NSW Trail Maintenance - Royal National Park

[abevern]

Trail Maintenance Saturday 15 December 2012

Hi All,

If you're on the list, you'd already have received this. But just in case - 3rd Saturday equals trail maintenance at Loftus. If we get enough bods, there's an opportunity for another berm. Maybe. Hope to see you all on the day:

Dear all

This Saturday is the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] Saturday of the month so Royal Area staff welcome you to assist with some trail rehabilitation works – as part of the on-going sustainable use of the network of MTB trails in the north end of Royal National Park.

We will meet in the Royal Area carpark at 9am and work through to 12–12.30. Ranger Sam Reid is your supervisor for the works day.

You are free to arrive later or leave earlier if that suits you. We will focus again on “The Diversion” site, and we will get some rock materials to stabilise the track and cut off unsustainable by-passes.

Please come dressed in appropriate attire – sensible work shoes, long sleeves, long sleeved shirt, hat, gloves, sunblock and water to drink. We can provide some tea/coffee/biscuits but otherwise you are self-contained.

If its raining we will still go out – seeing where the rain runs off the tracks is of value to us too.

Please RSVP (by text message please) by 7am Saturday if you get the chance – thankyou.

Patsy Ross and Sam Reid
Rangers, Royal Area, NPWS

 

[Halo1]

Hi All,

If you're on the list, you'd already have received this. But just in case - 3rd Saturday equals trail maintenance at Loftus. If we get enough bods, there's an opportunity for another berm. Maybe. Hope to see you all on the day:

I didn't make the list, but I will be there!

 

[markb84]

Can't make it this month in afraid guys. My son's christening has to take precedence apparently…

Good luck with the work and ill hopefully be there for the first one of 2012

 

[willsy01]

Can't make it this month in afraid guys. My son's christening has to take precedence apparently…

Good luck with the work and ill hopefully be there for the first one of 2012

Will you be driving your Delorean there?

 

[ptc]

Rode Loftus this afternoon and 2 of the large rocks that were up near the highway end of the Temptation Creek ST have been put across the right hand (curved) track that goes around the Angophora that is downhill from the junction.

 

[abevern]

Omg, you can't be serious. That's unbelievable. Where do morons like that come from?

 

[markb84]

Someone is really determined to avoid that line going around the tree! Rode past it today, pretty much what we were planning to do on the straight-through line; put a couple of big rocks there.

Moving stuff away from blocked trails is one thing, blocking diversions with that same stuff is just plain wrong! I just don't understand why someone is so insistent on keeping that straight through bit??

 

[higgin_d]

If I were to play devils advocate... I would probably say that the diversion is too tight (slow) in comparison to the speed you hit the rest of that track. a young dumbarse who didn't see the big picture may feel the need t o reinstate the faster line.

I do however say that that anyone who undoes anyone's trail maintenence is a rude prick.

 

[Cronar]

If I were to play devils advocate... I would probably say that the diversion is too tight (slow) in comparison to the speed you hit the rest of that track. a young dumbarse who didn't see the big picture may feel the need t o reinstate the faster line.

I do however say that that anyone who undoes anyone's trail maintenence is a rude prick.

That corner can be hit at full speed.

I don't get it, hitting a corner at speed is the funnest thing you can do on a bike other than getting air ... why would you make a trail straighter?

 

[dcrofty]

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/FireClosure.aspx

 

[abevern]

Hi All
I rode most trails last night and I'm struggling to find anything that needs maintaining.
Someone has done a pretty good job of trail trimming from Engadine to Heathcote, which is what I had thought we would be doing.
Blair Witch could arguably do with some thinning but there's not a whole lot. Diversion is holding up well.
Thoughts?

 

[markb84]

The diversion is holding up well but still needs some work to make it flow better, I'm seeing some areas that people (maybe including me) are having to brake if they don't have the right line into the corner.

The key changes required are in 2 sections:
1. the first entry off the main line (coming down the track) the corner inbetween the little trees off the track is great but we need to build up the first mini-berm a little (we realised this late into the build day when we opened the track and didn't have time to do it. The main bermo there is good and holds well but fires you off too quickly to cleanly make it round to cross the old track, need a little support there (about the size of the first entry mini-berm) to avoid people going off the track when they can't make the corner.
2. Once you cross the track the first left hander is proving too hard, it's a slightly off-camber flat turn and I've seen one person come off there and several skid marks causing erosion, we either need to put in a better choke to slow people before they hit the turn of berm the turn up. I don't want to offer berms as the solution to everything but, they do work!

Other than that I agree, everything is riding pretty nicely at the moment. Hoping I can make it this Saturday.

 

[Halo1]

I suggest getting a few barrow loads of crushed rock into the new track diversion area for then next few build days. I think it will be needed in the corners to make the track flow a little better. The main berm bit could probably use some as well.

I will be there in the morning, but might be on light (bludging) duties. My shoulder is playing up from coming off the bike last week.:crutch:

 

[Cronar]

There's a vigilante out there who keeps unblocking the diversion! Riding to work on Thursday morning they had reopened the old track and blocked the new one, 10 minutes of work and everything was back to normal. He's probably the same guy who's putting the braid line through the good corner section on the other side of the valley (which i've now blocked!)

 

[bmar560]

There's a vigilante out there who keeps unblocking the diversion! Riding to work on Thursday morning they had reopened the old track and blocked the new one, 10 minutes of work and everything was back to normal. He's probably the same guy who's putting the braid line through the good corner section on the other side of the valley (which i've now blocked!)

He's probably worried about his Strava segment now getting longer and he wont be able to beat his previous PRs

 

[abevern]

Thanks cronar ( and others ) for helping keep the trails "proper".

Bmar - I think you're onto something with the strava segment. I've been struggling to work out why anyone would want straighter trails.

 

[dcrofty]

Bmar - I think you're onto something with the strava segment. I've been struggling to work out why anyone would want straighter trails.

That track is also used by a lot of walkers and trail runners. In my experience people walking uphill want to go in a straight line and the shortest distance so our mystery trail re aligner is very possibly a pedestrian.

 

[NullaTroy]

Could be a walker with a grudge against us I guess...... In a way I hope its a MTBer and not a walker because last thing we need is cross user group conflict.

The Trail diversion signs were pulled down again last night / late arvo. I put them back roughly but will have to grab some really long cable ties or something and keep them in the camelback so I can throw them back up properly.

Q: Are we allowed to make some wooden signs and set them in properly. Like you see in the park on trails that say no MTB'ers because of habitiat issues etc etc
Q: Would we be allowed to put in a larger notice board type sign at the Loftus carpark entry talking about trail conditions and maintenance sections

Not sure if either of these things would immediately help of course..

PS: When is the next trail day ?

Thx

 

[markb84]

Could be a walker with a grudge against us I guess...... In a way I hope its a MTBer and not a walker because last thing we need is cross user group conflict.

The Trail diversion signs were pulled down again last night / late arvo. I put them back roughly but will have to grab some really long cable ties or something and keep them in the camelback so I can throw them back up properly.

I didn't realise until now you guys were talking about the official diversion we recently opened, WOW! I can't believe someone would be so foolhardy as to open up the old trail when the regen was going so well and when the new section has started to bed in and ride nicely.

Unfortunately we may have assisted them, at the last build day we moved a couple of the closure rocks at the top to help create the little berm at the beginning of the section, it seemed that the track was still very obviously closed off and there were enough rocks remaining but obviously not the case.

Q: Are we allowed to make some wooden signs and set them in properly. Like you see in the park on trails that say no MTB'ers because of habitiat issues etc etc

All signage needs to be official and sanctioned by the Royal, We can't put up signs but we can request that they are required.

Q: Would we be allowed to put in a larger notice board type sign at the Loftus carpark entry talking about trail conditions and maintenance sections

I really like this idea, there are signs around but somewhere that people stop and meet is a good place to ensure they get read.

 

[bigdamo]

That track is also used by a lot of walkers and trail runners. In my experience people walking uphill want to go in a straight line and the shortest distance so our mystery trail re aligner is very possibly a pedestrian.

In my experience walkers don't need to move the obstacles they can just walk over them.I for one prefer to keep to the tracks walking or biking especially if they zig zag up a hill or down a hill alot less effort is required zig zaging.