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Post by bikerides4u on Feb 17, 2009 13:12:37 GMT -5
Let me know how this goes , I have several who are willing to volunteer in any way to make this happen .
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Post by dparrott on Jul 25, 2009 18:56:28 GMT -5
Time for an update on the extension to Wildwood - As of a week ago, 3 of 4 bids have been received by COE. The bid window closes July 30. The Recovery Act funding has been received so it is conceivable that the successful contractor could start as early as August in the march to Wildwood. Important: COE has placed a prominent sign at the current end of trail at the Columbia County Water Works Road announcing that the way forward is closed due to construction. Well, construction has not yet started but COE has recently had several rescues of lost folks in that section - so please heed the sign. Another meeting with Col. County officials is expected in the short term to continue discussion of the Bartram route through Wildwood and a dedicated mtn bike loop within the park. Some progress has been made on the investigation of a feasible route from Bartram to FATS. Two goals here: 1) establish a route that minimizes the line on Rt 28 and 2) be sure the line is very low or no maintenance. We have a proposed name for this trail - "Clarks Hill Connector Trail".
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Post by pedalpusher on Sept 2, 2009 11:50:15 GMT -5
Rode Bartram Trail Saturday . With all the rain we had the cow pasture crossing was just about grown over and barely passible . Was going to suggest an emergency work party but me and a coworker road it this morning and it has been cut . Thanks to whoever cut it ?
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Post by brianW on Sept 2, 2009 16:44:56 GMT -5
Two members of the Augusta BOMB (Believers on Mt. Bikes)chapter, Jim and Charles, went out with a weed wacker and a hand saw and did some work this past weekend. www.augustabomb.com/
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Post by Mark Y on Sept 2, 2009 21:40:37 GMT -5
Just past the "cow pasture" going east is a downed tree that people have routed around. 1. Is chain saw certification required to cut out a tree on Bartram? 2. How do you get a vehicle down to that clearing. The tree is a couple of hundred yards in and an easy walk from the field.
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Post by imnav8r on Sept 3, 2009 7:11:40 GMT -5
Are you referring to the area known as the airstrip?
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Post by jtaylor on Sept 3, 2009 11:15:22 GMT -5
Brian- thanks so much for being the trail champion for Bartram and organizing the work!! Mark- Forest Service chainsaw certification is not needed for Bartram. I do not think there is an open access road to that far end of the air strip. Dale Parrott or Bill Victor may know a shortcut, but, otherwise, carrying a saw on a bob or backpack is the only improvement over walking in.
Back to the subject of this thread......... Anybody know the latest word on the new trail???
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Post by seenvic on Sept 3, 2009 15:19:03 GMT -5
Back to the subject of this thread......... Anybody know the latest word on the new trail??? Benchmark Trails plans to start construction in October, 2009.
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Post by DavidT on Sept 3, 2009 15:29:59 GMT -5
There is also a dead pine that fell and is sitting about chest height near West Dam. My son Joseph and I are going to run up this afternoon with a saw cut it out of there. It is only about 75 yards from the parking lot at West Dam.
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Post by DavidT on Sept 3, 2009 17:56:52 GMT -5
This tree is now off the trail. I thought about going after the other one, but we did not have time this evening. Maybe we can get to it this weekend, that is if Mark hasn't already gotten to it.
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Post by dparrott on Sept 3, 2009 23:04:53 GMT -5
David - that's for getting the pine tree Mark - there is a gravel road that goes to the head of the airstrip but it's gated. Best way is to go in with a BOB or backpack with saw. One can park along the gravel road near the gate (don't block access) and bike the gravel road to where the trail turns right to the airfield but I prefer to simply ride the trail - better surface. I can go get it sometime this weekend if no one else wants to get it. Let me know. D.
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Post by cyclefreak on Sept 8, 2009 12:13:30 GMT -5
Hey dparrott, my friends and I ride those (Bartram) trails all the time. Opossum is my favorite trail there. It's true it was not being ridden much but it's getting more use now. I'd hate to see it get less use just when it's starting to get better again. Tell the COE we want want more trails not fewer. I would like to compliment them on the fine job they've done on the Petersburg extension. Nice little workout. I can't wait to see the extension of that one. Too bad they want to waste their time blocking off old trails instead of concentrating on building new ones. CF
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Post by dparrott on Sept 10, 2009 21:21:49 GMT -5
Cyclefreak, the Extension was put in by SORBA volunteers but COE did put in the nice ramp at the Petersburg Road and the porta-potty. I plan to send a communication to COE this weekend concerning the closure of the lower loop portion of Lake Springs Trail. The Boy Scouts installed the longer planks on what was the narrow bridge just beyond Site #1. I told COE that there needs to be a gap between the planks. The bridge will be finished with hardware cloth. Volunteers from Ft. Gordon have installed an aluminum framed bridge on the soon to be constructed section to Wildwood. The section to Wildwood (6+ miles) will be built by a professional trail builder from Greenville and should start mid-October. They plan to start in Wildwood to minimize impacts to hunters. We have tentative plans to meet with COE in October to discuss the "Clark's Hill Connector" - a link between Bartram and FATS. Also, COE is interested in putting in a brand new loop trail on their land on the SC side below the dam. COE trying for a return meeting with Columbia County officials concerning use of potential leftover funding from the new Wildwood entrance to use for new trail work within Wildwood. A $1,000 grant was secured by John Weekly from Johnson Controls that is specifically earmarked for the Bartram Trail. SORBA is working with COE for best use of those funds.
With hunting season around the corner, don't forget to wear orange and I'd recommend turning around at the picnic table at the current end of the extension instead of popping out on the Water Works road. There are hunter's tree stands lined up along the tree line there!! Heed the Trail closed sign there.
Lots happening on just this one trail - stay tuned.
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Post by pedalpusher on Sept 11, 2009 8:03:25 GMT -5
DP hope you get them to reconsider closing that lower loop ! Me and a few of the neighbors families and kids camp at Petersburg several times a year and we wear Bartram out . The wives and kids ride from Petersburg to Lake Springs and turn around while us men ride ALL of Bartram including the asphalt extention into Lake Springs Park itself on the other side of the boat ramp parking lot . I mean we ride it all . Closing that fun loop would be a disappointment to our group of camping riders from Augusta ! If this is to have COE less trail maintence , lately we have seen several people out working on Bartram . We asked if they were with Sorba or COE and they said no and mentioned some strange name that I can't remember ? but that they recently had pledged to put in regular work on Bartram . If COE is merily looking for something to do out there , from the parking lot at LakeSprings Trailhead (on the road to Tradewinds Marina) , around the locked gate to head towards West Dam , instead of turning right about 150 yards down to get on the actual trail to west dam , the old road heads straight to the Lake on a huge somewhat cleared point . Just a tad more clearing and a grill here and there with a bathroom would make a nice "Bike Day Use " area for stopping to rest and grill after riding from Keg Creek or even after riding from Mistletoe ! Kinda like places they have in Colorado . If they are looking for something to spend some time and energy on this would be productive . Thanks for all you do for Mt Biking , working with COE and chainsaw magic !
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Post by seenvic on Sept 11, 2009 9:51:18 GMT -5
I am confused. The ACOE is going to close one of the loops coming off the yellow out/back trail?
Why?
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Post by dparrott on Sept 11, 2009 21:33:31 GMT -5
Cleared up a bit today. Tree on Extension is removed and the 2 downed trees on Lake Springs are cut out. While riding down the Lake Springs Trail, I heard a shout - it was Pepper Shields and a summer intern from COE. They are putting in a new connector trail. We talked about the closed loop. Turns out that the closure is just temporary while this new construction is going on. I went over the details with her on a map. All the inner cut-throughs in the Lake Springs area will be closed, i.e. Rabbit Run, Deer run. This is tough to explain without a diagram: one new connector is in place which connects the Lake Springs trail that is parallel to LS Road directly to the main LS loop - this avoids having to make an acute turn at the bottom of the hill. Another new connector under construction now will come off the existing LS loop and intersect Possum Trot right after where PT and LS split (closest to parking lot). What had existed was a "lollipop" configuration with LS on the west side and Possum Trot on the east side, a short spur to the fishing dock parking lot and the connecting trail to the white blazed (LS) portion of the loop completed by yellow blazed Bartram. The lollipop will go away replaced by a single large loop. You will have a choice of the "Lake Springs West Leg" or the "Lake Springs East Leg" both accessible from the lower part of the loop that is presently closed off. I made several suggestions on enhanced signage to encourage more riding of the Lake Springs area and suggested a couple of tweaks on the new connectors. Seeing my saw, Pepper asked me to cut out the downed trees on the new connector. There were 6 trees. Biggest advantage is that the Lake Springs trails will be easier to get to from the LS parking area.
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Post by imnav8r on Sept 12, 2009 6:37:37 GMT -5
Cool. Can't wait to see a new map of this area!
Thanks for the updates Dale!
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Post by breynolds on Sept 12, 2009 6:57:43 GMT -5
Glad to hear about all the new stuff out at Bartram! My wife and I go there a lot. In summer we load up the car with our bikes and "beach" stuff, take a good ride on the trails, then head over to the beach area at Lake Springs for some lunch and some swimming.
The Lake Springs loop has always been fun, but some more traffic on it would be nice--about 5 spiderwebs to the face is all I can take before it's not fun anymore . . .
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Post by Mark Y on Sept 12, 2009 8:26:01 GMT -5
Glad to hear about all the new stuff out at Bartram! My wife and I go there a lot. In summer we load up the car with our bikes and "beach" stuff, take a good ride on the trails, then head over to the beach area at Lake Springs for some lunch and some swimming. The Lake Springs loop has always been fun, but some more traffic on it would be nice--about 5 spiderwebs to the face is all I can take before it's not fun anymore . . . Tape a curved, green stick or something to your helmet as a "sweeper" to grab the webs before they get to your face. Just be sure to have eye protection to ensure it doesn't work against you if you run into something hard, or fall. I imagine something stiff but flexible like a piece of string trimmer string would get it done without posing much hazard to to your face/eyes. You get the idea I'm sure.
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Post by brianW on Sept 12, 2009 17:20:54 GMT -5
Rode the larger loop today (red loop on map) part of the smaller loop (blue loop on map) was taped off.
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