Mad River Riders 2011 MTB Update
Hello Mad River Riders and friends,
Trail maintenance is continuing by the efforts of individuals. As summer moves forwards, trail surfaces are stabilizing but there are still many soft spots. Any new rain quickly turns the trails into mud or streams. Plum Creek from the top of Dana Hill to the top of the ridge and Power Line from Geyers Rock Bridge down to Eurich Pond are pretty much under water.. It is recommended that another route be found until theses can dry out.
Remember to support the Mad River Riders by joining each year. Donations and business sponsorships are also great ways to help sustain this incredible community resource. Thank you and we hope to see you on the trails!
Trails
Check out the new map and trail descriptions at madriverriders.com. We welcome your feedback and corrections. This project continues to evolve and any help is awesome!
The Mad River Riders will have organized trail days for several projects. We also welcome trail adopters/partners and support informal work parties. We encourage all users of the trails to participate in Inventory and General Maintenance and Repair throughout the season.
There are three core areas of trail work.
Inventory
Identify specific problem areas and plan best fixes
General Maintenance and Repair
Clear corridor and travel path of smaller downed debris and organic material
Clean out drainage systems
Handsaw small and medium downed trees that block travel
Minimize natural hazards, like pointy dead branches, where applicable
Advanced Projects
Chainsaw and removal of major downed trees
Build/shape trail tread and drainage systems
Install rock armor in trail tread
Maintenance/construction of bridges and structures
Design reroutes and layout new trail
For those interested in tackling advanced projects, please confirm landowner permissions and get approval before any undertaking. The official trail days are great training for advanced projects. There are a lot of great trail builders in the Mad River Valley!
MRR Trail Inventory Spring 2011
To celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday June 4th, we will be
hosting a work party on Plum Line. Meet at the Eurich Pond parking lot at 1pm, ready to ride and work. If you want to hike, that's fine
too. Tools will be available or bring your own. We will be working on a new section near the start of the long descent to the Sugarbush
Pond. We can shuttle people back to Eurich Pond at the end of work party.
Many thanks to all the awesome volunteers and pros who helped
maintain and improve trails this May. Partly due to record setting
rains and partly to increasing interest, this has been the single
biggest trail work month in MRR history.
These people have helped; Tom Baffa, Luke Ianuzzi, Jed Carini, Mike
Skroski, John Cole, Bob McNeish, Chad Borofsky, Brian Daigle, Aaron
Hersey, Sean Flynn, Reid Kiniry, Pete Cozzi, Dave and Dillon Rowles,
Bob Kogut, Jerry Jones, Kenny Bryant, Darrin Lambeth, the students of
GMVS, Hardy Avery, Dwight Gies, Doug Lewis, Patrick Kell, and others.
My apologies, if I missed anybody. Great work everyone!
Unfortunately, some of this work has been undone. This past week, a
high-clearance Jeep drove on the Eurich Pond trails, causing
extensive damage. They went to the top of Hell Hill past Race, laying
deep tire ruts most of the way. They also drove out towards Plum
Line/ High Plum, crossed the big stream, churned up a huge mud pit
We've contacted the landowners, assessed the damage, closed the
access point and begun repairs. There has been a lot of drainage work
done this spring on Plum Line too, which has made a big difference already.
Here's a partial list of the work that's been done this May:
Inventories have been done on most of the Valley's trails, with major
winter blowdowns removed in many spots. The thunderstorms have added
some new ones, and chainsaw work will continue. Please share any new
blowdowns (or other trail issues) with Stark Mountain Bikes, who are
keeping a running tab on current conditions and work projects.
With the remainder of the 2010 VT-FPR grant money, Sustainable
Trailworks continued improvements on Enchanted Forest and Cyclone
Connector. These trails have been transformed from unsustainable soft
muddy paths to properly drained and armored routes that are much more
fun. VT-FPR is very happy with this work and we can likely look
forward to future financial support for work in Camel's Hump SF, Phen
Basin and other forests around the state. We are helping build VMBA's
strong reputation for great trails!
We have also begun work on Cyclone, with chainsaw clearing, raking,
short reroutes for unsustainable sections and armoring in wet spots.
Expect work to continue throughout the summer. The new bermed turn
off the slippery rock face near the bottom will be getting an easier
go-around too.
A big crew from Stark Mountain Bikes put in a day on High Plum,
stabilizing older rock work, draining/ armoring wet spots and
benching some of the steeper sidehills. It is still a really
difficult trail, but these improvements will make it more fun to ride.
There is now a new section of trail that starts near the end of Shady
Lane (off Village Rd.) that connects almost to the Sugarbush Inn. We
need to get a bridge built and armor a few pieces, but otherwise the
trail is well-defined. This helps link the Sugarbush trails into the
Mad River Riders network, creating a mostly dirt route from the
mountain all the way to Waitsfield village. This work has been
spreadheaded by Mike Skroski.
Speaking of Mike, he and I will be walking the Old Center Fayston
trails tomorrow with a new landowner, to discuss reroutes and
enhancements to get around the housesite and down to the Old County
Rd trailhead. Two other landowners in the area have also given
permission to build new trails or use existing ones. Stay tuned for
developments. Despite losing a few hundred yards of prime trail, we
may end up with more mileage once work is completed.
Doug Lewis is out in Phen Basin today, clearing East Loop and
surveying for water damage. We are also planning for a bigger project
on Chain Gang to address persistent issues. VT-FPR needs to approve
the work, so it may be a while.
There are more work and planning projects this summer. Stay tuned for
updates and please keep helping!
John
Mill Brook Trail
The Mad River Path Association is planning to do work on this route, from Tucker Hill to Marble Hill Rd., and we should be involved in the efforts. More info to come. FYI, I (John Atkinson) have been on the MRPA Board for the last four years. I believe that mountain bikers should have a voice in the Path and that the Path is one of our best partners. We officially share this section, the Kingsbury Greenway and the German Flats section of the Catamount Trail with the MRPA. Please support the Mad Path at madriverpath.com.
The Mad River Greenway, from Tremblay Rd. to Meadow Rd., is currently closed. Please do not use this key section of the Path while we work to reopen it.
Proposed Landowner Negotiations
We need help gathering tax map information and planning how to approach these landowners for positive results.
Hyde Away
Center Fayston trails
Wu Ledges/ Dennyland (Waitsfield Conservation Commission)
Rolston Rd. to Wu Ledges
Plum Creek to Plum Line
Old trail on uphill side of German Flats Rd.
Clinic Extension to Butternut Hill Rd.
Cyclone Extension to Flatbread/ RT 100.
2011 MRR MTB Trail Map
2011 MTB Trail Descriptions
