this response is to kris about alafia.
I talked to you the other day, actually, this past saturday at the workday. If you want to provide any input about the trails, show up at the next one to work. That is the only way you can reasonably expect anyone to listen to your concerns about the trail. I hope to see you there, it is Oct 4th, I already put it on my calender.
That being said, I see no hard trails that have been nuked into submission. I see a rainy season that destroyed trails left and right, and people had to fill in big ruts to make trails passable. Please listen to my stupid story about it.
Shelleys loop has a very hard climb in the back. Over the course of the summer, it developed a nice lip at the top, but then it became huge, 2 ft straight up of root heaven. That was still cool to me, my crew was out there one day running a train trying to get up it, maybe one of us made it, so its borderline impossible, but still cool. Then a huge rain comes, now there is a 3 ft gully going right smack down the middle of it, it looked like a cave that would fit a bear. I saw it, it was unpassable, seriously. Plus, now the rut threatens to cave the tree that holds all of it together, the hill would have fallen down. So the entire section had to be excavated, back filled with big rocks, which don't just appear by the way, they get gathered, then find good dirt and bring it over to fill in around the rock. So the trail was rebuilt, but as a baby, with soft skin and a lot of baby fat. But more rain and however many people ride it every weekend will turn it back into a beast again in a few rides.
Last workday, I filled in a little drop at the end of moonscape last week, it hurt me but it had to be done. The root that had been the lip of the drop was exposed, hanging almost a foot beyond where the dirt now ended. If we cut the root, the section melts into dust, plus I hate to cut roots. I killed the drop and built a little rock shelf on the left. It sucked but had to be done. I tried to keep it interesting though, there is still a fun line or two.
Art and swamp did a lot of the work for a long time with little help from those of us that do ride and rip the hard trails, and we all looked like tools for that. But that is changed now, and every workday people that I ride gatorback with show up to labor. Come out and ride one Sunday with me and slowfatguy, and art if he can make it because he actually is a bike badass. We will see if we like you and decide to let you come do slave labor next workday. Seriously though, I can't ride with you this sunday, as I have been invited to go ride Mr Cottons trail, but lets try to get together next weekend.
And thats right people, I got invited to ride Mr Cottens trails!!!! WooooHoooooo!!!
erik
