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Hanzo

Trail Maintenance Report

We started today bright and early meeting up at redbox station and climbed up to Eaton Saddle where we decended The Valley Forge Trail. CORBA Hans brought the tools and there was lots of work to do. Yuccas galore!!! By the end of the day everyone got stuck by one of dem f**kin plants. But I think we got the best of them for now. Well Andy ended up with a yucca splinter that went through his fingernail. We also had to clear a big slide area and had fun doing so. Thanks Hans for setting this thing up and Brian for posting it.

Great to meet Kanga, mtb prodigy, Robin & Mike? and the Trek employee. Sorry I forgot your names.

Thank you Hans for the swag.

Dean climbing the road to Eaton Saddle

Hans teaching trail maintenance 101. Thanks for the cookies Robin.

John, Brian and Tim working on the dreaded yuccas

Trailwork spokes

The slide
Shesmiles, Kanga, Tim and Prodigy

The Before

Starting to look good. I can see a trail

The after

The views

Playing around

You cant see it but Hans took the roller with the BOB trailer filled with tools and it got air.

Celebrity Steve Martin sighting. Trade that pulaski for a banjo.

Dino Brown

Sprockethead

Damn Yucca! My finger is still throbbing. Big Thanks to Hans, Steve, John, and Brian for getting us all the tools and lessons. We had a great time out there and decending Valley Forge wasn't bad either.

dstepper

Special thanks to the young downhiller Nick (Mt Prodigy)…dude you worked your butt off today. He is in the pic with Steve (Kanga). Also A pick of a happy Ann who was very proud in breaking her first chain.

Big thanks to all, 14 of us showed up and got much done. I think you may be able to make most of the trail without being squired by a yucca. I got suck a dozen times today but so far it does not feel like any needles broke off in me.

Valley Forge could become a fast buff downhill if it ever got some bike traffic to break down the leaves, sticks and pack it in. It is a great trail that sees little bike or foot traffic…great trail for solitude; we saw one pair of hikers all day.

Dean

kanga

Good times out there for sure! Productive, too!

I'll add to the RR with the ride me and Prodigy took down the Merrills/Sunset/Prieto after we hiked back out of the canyon.

Epic.... need I say more?

Oh OK....

After the hike out we ate some sandwiches at the tool trailer and got rolling right around 3. The Upper Merrill was as loose and rutted as ever, and the second half of middle merrill even more so. They're both trails that have seen some heavy use and recent heavy rain and are showing their wear and tear. That said, they're as fun as ever! Exposed, sketchy lines with a bit of speed.... always a good time! That's the second time I've "shuttled" it in the 20 years I've been riding it, nice to drop in with somewhat fresh legs (as fresh as they could be after hiking hacking and digging for six hours).

We rode out the bottom and did El P.... always a sweet trail. I should ride it in daylight more often! From there we had a 3 mile roadie ride back to the car. 17.4 miles, 4800' of descent, 1200' ascent. 2 hour ride time.

From Sunset Ridge, Nick and I watched a helicopter evac in progress out of the canyon below (down by the waterfall). Fallen hiker with a broken leg. The helichopper had to hover for about 15 minutes while they lowered the basket, loaded the victim and did the extraction. Pretty cool sight to see a chopper down so low in the canyon, probably 200 feet wide at the point where the chopper was, way below us. We hung out with the ground crew who were in radio contact from the saddle where Sunset Ridge meets the road at the water tanks.

Unfortunately, I have no pics to share. Shot some with the phone, but can't get the bluetooth to connect... maybe later it will behave.

I had to use the phone as my trusty old canon S80 bit the dust today.... It was a painless, but prolonged death. He'd been having some health problems over the past few months, failing to live up to his potential.

He had a tough life, but a productive one. Almost two years, and only one stay in the Canon warranty hospital one week before the end of his first year. Over 35,000 photos and videos, and he traveled to three continents, went to the top of Mt. Whitney and the bottom of Death Valley...it was a good life for a camera, even if less than two years. For one of my cameras, that's a long life!

R.I.P. little S80, you'll be missed

Good times today.... thanks everyone for making it out and making such a huge difference. Watch the OTB boards for an upcoming SP backwards loop, including the newly worked trail.

MTBMaven

What a great day. CORBA conducted trail maintenance on the Valley Forge Trail in the Angeles National Forest. We had a good group of 14 people come out to swing some tools and play in the dirt. Not only did we remove tons of Yucca, clear a rock slide, and tidy up the trail we also got in some fun riding as well.

Turns out I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked but I did get a few.

The crew getting a quick lesson on trail maint from Hans.

Me in one of those poses you see when people have just shot some trophy animal. They've got the recently slain beast next to them and their weapon of choice in hand. My beast happened to be a Yucca and my weapon of choice was a Pulaski.

MTB_Prodigy gettin er done. We nearly perfected a new (to me) technique of Yucca removal. We would jab a rock bar (~6' steel bar) deep into the heart of the Yucca and pop out the core of the plant. This was easy sometimes and rather hard others. Once the core was popped out we could use Pulaskis to chop out the rest of the plan. In most cases it made quick work of really big Yucca.

Man what a work site! Sure beats the office any day.

I think this will be my new desktop photo at work

A switchback after some work. We needed to encourage the water to take a path other than on the trail.

Unfortunately there is still a bit more work to be done out there, which we will be doing again on February 2nd for those want to help. We removed at least 4 Yucca from this 100' section of trail and there are like 8 more that need to be removed.

A fun little "feature" we made over a downed tree. Since we didn't have a chain saw we had to make the trail ADA compliant. Now the elderly and wheelchair bound can pass this obstacle.

Of course we had to try it out, BOB trailers and all. I busted a mean table top with my 29er hardtail, but there are no photos so you will have to take my word for it.

Look at me I figured out how to embed a video link. I can get the longer one of Hans riding it with the trailer? Oh well.

Ann shows that it can be rolled too.

I love this one of John. I didn't get the video rolling soon enough but his trailer goes flying.

Pain Freak

Thank you all for all the hard work.

dstepper

I brought home a baby Yucca to mistreat. I planted it last night and spent some time swearing at it this AM. If you have a dislike of Yuccas as I do, and can think of aproperiate tortures that will not get me arrested, please feel free to give me your ideas. I am also looking for a name. My first thought was Hans but I like him too much and it made the verbal assult hard this morning.

Dean

JoeTruth

Wow, that is so awesome! Thanks all who selflessly spent their day doing some great community work and making the trail look fantastic. It's looking very good. I'm hoping to make it out on the next trail work day. Valley Forge has been too long! Thanks again all!!!

MTBMaven

Quote:

Originally Posted by dstepper

If you have a dislike of Yuccas as I do, and can think of aproperiate tortures that will not get me arrested, please feel free to give me your ideas.

I like your plan to piss on it in the morning.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dstepper

I am also looking for a name.

Fucca. As in Fucca Yucca.

Schecky

I was just looking at the pics and thinking - 'those who have never removed a yucca have no idea why those guys are smiling so big'.
Thanks to you all!

Dean, in honor of

, maybe you should name it 'Stuckie!'

JoeTruth

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTBMaven

Fucca. As in Fucca Yucca.

"Fucc-a Yucca"...oh my, LOL! You're a twisted bunch.

dirtmistress

Quote:

Originally Posted by dstepper

I brought home a baby Yucca to mistreat. I planted it last night and spent some time swearing at it this AM. If you have a dislike of Yuccas as I do, and can think of aproperiate tortures that will not get me arrested, please feel free to give me your ideas. I am also looking for a name. My first thought was Hans but I like him too much and it made the verbal assult hard this morning.

Dean

But Dean..it's just a widdle baby.

Thank you to all of you that did a great job out there. Maybe I can go out with you on the 2nd.
My yucca poke from Condor Peak is not a happy story right now. Went to the Dr. and they can't do anything about it. X-Rays don't show plant matter. Cutting to see if anything is in there would be stupid. The Dr. said hot compresses 3 to 5 times a day. Meanwhile, it wakes me up at night. Hurts like hell to walk and pedaling is causes lots of pain which I just ride through but know I should'nt. I got stuck on Jan.12th and it's gotten no better. Right into the front of my shin about 5 inches above my ankle. No meat. Just muscle and bone. ***ow***poor poor me. Collective "awwww...poor baby" please. Thanks.
Still,Dean, It's just a widdle baby.

Hanzo

Quote:

Originally Posted by dstepper

Special thanks to the young downhiller Nick (Mt Prodigy)…dude you worked your butt off today.
Dean

Good San Gabes Karma coming to you for all your hard work.


Hanzo ...	TMR: Valley Forge Trail Maintenance Report We started today bright and early meeting up at redbox station and climbed up to Eaton Saddle where we decended The Valley Forge Trail. CORBA Hans brought the tools and there was lots of work to do. Yuccas galore!!! By the end of the day everyone got stuck by one of dem f*kin plants. But I think we got the best of them for now. Well Andy ended up with a yucca splinter that went through his fingernail. We also had to clear a big slide area and had fun doing so. Thanks Hans for setting this thing up and Brian for posting it. Great to meet Kanga, mtb prodigy, Robin & Mike? and the Trek employee. Sorry I forgot your names. Thank you Hans for the swag. Dean climbing the road to Eaton Saddle Hans teaching trail maintenance 101. Thanks for the cookies Robin. John, Brian and Tim working on the dreaded yuccas Trailwork spokes The slide Shesmiles, Kanga, Tim and Prodigy The Before Starting to look good. I can see a trail The after The views Playing around You cant see it but Hans took the roller with the BOB trailer filled with tools and it got air. Celebrity Steve Martin sighting. Trade that pulaski for a banjo. __________________ tkblazer*: Gotta minimize the pedalling.


Dino Brown Sir Smack-Alot	__________________ L.A. KINGS ... dw-link.com/reasons SheDevil- I was on George's crotch for hours Integradriv3r- How many kids do you have that you DON'T know about? Genusmtbkr5- I like to go BOTH ways


Sprockethead STR Veteran	Damn Yucca! My finger is still throbbing. Big Thanks to Hans, Steve, John, and Brian for getting us all the tools and lessons. We had a great time out there and decending Valley Forge wasn't bad either.


kanga STR Veteran	Good times out there for sure! Productive, too! I'll add to the RR with the ride me and Prodigy took down the Merrills/Sunset/Prieto after we hiked back out of the canyon. Epic.... need I say more? Oh OK.... After the hike out we ate some sandwiches at the tool trailer and got rolling right around 3. The Upper Merrill was as loose and rutted as ever, and the second half of middle merrill even more so. They're both trails that have seen some heavy use and recent heavy rain and are showing their wear and tear. That said, they're as fun as ever! Exposed, sketchy lines with a bit of speed.... always a good time! That's the second time I've "shuttled" it in the 20 years I've been riding it, nice to drop in with somewhat fresh legs (as fresh as they could be after hiking hacking and digging for six hours). We rode out the bottom and did El P.... always a sweet trail. I should ride it in daylight more often! From there we had a 3 mile roadie ride back to the car. 17.4 miles, 4800' of descent, 1200' ascent. 2 hour ride time. From Sunset Ridge, Nick and I watched a helicopter evac in progress out of the canyon below (down by the waterfall). Fallen hiker with a broken leg. The helichopper had to hover for about 15 minutes while they lowered the basket, loaded the victim and did the extraction. Pretty cool sight to see a chopper down so low in the canyon, probably 200 feet wide at the point where the chopper was, way below us. We hung out with the ground crew who were in radio contact from the saddle where Sunset Ridge meets the road at the water tanks. Unfortunately, I have no pics to share. Shot some with the phone, but can't get the bluetooth to connect... maybe later it will behave. I had to use the phone as my trusty old canon S80 bit the dust today.... It was a painless, but prolonged death. He'd been having some health problems over the past few months, failing to live up to his potential. He had a tough life, but a productive one. Almost two years, and only one stay in the Canon warranty hospital one week before the end of his first year. Over 35,000 photos and videos, and he traveled to three continents, went to the top of Mt. Whitney and the bottom of Death Valley...it was a good life for a camera, even if less than two years. For one of my cameras, that's a long life! R.I.P. little S80, you'll be missed Good times today.... thanks everyone for making it out and making such a huge difference. Watch the OTB boards for an upcoming SP backwards loop, including the newly worked trail. __________________ To expand your comfort zone, you have to leave it!


MTBMaven Tom Brady Look A Like	What a great day. CORBA conducted trail maintenance on the Valley Forge Trail in the Angeles National Forest. We had a good group of 14 people come out to swing some tools and play in the dirt. Not only did we remove tons of Yucca, clear a rock slide, and tidy up the trail we also got in some fun riding as well. Turns out I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked but I did get a few. The crew getting a quick lesson on trail maint from Hans. Me in one of those poses you see when people have just shot some trophy animal. They've got the recently slain beast next to them and their weapon of choice in hand. My beast happened to be a Yucca and my weapon of choice was a Pulaski. MTB_Prodigy gettin er done. We nearly perfected a new (to me) technique of Yucca removal. We would jab a rock bar (~6' steel bar) deep into the heart of the Yucca and pop out the core of the plant. This was easy sometimes and rather hard others. Once the core was popped out we could use Pulaskis to chop out the rest of the plan. In most cases it made quick work of really big Yucca. Man what a work site! Sure beats the office any day. I think this will be my new desktop photo at work A switchback after some work. We needed to encourage the water to take a path other than on the trail. Unfortunately there is still a bit more work to be done out there, which we will be doing again on February 2nd for those want to help. We removed at least 4 Yucca from this 100' section of trail and there are like 8 more that need to be removed. A fun little "feature" we made over a downed tree. Since we didn't have a chain saw we had to make the trail ADA compliant. Now the elderly and wheelchair bound can pass this obstacle. Of course we had to try it out, BOB trailers and all. I busted a mean table top with my 29er hardtail, but there are no photos so you will have to take my word for it. Look at me I figured out how to embed a video link. I can get the longer one of Hans riding it with the trailer? Oh well. Ann shows that it can be rolled too. I love this one of John. I didn't get the video rolling soon enough but his trailer goes flying. __________________ You don't have to be having fun to have fun CORBA Support your local trail crew '07 Niner MCR9 - '07 Lemond Zürich - '89 Specialized Sirrus fixed/free


Pain Freak Directionally Challenged	Thank you all for all the hard work. __________________ "The best rides are the ones where you bite off much more than you can chew—and live through it." — Doug Bradbury "When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me." — Emo Philips


JoeTruth STR Veteran	Wow, that is so awesome! Thanks all who selflessly spent their day doing some great community work and making the trail look fantastic. It's looking very good. I'm hoping to make it out on the next trail work day. Valley Forge has been too long! Thanks again all!!! __________________ "Merit begets confidence, confidence begets enthusiasm, enthusiasm conquers the world!"


Schecky SoCalMTBubbs	I was just looking at the pics and thinking - 'those who have never removed a yucca have no idea why those guys are smiling so big'. Thanks to you all! Dean, in honor of , maybe you should name it 'Stuckie!' __________________ tkblazer: it was Steven Jackson that led me to STR... http://www.ventanausa.com/

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