Lost Valley - The "In" Place To Be

Yep, there were all kinds of people out there on Sunday enjoying the beautiful sunny weather, and nearly perfect trail. We ran into the Beeg and a couple of his buddies, Pete, GiGi, and Joe, Mike Dunston, and Rob, Barb and Boone. JohnnyD's car was at the Mound, so he was somewhere in the area. Supposedly we just missed Dug and the Pirate. There were lots of other hikers and bikers as well. Hopefully, everyone will be happy about helping to build trail that so many are getting out and using.
There are a couple of trees down right before the bridge, but you can ride under them. Otherwise the trail looks great, and is ready for lots of visitors from the Festival.

Klondike Double Switchbacks

Here's a pretty descent picture of the double switchbacks out at Klondike. This past weekend we had 18 people come out and do a little pre-fest maintenance to the trails. We re-worked one of the switchbacks on the Hogsback and did a little benching here and there where needed. For the most part, the trails were in good shape. The west side of the park was totally ready to ride despite the deluge of rain we've had recently. After a couple dry days, I think the Hogsback would be in similar shape. Most sections were slick, but solid underneath.

Just Say No To Mud

Dirt Rag's website has an article about riding this time of year and what can happen when wet or thawing trails are ridden. Most of the info comes from NEMBA's website, which also provides a little more in-depth analysis.

While we may not be in quite the same situation as they are back east, this photo of the climb out of the valley on the Dogwood Trail at Greensfelder shows that we can develop the same sort of damage to our own trails. (Yes, there are bike tracks there, too.)

Good stuff happening in Southern Illinois

The fine folks at Shawnee Mountain Bike Association, Southern Illinois' IMBA Club, are building some tasty new trail, like the beautiful logride option above. See more pictures from their last workday here. They're working this Sunday March 5th and don't have nearly the number of people in the area as we do. Most of the time that's a great thing. On workdays, not so much. The best plan would be to go ride one of their many trails on Saturday, camp, and work Sunday. I know, too much sh-- er, stuff to do... seems to be a problem for everyone. Go ride down there sometime anyway. It's not all that far.

There's more info on this weekend in the our forum here, and of course at SMBA's website.