MTB Trailcare

No pics today - sorry.  

We removed the trail closures from lower Pete's today.  The tread remains very soft due to deep water penetration and we will be spending some time down there trying to harden the trail for future weather disasters.  No surprise there was more damage to our trail closures - this time in the centre of the trail.  It is riding well, but a bit slow.  

We have heard a number of theories on the problem with trails lately.  There seem to be some experts out there.  We are envious of trail knowledge gained without the experience of actually doing any trail work.  For the record,

"Smooth" trail does not get affected by weather more than rocky trail.  Smooth trail becomes rocky trail due to erosion from weather, time and riders.  Most smooth trail is held together with stones, whether they are visible or not.  Removing rock and stone from the tread is wrong.  You can hammer them in, or compress them into sodden areas to harden the trail, but removing them is a disaster.  Ziss iss Nerang; Vee don't pull shtones out here!

You don't make smooth trail by removing all the rocks.  Nerang is generally a stony area.  There are also areas of true rock and areas of deep, black soil.  What you build is based on what is there.  You don't remove rocks unless it is to allow a trail line, or to use in walls, high points or corral points.  In Nerang's stony areas you cannot remove stone to a smooth base unless that base is clay below roots.  Sometimes you can predict that based on vegetation, but prediction does not mean an appropriate rolling grade dip will not penetrate to deeper layers if the terrain says it must at that site.

Riders can ride trail in.  That is true, but they can also ride trails out.  By out, I mean that QPWS may decline to legalise a trail affected by rider abuse and/or limited effort in construction.  That is why Brett's and Petes have been totally or partly closed for a while recently.  It is also why QPWS declined to legalise Brett's and Pete's at the last inspection.  We do not have the resources to keep going in and doing critical repairs so riders can disrespect climate and trail.

On a happier note, we had the chance to ride with Russel Garlick, a trailbuilder from Wellington, New Zealand today.  It was a really fun ride and we ripped around for a couple of hours until it started to get a bit too dark to see.  We probably talked too much about trailwork.  His pet trail back home is Jailbreak.  Check it here

I suspect he's operating at a level well above us.  Cheers for a great afternoon ride Russel.

One last thing.  After helping a lost teen find her way back to her group this week, we have been able to further the cause of safety and signage in all public areas via contacts gained through the support of Donna Little at QORF.

One extra last thing.  After Ashley and his brother did 10-12 hours of rubbish cleanup at and near the velodrome, Peter Hallinan approached GCCC for a rubbish bin on site.  It has been there for a couple of weeks and is near the entrance to the velodrome, at the train station end of the carpark.  Please use it for your gel wrappers etc.  I got the thrill of putting in all our shredded trail closure fencing and tape today.  Shame we had to toss it after it was damaged by some disgruntled public.  Guess we will just have to buy more.

That's it for today.  The trails are great.  Get some.....