Albert Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 Sounds to me like the trail should still be avoided until it dries out further. Thanks for the report! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fontarin Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 56 minutes ago, Albert said: Sounds to me like the trail should still be avoided until it dries out further. Thanks for the report! Probably so unless you just want to do Paved - > Log Loops - > Chardog/Dam - > Tangle - > Powerline down and repeat that loop. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 I would echo this, but I would add that point 6 is actually rideable. There are berms and as long as you stay on the berms (as you should be) then it is fine. The only real messy spots on point 6 were at the bottoms of the berms, where you should not be riding anyway. We were able to stitch together a good loop that only hit one spot that I would say was widened by riding (but this had been widened a long time ago, it is not new.) Yes, if you have the choice, I would opt for not riding it, but if you are there and you are smart/adaptable, you will be ok. The biggest problem is not the riders who know what to do. We saw instances of people with fat bikes (3"+ tire tracks) that were riding in the mud at the bottom of the berms - this is just stupid. Oscar Blues had $2 canned beer and starting there puts an extra 4 miles on your ride, which offsets the place at WC that we skipped. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chardog Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 On 1/15/2019 at 10:28 AM, Anita Handle said: What will you do when you get to a non-rideable part? Levitate over it??? Walking around it or riding gingerly around it ain't much better than splashing right through. Simply turn around. If you ride through the mud you will cause damage by deepening the ruts, if you ride or walk around you will cause damage by widening the tread and compacting and killing vegetation. Just stay off any section that is damp enough to stick to your tires or leave impressions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chardog Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 (edited) On 1/15/2019 at 8:43 AM, June Bug said: Although I haven't done much trail work in the last few years, I have done a lot of solo and group trail work at WC over the years, including a very rainy winter quite a few years ago where there were some major mud holes that developed over time. Let me clarify the damage cycle. When you ride a damp trail, even when the knobs on your tire make an indentation of, say, a sixteenth of an inch, that indentation holds water, because that's how it works. Six more riders come by, and now there's a slight low spot that's kinda soft. With the next rain, you've got a soft patch holding water that does not drain, people ride through, and now there's a major sloppy mess that can only get worse because it's a low spot that holds water. In the past, to fix that low spot, I'd go out with a flat blade shovel and start shaving the tread down to drain the low spot to the downslope side of the trail. If there is no down slope, then the side of the trail was downsloped to a drainage pit dug out to capture the water. You'd be amazed at how many hours of manual labor it takes to do this simple repair over 6 or 8 feet of trail. Some of these repairs are still holding up, some need to be redone or touched up. Chardog's brilliant berming solution for curves (capturing the water to the inside of the berm) has addressed a lot of the problem areas where there's a curve in the trail, but either way, it's still a LOT of hard work to create and maintain. If possible, don't ride, let things dry out Do your damn trail work Truth. It may seem impossibly outside one's paradigm, but it IS possible to turn around and NOT ride a muddy section of trail. It's also possible to help repair the trails once or twice in your life (or every week as many do). Edited January 17, 2019 by Chardog 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chardog Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 On 1/15/2019 at 9:25 AM, Teamsloan said: I know this is crazy sounding...but has anyone ever considered making an R&I a "TW&I". We have quite the crew that is regularly able to clear their Tuesday nights to be out at WC. If we have a crew that size, I bet a lot of work could be done to address all those poorly draining areas. On nights too damp to ride, why not still show up to throw a shovel around for a bit and then imbibe as usual? *I am not suggesting tonight to do this as it is quasi-ridable for y'all and I've thrown my back out again 😞 But I have done this before and it worked well. Excellent suggestion. Just say the word and I will bring the tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Rinse and repeat from last week: Meet at Oscar Blues at 4:30, ride to WC, back to OB's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 And we have a route that bypasses the few spots that need a little more rest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Looks like the rain is staying away until later in the evening (if at all). Please steer clear of Mark's Art, the down and up just north of it, Windy loop and the main creek crossing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nando Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 I'm staying out. All this “ok here but wet in these two specific spots” times five different reports is too much. Seems to me the best choice, at least for me, is to give it another week. Long Live the R&I! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSarge Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 I agree with Nando - having to think that much about routes takes away from the easy flow. I'll head to Brushy tonight instead. Maybe next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBaron Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 I'm going to try and intercept you all (on the way) at Oskar Blues. I've ridden WC the exact same way too long, changing it up a bit will be welcomed. -CJB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 56 minutes ago, Nando said: I'm staying out. All this “ok here but wet in these two specific spots” times five different reports is too much. Seems to me the best choice, at least for me, is to give it another week. Long Live the R&I! Some of the reports were based on riding it fully yesterday 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Magnet Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Rode point six, log loops, tangle, Chardog, and severe consequences at lunch. No big puddles and nothing sticking to my tires. As mentioned, stay away from Windy, BMX, and Marks art and you’re good.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shinerider Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Well, glad we got a ride in!Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamwa Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Shovel and Imbibe is a good idea. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chardog Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 10 minutes ago, Bamwa said: Shovel and Imbibe is a good idea. I'll bring lots of shovels. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamwa Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 I feel left out from society when my pc just shows a rectangle :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Walnut is still a no go 😞 The R& I is officially dormant. Here's to a dry March! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 How about the S&I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 A dry March, now that's a novel idea. 🙄 Get everyone to march back and forth through the muddy spots until they are dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Urban ride leaving from my house @ 5, ride for 60-90 mins, then Draught House for beer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamsloan Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 21 hours ago, AntonioGG said: How about the S&I? Working on that. It's looking like we may have pre-approval from PARD for having workdays on Tuesdays as long as we give them notice first thing the day before. So if we have a rainy weekend, we'll be able to plan a S&I the day before and get it quickly organized in time to have a solid crew (hopefully) show up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chardog Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 49 minutes ago, Teamsloan said: Working on that. It's looking like we may have pre-approval from PARD for having workdays on Tuesdays as long as we give them notice first thing the day before. So if we have a rainy weekend, we'll be able to plan a S&I the day before and get it quickly organized in time to have a solid crew (hopefully) show up. Thanks! The process can be frustrating when you just want to "get things done", but building and maintaining cooperation/trust with land managers is worth it to keep a productive relationship going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamsloan Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 Thank Cullen, it was him that contacted PARD about this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.