Mid-State: Bennett Park

[Kerb_77]

anyone want to do a ride, i want to start riding with some people but the only other person i got is my friend, so if any of you want to do a group ride, try to message me or email me at kerb2.jr@gmail.com.

[bleve]

Walked my dogs through most of the trails in the hardwoods section and cleared out plenty of loose sticks and up to arm sized dead trees. There's still one thigh high tree that needs to be cut out you can't get around. It's not terribly big but you can't move it, will need a saw.

[jacked]

We take help any time you can give it. PM me your contact info and I will add you to the list.

Glad you liked the trail.

[jacked]

Walked the pines and part of the hardwoods today clearing debris. Pines is all clear, although there is still plenty of leaf cover and small sticks that need to be ridden in or cleared off. The hardwoods is in excellent shape thanks to it's late season cleaning. There are still a number of dead falls that need some chainsaw love. Hopefully those will be taken care of by the end of the week.

The woods are amazing right now. Trillium are starting to kick all over the place and it is still just the first week of April.

Get out there and ride.

[rvd]

Rode the two jungles, pines and part of hardwood today. Maybe I was a bit grumpy over a rapidly approaching bonk or over the stick that caught my derailleur and put it out of sync, but I didn't find it quite as clear as I had hoped. Some of the parts that I rode do not (yet) scream "hey, I am fun to ride for 3 or 6 hours straight!". Not sure if I can make the race myself, unfortunately, but I'd be happy to help out. If I can borrow a leaf blower from the TC or the MMMBA chapter, I will go and clear Jungle 2 and Pines tomorrow afternoon (4-7pm or so). But, I do agree that it is beautiful out at the moment; no mosquitoes, wildflowers, and fresh green leaves; doesn't get much better than that.

[jacked]

Some of the parts that I rode do not (yet) scream "hey, I am fun to ride for a 3 or 6 hours straight!".

That was very near the thought I had when I went into the pines this afternoon around 3. Actually there may have been "Holy Cr...." added to the front of the thought process. The pines still needs some love, but it is very rideable at this point compared to when I first went in. One of the reasons I walked it rather than rode it today.... derailleur issue or spokes, it still takes the fun out of it. Say the word and I will have the blower ready for you. PM me to set up the date and time.

Were there any major issues in the jungles that need addressing? It has been over a week since I went through there. Aside from some leaf cover in a few places I thought it was in fairly decent shape.

David

[rvd]

Say the word and I will have the blower ready for you. PM me to set up the date and time.

I'll be there tomorrow sometime between 3 and 4; sent you a PM with details. I have no problems spending a few hours working there by myself, but if anyone wants to join, post up or send a PM.

[rvd]

Not having a leaf blower at my disposal, I set out sawing chain today. All of the hardwoods and gully are now clear; jungle 1&2 and the pines were clear when I rode it yesterday (before the strong wind of today). I only didn't walk the last part of gully north of the blocked-off gravel road. The leaf cover is still pretty heavy; for the race it would be great if it could be cleared to some extent.

[jacked]

Thanks! Sorry I miss read your earlier post thinking you were headed out there on Monday. I'll run the blower on Wednesday rather than the chainsaw.

David

[rvd]

btw, if you are not in to riding/racing, bring a folding chair and a few cold ones and set up somewhere in the gully area. The repeated climbs (not long, not super steep) should be a fun place to watch the ever-deteriorating condition of the 3- and 6-hour racers. You will find this area between 2.5 and 3.0 miles in this log.

[yaggie1]

I was going to ride last night while my son was at soccer practice at Parkview but holy crap was it cold and windy !! I did roll thru last night in the car looking to see what I could see and it looks like quite a bit is pretty clear. Might haul the bike with me to soccer practice tomorrow night and give it a whirl.

[jacked]

I'll be out there tonight at 6:00 with the blower focusing on the 2nd half of the Jungle and the Pines. Would welcome company and assistance. Bring blower if you have one, if not a good old fashion rake works well and I can bring one for you to use. Heck I'll even let you use the blower if you (anyone) would like. There is plenty to do with a variety of tools.
Give me a heads up if anyone can make it and I will gladly throw extra tools on board.
Thanks,
David
517.202.2257

[jacked]

OK once you start blowing the trails in the Pines, you realize just how much material was on it. If BP got the traffic of other trails, the clearing would not be needed. But since it is doesn't we must clean.

I started at the end of the Pines working backwards and maybe got a 1/3 of the trail done before the blower took a dump. The sound of clanking metal and sudden loss of power... not good. Dropping it off at the shop in the morning. Spent the rest of my time finishing up cutting in the Hardwoods and most of Trillium Road. I think between what RVD and I did, all the downed trees should be out of the hardwoods. Please post up if we missed something.

I will have the blower back in next week or have bought myself one. If anyone has one to use and would like to help out this weekend, please do. The whole park could use a hit, but pines especially. That would be a real good place to start.

Otherwise I will continue on Wednesday evenings to be working on the trail rather than riding.

Saturday, April 28th is the Spring Trail Day at Bennett Park.

David

[rvd]

Saturday, April 28th is the Spring Trail Day at Bennett Park.

I am planning to be there to help out if nothing else pops up in the meantime. Having seen most of the trails over my last two outings, I feel that leaf blowing the entire trail should be number one priority (to make the race a success anyway). Do you have other tasks planned? Hardwoods had two wet areas that weren't there there last year during the summer; building/installing a ladder bridge (for the first) and a reroute (for the second spot) may be useful tasks too for the Trail day.

[jacked]

Trail cleaning is job one and hopefully will be done before the TD.
The spots in the Hardwood is the number one priority for the TD. Those were not we when we laid out the trail and no evidence that they had been. Then we had a couple of factors that changed... 1. River re-route 2. Lot's of Rain and 3. Gravity mixed with Wind.....

A re-route around both would be nice, but not real practical as it is in the middle of everything, especially the section with the wood and stone paving (and the tree you cut out). That section is my biggest concern for the TD. Hopefully a permanent solution will be found/made in a raised trail bed, re-route, etc. I am open to suggestion before the TD. The other wet spot we have a seasonal re-route for when it get's real bad that doesn't take out much trail, as snooty as it right now, it is not bad.

Other TD areas.... In the pines when you come back from the Power line, the trail gets messy from a number of factors. There is an old foot path that people keep trying to make part of the trail that I would like to abandon (or fully incorporate) as well as fix the flow of the actual trail where it heads back into the pines and then heads east..... Also there are a few turns in some flat spots that could use a little berm action should we get the volunteers (but otherwise a low priority).