in Blue Mound (Moderator: Walt Hougas)

Gary pointed out that the boundary adjustment reroute does not align correctly to use a large rock as a jump. So we adjusted the corridor to make a good jump approach and used the duff to cover the original. I rolled some large rocks harvested on June 7th toward the jump to build a ramp on the back side of the rock for a landing/rollover.

I spent the rest of the day cutting weeds on Over Lode. I am cutting backwards from the Ryan Road crossing. The biggest weed farm around the bridge is cut, the higher elevation loop above the bridge is cut, and I've started the switchback leading into the 3rd ravine.

The weed growth is massive this year. We could use some help cutting this year. I will be storing the new Stihl hedge trimmer in the old WORBA trailer. Post here if you want to help, or PM me via this bulletin board, or email me at:

hougaswd@aol.com

Walt

I spent several hours today roughing in one of the last two small reroute sections for the Holy Schist boundary adjustment.

Kevin told me today that we are supposed to vacate the old trail as of July 1st. If the trails were actually open to ride, that might be a problem.

As it is, I am stopping my weed cutting efforts until the rough-in of the reroute is complete.

Walt

I spent several hours today roughing in one of the last two small reroute sections for the Holy Schist boundary adjustment.

Kevin told me today that we are supposed to vacate the old trail as of July 1st. If the trails were actually open to ride, that might be a problem.

As it is, I am stopping my weed cutting efforts until the rough-in of the reroute is complete.

Walt

Thank you for the update and your efforts. Please post your impromptu or unofficial work sessions incl the Facebook page so people who love the park riding can be aware of opportunities to help.

The vacate by July 1 when I see when the DNR's dysfunction over the master plan issue has been going on for at least 4 years is quite something.

Thank you for the update and your efforts. Please post your impromptu or unofficial work sessions incl the Facebook page so people who love the park riding can be aware of opportunities to help.

The vacate by July 1 when I see when the DNR's dysfunction over the master plan issue has been going on for at least 4 years is quite something.

I am in total agreement that the DNR is a difficult organization to work with. Left hand unaware of right hand barely begins to describe their mode of operation. Being PO'ed about it is a reasonable first response.

Kevin is too much of a professional to say negative things about his own organization, but it can't be easy for him to be the public face for some of this stuff. Regardless of how badly other people screw up (such as in marking the property line incorrectly, or putting the trail on the fall line below a seep), we have to work together to fix the problems. And I do feel he is working to find ways to make it possible for us to succeed. The man has a job to do, and it's not all about bikes and bike trails.

I do need to do a better job letting people know when I'll be out working at the park. Sometimes the situation changes at the last minute. A chance encounter with ranger Brian on Friday evening yielded the tip that Kevin might be in the office on Saturday, and he fortunately had 20 minutes open to chat when I popped in unannounced. That put me behind starting my trail work, but it resulted in his agreeing to try opening Over Lode before the entire trail system drys up. Pure gold from straying off task, in other words.

Walt

We're into summer update now, but I'll keep this thread rolling.  Over Lode is done for weed trimming for the year.  The beginner section through almost to 5 corners is completed also (thanks Rich for part of that!).  I cleared two trees on Over Lode this evening, the first one ate up about an hour of my time.  There is a weird dangling vine halfway down Chert Dip (don't pull on it! It's probably 60 ft up and that's a lot of weight to come down on your head), and there are also 3-4 trees down on the climb out of Chert Dip.  Also please ignore/forgive my attempt at something fun to roll over on Home Stretch, I'll be taking that out eventually. In the meantime feel free to laugh at/mock my speedbump.

Serpentine Climb, Holy Schist, Home Stretch, and Pokerville need to by cleared of overgrowth.  There's still 500 yds of Holy Schist reroute that needs finish work.  I'm not sure how this is all going to get done with our current workforce, and personally I'm going to be riding more as soon as the trails are open.

I took care of the 4 trees down on Chert Dip as well as the offending vine. I'm done with the chainsaw for now, please post up if you encounter anything that needs to be dealt with.

Thanks Gary.

I plan to be out at Blue Mound Saturday afternoon.

If it doesn't rain, and the staff agrees to open Over Lode, I'll ride it. If it's too wet, I'll cut weeds.

BTW, the new hedge trimmer is working pretty well. I'm getting a very nice, wide corridor opened up in places that have needed this done for years. One small step at a time I'm getting closer to my goal of having better flow at Blue Mound. Now, if we could only ride it.

Walt

I cut 4 more fallen trees from Over Lode this evening.  I also took the liberty to cut several really small ones that were right off the trail and just annoying to deal with, they were all dead or soon to be dead anyways.  I don't think anyone will miss them.  I also had some fun bushwhacking a bit to shortcut around Over Lode and got to use what were obviously old road beds.... pretty cool.

I cut 4 more fallen trees from Over Lode this evening.  I also took the liberty to cut several really small ones that were right off the trail and just annoying to deal with, they were all dead or soon to be dead anyways.  I don't think anyone will miss them.  I also had some fun bushwhacking a bit to shortcut around Over Lode and got to use what were obviously old road beds.... pretty cool.

Thank you.

Through the old quarry? It's been a few years.

Our original plan if there was time and money (machine rental) was a deep bench back up stream and maybe using some of those if needed as well as the quarry. There's a lot of cool stuff in the park many are not aware of. People should not fear change if plans to improve parts can ever happen or if different plans are thrust upon us. There are also car size and larger rocks that could be huck to transition.

Thank you.

Through the old quarry? It's been a few years.

Our original plan if there was time and money (machine rental) was a deep bench back up stream and maybe using some of those if needed as well as the quarry. There's a lot of cool stuff in the park many are not aware of. People should not fear change if plans to improve parts can ever happen or if different plans are thrust upon us. There are also car size and larger rocks that could be huck to transition.

I don't think they were the quarry.  This one went sort of NNE from near where the 2nd crossing gets close to the hiking trail, to the top of one of the fingers/nodes to meet up with a right-hand turn in the trail, and then it went back down toward the 3rd crossing.  It's unfortunate they are inaccessible due to no access across Ryan Creek, otherwise it would make getting to some of these places a heck of a lot easier.  Ryan Creek is amazing itself just how much gravel and stones wash through that during flash floods, I would love to see that in action.

Gary cut more deadfall on Holy Schist. He also cleared fallen trees from the Serpentine Climb reroute. Ryan finished weed cutting on Chert Dip and Serpentine Climb. I roughed in about 60 more yards of the Serpentine Climb reroute. There are about 60 yards of jungle to go. (Possible Craigslist Help Wanted ad: "Looking for seasoned jungle explorer. Must provide own machete.")

We decided to switch from the Holy Schist boundary reroute to work on Serpentine Climb because the closure of the old trail has left the bail out back to the trail head an extreme difficulty climb. Also, the new intersection of Serpentine Climb, Basalty Bail, and Basalt and Pepper Bail is confusing the hell out people.

It will be much simpler when we can close off the trail we will be abandoning and can send all the bail out bike traffic down the new reroute. I'll try to get a sign posted at the new intersection tomorrow.

Walt

Was please to find the trails totally clear and ridable on Saturday. I brought my saw with me but didn't need it.

I figured out now why the loop seemed to go so fast for me (at least in part): Its that missing climb/descent on Serpentine Climb.

Is there any sort of official work day in the works for cutting the new trail section here? I would think we could get a good crowd. I know myself and at least one other friend would try to be there. I could also bring my bad-a$$ brush cutters to bare (sorry, don't have a machete).

In other news, my wife reports Pokerville still needs trimming, no downed trees though.

Hi Frank,

I'm pleased to hear that Pokerville is seeing some traffic. Apologies to all that it hasn't been trimmed. We have a volunteer who recently offered to do the job but he was out of town over the weekend. Home Stretch is over grown too, I hope to get to that soon.

Thanks for the offer to help. I'm hoping to be there Saturday about 2:30 to complete the brush cutting phase of the Serpentine Climb reroute.

It may take some work with a rock bar to get it into rideable condition. There's an amazing amount of rock (even for Blue Mound) in a ~100 yard section. It's all doable given enough time and muscle. I can usually bury anything I can't remove. The few rocks bigger than that are *Features* and are loved by everyone.

Walt

HUGE tree down the near end of holy shist before the first gravel road crossing.  kinda near the spot where the trail turns to smooth and fast with no rocks.

HUGE tree down the near end of holy shist before the first gravel road crossing.  kinda near the spot where the trail turns to smooth and fast with no rocks.

Yup, we saw that on Saturday.  Walt said he was going to take care of it and according to the work log, he did so yesterday. Thanks for the report, though! Hope you had a good ride.