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Post by Mark Y. on Jun 19, 2013 11:05:52 GMT -5
I like the idea of alternate lines where possible; it maintains the challenge for the serious, experienced rider while allowing the "cruiser" like me to go around. That said, it has never bothered me to walk a log or feature that I felt was risky because I'm not interested in "bombing" down the trail to begin with.( If I can get around Skinny in < 1 hour it was a fast ride ) For me, it is the enjoyment of being in the woods while getting some exercise.
It also pleases me to hear that other dedicated cyclists recognize there is room for people like me; at times in the past I've had the feeling that some would just as soon we stay out of the way.
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Post by Angela on Jun 19, 2013 12:43:29 GMT -5
Trust me there is room for everyone and mountain bikers as a whole are just some of the nicest people I have ever met. I think as long as everyone practices good trail etiquette (moving over when possible if a faster rider approaches from behind, yielding to riders coming up the hill, etc, etc) there should rarely be any conflicts. We need all kinds of riders (and volunteers) out there! Just as an example, a lot of our most advanced riders have a grueling training schedule getting ready for the race season or some big event in the future and can't come out to help as much as they might like to with trail maintenance. We appreciate the fact that most of them are members (we need those dollars to keep things going) but we couldn't do all of this without all our members and trust me they are a very assorted bunch! A couple of years back I had the opportunity to surf in Hawaii (and yes I did surf and no it wasn't pretty) but it is a large ocean and I had the right to be there and join in. Now does that mean I should go up to the North Shore and joint the lineup for the pipeline - nope - out of respect for those advanced members of the sport (and fear of death I would do my best not to interfere with their enjoyment of the sport at a much higher level. But I still plan to go out and enjoy all the things I want to do as much as I can. ; )
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Post by deano on Jun 20, 2013 3:57:12 GMT -5
I think when we mentioned trees down we should have been more descriptive. I didn't mean a log over the trail, well in some cases, but there are tree tops down. They range from 6' and down. Get off your bike and climb under limbs then lift it waste high and climb over more limbs. Some tree fell parallel with the trail and we had to completely go around the whole section cause it fell long ways on the trail. A couple more trees were huge. I completely understand leaving trees and some trees probably have been left on purpose to build skill sets or offer something to those who don't wanna just ride the interstate (FATS). But I really have to say if more trees are left than the traditional ones I can't see me using my resources there. My skill set would be know where near good enough to actually enjoy it. And that's completely fine, I'm not really a Fats type trail fan, I enjoy the learning curve as painful as it is. Ill get to the Modoc skill level one day but in the mean time ill have to spend my volunteer time locally when i can.
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Post by Angela on Jun 20, 2013 6:13:32 GMT -5
Thanks Deano and you are describing the trees we do remove from the trails but with 150 miles of singletrack and the stormy weather we have had off and on, hard to keep up!
We don't necessarily keep the list on a particular trail for the whole year but recently had a major work party on the HKSP trail so looked up the records and on that trail alone the trail advocate (who is also a USFS certified sawyer) and some volunteers had actually removed around 100 trees off that one trail alone (for 2012).
Some of our certified sawyers also end up volunteering at the regular work parties too just because it is a challenge to get people to show up at times.
Thanks for the clarification!
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Post by Mark Y. on Jun 21, 2013 23:19:01 GMT -5
I've been involved with SORBA for 3 or 4 years, and it amazes me the number of trees that fall on the trail. One would think there would be an interstate highway through the woods considering the number of downed trees removed every year.
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Post by Mark Y. on Jun 21, 2013 23:25:52 GMT -5
Has anything been cut off of Modoc since the last report, or are there any plans to this weekend?
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Post by Angela on Jun 22, 2013 6:52:37 GMT -5
I've been involved with SORBA for 3 or 4 years, and it amazes me the number of trees that fall on the trail. One would think there would be an interstate highway through the woods considering the number of downed trees removed every year. Several years back after a particularly violent storm there were like 25 trees down on the canal trail - it took 40 manhours that week to get them cleared and I clearly remember thinking at this rate we'll be biking in an open field. I don't think anyone ever even noticed they were gone and many more have fallen since then!
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Post by Angela on Jun 22, 2013 6:55:41 GMT -5
Has anything been cut off of Modoc since the last report, or are there any plans to this weekend? I'm not aware of any plans this weekend but I know the trail advocate (who is also a USFS certified sawyer) for that trail would like a hand getting these taken care of can I pass your contact information along?
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troy
Gear Masher
Posts: 29
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Post by troy on Jun 26, 2013 16:51:50 GMT -5
Just rode Modoc for the first time today and between the downed trees and slippery roots/rocks it was a slow ride. I was solo so I went much slower than I would have if someone was with me. Once the tress get cleared this will be a fun trail. Time to get a buddy to go out with me so I can practice a few (ok A LOT) technical areas.
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Post by kconner on Jun 26, 2013 20:21:13 GMT -5
Modoc is one of my favorite trails, especially in the fall! If you want to learn how to ride some of the technical features out there, the best way is to ride with others that have ridden it before....keep an eye out on the forum for others posting about rides at Modoc as they pop up from time to time.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jun 27, 2013 7:29:56 GMT -5
Modoc is one of my favorite trails, especially in the fall! Some of my favorite and most memorable rides have been in the fall and included Modoc! The crunch of the leaves is louder there than anywhere else it seems. It's pretty dang fun in the snow too! There's a yeti in this pic if you look closely.
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