Results (with photos) of 11/22/2008 Stub build day
Joe Rykowski
Weather turned out to be great for trail building - cool, mostly dry
(we were under the trees in afternoon when it started drizzling).
Seven local mountain bikers showed up to help Oregon Parks &
Recreation with trail work.
Early morning focused on intro to the project, tool safety, and getting volunteers with tools in hand out to the project site.
Steve Kruger, park trail manager, lead the first task group for starting work on section of corridor after 2nd drainage area. Team made short work of this section. There was quick 15 minute hiking tour of part of mountain biking zone for volunteers new to project area.
About 11:30am, the second task group reassembled at the end of where single-track had been constructed last year (prior to project hold). This group was lead by Joe Rykowski (newly elected volunteer project coordinator for both W.T.F. and PUMP). Focus was on cutting ~250 yards of new 24" single-track from Cedar tree log over to the first flat section of trees (where we'll build a series of grade reverals i.e. "pump track" style to control water erosion). This construction is part of the approved Master Plan / Trail Plan for mountain biking zone (it is adjacent to an existing log skid road which will be used for maintenance/emergency access - mountain bikers will obviously enjoy surfing the single-track...).
We were done by about 2pm.
Brand new
section of narrow brown ribbon flowing along contour of hill thru the
woods past cedar tree.. Next section ready for December build day!
The volunteer trail builders who came were salivating over new section of trail we'd completed that day. There's a lone cedar tree we routed the trail past with some great small roots to add a dash of technical challenge. It's trail that just begs to be ridden.
Our goal is by June 2009 to complete the single-track within mountain biking zone down length of Hares Canyon and tie into existing shared-use trails back over on westside of the park. This would allow for a "grand opening" of the mountain biking zone as part of National Trails Day / State Parks Day with 2-3 miles of new single-track plus 2 miles shared-use trail (a 4-5 mile loop). This also lines up with Oregon Parks & Recreation trail plan to have bridges constructed (over drainage areas) so that the Caddy Whomper maintenance/emergency access cooridor would be open by June as well (a good thing when users are enjoying the single-track in area).
Upcoming build days scheduled for December 2008... (more to come in Spring!)...
