Trail Maintenance on Mt. Zion Trail

[MTBMaven]

I have this Friday off from work and plan to ride to Hogee's Camp via Upper Winter Creek Trail and do some vegetation removal on the trail to Mt. Zion. If there is interest I would consider heading back on Saturday as well. And if there is interest I would also consider backpacking in and staying overnight on Friday.

I am working with ANF to borrow tools for the weekend. Let me know ASAP if anyone is interested so I know how many tools to get. Just add @yahoo.com to my STR handle to shoot me an email directly.

I love to make a loop out of Upper Winter Creek Trail, to Mt. Zion, and back to Chantry. However the hike-a-bike up to Mt. Zion is a real pain. If the trail were brought back to life with some serious vegetation removal and some minor trail repair, this would become more of a regular ride for me.

[dstepper]

It would be nice if the gate were open but my guess is that in is not. Let me think about this, I may be willing to help Saturday as long as you prune the Poison Oak. If you do the loop do you plan on going up to Camp Sturtevant and drop back down the Gabrileno or come back Upper Winter Creek?

Are you going to take any vengence out on that root at Hoegees.

Did you read about the new owner of the pack station driving off Chantry Flats road in his pickup? The workers at the dam heard the crash and rescued him.

[Pain Freak]

Holy smokes. How could he go off the road and not end up all the way down? That thing is like a cliff almost the entire way down. MTB Maven, I was kind of committed to a ride Saturday, but let me see if I can bow out.

[dstepper]

The article I read said it was a tire problem. He might of got that old pickup when he brought the business up there.

Here is a picture of that old truck stuck in Winter Creek.

[MTBMaven]

Originally Posted by [LEFT

[FONT=serif]dstepper[/FONT][/left]]It would be nice if the gate were open but my guess is that in is not. Let me think about this, I may be willing to help Saturday as long as you prune the Poison Oak. If you do the loop do you plan on going up to Camp

[FONT=serif]Sturtevant[/FONT]

and drop back down the

[FONT=serif]Gabrileno[/FONT]

or come back Upper Winter Creek?

Are you going to take any

[FONT=serif]vengence[/FONT]

out on that root at

[FONT=serif]Hoegees[/FONT]

.

Did you read about the new owner of the pack station driving off Chantry Flats road in his pickup? The workers at the dam heard the crash and rescued him.

Gate is mos def still closed. Just up there two weeks ago on an epic ride from Three Points to Chantry with Epic Rider. I plan to bike to Chantry then Upper Winter Creek and stash the bike a bit of the way up the trail to Zion. At the end of the day I will ride Lower Winter Creek and back up to Chantry.

It would be great if you could make it. The extra help would be great!

I will not take out any agression on that root. It's a great obsticle. I'm not into taking out the challenges on trails when doing maintenance unless the obsticle is causing serouse errosion issues. I'm into making trails rideable that are not due to lack of maintenance.

IMHO there are too many trails that are worked on that don't need work when there are trails like the Mt. Zion Trail or Shortcut Canyon that are in drastic need of maintenance.

Oh, there isn't PO on the trail to Zion except for maybe a bit near the bottom. Most of that trail is south facing and more soft and hard Chapparal.

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Holy smokes. How could he go off the road and not end up all the way down? That thing is like a cliff almost the entire way down. MTB Maven, I was kind of committed to a ride Saturday, but let me see if I can bow out.

It would be great to have you alone. Let me know if you can make it.

[dstepper]

[quote=MTBMaven]I will not take out any agression on that root.

I think you missed the point of my poking fun at you. I was not hinting that you would alter the trail, I know you would not. I just know that is were you put that nasty gash on your leg that took the stitches.

[Pain Freak]

I got that one. From what you told me I assumed D was talking about that root.LMAO!

[dstepper]

Originally Posted by MTBMaven

It would be great to have you alone. Let me know if you can make it.

Mike do you guys have something going on? If you guys want to be alone just let me know.

[Von-Diggity]

Originally Posted by dstepper

Mike do you guys have something going on? If you guys want to be alone just let me know.

I saw that one too, kinda makes you wonder!

[MTBMaven]

I think you missed the point of my poking fun at you. I was not hinting that you would alter the trail, I know you would not. I just know that is were you put that nasty gash on your leg that took the stitches.

Sorry, yes I did miss your joke. Actually that was not the root that I jacked myself on but very close to it. You know that root that jacked me should be removed but I will not. It totally encroaches on the trail but I feat that removing it might kill the tree. I'd rather keep the obstacle than kill the tree.

Just got word from a guy at the Forest Service that tools will be available from a stash of tools at Chantry for us to borrow. Very cool!

[dstepper]

I can help on Saturday. I need some time to get there from Orange County...is 9am to late?

[MTBMaven]

9:00AM at the closed gate on Saturday it is. Thanks for coming up Dean! I will check with the ANF if there is a way we can get a key to the gate or other means of vehicular access. That will save ~45 minutes of riding up to Chantry. Depending on the tools we take we can ride or hike to the work site.

Any other takers? Mike you in?

[dstepper]

Originally Posted by MTBMaven

9:00AM at the closed gate on Saturday it is. Thanks for coming up Dean! I will check with the ANF if there is a way we can get a key to the gate or other means of vehicular access. That will save ~45 minutes of riding up to Chantry. Depending on the tools we take we can ride or hike to the work site.

Any other takers? Mike you in?

Brother we are riding even if I have to drag tools behind me on a rope.

I can borrow a Burly if it would help but I do not think we will need it.

[Schecky]

I wish I had the time to join you. One of my favorite rides.
Any word on the gate opening?

[MTBMaven]

Originally Posted by Schecky

Any word on the gate opening?

No word that I have heard of. There is a sign before the gate asking people to write to the powers that be requesting fund to fix the road.

[Pain Freak]

Originally Posted by dstepper
Mike do you guys have something going on? If you guys want to be alone just let me know.

And I thought he was talking to you!

[MTBMaven]

It's 10:40AM on Friday and I still have not heard from either of my contact at the ANF. I would prefer not to go out and purchase $60-$70 worth of tools when the ANF has stuff I can borrow. Unless other have tools to perform vegetation removal we can obtain by Saturday or someone from the ANF contacts me I think we need to reschedule. Stay tuned...if needed I will post a cancellation this afternoon about tomorrow.

I'm trying not to get frustrated.

[dstepper]

You mentioned vegetation removal, so I was bringing my 22 inch machete and not so long, long handled pruners. The pruners can cut branches up to 1 ¼ thick. Do you think we need a handsaw?

I say lets just go and do what can. You can buy a machete for about $12 at the hardware store.

[MTBMaven]

All is right with the World again. I went to OSH and purchased hand pruners, shears, and a 6" hand saw. I rode up to Chnatry then Upper Winter Creek Trail to Hoegees Camp, eat lunch and started working at 2:00. I know much latter start than I wanted but whatever. I worked for about 2.5 hours. An hour of which was spent trying to clear a downed tree. Got most of it but still needs some more work.

On the way out I met Kevin who was my ANF contact. He is going to have two McClouds and maybe some loppers for us for tomorrow. I told him we would be at Chantry about 10:00AM.

I will be bringing the tools I purchased, food, water, long pants, long sleeve shirt, and gloves. I got a tick today that had its head in me by the time I got home so watch out tomorrow.

[Pain Freak]

Yep, I'll be there at the gate at 9am.
Bike
Riding clothes
Gloves
Bug repellent
Water
Cliff bars
Head net