Mercer County Park Conditions

[TAS]

Wow lots of folks out riding this afternoon! Good to put faces to all the names here. AND thanks for helping!!

Blue North.... some soft spots in the usual places. Most of all the small messy blockages & trees have been cleared. At the power line entrance the Trail Troll moved that big dead log onto the trail from out of the briar patch where I stashed it last year. I again dragged it further into the woods. This has been a ongoing issue. Whomever it is persistently drags junk onto the trail blocking it. They also ripped down the trail markers we put up last year in that section.
Now to the big stuff!

Blue North still has two large - very dead trees down. These will require chain saw work to clear. The tree down near the power line entrance has a go around. The other one has a loose log pile on ether side and is rideable but a bit sketchy.. We will get to these when we can.

The small trees down on blue between the Rowing Center and East Picnic have been cleared.

The red loop east of the east picnic area is still flooded - unrideable and also has a tree down.

Over near Van Nest, there are a bunch of trees down in that swampy crossing area.. we have some ideas about using them for a elevated surface. More later.

Now if only the weather would cooperate.. I could finally go for a ride without a saw and not feel guilty.

TAS

 

[Fire Lord Jim]

Cleared three trees on blue, and two between Hughes and the west picnic area. Rusty watched me ramp up one log on blue. I rode nearly everything, and it is all rideable now. I may have missed a few trails, though.

 

[Rusty]

Cleared three trees on blue, and two between Hughes and the west picnic area. Rusty watched me ramp up one log on blue. I rode nearly everything, and it is all rideable now. I may have missed a few trails, though.

Nice meeting you, Jim and thanks for the life advice...let's ride!

 

[PistolPete]

Good stuff Jim. I think I spoke with you when you were working on a tree.

Rusty, were you riding the Lefty? You helped me navigate a detour at the water overflow near the dam I think.

 

[Mountain Bike Mike]

Good stuff Jim. I think I spoke with you when you were working on a tree.

Rusty, were you riding the Lefty? You helped me navigate a detour at the water overflow near the dam I think.

Whoa whoa whoa.... hold on one second....

Sup with your name? Are you in fact THE Pistol Pete from BMX racing golden age?

 

[Mick714]

Tom and I cut the dead tree near the power lines and twin lakes on upper blue We were headed to get the other one with the loose log over when the rain really started to come down We intend on leaving the log over and making a cut for hikers & bikers to go around if they like With me working early hours and the other old geezer retired an afternoon in the park works pretty well,

 

[Rusty]

Good stuff Jim. I think I spoke with you when you were working on a tree.

Rusty, were you riding the Lefty? You helped me navigate a detour at the water overflow near the dam I think.

No Lefty for me, no

 

[TAS]

Mick & I did the 2nd big tree on Blue North this morning. We cut the section out, cleared a go around and improved the log over, Plus cleared a bunch of other small stuff.
Surface has the usual soft spots here & that should dry nicely by Sunday! The Peepers are serenading nicely.....

Blue North is open!

AND it's going to SNOW Sunday night???

Happy Easter!

TAS

 

[michael.su]

No Lefty for me, no

Like never ever?

 

[Rusty]

nah, I would never say never

 

[TAS]

Got out this afternoon. BN still has wet soft spots on the South Post road trail head section. Please avoid that section and use the road to the culvert.
Everything else is beginning to dry out and get nice. Lets hope the mess coming on Saturday isn't too bad.

Found and removed this widow maker on Blue North near the power lines, not 25 feet from where Mick and I cleared that big tree last week!!
This would have hurt somebody... Hmmm..... maybe fall on the Trail Troll? Couldn't get that lucky!
ARRRRGGGHHH!!!

TAS
Before & "Afta"

 

[clarkenstein]

Got out this afternoon. BN still has wet soft spots on the South Post road trail head section. Please avoid that section and use the road to the culvert.
Everything else is beginning to dry out and get nice. Lets hope the mess coming on Saturday isn't too bad.

Found and removed this widow maker on Blue North near the power lines, not 25 feet from where Mick and I cleared that big tree last week!!
This would have hurt somebody... Hmmm..... maybe fall on the Trail Troll? Couldn't get that lucky!
ARRRRGGGHHH!!!

TAS
Before & "Afta"
View attachment 66740

View attachment 66741

@rick81721 called these things perfectly in the 6MR thread - “sword of Damocles”. I took two out and they can be sketchy. Nice work!

 

[Robin]

Took NICA kids there today and trails we're great. Thank you for all your hard work!

 

[TAS]

@rick81721 called these things perfectly in the 6MR thread - “sword of Damocles”. I took two out and they can be sketchy. Nice work!

Thanks! Yeah what I have learned is to first look the mess over and decide if I can do it to be made safe. If so, I take my time and nibble at it SLOWLY. Stand back and then watch what is happening. Make any high overhead cuts FIRST. Always clear away the cuts and debris from around you before making another cut...It gets to the critical unbalance point and pow! Down it comes. SAFELY.

TAS

 

[TAS]

Cleared the tree down on the Red Loop, east of the east picnic area. Cleared a leaner near the double bridges on Blue and one closer to the parking lot.
TAS

 

[viper8315]

Cleared the tree down on the Red Loop, east of the east picnic area. Cleared a leaner near the double bridges on Blue and one closer to the parking lot.
TAS

TAS, you are the man! Thanks for all the hard work! How's the tubeless setup working out for you?

 

[TAS]

TAS, you are the man! Thanks for all the hard work! How's the tubeless setup working out for you?

Still going strong. Took you advice to NEVER pull out a thorn! The Orange seal Enduro has been working well all winter. I just did a "refresh" squirt - 1 ounce a few weeks ago. Will purchase additional Fatty Stripers as backups. I did have one liner fail near the valve stem but that was my fault. Last fall I got a nasty thorn puncture and the orange seal was just blowing out, nothing in the hole. I found another thorn, jammed it in the hole and it sealed! It's still in there.

 

[TAS]

Beautiful conditions AT LAST!!!! Get out there...
I cleared the rest of the Red Loop east of the East Picnic area. It's still a little soft but rideable. There is one mud hole, just ride the edge and it's OK.,
A few more days of this weather and it will all be dry.

TAS

 

[viper8315]

Still going strong. Took you advice to NEVER pull out a thorn! The Orange seal Enduro has been working well all winter. I just did a "refresh" squirt - 1 ounce a few weeks ago. Will purchase additional Fatty Stripers as backups. I did have one liner fail near the valve stem but that was my fault. Last fall I got a nasty thorn puncture and the orange seal was just blowing out, nothing in the hole. I found another thorn, jammed it in the hole and it sealed! It's still in there.

LOL, well that's one way to do it. For the record though, I said to never pull out a thorn while you're riding. Once safely back home I usually do take them out and they eventually seal up. When I do my "refresh" applications I'll usually add an ounce or two, go over the tire and pull out any thorns. Then I'll pump the tire up to almost 10 psi and spin it with the bike on the work stand. It's always sealed up for me after a day. Glad to hear it is working out well for you. Certainly makes those tires A LOT lighter.

 

[stb222]

Continued my mission against the gum balls this morning. Orange from dam to QB Road has been cleared and the “s” turn on yellow on the other side of Van Nest. There is a 12” dia tree on orange near the U around the creek.