I managed to get out for a ride Saturday with a friend on a 525 EXC. We rode the Atlatna C loop.
It has been quite a while since I rode that loop as there is a nasty set up whoops on the section that runs north of county rode 624. Evidently it has been groomed since the last time I rode there - while certainly some whoops, not to bad at all!
There is a nasty mud hole on the trail north of 624 as well - maybe 6 or 7 miles from that parking area on 624 near M-33. We tried to find a way around it, - nothing doing. I went first, taking what appeared to be the best line, on the left (as you are riding the loop clockwise). That was a mistake!
Fortunately, I had decided it best to walk the bike through, with me standing up on the dry (but narrow) edge. About half way through the hole, the front end suddenly dropped down DEEP into the muck - water up to the top of the front tire. As the water was not as deep near the back of the bike, no water got up to the air box - it was darn close though. Had I pressed on, it certainly would have! I ended up picking the bike up onto the edge and walking it out on the edge. BJ on the 525 hit the exact same spot - same result of course - so we dragged that big beast out of the muck. (boy I like how comparatively light my 250 is!) At least I avoided a repeat of my Gladwin experience a few years ago!
Of course AFTER the ride I spoke with a local guy (Joel - some of you know him) who is the one that evidently dug that deep spot with the back of his Berg earlier in the week! Another rider he was with found the right side to be much easier going. So, if you ride that loop, stay right! (heading clockwise on the loop).
After that BJ and I had a great time. Traction was great - light occasional mist or rain, a few minutes of sun shine even.
We came across two guys doing some trail maintenance as well. It sounds like we may be seeing the Atlanta trails maintained much wider this summer.
Evidently (there is a bunch of he said she said garbage surrounding this - so take it all accordingly), the Bulldog chapter was supposed to be maintaining them wider (50"), but really had not been. The DNR officer responsible was not inspecting their work, was just signing off on it. Result was trails that seemed (generally) tighter than 50" - keeping quad traffic more limited in some areas. A change in DNR personnel, Bulldog saying they were a MC club, not quad club...bla bla bla...result is them no longer maintaining it.
While I certainly prefer to see it narrower, if Bulldog was obligated to do 50", they should - so I understand the DNR not being happy. My impression is the CCC has gotten a unoffical group together to help maintain it to DNR specs or at least closer to it. I sure wish we could keep it tighter though. It does sound like they will be addressing that C loop mud hole, or at least assessing it, (the guys working the trail were logging GPS coordinates for trouble spots for later follow up) along with two similar trouble spots up on the A loop. My concern is the DNR does the sort of garbage they did with Gladwin and close it down. In those 3 spots there is a definite need for culverts or decking - one of which is a spot where a small stream is flowing through and the water back up creates a deep hole.
Anyone with suggestions for how we might avoid a repeat of Gladwin here? Perhaps the CCC is already on top of it? How about we push for some bike only trail here while the topic is on the table with the DNR?
It has been quite a while since I rode that loop as there is a nasty set up whoops on the section that runs north of county rode 624. Evidently it has been groomed since the last time I rode there - while certainly some whoops, not to bad at all!
There is a nasty mud hole on the trail north of 624 as well - maybe 6 or 7 miles from that parking area on 624 near M-33. We tried to find a way around it, - nothing doing. I went first, taking what appeared to be the best line, on the left (as you are riding the loop clockwise). That was a mistake!
Fortunately, I had decided it best to walk the bike through, with me standing up on the dry (but narrow) edge. About half way through the hole, the front end suddenly dropped down DEEP into the muck - water up to the top of the front tire. As the water was not as deep near the back of the bike, no water got up to the air box - it was darn close though. Had I pressed on, it certainly would have! I ended up picking the bike up onto the edge and walking it out on the edge. BJ on the 525 hit the exact same spot - same result of course - so we dragged that big beast out of the muck. (boy I like how comparatively light my 250 is!) At least I avoided a repeat of my Gladwin experience a few years ago!
Of course AFTER the ride I spoke with a local guy (Joel - some of you know him) who is the one that evidently dug that deep spot with the back of his Berg earlier in the week! Another rider he was with found the right side to be much easier going. So, if you ride that loop, stay right! (heading clockwise on the loop).
After that BJ and I had a great time. Traction was great - light occasional mist or rain, a few minutes of sun shine even.
We came across two guys doing some trail maintenance as well. It sounds like we may be seeing the Atlanta trails maintained much wider this summer.
Evidently (there is a bunch of he said she said garbage surrounding this - so take it all accordingly), the Bulldog chapter was supposed to be maintaining them wider (50"), but really had not been. The DNR officer responsible was not inspecting their work, was just signing off on it. Result was trails that seemed (generally) tighter than 50" - keeping quad traffic more limited in some areas. A change in DNR personnel, Bulldog saying they were a MC club, not quad club...bla bla bla...result is them no longer maintaining it.
While I certainly prefer to see it narrower, if Bulldog was obligated to do 50", they should - so I understand the DNR not being happy. My impression is the CCC has gotten a unoffical group together to help maintain it to DNR specs or at least closer to it. I sure wish we could keep it tighter though. It does sound like they will be addressing that C loop mud hole, or at least assessing it, (the guys working the trail were logging GPS coordinates for trouble spots for later follow up) along with two similar trouble spots up on the A loop. My concern is the DNR does the sort of garbage they did with Gladwin and close it down. In those 3 spots there is a definite need for culverts or decking - one of which is a spot where a small stream is flowing through and the water back up creates a deep hole.
Anyone with suggestions for how we might avoid a repeat of Gladwin here? Perhaps the CCC is already on top of it? How about we push for some bike only trail here while the topic is on the table with the DNR?