What Happened to Goat/Waterfall!!!

Just keep in mind.....this is the same guy who thought that the trails in Santiago Oaks should be 6 feet wide and have no more than a 10 degree slope.

From his Trail assessment:

"These are connected trails that head out from near the dam area in very steep and very rocky ground—frankly, these are accidents waiting to happen. We have found a route that eliminates the steepest sections but not all the embedded rock. What remains I believe can be handled, without blasting, using the right equipment and building some rock walls. The proposed trail uses very little of the existing trail although it stays essentially in the same area. We conclude that the SORP 4B (Mountain Goat) section, which
4
is even steeper and more rocky and less susceptible to reroute, should be closed and the disturbed ground restored.
If you include the restored areas of the existing and abandoned portions of these trails, I believe they would just about balance out evenly, in terms of soil displacement, with what would be newly cut. And the realigned portions would be built in such a way as to significantly control erosion by reducing grades to 10% in most areas and never more than 15% for short sections, thus enabling good drainage patterns that protect resources and enable re-vegetation."

 

If it was Roger Bell, then I'm even more amazed that this got done on the lowdown....or maybe that's exactly why. His vision for a renovated Oaks was roundly criticized by people from every constituency at the public meetings a year or so back.

 

That trail has been castrated. Weak!

 

I can tell that you have an opinion. I wish that you had just come out and said it.

First of all, there is nothing in this assessment that recommends a 6 foot wide trail, and if you have ridden the "new goat" you would see that it isn't even close.

The fact that you could quote the original assessment/proposal tells me that you might know more than you let on, in which case you should just come out and tell us.

 

Being there and listening to his presentation last year about his trail assessment, gave everybody the impression that if it was up to him, the trails would all be like sidewalks.....flat, smooth and wide. Read through the trail assessment and see for yourself.

:beer:

 

whats the purpose of having 6 foot wide trail?? thats for those who cant handle the bike itself! single track is much more funner and Challenging! I ride downhill and I like it narrow, gives me good talent and skill with mother nature!

 

The Old Goat

Here are two great helmet cam videos from the "The Path" that shows the old Goat/Waterfall.

http://www.thepathbikeshop.com/pg/videos?ThePath=7v5jv0dkseqgarsavptjbciab6

You have to download it first:

Bikes Beers 2006 - Chris on Goat 04-23-06

and

Goat @ Santiago Oaks 06-11-06


I understand the need for the new (in my opinion-sterile) trail and I hope it will turn into a nice ST from it's current "superhighway" like trail one day, but I'll stick to the old lower Goat as long as it exists. :bang:

 

Does Santiago Oaks seriously need another trail?? I swear this park has more trails per square mile already.

I'm completely frustrated riding the Chutes because of all the new pussy lines that keep popping up. Will this trail encourage more noobs to explore this clearly intermediate park?? This new trail is a perfect way to avoid hiking the 3 B's, & still ride Chutes.

And what's with the trail? I saw it from the Dam and it looks very beginner. Where are the beginners going to go once they reach the top?

I guess the people who would like to ride Waterfall 30 times in a row can rejoice.

 

i rode it yesterday for the first time. i was hurting too much to discern % grade or trail width.

for other average joe's--i just figured out (thanks brian) a couple of weeks ago that if you take the bumblebee s/t around the second b it makes the climb much easier. you might not even need to stop before the top.

 

Been riding Oaks on weeknights, and the new trail is getting A TON of traffic in both directions, including many horses. Let's all be careful out there.

 

gray changed my mind about this trail last week. the climb on "new goat" is a bit a grind, but it's mostly doable--especially with the right cog...and the downhill s/t "old goat" is still there (at least the bottom 90%)- fun and technical enough to challenge anybody. berms were nonexistent, so it was easy to cross the new goat.

 

Oh, and how many of Y'all were at the planning meeting?

It's called compromise, much like being married or dealing with any Govt agency one can only play Don Quixote for so long.

Cope.

 

I've ridden the new trail a few times now. It isn't easy, but it is much easier than climbing the 3 B's. It will be a loose disaster by summer. It was retarded to have the downhill trail cross the uphill trail.....like that isn't going to cause crashes.

Unfortunately Jeff is right about the new reverse traffic. Before, it was incredibly rare to see bikes riding the ridge towards Robbers Peak. Last time out on that short section, I passed 5 bikers, including a family heading in the reverse direction. People, including me, are so used to bombing this section that there's a head-on waiting to happen.

 

Was there a planning meeting regarding this particular trail?
If so, where and when was it?

Or are you referring to the general park overhaul that was proposed by Roger Bell, and which was pretty well trounced in the public meetings a year ago, which I and many other STR members did attend and spoke up at?

Not trying to be argumentative with you Disco, I'm just wondering if there was another meeting and I never knew about it.

 

remember folks, if you aren't able to stop in time, or if you skid, you are going too fast.