficult section. When such a situation is noticed, the disturbed area will be restored and brushed off to dissuade further use. In this particular case there were only MTB tracks on the fresh trail. It has been blocked off to dissuade further use. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Every year there is a fresh incoming class at UT that includes MTB riders. Maybe members of the choir can put word out to anyone encountered out on Austin area trails that are not members of the choir of the do's and don'ts. Education is a never ending process. Thanks in advance for your assistance in getting the word out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don't care. Getting the word out. Pass it along. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It appears to have just been done, possibly in preparation for the Enchilada Buffet this weekend. DO NOT CUT NEW TRAIL AT EMMA LONG (aka City Park)!!! The City (PARD) and BCP watch Emma Long like a hawk. There are currently plans in the making by the City to GPS the trail at Emma specifically to track (unauthorized) changes. DO NOT CUT NEW TRAIL AT CITY PARK. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DO NOT CUT NEW TRAIL AT EMMA LONG. Can't do Cheese Cake? Pick up your bike and walk it up, or work harder to improve your skills. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's nearing that time of year when the Tarantulas start coming out - mating season! Get it, girl!

What's for breakfast? Can't make it out.

I've seen snakes that I knew were not venomous based on their eyes, but they had a triangular head like a venomous snake. Very confusing. Never dawned on me they were doing what you just described. Tricky, tricky!

A couple of springs still running, but otherwise good riding. 👍

That’s appears to be quite a large copper head! I’ve never encountered one here in central Texas, but in Houston they were usually fairly small. Great shot! 👍

😮

Looks like a rat snake to me, based on the slim head and white "chin."

Holy smokes, that's a big rattler! 😮 I always scour the area before plopping my butt down trail side. My biggest fear is sitting on a dang scorpion!

Somebody mentioned in a thread I was just perusing that they encountered a snake, which got me thinking about my own experience here in Austin. Surprisingly, in almost 20 years of riding Austin area trails I’ve encountered only one (1) snake. Even more surprising, it was a coral snake. A surprisingly BIG coral snake. And yes, it was the real deal - red on yellow. Encountered him (her?) on the BCGB below Toys-R-Us many years ago. What’s your Austin area snake encounter count? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk