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South Austin Trail Network, The SATN


The Tip

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Didn't know where to put this, but it happened at the Maxwell Slaughter Creek Trail, so I'll share on this SATN thread.

It's never happened to me before. People have mentioned that riders have yelled "Strava!" at them and assumed the right of way. I always found it hard to believe. But today I was finishing a loop and was on the jeep track heading to the exit/parking lot. I'm in my right lane. Here comes a rider in their LEFT lane, with their head down, coming at me. I shout, "Rider up!" No response.  I call out again, "RIDER UP!" No response. I start to increase my volume but only get halfway through when they shout, "Coming through!" I swerve right to go into the grass to avoid a head on! I couldn't believe it.  I still don't! lol Why were you in the left lane? Why did you not even nod your head at me? Why couldn't you easily move to your right lane (you know, this being America and all).

I was hoping for a Strava Flyby but no luck.

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2 hours ago, The Tip said:

 

It's never happened to me before. People have mentioned that riders have yelled "Strava!" at them and assumed the right of way. I always found it hard to believe.

Believe it. Some people are just selfish trash.

The "strava" thing happened to me several times back when i lived in NM.  Some intentional obstruction seemed to send a clear message. When they decided to take their purse off and get lippy, they got reminded that they were on a multi use trail and the world doesn't revolved around them or their e-peen pixel game. That reminder was also peppered with usage of the word "cunt" as well😁

Edited by ATXZJ
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Maybe it was Kevin Bacon and he was pretending he was on a tractor like "Flash Dance"?  You were in a game of chicken and didn't even know it!

Seriously though, I've seen some serious stupidity come about as the result of searching for a meaningless PR on a virtual competition.  Sorry it happened.

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47 minutes ago, ATXZJ said:

.  Some intentional obstruction seemed to send a clear message. 

Later I was thinking how fun it would have been to just jump off my bike and let it keep going without me. Clear message.

And this happened at a spot before the Strava loop segment starts. So there's not even that "Strava!" rationalization to explain the abhorrent behavior.

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  • 4 weeks later...

This weekend a couple of riders did a century on the SATN. Actually a little over 100 miles. They didn't repeat much and they did a minimum of roads connecting all the dirt. Looking carefully at the ride I determined that the repeating and road ridden was much less than the dirt trails that they did NOT ride. So I am very confident in saying the SATN now has at least 100 miles of dirt trail.

Pretty amazing. 

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Seeing lots of activity from people I know over in MMSP. I've never been over there and I've got the FOMO. I know how to get to the railroad bridge and I know I go north along that and take a turn east somewhere. Other than that I'm blind. The only experience I have with MMSP is the disk golf course and the RC field. Seems like the trails are mostly south of that on the creek?

 

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I rode MMSP with a small group yesterday. Definitely some fun terrain out there. Probably worth it to drive out there just to ride it and get to know there the meaty stuff is. Once you know it well enough, you can make it part of a bigger loop. I'd hate to ride from the Veloway all the way to MMSP just to spend a lot of time going in circles getting lost.

Note: the long wood bridge (does that actually cross the Nichols Branch part of the creek?) is damaged and difficult to cross, at least going one direction. We crossed it one way and it was fine, but going the other way, the bridge was leaning and at least one rider fell in the creek and took an injury.

Edited by mack_turtle
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35 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

I group MMSP with a small group yesterday. Definitely some fun terrain out there. Probably worth it to drive out there just to ride it and get to know there the meaty stuff is. Once you know it well enough, you can make it part of a bigger loop. I'd hate to ride from the Veloway all the way to MMSP just to spend a lot of time going in circles getting lost.

This is exactly right. It's 7 miles from ATX Bikes to the MMS parking lot. While you are exploring MMS you hold back some to have that 7 miles in ya to get back. So it's better to drive there, and leave it all on the table in Mary Moore, and be worn out as you get back to the parking lot.

There's 12+ miles in Mary Moore. That's a very likely 20 mile ride just riding in the park to try and find it all. You'll have lots of "I've been here before" moments as you start to explore there the first few times. Very much like S(hhhh). Preserve.

The more I think about that bridge the less I like it. It's a pain to move back all the time. And when you see a bridge you think, "that must be the way to go." But really there is more good trail on the east bank of Nichols Branch that few people seem to ride. 

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9 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:
This can only be one place: the "entrance" to Valero Loop. This likely means that there will be more trail in there but it might get sanitized. 

This is good news, I was a bit worried after seeing "for sale" signs on this property over the past few months, but even if it was closed for development, there is another entrance to this trail at the bridge on Brush Country.

Speaking of this trail, Valero Loop is kind of a silly name, no? I know that is the name on Strava, but it is not a loop, and that gas station is not responsible for much other than trash blowing onto the trail. I would propose Williamson Creek Trail. Maybe COA will bless it with a proper name at some point.

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On 9/28/2020 at 10:06 AM, mack_turtle said:

How new is this trail? just wondering if I missed something last time I was there. I found the new wood feature back there the other day.

I'm sure you've ridden it.  I'm slow to the game or trail in this case.  it's the one with the dual line hill with all the rocks in between right there by double dip.

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Holy Cow!!

What a win. We have so many set backs it seems. When a win comes a long it is ever so much more sweet! You have no idea how cool I think it is for the city to put a name on those trails. Another huge win. "Williamson Creek West Trail System" The only "system" in there is the single track that we ride.  This has really made my day. Even if they turn that single track in the new park into tamer trail it still won't be a huge loss. Much better than losing it altogether if a condo had been built on it instead. Thanks for posting this mack. Interesting that I haven't heard a thing about it.

Valero Loop IS a loop. At the minimum it's a six mile loop that goes under Mopac, through Sunset Valley, skirting Stephenson Preserve, onto Jane Fonda past Whirlpool Cave, up to Brush Country, back to Valero. But good point about the name.

Williamson Creek Loop? Too long, not cool enough.

Bill Creek Loop? There's a long standing Strava segment named Bill Creek Trail that's starts at the Valero and goes east for a mile or so.

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5 hours ago, The Tip said:

Valero Loop IS a loop. At the minimum it's a six mile loop that goes under Mopac, through Sunset Valley, skirting Stephenson Preserve, onto Jane Fonda past Whirlpool Cave, up to Brush Country, back to Valero. But good point about the name.

I ride that loop regularly, but the Strava segment with that name is only the section between Valero and Brodie, not the entire loop, so I didn't realize that "Valero Loop" refers to the entire loop back to Whirlpool Cave.

Another thought about this trail, since it's being discussed: I see a lot of trash here, especially where the trail crosses under Mopac (where there have been homeless encampments). A couple of months ago, I saw a couple of workers cleaning up and thanked them for their work but forgot to ask who they are affiliated with. Is that something the city pays for, or are there any volunteer organizations that organize cleanup efforts?

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1 hour ago, taco_junkie said:

Sweet. I never liked stopping and climbing out at the bridge anyway....

...even though a trail was made there so you didn't have to go up the concrete embankment. That trail was made, I believe, in anticipation of losing access through the property being talked about. It will still have purpose though as the TXWerks rides will frequently drop in there at the bridge.

16 minutes ago, cody said:

I ride that loop regularly, but the Strava segment with that name is only the section between Valero and Brodie, not the entire loop, so I didn't realize that "Valero Loop" refers to the entire loop back to Whirlpool Cave.

Another thought about this trail, since it's being discussed: I see a lot of trash here, especially where the trail crosses under Mopac (where there have been homeless encampments). A couple of months ago, I saw a couple of workers cleaning up and thanked them for their work but forgot to ask who they are affiliated with. Is that something the city pays for, or are there any volunteer organizations that organize cleanup efforts?

Yes, a "Valero Loop" Strava segment would be too long to mean much. There are multiple ways to accomplish the loop. I did a loop the other day that was 15 miles for example. That had 5 miles in S(hhhh!). P. Not a common way to do the loop by any means!

I was very pleasantly surprised to see that cleared spot under Mopac. The trash had gotten deep there. I assumed it was done by some city entity. Parks? Public Works? But maybe even TxDot? I wish you you HAD have asked because now I'm curious again! But that particular spot always made me angry as I looked at that mess. I thought about how Parks was more concerned about, and spending resources on, wrapping playgrounds with plastic to close them. Or the ENVIRONMENTALIST city council not concerned with the problem the homeless create with their trash and more concerned with letting them do whatever they want. Don't get me started!

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  • 1 month later...

Today I was riding a southie loop, and as I passed thru the gap between the barriers at Taco Bueno / Chipotle, and then took the left fork, I stopped due to several felled trees blocking the trail - it looks very intentional. Not sure what this trail is called - Bambi Fucks Puppies, or some such. Is this an indicator that someone does not want us riding this trail?

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sigh

Pretty sure the Bambi likes Waffles "malicious vandal with the intent to cause harm" person has now discovered the Rudolph loves Pancakes trail too. There has been speculation as to the motive but nothing proven.  Perhaps a hiker that does not like bikers on "their" trail? An apartment dweller that doesn't like the "noise" from bikers (what?!). Just an asshole that also likes pulling wings off on flies too? It's certainly not an official person doing these things. 

I know that I am very tentative and aware when I ride either trail now. I have moved logs off of Rudolph a couple of times now. I can't count how many times I've stopped to move rocks off of Bambi.

ps: These trails traverse Deer Park at Maple Run.

Edited by The Tip
to explain trail names
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4 minutes ago, The Tip said:

sigh

Pretty sure the Bambi likes Waffles "malicious vandal with the intent to cause harm" person has now discovered the Rudolph loves Pancakes trail too. There has been speculation as to the motive but nothing proven.  Perhaps a hiker that does not like bikers on "their" trail? An apartment dweller that doesn't like the "noise" from bikers (what?!). Just an asshole that also likes pulling wings off on flies too? It's certainly not an official person doing these things. 

I know that I am very tentative and aware when I ride either trail now. I have moved logs off of Rudolph a couple of times now. I can't count how many times I've stopped to move rocks off of Bambi.

ps: These trails traverse Deer Park at Maple Run.

The first one I encountered must have required considerable force, if not mechanical assistance. There were several more, but this one was pure vandalism.

 

IMG_20201118_095814530 (1).jpg

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