Thank you all for the hard work. There's a lot that goes into trail maintenance that's beyond the scope of my understanding. That said, is there a way to achieve the desired effect of mitigating erosion, sand pits, water pooling, etc without removing all the fun technical features such as roots and rocks? I used to look forward to the connector trail every time I rode Hartshorn. It was interesting both up and down and one of my favorite trails there. If possible, leave some tech. There are plenty of us that love it.
Thank you for acknowledging that trail maintenance is hard work and there is much that you don't understand about it.
On the previous page I did post a lengthy explanation as to why we are working on the connector climb and some of the building techniques that we use to deal with erosion issues. It's post #177 if you care to read it.
IMBA Trail Solutions is a great book to read to begin to understand trail building and design.
I have gotten push back from a minority of mtbers who feel we are sanitizing the trails. It doesn't surprise me, every trail builder gets push back when trails are changed. The majority like the changes, so I guess we are doing something right... you can't please everyone.
I think part of the problem is that some folks mistake eroded trails for good tech trails. As a trail builder for the park system my goal is to have sustainable multi-use trails. I've been riding Hartshorne for close to 20 years and have seen the trails change due to erosion.
Good tech trails don't change, the lines stay the same. Eroded trails change every 3-5yrs as the lines get washed out and trail users seek a better line.
Also, trails in Monmouth County are flow type trails, all mountain tech trails can be found in the northern part of the state. If you are showing up at Hartshorne to ride tech, you will be disappointed, you are better off riding Allamuchy or Wildcat.
Here is an illustration of the connector, which is a classic fall line trail that is 15' due to erosion. This is garbage.
This is the end of Lumpy Bumpy at Allamuchy. The trail is about 15 yrs old and the lines are pretty much the same as the day they where built, there is no erosion issues, and it's an awesome tech trail.
Rxpete, I am not singling you out with this post, but rather this is for all those interested in learning more about trail maintenance , trail build and design.
Every one should be a Jorba member and support their local trail system by volunteering when they can. It's really important that we as a group unite and work together.
We work on trails at Hartshorne every Monday, 9am-12pm, usually meeting at Rocky Point lot. Fill out volunteer application and join in if you can, we could always use the help. Post up or message me if you have questions.
Thanks!
www.monmouthcountyparks.com
