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Post by quiver on Oct 21, 2007 18:11:05 GMT -5
I have ridden Skinny twice now.. both times looking for the Brown Wave fork off with no success.
After I came to the final powerline crossing... I was looking for it on the right... but didn't see it. The next fork I saw was the Great Wall Split.
Can anyone help me out? How well is it marked?
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Post by seenvic on Oct 21, 2007 18:51:54 GMT -5
If you are riding the Skinny clockwise, make a left at about 2.5 miles into the ride and you'll go to the Brown Wave. Skinny CCW, make a right at about 4.25 miles into the ride.
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Post by quiver on Oct 22, 2007 8:09:25 GMT -5
Thanks... I'll try again... Both times I rode it CCW...
Are there any markers at that fork?
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Post by seenvic on Oct 22, 2007 10:14:32 GMT -5
Thanks... I'll try again... Both times I rode it CCW... Are there any markers at that fork? You sure you rode the Skinny CCW? That would mean you crossed the gravel road, and took a really hard right at the Great Wall/Skinny junction, and then a left curve onto the Skinny. If you went straight at the left curve into the Skinny, you'd be on the GW going CW. Or it would mean you rode the whole Great Wall CCW, and turned at the first right turn onto the Skinny Loop. The reason I ask is that most people are going so fast they don't see this hard right and just go straight onto the Skinny (clockwise). The other reason I ask is because the approach to the Brown Wave Connector Trail is DH if going clockwise on the Skinny and it would seem easier to pass the turn to the Brown Wave if going CW. Of the two directions, I would think it would be much easier to find the turn to the BW if you were traveling on the Skinny CCW. Mainly because you are traveling up hill when you reach the intersection and the turn is in a very wide area that does have a carsonite post there and at least one or two white signs that the writing on the signs has since faded pretty good but the signs themselves are still there. There is an obvious trail on your right that takes you to the Brown Wave. If you are going CW on the Skinny, you will pass over a tree w/ a notch cut out of it that you have to either ride or step over. Then you cross an old dirt road. Then you will ride over a set of bricks that are 3 wide, you have to ride over these bricks as there is no longer a line around them. About 25 feet past those bricks is the left turn onto the Brown Wave Connector Trail. Once you get to the Brown Wave - PLEASE BE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO GET OFF THE LOOP! You will need to ride the whole loop and exit back onto the same connector trail you rode from the Skinny to the Brown Wave. I have come across some worn out people on the Brown Wave that were simply riding in circles because they never left the loop at the connector back to the Skinny.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Oct 22, 2007 11:34:00 GMT -5
Once you get to the Brown Wave - PLEASE BE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO GET OFF THE LOOP! You will need to ride the whole loop and exit back onto the same connector trail you rode from the Skinny to the Brown Wave. I have come across some worn out people on the Brown Wave that were simply riding in circles because they never left the loop at the connector back to the Skinny. Hahaha, I did that my first time at FATS....but I only rode about a mile or so before I realized I had missed the turn. Once you are on the connector to Brown Wave, take the first Right you get to, that'll put you going CCW on Brown Wave. After that turn, just stay to the right at any intersections and you'll go straight back to the parking lot; just don't take any lefts.
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Post by quiver on Oct 22, 2007 13:40:57 GMT -5
Well... I was pretty sure I was riding it CCW... but now I'm doubting myself...
I'm thinking that's why I didn't see the loop... I was looking for it at the end of the trail... not the start...
I think what was the BW... I thought that was the start and finish of Skinny... But I think I was already on skinny for a couple of miles.
That's why I thought I was going CCW, because I took the fork to the right. But the fork to the left would have been BW... There was a post there, but no writing on it.
I'm going to go buy a Cyclocomputer to map my mileage a little better. I get focused on riding and not paying attention to my distances.
Thanks for the Help.. I think I'm on track now... javascript:add("%20;)") Wink
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Post by seenvic on Oct 22, 2007 14:15:27 GMT -5
Quiver, Here is a map that shows all of FATS. The Skinny is the Blue Loop between the red loop and the yellow loop at the bottom. The yellow loop at the bottom is the Brown Wave. www.sorbacsra.org/FATS%20Aerial%20082104.jpgThis is an old map. Ignore the distances on it. They are not correct. I would say that the Brown Wave comes off the Skinny somewhere about 1/3 or 2/3 around the Skinny Loop depending on which direction you ride the Skinny Loop. It is not at the start or the end of the Skinny. The start and end of the Skinny Loop is the same location as the Skinny is a loop that starts just below the curve with the skulls in it. (Those skulls are actually on the Great Wall Loop as is the gravel road crossing. The Connector Trail ended at the Great Wall Loop, where if you went straight you were going CCW on the GW and if you went left, you are going CW on the GW).
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Post by quiver on Oct 22, 2007 15:24:13 GMT -5
Sadly... I had a map with me... I know exactly what I did now.... I was riding Skinny CW as you suggested. The part that confused me, was that when I was at the Brown Wave/Skinny fork, I thought I was at the start of Skinny (CCW Straight, CW Left).... But I had already ridden 1/3 of skinny. Therefore, When I got to the last 3rd of Skinny, I was looking for Brown... When infact I was much closer to GW....
Normally I am pretty good with direction in the wilderness... but I really screwed this one up
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Post by seenvic on Oct 23, 2007 15:43:47 GMT -5
I know exactly what I did now.... I was riding Skinny CW as you suggested. The part that confused me, was that when I was at the Brown Wave/Skinny fork, I thought I was at the start of Skinny (CCW Straight, CW Left Many people think the "connector" crosses the gravel road and goes all the way to the Brown Wave. It doesn't even cross the gravel road. The Great Wall Loop crosses that first gravel road. And the Skinny takes you to the Brown Wave. I look at FATS as 4 loops, and 3 short connector pieces. At least that's what we had in mind when we built it. I think because the Skinny Loop got opened in 2 segments, people look at the way they do. Once explained, people get it.....4 loops and 3 connectors. One day it will be 6 loops and 4 connectors.
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Post by seenvic on Oct 25, 2007 11:36:20 GMT -5
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Post by dgaddis1 on Oct 25, 2007 13:55:47 GMT -5
That is by far the best map I've seen so far for FATS. That should be put on the FATS page...oh, it is already, very nice.
How come the most popular trail in the area has no description or directions?
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Post by quiver on Oct 25, 2007 15:34:50 GMT -5
That map rocks... I don't think that is the one that was on the FATS link a few weeks back...
Thanks...
Quick off-topic question... I rode FATS a few years ago... When it was only one trail, no parking lot etc... Which loop would that have been? Deep Step?
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Post by seenvic on Oct 26, 2007 9:11:14 GMT -5
Reply to both DGaddis and Quiver.
DGaddis - Our previous grants did not include $$$ for signage. We now have another grant and that is what we are rasing the $10,000 for - signs.
My question is why people that ride the most popular trail in the area won't donate to the cause for the signs. Please donate $10-$50 today. It doesn't have to be a large amount. If we got $10 from 500 people, that's half of what we need. The rest will come from the large donors, frame raffle and FATS sticker sales. You seen the stickers? They're cool, I think.
I am amazed at how poorly the fundraising has gone in terms of not seeing the names of people on the doners list who ride out there 1-4 times a week. People that said they'd donate if we got more money to build, have suddenly forgotten that "they" can't do it all. If you ride the FATS, you are "they".
Quiver. You prolly rode the old Tower Trail. About 200 feet of it are on the Deep Step Loop, but other than that it is gone. It was never legal, mostly unsustainable and just got obliterated by a timber cut in the late 90's, early 00's. It also crossed onto private propery in several areas. But it did lead us to todays FATS as we tried for years to get those trails "legal". The USFS had the sense to say no to us, work with us, and look what we have now. Believe me, the old Tower was fun, but had it's share of bad flow and gully erosion. I loved it when it was good, but it got to the point of being really wide and rutted - not so good.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Oct 26, 2007 9:40:51 GMT -5
I know signs are on the way (count me in for helping to put them up by the way). I was talking about the FATS page on the SORBA-CSRA website (homepage/trails/FATS). All that's there is a map of the actual trails, but not a good map as to where the trails are in relation to anything else.
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Post by quiver on Oct 26, 2007 10:08:51 GMT -5
SeenVic,
This would have been late 2003 or early 2004... So I think it was after the FATS project had started... I guess my question is... what order were the currently loops built?
thxs
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Post by seenvic on Oct 26, 2007 12:16:44 GMT -5
SeenVic, This would have been late 2003 or early 2004... So I think it was after the FATS project had started... I guess my question is... what order were the currently loops built? thxs Brown Wave. Aug -Nov '05. Great Wall Nov '05-Feb 06 Skinny Feb-Mar 06 Deep Step Apr - May 06 Grand Opening was March 25, 2006. At the opening, ready to ride was the BW, the CW Skinny to the BW, some of the Great Wall. Deep Step wasn't even started until April 2006. If you were riding something out there in late '03 / early '04 it was the Tower Trail. Prolly very primitive / techy. Prolly some steep stuff to go up and down that had some gully erosion going on.
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Post by JIMMYC on Oct 26, 2007 14:32:30 GMT -5
What strickers? where day be?
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Post by seenvic on Oct 26, 2007 14:47:35 GMT -5
What strickers? where day be? I'll have some on Sunday.
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Post by quiver on Oct 26, 2007 15:20:35 GMT -5
I have one on my car.. they are sweet!
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Post by hyperflea7 on Oct 26, 2007 19:24:08 GMT -5
i want me we one of dem strickers too...how much dey be?
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