in Blue Mound (Moderator: Walt Hougas)

I offered to review the trails today with Kevin Swenson. He was extremely busy with setting up for the Horribly Hilly ride today and declined. However he accepted my assessment that the trails are ready to open!

Please be careful out there. It's damp enough to pack your tires. Traction on rocks and roots is sketchy. There are two streambed crossings in the beginner section it's probably best to walk because they are still a bit squishy.

Parking at Blue Mound is going to be pretty much impossible on Saturday due to the race.

Walt

I wanted to add that there are a few more trees down, please be careful until they can be cleared. There is one about neck level on one of the downhill sections of Over Lode. I'm hoping to take care of them over the next couple of days but with the Horribly Hilly on Saturday, I'm not sure if I'll make it to all of them. It would probably be a good idea to avoid the park Saturday

I cut some of the trees on Over Lode during a short ride tonight. There are still a few after the climb after the bridge, all but the last one can be ridden over. I met a guy named Joe (or Joel?) from Ft. Collins, riding the trails for the first time.

I cut some of the trees on Over Lode during a short ride tonight. There are still a few after the climb after the bridge, all but the last one can be ridden over. I met a guy named Joe (or Joel?) from Ft. Collins, riding the trails for the first time.

Thanks for getting after the down trees Gary.

Walt

The trails are once again OPEN!  I was at the park this evening cutting deadfall and checked out the trails.  I was about to reply to the park staff to open the entire system, but they had already done so.

Keep in mind that there may still be some slippery spots, but the majority of the trails should be plenty dry to ride without much trouble, and things should only get better by the weekend.

Here you can see the Trail Steward Walter declaring a spot only partially open. Otherwise, the trails are at levels of dry and flowing not yet seen in 2014.

you need to build you bike up suitably for the local terrain!

you need to build you bike up suitably for the local terrain!

I have a perfect bike for local terrain. Getting better about a wheelie with bar flick or turn is the real answer.

My old titanium flat bars that were on my Fat Chance when I first rode through those trees are 525 vs 760 mm. Now they look spandex stupid on a MTB, and hipster stupid on my commuter.

I once met a guy who said he was from Florida and had cut is bars down to like 15" wide. He said they needed to be super narrow to get through the really tight trees on the trails down there. He definitely seemed like he smoked a little too much chronic though.

I once met a guy who said he was from Florida and had cut is bars down to like 15" wide. He said they needed to be super narrow to get through the really tight trees on the trails down there. He definitely seemed like he smoked a little too much chronic though.

Narrow bars are definitely a sign of degeneracy.

I got rid of mine years ago. What were we thinking? They just seem so wrong now.

Walt