MTB Trailcare

The new start to Casuarina and Three Hills is looking like a real line now.  The velodrome stile was our sightline today.  

It was a wet afternoon of gluggy trail pleasure.  Good to be back at it after a break caused by work and other issues for Ash and I, plus desimated ribs for Doug (+1 Pete's Track).  We had help from Andrew, Ashley's brother and managed to get a fair bit done.  

There is a fine balance when you run a new trail through a disasterous, old, braided trail.  We know everyone will ride it before it is finished - heck, they were riding it today, in the rain, while we were working!  That's only one thing though; in this place we have to sequence our trail design and drains so that the current trail does not get even worse and wreck the new work before we can open it.  In short, we worked to make a new corridor today, and left the original trail as it is, acting like a stream until we are ready to close it and add a temporary merge with the current Three hills Singletrack (pending completion of the new lower Three Hills over the rest of this year).  Before the new trail will be ready for opening, we will add some serious drains and grade adjustments in the section pictured below.

We started by gently shaving the surface to create the last bit of trail "above" the old trail

A gentle outslope is what is needed here as there is not enough side-slope to dig drains.  What will be required in the end is appropriate drainage along the old trail line when we close it.  It currently acts like a river in average rain events, but in big rains it will do its best to destroy the new trail below it

There will be some significant changes to trail contour before we open this last bit

Also, we plan to make the merge with Centre Fire Road and the Velodrome stile wider than the rest of the trail; wide enough to allow riders to move off the fire road and out of danger from riders descending the fire road at speed.  It should also be wide enough to allow descending riders room to pass.  There will also be room to site a new trailhead sign

It's beginning to look like a really nice trail either to take you away from the Velodrome into the bush, or bring you smoothly back home after a hard day riding out back.  

Doug was our test pilot today.  He lives on the NSW north coast.  Vicious and unsubstantiated rumours about him being a typical Lennox Head pot head really upset us

This last pic is a summary of why our new trail is being made to replace what has existed for quite some time.  It's not about making new trail as much as making better trail

Please consider helping us close the old Casuarina trail line when we open this section.  We will post it on our calendar, but it may be 2 or 3-4 weeks away, so we are not sure about the date yet and cannot offer too much advance warning.  It would be great to have some enthusiastic helpers as there is a fair bit of old trail to close.  Anyway, more news next week.  Ride for fun.