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Post by Angela on Sept 14, 2011 11:43:13 GMT -5
There will be a workparty out at FATS on Saturday, September 24th (National Public Lands Day) - it should go quickly just need some riders on bikes with hand snips/lopper/folding saws (that they can safely store in their hydration pakcs) - bring a buddy.
The fire damaged some some trees that keep falling or leaning onto the trail, would be great to get them out of there in prepartion for great fall riding.
We do have some tools but it would be great if riders can provide their own since we have a limited supply of compact tools. Email us at sorba.csra@gmail.com to sign up for a loop!
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Post by Angela on Sept 17, 2011 8:08:30 GMT -5
We still need a few more riders to help with this work party, some loops are clearer than others and if you bring a buddy to help you should be able to ride, lop the overhangs and get out of the woods in time for the football games that are starting at noontime! If you want to help but don't have any tools just let me know and we'll try to round up more (we do have a few loaner tools). You don't have to be from here to help if you love FATS and want to help, you can even donate a few dollars and I'll buy some extra loppers for the upcoming work party! Just press this link to take you to the home page and press on the donate button - you are able to write a note as you are donating! sorbacsra.org/
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Post by Angela on Sept 20, 2011 8:01:19 GMT -5
Looks like we have the volunteers we need for Satuday's work party. Thank you!
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Post by Ted S. on Sept 20, 2011 8:22:17 GMT -5
Nice work, Thanks You.
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Post by Angela on Sept 23, 2011 6:17:27 GMT -5
We rode Bartram on Wednesday night after Tuesday's rain and the tread of the trail was great, no standing water or mud just a perfect surface but with the rain starting late on Wednesday night and continuing on through Thursday and now into Friday FATS (and Bartram) could well be too wet to ride. It looks like it will stop by mid-morning today so might be okay by some time on Saturday - if someone goes out and takes a look later today would appreciate a report either here or to sorbacsra@gmail.com
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Post by mudonthetires on Sept 23, 2011 13:30:15 GMT -5
Headed to Bartram now, hoping to ride new side. I will report later what the conditions are.
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Post by mudonthetires on Sept 23, 2011 16:34:08 GMT -5
I was able to ride about 9 miles of new Bartram before I had to turn back due to an "emergency" call from work. The trail was in good shape, a little damp in some spots, but no standing water anywhere. There is a tree down about 3/4 of a mile in, it is rideable, but many will probably not try it because it is about 8" off of the ground. Anyone who wants to go put in some miles isn't going to do any harm out at New Bartram.
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Post by Angela on Sept 23, 2011 17:49:15 GMT -5
Thanks for the report and would really like to hear from someone who walked/ran/rode FATS this afternoon or evening since we have a work party there in the morning!
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Post by kconner on Sept 23, 2011 20:20:18 GMT -5
rode Great Wall, and it was much the same as mudonthetires's Bartram report. most of the tread was in good shape, but some low spots were damp with some red clay being slippery. no standing water that I saw.
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Post by Angela on Sept 23, 2011 20:34:16 GMT -5
Great! Work party is on so we will see the volunteers who signed up in the morning at 830.
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Post by Angela on Sept 24, 2011 9:12:47 GMT -5
We have 15 volunteers out right now dispersed on all the fats loops doing some Fall cleanup ....great way to spend National Public Lands Day ....I have a tent set up in the parking lot (checking volunteers in and out) and have met a lot of great riders who have stopped by ....some from out of town and plenty of friends and familiar faces as well. May pick up a new member or two also! Great weather out here!
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Post by Angela on Sept 24, 2011 20:27:19 GMT -5
Here are a couple of shots from today - lots of good work, every loop in the FATS trail system was touched today. Talked to a lot of people at the trailhead - hikers (the Boy Scouts were out working on their Hiking Merit Badges), bikers, trail runners (the 50K trail run is next weekend , etc - a lot of first time FATS users and a lot of riders from out of town. Several people asked what they could do to help - I've put them on our newsletter as a visitor but I also let people know that membership in SORBA-CSRA is money put to good use to help mobilize the people and equipment needed to keep 150 miles of trail maintained - online membership is available through this link, please be sure and select Augusta, GA and Aiken, SC CSRA chapter.............. www.imba.com/joinIf membership isn't the best option for you right now but you love FATS (and/or all our trails) you can follow this link to our homepage and you can make a tax deductible donation using PayPal or your credit card. sorbacsra.org/ Thanks to all the volunteers who came out to work the trails during National Public Lands Day!
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Post by ron813 on Sept 25, 2011 16:46:28 GMT -5
Hey all, I'm on my way back to Florida from New Jersey and was thinking about stopping by FATS for the first time to get a day of riding in. Looks like there was quite a bit of rain there today however, can anyone confirm that? Would the trails be rideable tomorrow?
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Post by brianW on Sept 25, 2011 17:01:33 GMT -5
If it doesn't rain over night I would say it should be damp but fine. Rode another trail in the area and it was in good shape, even after a downpour during the ride.
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Post by dsquaredmsquared on Oct 16, 2011 16:05:08 GMT -5
Tower and Big Rock are clear. Paul and I hand cut the trees that were down across the trail.
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Post by Angela on Oct 25, 2011 6:21:29 GMT -5
FATS is back open today but deer hunting will continue through December 31st. Hunting is not allowed on public lands in South Carolina on Sundays. Wearing hunter orange on the other days is advisable as is staying out of the woods at times of low visibility -early morning and around dusk. The following are South Carolina hunting rules (Bartram Trail, Keg and Mistletoe are in Georgia). www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/pdf/huntingregs.pdfWe are in Zone 2 - here is the link to the DNR pdf on hunting - see page 45. Legal hunting time for deer is the time between one hour before official sunrise until one hour after official sunset (50-11-710). p.28 There is a special youth deer hunt day on Saturday, January 7th and they can hunt on the lands surrounding FATS - see page 56. We haven't had any hunting accidents involving mountain bikers and hunters and would love to keep it that way! There is no hunting at all in the state parks so Hickory Knob trails are hunter free.
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Post by brianW on Oct 25, 2011 15:18:45 GMT -5
Mistletoe they are not allowing hunting this year BUT I would still wear orange.
Also last Friday am while I was riding Lick Forks I came up to some hunters and had a friendly chat. They both said thank you for wearing orange.
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Post by mhanna on Oct 25, 2011 20:34:11 GMT -5
Tree down on Brown Wave in the worst possible spot. Right at the bottom of the big dips before the lake. If you are going CCW it is going to be difficult to stop if you have any speed.
Glad I was going CW.
MH
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Post by Angela on Oct 25, 2011 20:56:05 GMT -5
Can it be taken out with a hand saw or is it going to take a chainsaw?
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Post by mhanna on Oct 26, 2011 9:09:12 GMT -5
It is too large for a hand saw. probably 16". Not quite as large as the one pictured at the top of the post but close. Too large for me to be hopping.
MH
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