Washington Disappointed In Trail Condition

[CL13579]

Over the past 35 years, I have spent more days working on than riding on our local trail system keeping it in pristine condition so when I want to take off from the house and ride for a few hours, I know the trails are ready.

I've been broken for the past year and have not been able to get out and ride, much less work on the trails.

Many of you have ridden from my home and have seen the condition of our trail system, and many of you understand the work it takes.

A few years ago a good friend of mine was killed in an accident, and he was one of the few self motivated people who would help maintain the trail system.

In our absence, I would think the other locals who regularly use the trail system would take on the task of maintaining the trail system. One? Two? of the many who regularly ride.

Many years ago I had to take a break due to many reasons, and when I got back on a bike, most of the trails were no longer rideable, and the ones that were open were in very poor condition. I went to work.

Last Sunday I went for my first ride on the hill in over a year, and many of the trails could not be navigated.

Today I went to work. I enjoy it. It is therapy.

I just wish others would give a little effort.

If you ride, no matter where, give a little thought to how much effort a few put into keeping the riding area open.

[Jim Dettman]

I wish more people would do as you suggest. What bothers me even more is the amount of trash I find. Couple trails I ride are begining to look like junk yards. It doesn't cost that much to get rid of stuff the right way where I live, but people still seem to feel the need to dump it in the woods.

Really is sad.

Jim.

[Slackkinhard]

Just got back from Walker Valley, and somebody has done a great job up there as of recent. 6 months ago, the brush on the singletrack was ugly. Somebody went through and fixed it since.

As for the logs on Doug's loop...I owe somebody at least $20 in gas. ?

[motomike111]

As for the logs on Doug's loop...I owe somebody at least $20 in gas. ?

Yea some people definitely put in a lot of hours on that trail, there are so many log buts on the sides of the trail it feels like your riding in between the rows of decked logs waiting to be cut up at a sawmill.

THANKS!

[Rider 41]

Just finished up a day of trail maintenance at our local ORV park, myself and two riding buddies assisted the DNR most of the day. We try to give back to the dirtbike community every couple of months. Yes I'd of rather been riding today but one day of not riding is not going to kill us.

If everyone does just a little it will make a difference ?

[shrubitup]

Yep yep! Carve out a day from riding and do some cutting instead. Better yet, take yer saw with you on your bike to go cut.

Sometimes water diversion goes a long ways too. If, for example, water is running down a trail - sink your rear tire in diagonal to the trail and dig a makeshift ditch with some clutch action. It pushes the water onto the forest vice eroding the cycle trail. ?

[Lincolnlock]

Yea some people definitely put in a lot of hours on that trail, there are so many log buts on the sides of the trail it feels like your riding in between the rows of decked logs waiting to be cut up at a sawmill.

THANKS!

It's awesome right?! I missed the trail work session today with the DNR. The boy scouts had a good time in the mountains though! These are great posts about trail work. At least once a month you can get out and do SOMETHING. Anything counts. Clear black berries, cut trees out, water diversion... whatever. You can even "inspect" trails and report what you find. As long as you do the paperwork, your hours count towards the grants that keep these areas open.

[motomike111]

It's awesome right?! I missed the trail work session today with the DNR. The boy scouts had a good time in the mountains though! These are great posts about trail work. At least once a month you can get out and do SOMETHING. Anything counts. Clear black berries, cut trees out, water diversion... whatever. You can even "inspect" trails and report what you find. As long as you do the paperwork, your hours count towards the grants that keep these areas open.

Dude, it's totally awesome! For one it is super fun to ride through, but it also is a good reminder of how much volunteer work people like you put into our trails and it reminds people like me that we need to do our part too. I made the work party today which is the first time I've done it at WV... it was about time I made it to one.

[Slackkinhard]

Seems to me that just taking pictures of that section would prove we put in the work. That trail is a poster child for volunteer work.

[Rider 41]

Can you imagine what Walker would look like with out volunteers??/ No way would we be able to navigate Doug's loop, Marty's Mania would still be a clear - cut hillside, most of the puddles would be bike swallowing bogs that would rival Tahuya.

Draining puddles, cutting out trees, pruning back the brush on the trails, hauling gravel, installing pavers, removing limbs / branches from the trails, all done by volunteers, I won't rattle off names, you know who you are, Thanks a sh&t load for the efforts, together we make a difference ?

[Slackkinhard]

hail Funky Town....the no 'dab' trail ?

Please, don't let anybody ruin that for us.

Edited February 12, 2012 by Slackkinhard

[Rider 41]

You can even "inspect" trails and report what you find.

That explains a lot, I have a riding buddy that "Inspects" the trails most everytime we ride, guess that's what he's doing, every time I come around a corner he and the bike are laying in the trail "Inspecting" the terrain. ? don't know that he ever reports it though.

[tod701]

Can you imagine what Walker would look like with out volunteers??/ No way would we be able to navigate Doug's loop, Marty's Mania would still be a clear - cut hillside, most of the puddles would be bike swallowing bogs that would rival Tahuya.

Or even worse - CLOSED

[K7MDL]

That explains a lot, I have a riding buddy that "Inspects" the trails most everytime we ride, guess that's what he's doing, every time I come around a corner he and the bike are laying in the trail "Inspecting" the terrain. ? don't know that he ever reports it though.

When I was suspended upside down by one leg (with help from my motorcycle) from one of the (typically slimy) wood bridges recently I got a chance to *inspect* the bottom of the structure and happy to *report* it was in fine shape still. Adding extra value here I suspect as usually only the top sides get observed by most people.

Edited February 12, 2012 by K7MDL

[Rider 41]

When I was suspended upside down by one leg (with help from my motorcycle) from one of the (typically slimy) wood bridges recently I got a chance to *inspect* the bottom of the structure and happy to *report* it was in fine shape still. Adding extra value here I suspect as usually only the top sides get observed by most people.

Hey thanks for doing that ? huh, you got pictures or video?? Black n white would capture the moment perfectly

I've done a few of those "spur of the moment" bridge inspections myself, doesn't take a whole lot of planning to accomplish this task

[shrubitup]

Saving the taxpayer's money by now performing bridge inspections. The list goes on..... ?

[Thrusher]

I just did my second day of 2012 trail work yesterday. It was cut short to about 1/2 day for me due to some bike trouble. I have some friends, one in partcular, that is a trail maintaining maniac. He has inspired me to donate some more of my riding days toward trail maintenance and cleaning. My goal this year is to get some of my other riding buddies out for some trail cleaning.

Also about the litter. I keep some trash bags in my gear bag. It only takes a few minutes to do some clean up at the staging area. It can also be considered post ride stretching.

Win Win.

Edited February 12, 2012 by Thrusher

[CL13579]

I and my neighbor were able to get up on the hill for a few hours today, and we changed up an access, cleared a good section of trail, and rode the area a bit figuring out the next project.

What pissed me off today?

Beer cans, beer bottles, fire pits at the middle of a hill climb access, quadtards did a great job of cookie cutting at the base of a group of hill climbs so bad that they piled dirt, dug holes, and now there is what amounts to a lake at the bottom of the climbs.

I think I'm going to become an activist.

[cascade_crawler]

And people wonder why trail builders try and keep their hard work secret.

[Slackkinhard]

I've found that many of those campfires are not bike riders at all. Lots of folk go up in our foothills and have late night parties. I've found the remains in the morning. It's worse when ya get outside of the ORV areas, cuz we actually clean it up.