Western: Luton Park

[RickPlite]

Anyone been out there recently? Should be frozen...is there any snow on the trails?

the trails are covered with ice when its below freezing and slush and mud when gets above 32. The cold and snow tomorrow might help things out there.

[morgan1819]

How about a large, 'in your face' type sign within the first 20 yards of the trail along the road.

It could read:

Riding on wet or muddy trails will DESTROY the trail for everyone.

This includes your fat bike.

Not saying that it would for sure stop anyone. But, it may at least raise awareness.

I haven't been on the trail since December (fair weather rider ), so maybe there is already a new sign. All I know, is most people aren't going to ride over and read the bulletin board by the port-a-potty.

[mntn-biker]

I like it

[RickPlite]

How about a large, 'in your face' type sign within the first 20 yards of the trail along the road.

It could read:

Riding on wet or muddy trails will DESTROY the trail for everyone.

This includes your fat bike.

Not saying that it would for sure stop anyone. But, it may at least raise awareness.

I haven't been on the trail since December (fair weather rider ), so maybe there is already a new sign. All I know, is most people aren't going to ride over and read the bulletin board by the port-a-potty.

there is a sign along the road, maybe not in your face but it's there. I bet if we installed a gate with a "Trails Closed" sign people would climb over it or go around it.

[Bigtymer]

Someone should sit out there in the parking lot and question all who attempt to ride the trail while it's muddy. That would be a hilarious sight to see.

[G.R.XC-MTNBKR]

Those that want a easy, flat, straight trail should stick to the roads then. Quit all the whining about mud and ruts. Some riders like a challenge and dont mind obstacles and ruts, mud. We should not have to nor cater to those that want all trails to be easy and for beginers.
With the amount of advanced level trails now very few and far between what do you expect us to do. I havent been out to luton yet this year but some mud would not stop me, nor some pansy at the trailhead giving me grief.

[RickPlite]

Those that want a easy, flat, straight trail should stick to the roads then. Quit all the whining about mud and ruts. Some riders like a challenge and dont mind obstacles and ruts, mud. We should not have to nor cater to those that want all trails to be easy and for beginers.
With the amount of advanced level trails now very few and far between what do you expect us to do. I havent been out to luton yet this year but some mud would not stop me, nor some pansy at the trailhead giving me grief.

It's not about easy or difficult trails, it is about widening trails, damaging trails and causing erosion. We only aim to educate people.

[Bigtymer]

Exactly, look at the SGA trail in some areas. The trail is a double track in some areas, due to riders, riding in muddy conditions.

[G.R.XC-MTNBKR]

Those that want a easy, flat, straight trail should stick to the roads then. Quit all the whining about mud and ruts. Some riders like a challenge and dont mind obstacles and ruts, mud. We should not have to nor cater to those that want all trails to be easy and for beginers.
With the amount of advanced level trails now very few and far between what do you expect us to do. I havent been out to luton yet this year but some mud would not stop me, nor some pansy at the trailhead giving me grief.

It's not about easy or difficult trails, it is about widening trails, damaging trails and causing erosion. We only aim to educate people.

Fair enough.

[RickPlite]

trails are very muddy right now, please avoid. Check out the Luton Park Facebook site for a video of the mess

[mntn-biker]

trails are very muddy right now, please avoid. Check out the Luton Park Facebook site for a video of the mess

What a mess!!! Why would anyone want to ride this trail when it looks like this? Common sense would say to find a sandier trail like Yankee or hit the road and/or paved trails.

Link to above mentioned video:

http://www.facebook.com/video/?id=200046220035761

[morgan1819]

Those that want a easy, flat, straight trail should stick to the roads then. Quit all the whining about mud and ruts. Some riders like a challenge and dont mind obstacles and ruts, mud. We should not have to nor cater to those that want all trails to be easy and for beginers.
With the amount of advanced level trails now very few and far between what do you expect us to do. I havent been out to luton yet this year but some mud would not stop me, nor some pansy at the trailhead giving me grief.

I guarantee you wouldn't call me a pansy if you were standing in front of me. (or several of my friends who mountain bike at Luton).

As Rick said, preserving the trail is not about level of difficulty, or "wanting all trails to be easy and for beginers", as you so eloquently stated.

It's about preserving the trails.

[mntn-biker]

I went out this morning around 8am to do a lap while the trail was still frozen and well, it wasn't pretty. I thought the worst area would be the area along the road like the video shows above. Oh no, it continues......

As you approach the intersection of the blue and orange loop:


There are 3 signs (1 at the kiosk, 1 just as you get on the trail along the road, and this 1 at the intersection of the blue and orange loop) in plain English that look a lot like this (apparently, we must have a lot of foreigners riding here that do not know how to read English....):


This is at the beginning of the orange loop:


I bailed after riding the orange loop since the carnage continued. I had a slower average speed than when I ride at Bass River due to how rough it is....

Anyway, for those that wanted an "advanced level trail", well, we've got one now (at least when it is frozen). Keep up the good work pizza cutters! This trail is much more fun to ride than a smooth hardpack trail.....

[RickPlite]

wow. now that's a sign! I can hear it now, "but I didnt see it, where was it?"

[mntn-biker]

Based on what it looks like out there, I sure hope the county does not close the trail to bike traffic during the winter time or worse, close it to bike traffic all together