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Post by Angela on Jan 31, 2013 21:19:54 GMT -5
A member who lives in the vicinity of the trails reported 3/4 inch of rain in his rain gauge from the front that rolled through. Can't speak to trees or debris that might be down, but by Saturday trails should be okay to ride. Keep in mind that Skinny and Great Wall remain wet the longest so please gauge the overall trail conditions before heading down those two trails this weekend! Thank you.
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Post by Angela on Feb 4, 2013 0:04:35 GMT -5
Great ride today, there was some debris down on the trails and had to handsaw a small tree that was down about chest high on lower Skinny. There is a tree down just past the steep switchback on upper Skinny that needs to be removed. Given the wind that accompanied Wednesday's storm and then the additional wind today, there really wasn't much down at all. Not everything that comes down needs to be removed after all it is a mountain biking trail, for us things like broken off sticks and branches that can injure a rider (some eye level others that might stab a leg) we like to get pulled off but then next priority is anything that can cause damage to the trail. Not sure if this photo will be clear enough but some debris came down probably since last Wednesday's storm (we've been on this trail in the past week so know it hasn't been down long0. Riders have been going to the left of the debris (and this debris is simply lightweight sticks but something most riders won't just plow through the middle of) and basically changing the path of the trail. If you see this situation developing please stop and remove the debris from the trail. We removed it then covered up the widened part of the trail with leaves to get riders back onto the proper path.
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Post by kconner on Feb 5, 2013 21:05:55 GMT -5
Rode Great Wall this evening. One tree down 1 mile from the trailhead (CCW) in the first switchback. Turned around shortly after the tree due to lots of mushy spots. They should harden up by the end of the day tomorrow.
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Post by Angela on Feb 6, 2013 6:58:51 GMT -5
It's been a week now since we have had any substantial rain, if you are going CCW about 2/3s of the active seeps on Great Wall are in the first half of that trail going CCW. They will still be there today I suspect and then the predicted rain this week will refill the groundwater and the seeps will continue. Don't let those seeps keep you off, if that is what you are seeing, just make sure you stay to the middle. If you are out there today check it out if you don't mind and let us know - here is what we found last time sorbacsra.proboards.com/post/22896/thread
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Post by Angela on Feb 7, 2013 12:58:55 GMT -5
This post is in response to a tweet by a follower who asked if the rains were ever so bad that the trails are closed?
The answer - The trails can only be closed by the US Forest Service. If we ask them to close a trail due to the potential for damage by riders riding when the trails are too wet, there is a potential for the trails to remain closed for days or even weeks (their main office is in Edgefield and they are not staffed to run up and down the road opening and closing FATS on our whim. We prefer to get the word out when the trails are too wet (this time of year at least 48 hours needs to pass before riding FATS after a substantial rain - typically 1/2 inch or more depending on when it rained last, temperatures, wind, etc)and trust that riders will ride responsibly. With the rain we are having today (and we won't know the actual amount of rain until it has finished)FATS will not be ready to ride until at the very least Sunday - but stay tuned we will provide updates.
We have over 100 miles of other singletrack in the area (other than FATS) that can probably be ridden 24 hours after rain, why the difference? The age of the trail, composition of the trail tread, etc are factors but a much greater factor is the number of wheels on the trail. FATS gets a lot of traffic and that contributes greatly to the potential for damage after rain.
Please help us spread the word not to ride FATS when it is too wet, let's keep FATS a great mountain biking destination with good singletrack trails. With over 150 miles of singletrack in our backyard, our volunteers are stretched pretty thin. They did over 1,000 hours of trail maintenance in 2012.
Thank you!
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Post by Angela on Feb 8, 2013 7:31:04 GMT -5
The next three days will be great (sunny, temps in the 60s), unfortunately the FATS will not be great - FATS will be too wet to ride . The rain front that doused us for about 12 hours yesterday poured varying amounts of recorded rain (will post from a member that is within a few miles of FATS when I hear back). Rain - Edgefield, SC recorded 1.3 inches, North Augusta, SC recorded 2.71 & Augusta, GA recorded 3 it will be a while before FATS drys out - it was still juicy in areas particular on Skinny and Great Wall a week after we had less than an inch of rain. Please do not ride these trails wet most definitely will be too wet for today and Saturday and more than likely Sunday as well. Skinny and Great Wall will need several days to dry out (not counting the seeps which will last for a week or two if we get no more rain).By Saturday some of our outlying trails that don't get the traffic should be good to ride (still expect some wet spots and stay to the middle of the trail). Check them out at this link sorbacsra.org/Trails/Trails.htm feel free to ask us for recommendations!
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Post by brianW on Feb 8, 2013 16:11:56 GMT -5
I got 55.4mm at my house. That is just a hair under 2 inches.
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Post by oddcouple on Feb 9, 2013 0:30:24 GMT -5
The big puddle in the South parking lot should be a dead giveaway.
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Post by Angela on Feb 9, 2013 9:29:35 GMT -5
Unfortunately you and I both know that some will drive straight through that puddle and ride anyway But hopefully enough will stay away and ride the other outlying trails that damage will be minimized. More rain coming next week. Hope we don't have to ask for the trail to be closed to slow the masses down.
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Post by brianW on Feb 9, 2013 21:11:54 GMT -5
Three cars on Furries Ferry with their bikes painted in mud this afternoon.
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Post by Angela on Feb 10, 2013 12:43:07 GMT -5
Very unfortunate but a volunteer who did some work on Big Rock and Tower yesterday indicated that by this afternoon some riders might want to venture out on those trails (they drain pretty well and get less traffic), they will be an indicator of the southern loops. If we can get enough riders to stay off and ride elsewhere the damage will at least be lessened. Please pass the word on not riding the trails wet, spoke to an employee at Chain Reaction yesterday and they had received several calls about the trails on Friday and Saturday and had waved people off. That won't catch everyone but the more we spread the word the better the chances of minimizing damage. Unfortunately with the rain predicted on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday just after this, the trails are going to be sloppy for a while.
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Post by Angela on Feb 12, 2013 6:59:48 GMT -5
It's been raining pretty steadily since 9pm on Sunday and more rain is predicted for today and tomorrow. Add that to the nearly 2 inches from last Thursday (rain gauge near FATS) and the trails are saturated and will be for a while. If you are out of town and thinking of coming in this weekend to ride FATS please don't, if you are local, time to hit the gym or ride the Greeneway, the gravel roads, range road out on Fort Gordon, or the blacktop.
Be sure and pass the word along as well not to ride wet trails! It's possible that some of our outlying trails will be okay to ride by the weekend since they get so much less traffic but be prepared to turn around if you realize that even those trails are too wet.
If anything changes we'll be sure and post. Thank you!
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Post by Angela on Feb 13, 2013 0:14:09 GMT -5
Rain stopped for a few hours today and started back up early evening just stopped again with more headed this way within the hour.....becoming spottier moving into tomorrow but feel certain between last weeks nearly 2 inches and the rain since Sunday night we will be at or over 4 inches in a week's time.
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Post by Angela on Feb 13, 2013 22:48:06 GMT -5
Measurements from a rain gauge close to FATS indicates nearly 4 inches of rainfall in the past week. The trails will be too wet for riding (for those who rode the week after we received the 3/4 inch, you know that there were still a lot of juicy areas on Skinny and Great Wall with that minimal amount it will be a bog now).
With no additional rain on Thursday or Friday by the weekend you can potentially test the water with some of our outlying trails. Again lack of traffic and age/composition of some of those trails will make them more suitable for riding after the rains we have had (and with the passage of that 48 hours). Again please be prepared to bail if you find the trails too wet.
Good news is that since the weekend temps will be in the low 50's potentially riders will be further dissuaded from getting out onto the trails (local gyms should be starting to settle down some as those New Year's resolutions began to falter so another good option).
Safest bets are roads, greenways, and gravel.
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Post by Angela on Feb 15, 2013 7:44:06 GMT -5
The trails are still too wet given the rain that we had over the past week but at some point riders will begin to venture in. Please remember that Great Wall and Skinny are the last to dry, they will definitely be too wet to ride for days after Big Rock, Tower, Deep Step, and Brown Wave are okay.
If someone rides Big Rock or Tower late in the weekend please send a note sorba.csra@gmail.com or post here to give an update. They will dry out more quickly and they get much less traffic than the southern loops but will give good feedback as to trail conditions! Thanks.
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Post by joelfehrman on Feb 15, 2013 10:07:32 GMT -5
I've been planning a MTB trip to Augusta with some friends for this weekend and just saw this. We figured that things would have dried out with more than 48 hours of dry conditions. FATS is the main attraction but we were also planning to ride Hickory Knob and/or Bartram on Sunday. Do either of those trails (Hickory Knob or Bartram) dry out faster than FATS? If so, do you think we could switch up the order and ride FATS on Sunday? None of us want to do trail damage but we've been looking forward to this trip for a while now and will need to cancel our hotel today if FATS is soupy all weekend. Anyone actually been on the property recently to check the trails?
Also, can someone please clarify if blaze orange is still required at this time of year for midday riding?
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Post by kconner on Feb 15, 2013 14:52:03 GMT -5
I've been planning a MTB trip to Augusta with some friends for this weekend and just saw this. We figured that things would have dried out with more than 48 hours of dry conditions. FATS is the main attraction but we were also planning to ride Hickory Knob and/or Bartram on Sunday. Do either of those trails (Hickory Knob or Bartram) dry out faster than FATS? If so, do you think we could switch up the order and ride FATS on Sunday? None of us want to do trail damage but we've been looking forward to this trip for a while now and will need to cancel our hotel today if FATS is soupy all weekend. Anyone actually been on the property recently to check the trails? Also, can someone please clarify if blaze orange is still required at this time of year for midday riding? FATS still needs time to dry out....rode by on the way home from a gravel ride and saw a guy covered head to toe in mud....seriously, his entire body was mud colored and matched his bike. There are sections of gravel roads that are still holding water, so I doubt FATS will be anywhere near dry enough to ride before next week. Not quite sure about Hickory Knob and Bartram though.
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Post by joelfehrman on Feb 15, 2013 15:14:20 GMT -5
OK thanks for the heads-up. Doesn't seem like the drive is worth it if FATS isn't on the agenda for this weekend. Guess we'll reschedule.
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Post by seenvic on Feb 16, 2013 11:04:17 GMT -5
FATS still needs time to dry out....rode by on the way home from a gravel ride and saw a guy covered head to toe in mud....seriously, his entire body was mud colored and matched his bike. There are sections of gravel roads that are still holding water, so I doubt FATS will be anywhere near dry enough to ride before next week. Not quite sure about Hickory Knob and Bartram though. [/quote] where pollution is the metaphor for folks who trash FATS (or really any trail)
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Post by Angela on Feb 17, 2013 9:22:12 GMT -5
It looks like the weather is going to continue to be a factor with rain predicted every couple of days over the next week or so. FATS will continue to be too wet to ride until we have a decent number of dry days. Make other ride plans until it is dry enough to ride. If you follow the 24 to 48 hour recommendation on our outlying trails, please be prepared to turn back if you find the trail too wet to ride. Just as a reminder sorbacsra.proboards.com/thread/2928/wet-rideBest if you have Plan B already figured out so if the trail is actually too wet it is easy to move to Plan B and still get some riding in... Don't ride wet trails. Thank you!
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