in CamRock (Moderator: TheMayor1)

Alright folks we have a bit of egg on our face right now. Things have grown fast the last couple of weeks with the perfect weather conditions, and things have gottne pretty overgrown. Pretty much everywhere can use some attention right now. Any open areas are the worst. But the rest can use a touch up as well. Remember any plants that are upright will go down before winter, so laying back the tall stuff at a 45 degree angle with the hedge trimmer will do wonders. Also remember that this time of year, with more moisture and less light, there is a lot of time people will be riding that the plants are wet. Dew, mist, damp weather like last week, all make the grasses, prairie plants, and leafy branches lay over or hang lower than they will on a dry day like today. So trim high and lay things back. I will do the best I can to describe what I think needs done below. But if you can get out and ride your section and you will have a good idea as well:

Trail Sections                                                        General Idea on Maintenance Needs
Creekisde sections: White River, Beaver Hole, Fat Tracks - Sun Prairie Youth Cycling Team - All the open sections are in dire need of mowing and trimming. Beaver Hole is very overgrown. At Fat Tracks wooded areas can use some trimming of branches.
IMBA Influence and Veritas Loop - Thom Hineline - Minor trimming with a loppers or hand pruners.
Area 51 and Outback - Thom Hineline - Minor trimming with a loppers or hand pruners. Area 51 is hard to find ;-)
CORP Connector: From Expert woods south through Rip N' Ride to Roundabout - Jeff Mueller - trimming with hedge. Tall stuff is falling onto trail. Some briars ripping arms in the wooded sections.
CORP Connector: From Roundabout north through Burr Oak Breezeway to Expert Woods - Scott Mills - Needs both mowing and trimming. Trail near Expert Woods along field is very overgrown.
Cliff Edge - John Sypniewski. Looks abandoned. Trees down and completely overgrown in places.
Turn It Up, Stonefly, Corkscrew, Rattlesnake. - Scott Fenton & Jeremy. Could use some trimming. Could either do by hand or take the hedge.
Would Chuck? & Mayors Meander - Scott Fenton & Jeremy - Need a last mow of the year. Keep a pruner in your pocket and look up in the non-prairie areas.
Beer Run, Beer Cave, Gettin' Started and Drop In - Mike the Cycle Tech - Could use a loppers in places. The entrance from Rockdale is badly overgrown.

The great thing is if we do a good job getting things cut back now, that should be it for mowing and trimming this year. The growing season is almost over. And it should be at least 6 weeks before we need to get the blowers out on the leaves in the wooded sections.

Thanks for all you do for our trails!

Chuck,  Is Area 51 ready to go?  The last I knew we had blocked off the old entrance and a new entrance was built but from there the rest of the trail hadn't been redone.  Thom.

I hope to be using the string trimmer Fri @ 4:30 for about a hour if it is there.

Thom, Area 51 is not open yet so no need to clear it.

Nope Thom. No trail to clear for Area 51. Just making a joke.


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Today I clear initiation, cleared the fallen dead tree, and cleared the downhill trail somewhat before my trimmer ran out of string, got most of the big branches/overhanging weeds and will finish up this week, its ride able now, not sure how the rest of cliff edge goes with the new downhill trail cut into it.

I mowed Beaver Hole on the Creek side section, the beginning of Mayor's meander(sledding hill area), South bound section of Corp connector through the prairie and the last 200 yards of the North bound  prairie. Also hit area 51.

....new down hill trail at Cliff Edge?

Thanks for all the work out there everyone! Dave, we are going to have to call you Super Dave You must have has the mower going all day to hit all of those trails. Thanks!

I can hopefully get out tomorrow to check things out. Cant wait

Today I clear initiation, cleared the fallen dead tree, and cleared the downhill trail somewhat before my trimmer ran out of string, got most of the big branches/overhanging weeds and will finish up this week, its ride able now, not sure how the rest of cliff edge goes with the new downhill trail cut into it.

Hey Jon. Thanks for getting to this. It was in dire need! 
Is there confusion on how trail layout works with the race trail cut in? If so I would be glad to meet up with you out there and walk through it. I may be able to help get things whipped back into shape as well, though I think my only time for that this week would be Saturday.
We also have tools you can use. No need to use your own. We have a heavy-duty string trimmer. And I think the brush mower could be used for the lower section.
Give me a call or text at 608.772.7833.

Alright Posse. It's time to rally the troops again! One last hurrah for the year.

Most of the leaves that are going to fall have done so. It's time to get them blown off the trail. This helps the trail stay dry both this fall, and to dry quicker in the spring. Any section of trail with trees needs it, and that would be at least sections of every trail. All it really entails is walking your trail with the CORP blower. Also try to pay special attention to the drainage areas of the trail and where water moves across. If we can blow out these areas now, they won't collect silt over the winter and clog up, and it will be a lot less work in the spring. Basically pay attention that you are not creating a wall of leaves anywhere water should be going. Anywhere the water slows down it will leave the soil behind.

Mike the Cycle Tech gets a pass on this post. He was already out a day ago and got his trail cleaned up. And he did it at night with his helmet and light no less! As a bonus he was safe from any low flying rabid squirrels or falling asteroids. I wish I would witnessed that vision in the woods at night

Also I want to apologize. Back in late August when I put a call out that we needed to clean things up, you all jumped at it and within a week things where in tip-top shape. I forgot to say how cool that was to see happen so fast. Huge thanks for all you are doing out here!

OK. After today any leaves even thinking of coming down yet this fall should be down. Though they might be in the next county! Yikes.
Might be a tree or two that comes down in this wind as well. Be careful out there.

Everything was in great shape today. Thanks!

I do feel we need to either officially abandon or maintain the old expert line. I haven't seen in fully ridable in years, on fact I had difficulty walking.

Thoughts?

I do feel we need to either officially abandon or maintain the old expert line. I haven't seen in fully ridable in years, on fact I had difficulty walking.

I agree it needs to be maintained. And the fault falls on me. I would disagree that it has not been rideable in years. I rode it last year. Rode it a few times this spring.
Between some injuries, and spending most of my CamRock time this summer & fall riding with youth (aka, skills not able to ride this trail), it fell into disrepair without my realizing it. By the time I realized it, it was a mess and very overgrown and the trail was pretty impossible to find. Now you know how quickly the CamRock trails would disappear without the work of the awesome Trail Posse. A few months and the trail is gone
Now that leaves are down it will be much easier to recover the trail. I rode and walked it last week.
It will be recovered and maintained next season.

A big shout out to the Trail Posse for getting after it an cleaning the trails of those dastardly leaves! Most of the trail is done and it looks great.
Scott F - I just rode what you were able to get done tonight before the rain, so it is fresh on my mind...awesome work Great job not only clearing the trails, but also cleaning out the drainage areas and keeping the rain moving through the winter and spring. This should lead to less maintenance needed next year, and it is particularly needed on those older trails.