Let's talk about P-Lines

But Art, I heard you take the P-Line at piles all the time. ha ha ha.

 

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Can I get a witness?

 

Reinforce the p-lines with pavers so that erosion is held in check. Raise the p-lines to separate them from the gnar lines.

 

Gnar-gnar-blah-gnar-gnar...the right stuff.

 

I strongly disagree. Then again I am the O.P.
It seems that anytime a topic on trail use gets posted this same fear is voiced. We are talking about trying to maintain the "usefulness" of legal and posted trails.

Again I disagree. I don't think the O.P. was in that spirit and actually I find few of the responses have that vibe either. If you look at the Environment in general, the "leave it alone and don't bother yourself with what others are doing" mentality is how we got in this mess.

It is nice that you get to ride Sedona every week but many of us are left with the local legal County/State trails. I refuse to poach and try to respect the local trails and not tear 'em up but every time I see a formerly single track start to look like a fireroad I get concerned about the future.

 

I'm with Dean on this one. Exactly what kind of experience are you trying get with a park ride? If your looking for single track nirvana, good luck! Keep things in prespective please, their just mediocre trails in a park with alot of users, just enjoy them for what they are. .02

 

You make a good point, Mark. The keyword here is "legal" trails. With the sheer number of trail users in these county parks, widening of legal trails is to be expected. Talking about it in a forum that deals with trail conditions is not "ammunition" against MTBers at all.

Having said that, the problem will most likely only worsen. Why wouldn't it? I see no decrease in trail users, myself (quite the contrary). Dean and others have made a very valid point, though: if you don't like it, seek out different trail systems to ride. I ride the local trails because they are near my apartment (and because I like rock features). Most weekends, i'm exploring other areas -mostly within an hour of here. OC park riding is convenient, but there is far better singletrack all over socal, if you're willing to look for it.

 

Mark I hope you know that my comments where not directed to you but general observations. Those trails are my local rides as I live in Laguna. I have watched every trail in those parks get wider and wider thru time: weather, use, wayward tractor operators and the occasional sanctioned race. I came to accepted it is the way it is. Regrettably our local soil just does not hold up as well as other soils.

My favorite trail in those parks remains Old Emerald Canyon, form the bottom of Old Emerald Trail to the tennis court gates at Emerald Bay. Since the road washed out it has become a sweet narrow singletrack that does not see much use.

Dean

 

Uh, basically 3 hours with 4000 feet or so in a place where if I die they will find my body. Oh, and no PO and close enough to get back to work...
:beer:

 

I think this is a great idea. How can we expect people to follow the "rules" if no one takes the time to teach them. I think it's also all of our responsibility to share some of the basic trail use guidelines when we take newbies out on the trail.

Doing our part to preserve the trails...

 

quote: 1TrackMind: Part of the problem on Stairsteps in particular is that the p-line is the easiest way to HAB up it...this may be contributing to the widening as well.

Agreed. I've said this before but I don't know why Canyon Acres doesn't become the uphill of choice to get to TOW from Laguna Canyon Road. There's still plenty of grunt factor but it's a fire road and voids the Stairsteps "P-Line" controversy (plus it enables the rider to complete a loop without the need for repetition)

If HAB up Stairsteps was frowned upon by the mtb community much like riding down Cholla is, this might help save the integrity of one of Laguna's most-loved singletracks :-k

 

How about a brochure of proper trail use and etiquette handed out at every LBS when a person buys a bike or brings one in for repair. Not just for newbs, but for clueless experienced riders as well...

 

Good idea :clap:

Or how about a "Lo-Jack" type device built into a new bike that lets off a bad smell every time the rider does something dumb :lol:

 

i be taking the b-line to the p-line

i'm all about the "P"- line!!!

 

For the past few years SHARE has been talking about producing a DVD outlining basic guidlines for responsible riding for new riders. Our plan is to give these to the LBS and ask them to hand them out free with every new bike sold.
The only thing stopping us from doing it is finding someone with the skill and equipment to produce a professional looking program and the willingness to do it pro bono. We have enough funding for production costs but we are a volunteer organization and we would like someone to volunteer to produce the video.

Anyone interested? If so we can stop talking and start working on heading off a lot of problems that arise from uneducated mountain bikers.

 

That sushi looks delicious!

 

um...... last time we had sushi you ate california rolls???:?:

 

The last time we rode Aliso, you were checking-out young boys. No more rides around children for you! :lol:

 

Art and Mike, you guys obviously have some unresolved issues. Perhaps you two should schedule some more sessions with your marriage counselor...