Wharton Conditions

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
A very small group of volunteers maintain the Wharton trails. We routinely spend many hours fixing the winters trail tread damage(read: sugar sand sections). The damage (sugar sand sections) is caused by riding the trail before it has a chance to drain.
This is known issue to anyone who has maintained trail at Wharton or other sandy parks (read: Allaire). The learned solution, to minimize the effort needed to repair, is to let the trail drain for a day after a soaking rain. This is frequently mentioned in the Allaire posts on this forum. We Wharton volunteers feel that is not too much to ask.

As for the reference to Frank McGuire's article in Dirt Rag. It was McGuire that wrote that the DE riders get upset that PA riders ride DE trails in unsuitable conditions. It was also McGuire that wrote these same PA riders should head east to the pines when conditions are unsuitable. The problem is... is that if conditions are bad in DE, theres a 50/50 chance that they are bad in Wharton too. It was not my intent to throw PA riders under the bus. I only wanted to point out the ill concieved logic in McGuire's article.

Not sure why Ken didn't reach out to me or uncle Pibbles (who didn't say or post anything negative) before replying on our behalf.
 
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pibbles

Well-Known Member
A very small group of volunteers maintain the Wharton trails. We routinely spend many hours fixing the winters trail tread damage(read: sugar sand sections). The damage (sugar sand sections) is caused by riding the trail before it has a chance to drain.
This is known issue to anyone who has maintained trail at Wharton or other sandy parks (read: Allaire). The learned solution, to minimize the effort needed to repair, is to let the trail drain for a day after a soaking rain. This is frequently mentioned in the Allaire posts on this forum. We Wharton volunteers feel that is not too much to ask.

As for the reference to Frank McGuire's article in Dirt Rag. It was McGuire that wrote that the DE riders get upset that PA riders ride DE trails in unsuitable conditions. It was also McGuire that wrote these same PA riders should head east to the pines when conditions are unsuitable. The problem is... is that if conditions are bad in DE, theres a 50/50 chance that they are bad in Wharton too. It was not my intent to throw PA riders under the bus. I only wanted to point out the ill concieved logic in McGuire's article.

Not sure why Ken didn't reach out to me or uncle Pibbles (who didn't say or post anything wrong) before replying on our behalf.
Yeah. What he said..
 

shawneeboy

Member
Dwight_GetAlong.jpg
 

sj_john

Well-Known Member
As another one of the Wharton Trail ambassadors, if there is standing water on any trail, WTF are you doing riding on it.
 

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
Wharton recieved a heavy wet snow for most of this Friday. PLEASE let it melt and drain before riding the singletrack. If you need to get your winter base miles, PLEASE ride the doubletrack. Take this opportunity to pedal the doubletrack to see Jemima Mount, the ghost town of Washington, or even ride the moto trails on Devious Mount. There are plenty of creative wintertime/springtime alternatives to riding the Batsto MTB singletrack... if you're stuck for a doubletrack route, ask Sandman, Fiftyfixe or anyone thats ridden with them, PLEASE. I'm certain they can give you a few new different routes that you will enjoy. PLEASE.

Riding the Batsto MTB singletrack when wet, or when its still in the process of draining, breaks down the trail tread, giving us a soft sugar sand section after a couple years. Leaving us with the choice to: repair the damage; or shrug, walk away, and say its someone elses problem now.
 
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rmap01

Well-Known Member
Wharton recieved a heavy wet snow for most of this Friday. PLEASE let it melt and drain before riding the singletrack. If you need to get your winter base miles, PLEASE ride the doubletrack. Take this opportunity to pedal the doubletrack to see Jemima Mount, the ghost town of Washington, or even ride the moto trails on Devious Mount. There are plenty of creative wintertime/springtime alternatives to riding the Batsto MTB singletrack... if you're stuck for a doubletrack route, ask Sandman, Fiftyfixe or anyone thats ridden with them, PLEASE. I'm certain they can give you a few new different routes that you will enjoy. PLEASE.

Riding the Batsto MTB singletrack when wet, or when its still in the process of draining, breaks down the trail tread, giving us a soft sugar sand section after a couple years. Leaving us with the choice to: repair the damage; or shrug, walk away, and say its someone elses problem now.

OK, but only is you say "PLEASE" ;)

But on a serious note I, for one, greatly appreciate the work you guys put in making it fun for the rest of us. It's also great to have a group/site like this that keeps others informed of conditions real time. It's a lot harder not to ride when you've driven 30+ min to a trail only to find out that the conditions aren't suitable.
 

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
OK, but only is you say "PLEASE" ;)

But on a serious note I, for one, greatly appreciate the work you guys put in making it fun for the rest of us. It's also great to have a group/site like this that keeps others informed of conditions real time. It's a lot harder not to ride when you've driven 30+ min to a trail only to find out that the conditions aren't suitable.

Thanks. Just to note, that the majority of us Wharton trailworkers live more then 30 min away. (I live 20 min away. But only when all the traffic lights are green.)One thing we started work on was compiling some of our favorite Wharton doubletrack trail alternatives to use when the mtb singletrack is not ridable. Maybe we'll have it done by next winter. (Inspiration coming from the Fair Hill doubletrack that conscientous riders use when they find the Fair Hill singletrack is too wet.)

If you're looking to ride many base miles at a fast clip, the Wharton doubletrack is a nice alternative, with lots of long milage options and nice sightseeing along the way.
 
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slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
if current weather conditions persists, how does it look for wharton single track sunday?

The inner loop trails should be golden by Sunday. The inner loop trails, FireTower (green) Huckleberry (blue), Teaberry (red), OakHill (white), can give you the nearly the same milage as the PennBranchTrail if you get creative.

I'm guessing that the one old cranberry bog, near the Penn Branch Trail on its western side, will still be overflowing. If you need to ride the PBT on Sunday, please use Goodwater Road to ride around this section.
The old overflowing cranberry bog creates those two seasonal *stream crossings*. The one northernmost crossing is a sand road, and is what it is. The other crossing is a low sandy area. Many of us have concerns about this area turning to sugar if it is continually ridden when wet. Thanks.
 

teabagger11

Well-Known Member
It's my Birthday!
thx for the info hopefully if i arrive there at a decent time i can hook up with some riders
 

teabagger11

Well-Known Member
It's my Birthday!
took your advice (i don't want to be the guy from PA to rip up these great trails!)and hit the inner trails and had a blast, 1st ride of the year on the SS, then hit up Belleplain monday which was in surprisingly good shape despite the a.m. rain,
 

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
Thanks!
There is a certain level of inevitablity to these trails becoming sugary in the future. We old guys on the trail crew just hope to keep it good, at least until that point in time when we can't ride anymore. :)
 

rmap01

Well-Known Member
I'm guessing that the one old cranberry bog, near the Penn Branch Trail on its western side, will still be overflowing.
I realize we have rain today and in the forecast but just curious what your best guess is as to how long before these sections typically dry out? Thanks.
 

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
Speaking strictly for Wharton, and to preface the reply by noting that those small berms that built up in some of the fast turns this winter, when the sand was wet n heavy, are the precursors to sugar sections...

If there is no freeze/thaw happening, waiting two days after a strong deluge is a safe bet. If the forecasted temps are warm, the sun shining, and most importantly, a strong breeze blowing, that wait can probly be cut down to one day.

Todays rain is fairly light and is forecasted to be only five hours long, ending at 10:00pm. I'm guessing that the trails should be good by noon tomorrow. At least thats when I would plan to ride. If I didn't have to work.

If I show up to ride and see the trails are not ready, I get off the trails and ride the doubletrack. My favorite gravel/sand double tracks include the Washington Trpk up to the towne of Jenkins Neck (Micks Canoe Rental) with some side trips down Iron Pipe Rd (ghost town of Washington) and Maxwell Rd. (Micks personnel will drive you and the canoe north up this road.)

These wait times to ride after the rains are a lot shorter in the summer, when the groundwater level is very low and the trees and shrubs are thirsty.

The trail tread near the FireTower Trail creek got fairly soft this winter. We hope to repair this section in the coming months.
 
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rmap01

Well-Known Member
If I show up to ride and see the trails are not ready, I get off the trails and ride the doubletrack. My favorite gravel/sand double tracks include the Washington Trpk up to the towne of Jenkins Neck (Micks Canoe Rental) with some side trips down Iron Pipe Rd (ghost town of Washington) and Maxwell Rd. (Micks personnel will drive you and the canoe north up this road.)

Good to know. Thanks. Do you, by chance, have a route map for the double track?
 

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
I just checked Google maps. Google shows nearly all the doubletrack we use; Washington Trpk, Godfreys Bridge, Maxwell Rd. Iron Pipe Rd. We would like to have some of our favorite doubletrack mapped out by next winter.

If you have some fitness, a good GPS, and a sense of humor and adventure, you can follow most any Wharton doubletrack (especially in the winter when the sand is wet n heavy) and still have a good time.
 

rmap01

Well-Known Member
I just checked Google maps. Google shows nearly all the doubletrack we use; Washington Trpk, Godfreys Bridge, Maxwell Rd. Iron Pipe Rd. We would like to have some of our favorite doubletrack mapped out by next winter.

If you have some fitness, a good GPS, and a sense of humor and adventure, you can follow most any Wharton doubletrack (especially in the winter when the sand is wet n heavy) and still have a good time.

Ok. Got it. Didn't realize these roads were unpaved roads. I think i rode some of the doubletrack several summers ago, lots of sand but it was mid summer and dry. Good to know there are options depending on conditions.
 

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
I listed some of our favorite doubletrack previously.
Just to warn and mention that my least favorite doubletrack in the Batsto area includes; Goodwater Rd., Lower Forge Rd, Bulldozed Rd, Stokes Rd.. Long deep sand sections that never firm up. Even after a deep freeze. Roads that only a fatbike rider would like. :)
 

joshhan

New Member
Hi ya'll. Was planning on a trip down here from Lansdale, PA on Saturday morning. What are the chances it will be OK to ride? Or should I check in later this week?
 

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