A fair drenching over a two wk period, and coming out of a dry winter the trail was loose with a fair amt off sand, well it has washed off some sections of trail, berms ,bridges, most of the dirt/sand has ended up in the wash gutters, or off the side of trail, so to bring the trail back too it's former condition, without causing damage to the surrounding scrubland, ie digging knew wholes ripping into the scrub, there is these wash gutters full of dirt that just really need to be emptied back up the trail, by bucket, shovel, a tidy rake out of leaf n crap well that be great. If a small crew is keen to get up there on Saturday morning say 9.30/10.30 am, if you've got a plastic rake and a bucket that be good. I'm not on face book and I'm crap on computers so this is it. Cheers.
The moo's had a good drop, so.
- Thread starter cabbo
- Start date
Ridenparadise
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hi. Good on you for wanting to help fix the trails, wherever the "moo" is. Please I'd like to make a suggestion.
You have observed the effect of a dry winter followed by solid rain. Water runs over softened and dusty trail and through gaps in the subsoil and along roots where dry earth has contracted. What results is washed away tread in some places and boggy, poorly draining tread in others where the water is welling up. It is tempting to salvage all that eroded soil and add it back to the trail, but it will not work.
Firstly that stuff is not pure soil, but all the leaves and sticks and rubbish washed down as well. It is not going to make good tread, even if weather and rider usage as really kind. Very soon it will be ridden and washed out all over again.
Secondly and most importantly, the reason there has been so much soil washed away is that the trail is not draining water. It is running along riding lines and ruts in the trail and eroding it even more. What you must do is make sure the trail drains water before it hits the sections of damaged trail. If you don't know how to make effective drains, then you should learn. They have to be big and they have to make the ride better, not buggered up.
Finally and following on from above, adding fill to trail is almost always a recipe for disaster. Wherever possible, dig down and use the excavated soil in mounds or patterns to guide riders onto the line the trail wants you to ride. Whether you build trail up using rocks, stones, soil or sand (doh), it will erode quickly and unpredictably. The aim when repairing trail damage is never having to come back and do it again whilst making every rider happy! Simple....
If you only have very basic tools and experience, look carefully at where the water is draining and enhance those drainages in gentle, shallow spoon shapes; that will be a great job. You can then learn how to really get the place right and go back armed with tools and knowledge to stop water getting to those vulnerable places.
Best of luck with it
You have observed the effect of a dry winter followed by solid rain. Water runs over softened and dusty trail and through gaps in the subsoil and along roots where dry earth has contracted. What results is washed away tread in some places and boggy, poorly draining tread in others where the water is welling up. It is tempting to salvage all that eroded soil and add it back to the trail, but it will not work.
Firstly that stuff is not pure soil, but all the leaves and sticks and rubbish washed down as well. It is not going to make good tread, even if weather and rider usage as really kind. Very soon it will be ridden and washed out all over again.
Secondly and most importantly, the reason there has been so much soil washed away is that the trail is not draining water. It is running along riding lines and ruts in the trail and eroding it even more. What you must do is make sure the trail drains water before it hits the sections of damaged trail. If you don't know how to make effective drains, then you should learn. They have to be big and they have to make the ride better, not buggered up.
Finally and following on from above, adding fill to trail is almost always a recipe for disaster. Wherever possible, dig down and use the excavated soil in mounds or patterns to guide riders onto the line the trail wants you to ride. Whether you build trail up using rocks, stones, soil or sand (doh), it will erode quickly and unpredictably. The aim when repairing trail damage is never having to come back and do it again whilst making every rider happy! Simple....
If you only have very basic tools and experience, look carefully at where the water is draining and enhance those drainages in gentle, shallow spoon shapes; that will be a great job. You can then learn how to really get the place right and go back armed with tools and knowledge to stop water getting to those vulnerable places.
Best of luck with it
sawnoff666
Likes Dirt
Yep, what you said.
Marty knows what he's doing. He's been doing it long enough. He's probably forgotten more about track building than most people know. I'll try and get up there if I'm not working.
Thanks Rideparadise
Thanks Rideparadise, as too rally too see trails being cared for, l also appreciate like minded concerned riders that have an eye in too mention any trail maintenance, advise or see too repair problem areas.
The trail is 90% sandstone rock base, and built across a gradual fall, dish drains have been put in and pump rollers are also spread along the trail, where ever there is a steepish section there would be a dish drain too catch and slow down the water flow, it's only on those massive dumps of heavy rain, days upon days, if the dish drains have silted up earlier and aren't cleaned out, well over flow occurs, yep!
This is a Sydney based trail and l consider this to be a pretty dam lucky place, to have a patch of awesome scrubland and share it with a trail, for what it is and where it is and who knows what could happen to this place? So I'm just part of a few of the crew that hold a real respect, a respect to see the importance here as a gift and it's up to us to take care of what we have, so mate if your ever heading through it be good to catch you and listen up more to any advise, check it out on phat vids. Cheers.
Thanks Rideparadise, as too rally too see trails being cared for, l also appreciate like minded concerned riders that have an eye in too mention any trail maintenance, advise or see too repair problem areas.
The trail is 90% sandstone rock base, and built across a gradual fall, dish drains have been put in and pump rollers are also spread along the trail, where ever there is a steepish section there would be a dish drain too catch and slow down the water flow, it's only on those massive dumps of heavy rain, days upon days, if the dish drains have silted up earlier and aren't cleaned out, well over flow occurs, yep!
This is a Sydney based trail and l consider this to be a pretty dam lucky place, to have a patch of awesome scrubland and share it with a trail, for what it is and where it is and who knows what could happen to this place? So I'm just part of a few of the crew that hold a real respect, a respect to see the importance here as a gift and it's up to us to take care of what we have, so mate if your ever heading through it be good to catch you and listen up more to any advise, check it out on phat vids. Cheers.
bikesarefun
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Nothing you can do to deal with this sort of weather pattern. If you do everything right to deal with regular light and heavy rain, then you're pretty much guaranteed to get stung after a long dry spell like we've just had.
Cheers Mal
Ha Ha Yeah! I've probably forgotten more how too ride mate, yeah, will see how much rain falls in the morning l guess, if too wet forget it, had a wonder this arvo, most water has left the trail surface. I noticed a few of the kickers have a fall away of dirt at the lip, stuff like that be good to get onto ay, anyway itill get sorted. Cheers to all.