El Moro

[Permagrin]

I went to El Moro after work today like I do 3-4 times a week and like I did last Thursday and sometime between then and tonight they shredded the canyon and subsequent trails.

I went out Bommer and out the ridge to BFI but when I got to the bottom of Mach 1 I was rewarded with graded berms and all the debris across the trail all the way up the Cyn, and Slow N Easy was a grind just to stay up and not sink. The many spots I had no choice but to walk, my feet sank and slid around. The fun ruts, bumps and grooves on that one hill in the middle of the canyon - gone, flat and slippery now. It's like the bottom of chutes where you have to get up that steep section after the sand.

El Moro is my favorite park down here but today I left my share of cursing on them trails. Don't take my word for it, though 'cause some of you die hards might like it. Personally it's the worst condition I've seen El Moro in and I hope they're planning on coming back to pack some of it down. In the meantime, I'm off to find a new place to ride after work while I still can.

Good luck and post up if it improves any.

[xhuskr]

[bvader]

Yeah they started that last week I am not sure exactly what it is supposed to accomplish. I would think they would do it when there was some moisture so it would get packed down. They must be doing it it a few places Canyon Acres was freshly graded too.

Willow Canyon climb at LWCP was still fine, thats a good climb! Good challenge at the bottom.

[genusmtbkr5]

Ya, John aka KeepsWhatHappens, ScottV and I went Friday and I did a TAV patrol on Sunday, "No Dogs", "No Name Ridge", "Mach 1" and "Poles" have all been graded and all really loose. About the only trail that wasn't graded besides "I think I can" was "Elevator" which is what I went up on Sunday. Trials could use some serious rain right now, even at Aliso.

[KeepsWhatHappens]

At least they didn't grade Fenceline and Missing Link

Originally Posted by bvader

Yeah they started that last week I am not sure exactly what it is supposed to accomplish.

My guess is some political crony has a buddy with a grading company. The state probably has money they "have" to spend or they won't get it next year.

[dstepper]

Don't blame the parks, that is OC Fire grading the roads. Sad thing is that the ruts weren't bad this year...the roads did not need help. And they don't care about the mtbers. Just ride it the lines will reestablish soon.

You can always access Laguna Wilderness Park up Dartmoor Street in North Laguna, they never grade that road.

Dean

[newpos]

just rode el moro today. a lot of hikers, a couple mtbers. eeeverything seems to be graded. frustrating at times. very loose and unpredictable, however lines on the right and left are just beginning to get packed down but nowhere near where it was.

[UR2KLOS]

Maybe the Poker ride raised so much money that they are now able to pave the trails, and the grading was the first step?

If Permagrin has to walk it I ain't even trying.

[Chopper]

Originally Posted by UR2KLOS

Maybe the Poker ride raised so much money that they are now able to pave the trails, and the grading was the first step?

If Permagrin has to walk it I ain't even trying.

The park doesn't actually have much to do with the grading. It is most likely the Orange County Fire Authority under contract with SCE making sure that their trucks can access the power poles.
I won't be at the next SHARE meeting but if anyone is concerned about the impact of over grading the park, I would suggest that you attend the meeting and work with SHARE to approach the park managment to see if there is something that can be done to decrease the damage to the trails.
It has been done in other areas. There are other trails in Orange County where the OCFA has agreed to reduce the impact of grading by only dropping the blade where it is necessary instead of just grading the entire length of the road, and by just grading the pole access roads instead of grading everything.

[dstepper]

For safety reasons on the parts that get bike use it would be nice if they would take a water truck and water down the road after grading. It would compact the lose stuff. Trashed fireroads is not a very nice thank you to SHARE's financial contribution to the park.

Dean

[hoovermd]

MaryMary & I rode El Moro this aM.
I have to say the grading made SSing a pain, but the upshot is that if you want to practice your skills on loose stuff this is now the place for you

Looks like the grading was done to widen the roads, not flatten them. Looks like about 3-5 feet was added on the width. Better for the trucks certainly.

Oh well, in a few weeks things will be better. There is already a line appearing but I do agree that spending a few of those charity $$ on a water truck would make things mucho better.


MaryMary grindng it out



Single speeders LOVE this stuff!

You can see the widening here

[dirtvert]

this is one of the many reasons why i ride in laguna coast. i'll cross over for missing link/fenceline, but that's about it.

[xhuskr]

rode in LWC and thru El Moro and saw some of the widening....sad

[Piranha]

xhuskr...it was a pleasure meeting and riding with all you guys at LCWP and El Moro today. Good times on the 4th of July for sure!

The grading and widening they did to some of the fire roads like Mach One make riding unsafe.

[newpos]

hoover- yep, trail looks exactly like that...where was that first pic taken??

[art23rockpile]

Originally Posted by dirtvert

this is one of the many reasons why i ride in laguna coast. i'll cross over for missing link/fenceline, but that's about it.

Unfortunately, they've done parts of LCWP too.
Between yesterday morning and today, Water Tank and parts of Bommer were graded. Laguna Bowl was done previously and is too effin loose to get any good speed.
And as Dean pointed out, the erosion/ruts were mild enough that grading was unnecessary. Now, i'll just use the fire roads as connectors, and hit the singletrack trails as much as possible. Hopefully we'll get some summer rain to compact the dirt faster.

[hoovermd]

Originally Posted by newpos

hoover- yep, trail looks exactly like that...where was that first pic taken??

The one of MaryMary?
This is just before the turn to head up to I Think I Can

[Permagrin]

Has anyone ridden El Moro in the last week or so? Know if the trails are doing any better?

[Chewyeti]

Originally Posted by Permagrin

Has anyone ridden El Moro in the last week or so? Know if the trails are doing any better?

myself and rockinthecasbah rode it on thursday.

The fireroads are still kinda loose, but starting to packdown.

Rattle snake and redtail are pretty narrow and are good for some bar smacking action.

I made a little snafu and otb'd on rattlesnake LOL
Left some dna for ya

[genusmtbkr5]

Originally Posted by Permagrin

Has anyone ridden El Moro in the last week or so? Know if the trails are doing any better?

Yup, I did a TAV patrol there yesterday about 6pm till sunset. Saw Lois aka sweetpea. I went up BFI to Moro Ridge, Missing Link/Fenceline, Red Tail/Rattlesnake, Mach 1 to El Moro Canyon and out. Mach 1 is still a bit loose, but not as bad as a couple weeks ago when I rode it on the 29th of June. I went up Elevator then and that is fine. Moro Ridge and BFI are also fine. The singletracks(FL,ML,RT,RS) are in good shape, but RT/RS could use a small cutback. Just hurts a bit when the brush hits the legs. "I think I can" is ok as well as Ticketron. I would stay off No Name, No Dogs and Poles for now. Those seem to be the loosest. Don't know how Slow'N Easy is cause I haven't been up or down that lately.