May 2nd Work Party

[dgaddis1]

There is a thread in the Work Party subforum right here with all the info.

Come out and support your sport!

[money]

I'll see if I can persuade some of the guys I ride with into showing up.

[seenvic]

If there is going to be a second shift starting about noonish, I can make it.

I can't make the 9AM time on Saturday.

But I'd be more than willing to lead a small group to take care of whatever the first group didn't get to. I'll need some direction and some helpers...so if anyone else can make Saturday about noon, let us know here.

[EdgeE]

I've been out to Wine once since the last flood and did a little work clearing drift wood from a few sections. Started from Key and did not make it very far in, 2 1/2 to 3 miles in. Hope to join in Saturday sometime, maybe with the second wave.

Bill, Have you got a group and a start time? If not, I'll just head out when I can.

[seenvic]

E,
Lets get in touch on Friday evening/Sat AM and get a plan together. I think all we need to do is show up, get in touch with either Paul or the Drawdys to get a heads up on where to work. Let me see what my schedule is and I will call or email you.

[azdrawdy]

We're riding Wine late this afternoon. I printed out several maps today and will mark them up with the problem areas. Will post more tonight after we get back.

I hope to be very wrong, but we have not received very many replies for work party attendees, so I don't see a ton showing up Saturday. That's the idea behind us riding it tonight: make the best use of limited resources.

MD

[azdrawdy]

Rode Wine this afternoon. It has a LOT less deadfall than I was expecting. Pretty much the entire tread is visible. The issue is the tremendous overgrowth, hitting you from the side and the top.

If we start at Key Road, DRs need to be run up to the ravine (2.5 mile point), with loppers in tow. Then turn around and repeat back to Key Road. Two crews running the DRs and several others lopping would take care of this.

Marco and John L. can hike down to the ravine, hang a left and start cutting with the Stihl stick trimmers. Go one mile, turn around and head back.

YC and I will get there a bit early, hook up the BOB and head out. There are probably six or seven downed trees that will need to come out before the DRs can do their job. We'll just try to stay a step ahead. We'll then do a left on 283, left on Key, drop off the stuff and walk back in to help.

Any and all help will be appreciated. Since I will not be at the trailhead at 9am, look to DG or DP for guidance. I have talked to DP tonight and he knows the plan.

The mosquitos were horrendous today (heck, they were at FATS yesterday also!). I will be bathing in DEET. If you don't want to get eat up, I recommend some protection.

YC is cooking some Monster Cookies right now. Show up and help us eat them! Course you gotta earn'em!


This is rideable. There are only two short spots like this.


Lots of Stinging Nettles in there! Probably some other nasty stuff. I know there were lots of little spiders walking in my helmet today...



MD

[imnav8r]

Now THAT was a work party!! Too bad all the people who couldn't show up missed out!! I can't wait for the next one!!

Thanks to all the folks who did turn out to get the trails ready for not just the upcoming SMC but for also making the trails more rideable for the rest of us to enjoy this summer!

I hope MD & YC will post some AFTER pictures so you can see what a difference we made today. Some of that stuff looked scary heading into it even before the spiders and ticks hitched a ride!

Now for those of you who missed out on all the fun...you'll just have to show up at the next work party to see what it's all about!

Be safe!

[azdrawdy]

Lotta work to do today, and with 13 volunteers showing up, quite a bit got done. Thanks to all who came out today, sweated a lot, and then ate some Monster Cookies and drank some PowerAde.

When we rode last night, there were sections where I had to put my chest on the handlebars to get under the overgrowth. There were numerous trees and debris piles. Finally, the stinging nettles, well, they were everywhere and they hurt! This morning we headed out first, cutting trees, then turned around and rode back to Key. Got to see the difference first hand. What a difference! Night and day.

Although we did not have enough people again this year to get everything done, I am not about to complain. A ton got done, and everyone there put their all into it.

[dgaddis1]

+1

Thanks to all who came out. I was in the woods today from about 9:15 to 2:45. Got a lot done.

Wine is rideable again!!

[seenvic]

13 people at Wine.

50-60 cars at FATS.

The story of givers and takers.

Thanks to the givers.

[Ross D]

Sorry I couldn't make it, I had family from out of town that I haven't seen in months.. I got to the canal early to do a little work, but that's all I had time for... Congrats on you guys progress...

[lee79]

Sorry I could'nt make it. Prior family commitment. Tremendous job.

[jp3]

Julie and I went back Sunday afternoon and cleared the large drift wood pile pictured above and another small one. Then we rode just past the ravine where the trail runs parallel to the creek again, I decided to turn around because that section is still over grown. I think John and Marco ran out of fuel for the Stihl stick trimmers before the reached the ravine. I don't know how far it is from the ravine to where John and Marco stopped.

[imnav8r]

We were not real sure either as to how far from the ravine we were. When we hiked in to the bridge, we headed left back toward the Rt 283 trail head to the point where we'd left off at the 2nd creek crossing during the previous work party.

Then we headed back toward the bridge cutting and trimming as we went. It took three hours and three tanks of gas just to get back to that point. Then we refilled the tanks with what little bit of gas we had left and went across the bridge toward the ravine.

I think at that point we were ~ 2 - 2.5 miles from Key Road. Maybe someone can correct me. I'm not sure how far the ravine is in from Key Road but I suspect we weren't too far from it when we ran out of gas.

We only made it about 200 yards before we both ran out of gas. After that, it was the long hike back to the car.

I'd like to go back in there to the point we had to stop so we could complete the job if that's possible.

PS. If anybody finds a top to a Polar insulated water bottle somewhere between the bridge and the 2nd creek crossing, keep it until you see me next time. I lost mine. Thanks.

[seenvic]

I'd guess a couple of hundred yards. It's not too on the trail from the bridge you entered at to the ravine....1/4 mile is my guess.

And a big thanks to JP3 and Julie for going back out on Sunday and getting the last debris off the trail.

[imnav8r]

Man o man...and to think we were that close. Well if anybody wants to go back out there with me and we can get access to the trimmers I'm all for getting that section knocked out as soon as possible. My schedule is flexible this week so I can go anytime.

MD, can I get the trimmers to go finish this?

[jp3]

John,
I would be glad to go out and finish trimming the trail, but my schedule is not as flexible as yours. I work until 5:00 Mon-Fri. and this Saturday I work until 12:00. If we have enough time I could help after work this week, or Saturday after work or on Sunday.

[azdrawdy]

May 4, 2009 13:47:05 GMT -5 imnav8r said:

MD, can I get the trimmers to go finish this?

PM sent

[imnav8r]

I appreciate that JP! We can meet at Key Bridge and head in at 5:30 if you can make it by then. We'd have enough daylight to get it done if we only have to do about a 1/4 mile or so.

I'll try to get the trimmers tonight or tomorrow and we can hook up tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday. The forecasts are calling for possible thunderstorms each day this week so we'll have to be flexible and work around them.

Send me your phone number in a PM and I'll call you when I'm on my way there.

Thanks again!