Brad and the crew need to read all they can (see the trail maintenance thread stickys here) and put it too use.
Just my $0.02
I have attended many working bee's at Lysterfield but am not in charge of the work. The new trail sections and workings were and are all directed by Trailmix.
We have to do something about the existing trails first before we can put in anything new (and they have to be family friendly), but with only 4 volenteers we can only get very little done!
This is an excellent point. The trouble is that the complete opposite has happened. New trails have been put in while the existing ones continue to deteriorate. Rather than fix the existing ones new trails are built around the old ones and then there is a new mess.
Family friendly, I assume you refer to the Lake track..
I'm consantly harrasing trailmix and parksVic for new trails i have many great ideas
The new trails idea needs to stop. No new trails! Do you want more of a mess to clean up? A plan need's to be drawn up on how to fix the problem.
Who ever has been changing the route of the blair witch trail back and fourth I hope you're happy with the complete pig stye you've created, what a joke and for what reason?
That Pig style you refer to is a complete mess you are right.I was part of the crew who built the original extra track. How could you possibly think I or anyone else who helped that day could be happy with the result? It again is a reflection of the process. The workers do as asked but are not educated in Trail building so if you have something to say best you take it up with the people who make the decisions and not the workers.
There are so many trails at Lysterfield, if you are in the know! The tracks I speak of are right under your nose, even the animals use them.
The only difference between animals and weekend warriors is I give way to animals...
These trails are no secret, are not used only by a secret society formed in 1952. They are used by more people than you think.
But this is one of the biggest problems that Trailmix face when dealing with Park's. People blasting down these trails that are either for walkers only or for Animals only. Do you have any idea how much Parks hate people riding on non permitted trails? The more it happens the harder they make it for new trail development..
How considerate of you to give way to animals but not weekend warriors. Should make you a popular boy with the shovel wielding guys at the next trail build day. You will be there right?
If there were more people at these trail days it may show to the park Vic guys that there is interest in better tracks.
Interest in better tracks. What about interest in the quality and safety of the current ones? They only need take a look in the car park on a weekend to see the interest in the trails. Look at the numbers of people who stream into that place every weekend. They have a responsibility. The numbers alone warrant proper trail management. Not a few drainage points and a re route FFS.
I would also like to bet that if Youies had the same number of people ride 1 track like they do at lysty it would not fair too well either!!!
I am amazed at how those tracks hold up considering the numbers that hammer them. I am not educated in trail building, but surely it is a reflection on the designers and maintenance crews trail knowledge. I'm feeling a theme here.
I would be stoked if somebody with good trail building experience gave trail mix a call and offered there services to help with the planing and repair of these trails
It's been offered Andy.. If the current organisers say they are doing a good job and have Parks convinced this is the case are they really going to accept outside help. It would require accepting that what your doing is not working and that you don't know how to fix it.
Trail mix gets there directions from parks Vic, who are reluctant to do anything!
They may have been reluctant to do anything thus far, but at some point both Parks and Trailmix will have to do something. That park is visited by thousands of Families and Kids every year. Come on...
o.k I'm not defending the trails at Lysty, they are not good, but i am defending the small crew who goes out there monthly and tries to do the work!
No one is arguing you on this mate. The people who turn up regularly, which is your group, are the ones who do the work. I know it, you know it and Trailmix knows it. If it were not for YOUR group then I doubt anything would get done.
It's clear. The problem is not the workers. .
I dont make the decisions. the Rangers say there isn't the demand
The Ranger's said this to you did they
Tell them to open their eyes and take a look at the car park on the weekends. What do they consider demand? Most weekends in summer you can't get a car park. Ridiculous.
Honestly, this is beyond the joke.
I recently took someone who is very new to mountain biking to the You Yangs. Before this they had only ever ridden Lysterfield. They could not believe the difference.
The reason they liked You Yangs better was because they felt safer. They could see the trails ahead, they did not have to deal with massive erosion and tree roots, fallen trees, ruts and the list goes on. This is a credit to the people/persons who run the show there..
The same can be said for Forrest. Every time I have been there it has been of excellent quality. Super fun and super safe!
I myself were part of the crew that created the mess on Hug and did allot of work on the raised rock section on Red Gum. Don't you think I myself look back and think " what the fuck did we do". But before anyone opens their mouth on me or anyone else who helped make things worse why don't you instead pick up the phone and call Trailmix and direct your opinions,comment's and suggestions to the people who make the decisions(Snozz and Rob). Better yet, grab some balls from your GF and go down to a Trail build day and have your say in person. Take your keyboard if it will help..
I do not feel guilty for helping create what is now a mess. Why? Because I got off my ass, picked up a shovel and sacrificed weekends to try and make a difference. I didn't sit on a forum bitching about it. And furthermore, I was instructed to do the work that I did, at the time I had no idea what it would become as I am not educated in Trail building. I was purely there to help like Andrew and the others. The trouble is now it is at the point where it needs real attention.
This thread has highlighted a problem which will hopefully force a change. One of 2 things need to happen. The current people running the show need to accept help from people with proper experience or Park's need to hand it over to someone else before the place gets completely destroyed..
The people who should be answering your questions, until this point, obviously don't want to be part of a public discussion. But at least you can be sure they are reading it.
Dons Flame suit.......
Brad