Mid-State: Burchfield

[Overdrive]

Probably pretty wet over there today eh?

Didn't get over there for a run today but had pretty heavy rain. Another day would be good.

Thanks, talked to Shaun and that's what he said too. We're gonn ride this evening if you're interested!

Will try to make it there. Time and which lot?

[reidabel]

Yes, you definitely have to give it a burst of speed as you hit the entry ramp on the Dragon's Throat. Just power up it and coast over the top and all will be fine. Flatten your pedals at the peak, just like most up-and-overs. I'm glad to hear the safety cables are helping somebody out - it makes it worth all the effort involved in putting them in place. They weren't part of the original plan, but it seemed like we needed something there to help people out.

Was that you that made the "Zen rock-stack" thingie down below the stunt?

[SteveF]

Now that you mention it, it has been puddling there a lot this year and I don't recall it doing so in the past. Could be a drainage issue...

[SteveF]

Shh! I don't think they've got enough snow to really set ski traks, and after the warm temps and rain, they'll have even less. I'm thinking once things freeze hard again there's going to be some pretty good riding out there...

[Overdrive]

Not too crazy about the furry finger in the upper right corner, though, in some of them

I especially like the shot of you at the peak of the one by the river, on the left side of the shot. That might become my new desktop wallpaper. ...

I didn't see any shots of you riding the stuff North of the Riverbend lot, on Hansen's Be-Bop and Kentaro's Monster, though: "Whiplash", "The Mambo King" and "Bambi vs. Godzilla". When Anne posts those ones, let me know ...

Yeah, sorry about the errant glove in the pics. Happened more than I realized. The ones by the river had some nice sunlight going on. I didn't start taking pics until we were farther along on the ride. So no pics from earlier stunts. You'll want to download the pics unless I upgrade my IMageShack account.

I think finding your stunts may have made Lane's day a bit brighter.

[reidabel]

Will this post show up? The last one I see for Burchfield is from Oct of 2015!

[reidabel]

Okay, I see the previous post, so I guess it's safe to spend some time typing.

I went out to Burchfield today to do my first session of trail preparation for the year. The bicycle trail is CLOSED, there's a sign at the road (Nichols) leading into the Riverbend parking lot. The river is high and there is a fair amount of flooding, though I only saw the part North of the Riverbend lot and on the road in and out. The trailbed is quite full of sticks and leaves, and I focused only on cutting things that people couldn't remove themselves. You may run across things that I cut and didn't move, deciding to delegate the work to riders so that I could get more done and take it a bit easier on my back. I covered Hansen's Be-Bop, Randy's Maze, Annie's Playhouse, Kentaro's Monster, and up to the double-eagle stunt near the Riverbend lot. There were a number of tangled messes across the trail up to that point. The skinny log is partially submerged in a huge puddle/pond combination. At the entrance to the double-eagle stunt a large dead tree fell over across the trail. Somebody cut it with a chainsaw already, does anybody know who did it? I'm guessing it was the park staff because another large tree across the two-track was very nearby and also cut.

The low end of Lollipop, near the Riverbend lot, is flooded.

Saw a car hauling a fat bike on Nichols Road, on its way in to mess up the trails. I hope he/she didn't see my bike and think they could go ahead and ride despite the sign. Maybe fat bike damage isn't as bad as the skinnier tires?

I think it will be a while until the park is opened for bicycles. Has anybody else been doing trail preparation yet?

[Overdrive]

Okay, I see the previous post, so I guess it's safe to spend some time typing.

I went out to Burchfield today to do my first session of trail preparation for the year. The bicycle trail is CLOSED, there's a sign at the road (Nichols) leading into the Riverbend parking lot. The river is high and there is a fair amount of flooding, though I only saw the part North of the Riverbend lot and on the road in and out. The trailbed is quite full of sticks and leaves, and I focused only on cutting things that people couldn't remove themselves. You may run across things that I cut and didn't move, deciding to delegate the work to riders so that I could get more done and take it a bit easier on my back. I covered Hansen's Be-Bop, Randy's Maze, Annie's Playhouse, Kentaro's Monster, and up to the double-eagle stunt near the Riverbend lot. There were a number of tangled messes across the trail up to that point. The skinny log is partially submerged in a huge puddle/pond combination. At the entrance to the double-eagle stunt a large dead tree fell over across the trail. Somebody cut it with a chainsaw already, does anybody know who did it? I'm guessing it was the park staff because another large tree across the two-track was very nearby and also cut.

The low end of Lollipop, near the Riverbend lot, is flooded.

Saw a car hauling a fat bike on Nichols Road, on its way in to mess up the trails. I hope he/she didn't see my bike and think they could go ahead and ride despite the sign. Maybe fat bike damage isn't as bad as the skinnier tires?

I think it will be a while until the park is opened for bicycles. Has anybody else been doing trail preparation yet?

Given the wind storms past couple of months adding to the winter debris, no trail prep yet. Also as you noticed it's so wet in spots that there's not been any rush to get started on the general cleanup. Perhaps it'll deter more riders from further cutting up the trail. Have jogged there some and it's a real mess in some spots. Hard for the park to consider other uses when the closure isn't respected.

Thanks for the start on the big stuff. Will need to do the full round of inspections and form before it'll be open for the year.

[reidabel]

Got out today to do a bit more. Did Red Route 1, Looman's Run, Lollipop, and Forest Hump. It might be a while until that water at the bottom of Lollipop recedes, there's a lot of it. Same with the skinny log. Swamp Thing must be totally flooded, I didn't go in, but saw past the "Trail Closed" gate near the end of Swamp Thing and it was like a lake in there, the river is up over its banks.

Saw quite a few bikes out there today for a trail that is closed to bikes! Surprisingly, though, no bike tracks at all in lots of the muddy sections I carried my bike and chainsaw around.

[Overdrive]

Went for a trail run/walk at Burchfield today. Plenty of wet trail out there. Supremacy had to have been mostly under water, still some muddy areas back there and it's going to need a LOT of work before that section will be ready to open. The Eagle Scout / phone pole bridges are under water. Swamp Thing, well...nothing new...it's a swamp.

Please respect the trails and the parks signage of the trails being closed to bikes due to muddy conditions. The upcoming work days will be posted here and on FB. Trail won't be open to riding for some time given the current conditions and add'l rain in the forecast.

Anderson is in really good shape for riding now with minimal issues.

[Overdrive]

Burchfield is still closed. Some areas are dry but others are a muddy mosquito-infested mess yet.
Park has put up additional temporary signs requesting bikes to stay off the trails.

Watch for a trail work day to come out and help get it ready to go. Feel the need to go do something sooner? Head to McNamara lot and walk to the Bob Supremacy section, plenty of limbs and other debris on the trail that needs to be cleared.

[Overdrive]

Park opened Burchfield for riding yesterday. As a side note, the mosquitoes are fierce, the trail maintenance and many needed repairs have not been done yet. There are also some muddy sections yet and the end of the Eagle Scout phone pole bridges may end in a pit of mud and/or water.

If you go, plan on mosquitoes and please consider helping a bit by clearing a section of limbs, debris, or simply trimming back a segment.

Thanks.

[SteveF]

Park opened Burchfield for riding yesterday. As a side note, the mosquitoes are fierce, the trail maintenance and many needed repairs have not been done yet. There are also some muddy sections yet and the end of the Eagle Scout phone pole bridges may end in a pit of mud and/or water.

If you go, plan on mosquitoes and please consider helping a bit by clearing a section of limbs, debris, or simply trimming back a segment.

Thanks.

Yeah, the end of the phone pole bridge is underwater. Swamp Thing is flooded, and the Boy scout two-lane bridge is also flooded.

[Overdrive]

Park opened Burchfield for riding yesterday. As a side note, the mosquitoes are fierce, the trail maintenance and many needed repairs have not been done yet. There are also some muddy sections yet and the end of the Eagle Scout phone pole bridges may end in a pit of mud and/or water.

If you go, plan on mosquitoes and please consider helping a bit by clearing a section of limbs, debris, or simply trimming back a segment.

Thanks.

Yeah, the end of the phone pole bridge is underwater. Swamp Thing is flooded, and the Boy scout two-lane bridge is also flooded.

Thanks.

[reidabel]

Hansen's Be-Bop is a mudhole and the stunts in there were too wet to ride today. The Mambo King exit is a lake. Probably better to just skip this section for a couple of weeks. Maybe longer.