MTB Trailcare

That's not true. There was no turmoil, we just built a new turn.

Near the bottom of Pete's Extension, traffic, severe weather events and a crux turn converged and became a project discussed with GCMTB and planned as a club building and training day. Exposed rocks in the berm wall and an approach line that encouraged multiple breaking bumps were out of character with this fun bit of trail. What was originally a flowing turn had become sad.

To set a template for the club day, MTBtrailcare started work on the line above the eroded turn yesterday.  A new trail line was needed to guide decending riders more uphill into the start of the new turn. The aim is to reduce the need for brakes entering the corner and to encourage riders to descend higher on the face of a gentle berm built into the ground, rather than above it. Part of the process is to make the line through the big trees above and below the turn safer now and into the future. Here are some pics to show how it was, how it changed and how it is now.

How it was from above and below

Yesterday we started by realigning the approach line with attention to drainage. Part of that was subtle changes to the exit of the corner above this section. Riders can now approach the new line with god flow. Later we cut and removed some of the fallen timber in these pics, so it looks better now too

After aligning the trail we enhanced drainage on the new trail line. By building a "catch", hip, or berm (as you prefer to call it) at the lower end, we hope to allow faster riders another option when entering the new turn on the way downhill

Drains have to be effective in this location, but cannot adversely affect riding lines. It is a tough compromise where the clay layer is so close to all the floating stones. Generally deeper drains are better, but sometimes we don't want to disturb what is stable to make one

Today the project was the turn itself. Ash and I went out a little early to scratch out a basic line for the turn so we could run through the agenda efficiently. Unfortunately, other than Michael no-one attended!

No matter; we did this

Everything we dug out, including rock was recycled. Without using excessive pics, we realigned the entire corner to allow a more relaxed exit with a new drain that includes a mound that also covers an exposed tree root from a maturing tallowood tree. All being well, riders will complete the upper part of the turn with increased pace and then flow out through the exit trees, rather than fighting ruts and exposed rocks

An anatomically perfect corner is the ultimate goal, but sometimes anatomy can be a bit fractured. A pat on the back for anyone who works out this pun

Hope you like the end result - compared to the original

Yesterday while we were doing prep work, we met this guy. He was living in the rocks of the old turn. We moved him away a few metres and hope he will move back into his renovated home tonight

I am really keen to ride the new line. We hope everyone likes it and it enhances a popular trail

Louis