MTB Trailcare

Another beautiful and warm Gold Coast Sunday; perfect for trailbuilding, if a bit dusty.  Special thanks to Brad, our newest volunteer, plus Steve and Doug for helping Ash and I today.  We made good progress in a difficult but awesome trail location.  We all think the final result will be a hoot.

While the guys got to it up higher, I fixed a spot we had left with plans to return to about a year ago!  The last trail news showed Doug and Ashley cutting a tree that fell along the trail just below this spot.  With a  bit of rain and some more tamping, it will be good to go now after today's changes.

Pics from before to after, as usual

First there was need for a rock retaining wall from the top of the log into the drain.  The rocks were locked together on a platform and covered with smaller stones and then mixed fill.  

I hate tamping, but it has to be done.  No doubt it's easier to make progress when you have wet ground, but the fact is that layering the building materials so the smaller stones lock the larger and the gravel locks them and the dirt locks it all can make this sort of building stable when it is dry.  Put some effort in at the beginning and the rain helps solidify the trail further over time.  Anyway, we always come back to sites like this to make sure they are sound (by riding them a lot!!)

The final outcome

Back to the main job:  we decided to leave a section above where we last finished and build farther up.  Sometimes you must first engineer entry lines to make certain the final line through is right.  So we left a seasonal creek crossing.  We will be back with fun plans. 

But first

Starting to take form

The big rocks add security to the trail surface and line, but are really a corral

Lots to do, but you can see where this line is taking you - and we know you will like it

Next Sunday will see some really fun changes.

Hope you will be there

Louis