Rattlesnake cheater lines blocked

Bottom of chutes at oaks has cheater lines everywhere. blown out lines=no good.

 

The only problem with this is that some people really cannot take time to do trail work. Kids, work etc.
I have a big advantage because I don't work and have plenty of time to do trail maintenance without cutting into my riding and family time. Actually my family rides too so that also helps.
So, that's why it's important to belong to an organization that does work on the trails. The money you pay for membership in a club like SHARE goes directly to pay for tools, insurance, food for volunteers, web support, and educational programs for new riders.
BUT, if you can join us for trail maintenance, we could sure use the manpower.

 

memory lane

I remember years ago when Nancy and I followed Robin down Rattlesnake and cleaned the whole thing. We were thrilled because back then the trail was challenging and you were lucky if you didn't dab going down. I went down it two weeks ago and hardly used the brakes! Not challenging at all.

I hear all the time about illegal trail building and most of the reasoning is because our "legal" trails are boring or over used. And here Robin is "legally" putting the trail back to its original condition. Or at least trying. Robin is an experienced trail builder as like all of our guys and gals in SHARE, not only that but we are ALL mountain bikers and love to ride awesome single track.

Now if we only had more retired guys to go around and fix all the parks!! thanks Robin!

www.sharemtb.blogspot.com

 

Thanks Robin!!! I'm available on at least a Mon, Wed, or Fri most weeks for trail work if you need help.

I just need more than a day notice (last time I offered someone, I would get an email at 10pm for 7am work--I go to bed at 9pm, then don't check emails until 9am or after Ash is off to school) or call me

I'd love to head out to Meadows with you. That trail is still one of my faves, but it's getting blown out, too.

 

Speaking of Meadows, I was on the new single track above the Nix Center in LCWP today and I noticed that hikers are starting to take shortcuts, cutting the turns. Soon it's going to look just like Meadows.

 

Chopper, Thanks for what you did to that section on Rattlesnake. I just rode it and stayed right in the middle the whole time but did stop to observe your work. It is pathetic that people ride around the obstacles that make trail riding so much fun. If you don't like challenges or RISK then stay on the nicely groomed fire roads.

 

....Commencing Rant--->
That is straight up BS! People do not make trailwork a priority in thier lives plain and simple. I'm not talking about every other weekend or even ever month. If every other mountainbiker that rode only once a week did ONE trailwork event a year (a year!) organizations like SHARE, The Warrior Society, SDMBA (and others) would have a tough time managing all the volunteers.

Don't bother posting crap about I own a house, two kids, taking online college courses, full time job, hockey games, soccer games, I have to brush my dogs teeth, Saturday's are my Massengill rinse days, blah blah blah yada yada.... Anyone who is interested in mountain biking enough to ride once a week or read this drivel here can find the time ONCE a FN Year to give a little back to the trails they ride!

---End Rant ---

 

Chill Out People

Why all the anger? Initially you hated hikers, policemen, and park rangers, and now the skilled mtb riders are angry at the less skilled mtb riders. The existence of cheater lines helps rock-challenged riders and hikers but no one is required to take the easy lines if they don't want to. No one suggested taking out the rocks to make the trail easier. How is having cheater lines hurting your enjoyment on the center of the trail? If anything the cheater lines get the hikers and slow riders off of the rocks which should make it less crowded, and therefore more enjoyable, for the skilled people. The next time you have to wait for hikers you can thank the people who narrowed the trail and made it impossible for the hikers to get out of your way.

Some have argued that if this type of trail "maintenance" wasn't done the trails would continue to get wider and wider until the park closed the trail. This is silly. Once a good cheater path is available there is no reason for the trail to get any wider.

(I just noticed MTBBill's post. My post was not in any way aimed at him.)

 

Sorry but this is not quite true. The only reason that Rattlesnake has been sustainable over the last 20 years is because of the rocks. The cheater lines run beside the rock in the dirt and loose soil. At a grade of appoximately 20% the loose sections will rut and wash out with any substantial rain. When that happens the cheater lines will move over further and widen the trail. This has been proven many times over. Just look at Ticktron and lower BFI. Those trails used to 18" wide.
If enough habit is destroyed by widening trails, the park will have no choice but to close it.

 

The assertation that widening trails will get them shut down is ridiculous I would agree but I completely disagree with making singletrack 20' wide freeways so less skilled riders won't clog the trail. Where is the sense in that? There are plenty of fire roads available in El Moro.

I realize most newer riders are not able to ride down the middle of Rattlesnake. In fact there are very few that could without raising their skill level. Just like everyone else that learned, the way is to try it in sections. That or walk it.

Keep singletrack singletrack.

When I was in Whistler they had features at the beginning of the trails that stated "if you can't handle this, this trail is too tough for you" I'm up for putting a nice rock-roller at the entrance of Rattlesnake

I think if newer riders knew that by taking these P lines they were damaging the trail, most wouldn't do it. It's up to us to let newer riders in our group know it's not cool. I know when I took my sons down Rock-it for the first time I told them about the pussy line - What guy wants to be called a pussy?

Chopper - Thanks for the hard work. It's appreciated. Don't let the whiners get you down.

C

 

i would love to vol more but i have prior commitments such as reading and posting on STR

even worse other guys will want to "whack" u ? 8-[

 

Excellent point that I had not considered.

 

One thing I have learned in my years of doing trail work is that you can never please everyone. Rarely have I done work that did not get some complaints. The chief complaints from the mountain bikers are
1. you made it too easy.
2. you made it too hard.

Usually these complaints are about the same work on the same trail.

My next small project will be to reduce the number of shortcut trails popping up on the single track over the Nix Center, before it starts to look like Meadows. I'm sure some hikers will complain about having to walk all the way through the turns.

 

I rode Rattlesnake Tuesday (6/9) and it was indeed very wide. I always like hitting the most challenging, rideable route I can find, so I just bombed the middle, looking for the little ledges. It was fun. I am glad you all have blocked the cheater lines - challenging trails should remain challenging. Perhaps it would be wise to post trail ratings so people know what they're getting into (black diamond, etc.). I walked up 5 Oaks the other day and couldn't believe how wide it has gotten - ridiculous. If you can't ride it - don't.

 

that is why we try keep most dh trails secret!

 

chopper:

1. i was on stagecoach today and saw the shortcuts. i talked to ranger barbara, and she said she they were planning on blocking them. they're also going to water down the steep part on camarillo in the next few days.

2. i also rode rattlesnake today--for the first time in a long time--and it seemed just like i remembered- fun and fairly challenging. i couldn't even tell where the cheater lines were. good work.

3. i signed up at the nix center for a one-day trail maintenance class in mid-august. i'll try to post details when they email me back.

the rest of y'all:

4.. let's leave the name-calling to the experts: 2nd-graders...

:beer:

 

Is this the Same Rattle snake trail Near La tuna canyon off foothill with all the wooden ladders and bridges??

 

No, this trail is in El Moro.

 

Interestig thread... I recently posted about "P-lines" and am growing increasingly concerned with the widening of the trails.

Thanks Chopper.

I also agree w/ Bill that if everyone did 1 day per year we would get so much done.

I remember working with Brewmaster, Gene and a bunch o' folks on the Chino Hills Raptor Ridge only to see the fire take down the whole park. Just because you don't ride a particular park doesn't mean you can't pitch in on a maintenance day there.

We had a chat on Taco Tuesday about the difficulty doing Trail work at Chino Hills. Not a very supportive group of Rangers over there.