MTB Trailcare

At the trail inspection QPWS rangers said they wanted a re-route at this site which was eroded.  Although it is rideable and even enjoyable, at 18% grade in the falline, there is no doubt water was a problem here.  Lucky for all the rock in the tread or it would have been gone long ago.

QPWS requested more of a contour trail line with appropriate drainage.  The line they and Ash chose already had rolling grade changes, albeit they were due to previous logging and a drainage channel from the nearby North Street fire road.

Get ready for a lot of pics.  I am posting more than my usual excessive quantity so QPWS can see in detail what was done before the ranger in charge inspects it.

Before from below 

above

and a few looking up the falline starting at the bottom

The aim was a rolling section of trail.  The overall grade was reduced to 13% - still a solid climb and while OK for a short section, 13% is 30% steeper than advised by IMBA.  This site has more at stake than the grade though.  A large tree on the fast descending line and loose rocks made the approach to the alternate jump line 50m below at way point 44 somewhat awkward.  Fun, but not enough flow.  We think everyone will be happy with the outcome and safety is enhanced for riders going up and downhil, due to improved sight lines and a more enjoyable trail going either way.

We cleared fallen and standing debris, saved it for the closure, shaved out a line, test rode it may times, moved the log that encroached on the new trail line into a slot we dug and turned it into a water bar, harvested a lot of rock and used it to mix with soil as a sustainable low entrance (despite it being bone dry) near and below that log, saved dirt to fill in the top entrance to the old eroded trail line closed at way point 44, more dirt to add to organic on today's trail closure, filled the lower entrance to the re-route with a large amount of stone and soil, tamped it, made sure the drain from the fire road fed water to a rolling grade dip, did something similar a little lower on the re-route at the site of previous logging, added rock corrals, another rolling grade dip and new trail line at the top above the re-route, covered over the old trail line at the top with rock, soil and organic debris to hide it, made another rolling grade dip and drain where the new trail crosses the old one, filled in the old trail with saved debris and soil to encourage water to run over the edge of the old trail and away from the new line and chatted to some passing riders.

Think you're tired after reading it?  Try running out of water 2 hours before you finished building it!  We are shattered this afternoon, but we will be back...

So, here are some pics of how it happened

The start of the re-route at way point 44 needed fill

When we finished with the lower entrance to the re-route, the layer of rock fill extended to the second tree on the right in the next pic and we stamped, tamped and coaxed lots of soil into the layer of rock ballast and over it.  These pics show the first of 4 layers of rock ballast.  In the end, it became a stable and more gentle ramp with the log off the trail line and acting as a water bar protecting the trail below

Here is some of the fill we added to the trail closure.  There is more a little farther down the old trail

And here is what we ended up with - remember the before pics

The best thing about this re-route is having a great sight line descending to the TTF at way point 44, with better flow as a bonus

and the safety of seeing descending riders while you are going uphill - here's the proof

Hope you enjoy riding it.