Dig stoke, who else likes to play in the dirt???

Our quest to keep your bums dry continues

Pic 1. Puddle in centre of trail annoyingly cannot drain to our sump as its been dammed by chunks of organic falling from trees.

Pic 2. Not pictured is my digging the sump all the way to China on picture right. That then yields mineral soil which goes onto the trail bed. Then breach the organic dam to move the Puddle from centre of trail out to the sump. When it stops snowing, we'll dig out the sump more, use the rocks piled to the side of the trailbed to raise the trail, and put more soil on top of the trail for max dry but

PIc 3 and 4. Drainage pics from the other anglehttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4ea296c030.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c36b13fa99.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...253244ad65.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1a675a97de.jpg

Worked on some jank berms on the local neighborhood trails. First pic is new trail going in and second pic was different trail completed in fall

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Originally Posted by klauss

Worked on some jank berms on the local neighborhood trails. First pic is new trail going in and second pic was different trail completed in fall

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Nice. I've got to get better at shaping. Usually get impatient and leave them too flat

Just picked this up from a local shop (Urban Wheeler for pdx mags) that has donated a lot of tools for the neighborhood dig spot.

I’d like to mount it to the vehicle to get some G.O.T.O.S. points. Don’t want her getting dirty.


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Grabbed a mini-ex from a friend and have been reworking the backyard jumps for the last few days. Made the bigger line bigger so that it works better at "trail speed," and added a new smaller line. The line goes into a rolly pump track section after the main jump, and that all got re-worked as well. Eventually that section will merge into a pump track, but that's a project for another time. Almost done with this round of work, but still have some raking and packing to do.

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Nickels and dimes.

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New trail addition has this perfect rock...the backside was sheer to flat. A little hardwood to help out on the exit and make it rideable both ways. Wee bit sketchy. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4be2cd9c05.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9ccc69848e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ab65e314cf.jpg

Question for diggers: is there some good reason to use a leaf blower on a trail?

I feel like I've seen people debate leaves, but I've never seen anyone blow all the dust up into the woods until today. Seemed like a good way to get to July early, but as a digging JONG I figured better to ask than to go all Leroy Jenkins on the topic. Thanks!

Why not just use a rake?

They did that, too. Maybe the dust cloud is to keep people out of the work zone?

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Originally Posted by jono

Question for diggers: is there some good reason to use a leaf blower on a trail?

I feel like I've seen people debate leaves, but I've never seen anyone blow all the dust up into the woods until today. Seemed like a good way to get to July early, but as a digging JONG I figured better to ask than to go all Leroy Jenkins on the topic. Thanks!

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desired trail surface can be due to lots of variables, with leaves its usually more about the resulting moisture or usage levels than the actual leaves being on the trail, but a few examples of times ive blown out leaves...

limit water on trails with easily damaged and overused tread

highly used urban trail centers before winter freeze so that come spring the trail will thaw faster and open up sooner

to remove acorns on highly used hardpack trails, which is like riding on marbles and just plain not fun

to remove trimmings after clearing brush from the sides of overgrown trails

to blow out dust on highly used flow trails in the summer

to blow off leaves before shuttle days in the fall

generally if the leaves will degrade into loam they are left on the trail, but due to overuse or other variables sometimes thats not reality and being proactive to control the trail can be a better approach than letting nature take its course

it could also be someone who thinks they are being a helpful volunteer and not really adding any value to the trail and just wasting time and making a mess, which isnt unheard of with trailbuilders...

Thanks, that suggests a few things I wouldn't have thought of. Sounds like it's someplace between the last two around here just now, but these are fairly high use trails suddenly, so maybe preemptive is the plan.

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Originally Posted by jono

Question for diggers: is there some good reason to use a leaf blower on a trail?

I feel like I've seen people debate leaves, but I've never seen anyone blow all the dust up into the woods until today. Seemed like a good way to get to July early, but as a digging JONG I figured better to ask than to go all Leroy Jenkins on the topic. Thanks!

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Interesting you posted this. There was a "trailwork" day today locally that we stumbled upon. Its organized on FB, which I'm not on. Anyway, one guy was blowing this shit out of a trail. I personally found it odd. Granted we've had a lot of wind and a noreaster lately, so the trails have a lot of crap, but not piles of leaves like in the fall.

I use leaf blowers for new builds and very selective light blowing in the fall.

This time of year on established trails is just odd, not necessary, and possibly bad for the trail imo.

I think I'm finished. Will need a touch up, but I'm done. Could also be 2' higher, but I need an excavator. Started this last summer while building the new trail. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...95483a7245.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...77a802f685.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9ff9b07417.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8aecd89fef.jpg
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On to PO step 2, behead the remains

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Reworked a corner tonight.
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Opened this feature today. We built the trail past it knowing we'd incorporate a side hit. Little gap one side, roller the otherhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...591f1768ea.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b46794a831.jpg

^I tried to make this better, but I'm not happy with it. Oh well. The more you build, the more you learn. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e46b879f5a.jpg

https://vimeo.com/547643196

Well worth watching. Natural jank Finnish trail then self filmed

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Originally Posted by LeeLau

https://vimeo.com/547643196

Well worth watching. Natural jank Finnish trail then self filmed

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Wow. That's a lot of work in rough terrain. It will be interesting to see if he keeps going and makes a nice network out of it.

Headed up to the mountains today to work on some neglected trail. This area burned in 2013 and was under closure order for 4-5 years. Huge bummer as there was a killer network and a planning process was underway to adopt many of the trails. A year after the forest re-opened locals were just getting a few trails back in shape when some asshole thought it would be a good idea to fire flares up onto a hillside covered in sage/chaparral. The second fire burned everything the first one missed, and then some. Fortunately the second closure was only for a year, but the toll on trails has been severe. A lot are gone completely, no trace left whatsoever. A handful are back and running. A few others still exist but are in very poor shape. I scouted some of those last month and then headed up today to start work clearing one of them. It has seen minimal traffic since 2013.


Before. Tread still exists below the wall of brush, straight ahead. Had to mark it with ribbon to stay on track.

http://www.habventures.com/photos/Digging/2021/HC1.jpg

After

http://www.habventures.com/photos/Digging/2021/HC2.jpg


I was about 2/3 of the way to my goal for the day when this happened. Good thing it has a lifetime warranty lol.

http://www.habventures.com/photos/Digging/2021/HC3.jpg


Limped through a bit more cutting then switched and cleaned up some of the tread.

http://www.habventures.com/photos/Digging/2021/HC5.jpg


Also cleaned up this entrance to a wash crossing that was badly rutted. Can't do much with the dirt right now but at least the rut is gone. Got about 1/3 mile total brushed. There is another 2/3 mile to go on this trail and then similar distance on a trail above this to bring this ride back. Perfect day, temps never got above 60.

http://www.habventures.com/photos/Digging/2021/HC4.jpg

Re: the leaf blower, it isn't 'just' for getting things off the trail... after you cut a trail, sometimes you want to renaturalize it..... so you blow leaves back over the cut, then just blow off a tighter single track.

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Originally Posted by evdog

Headed up to the mountains today to work on some neglected trail. This area burned in 2013 and was under closure order for 4-5 years. Huge bummer as there was a killer network and a planning process was underway to adopt many of the trails. A year after the forest re-opened locals were just getting a few trails back in shape when some asshole thought it would be a good idea to fire flares up onto a hillside covered in sage/chaparral. The second fire burned everything the first one missed, and then some. Fortunately the second closure was only for a year, but the toll on trails has been severe. A lot are gone completely, no trace left whatsoever. A handful are back and running. A few others still exist but are in very poor shape. I scouted some of those last month and then headed up today to start work clearing one of them. It has seen minimal traffic since 2013.


Before. Tread still exists below the wall of brush, straight ahead. Had to mark it with ribbon to stay on track.

http://www.habventures.com/photos/Digging/2021/HC1.jpg

After

http://www.habventures.com/photos/Digging/2021/HC2.jpg


I was about 2/3 of the way to my goal for the day when this happened. Good thing it has a lifetime warranty lol.

http://www.habventures.com/photos/Digging/2021/HC3.jpg


Limped through a bit more cutting then switched and cleaned up some of the tread.

http://www.habventures.com/photos/Digging/2021/HC5.jpg


Also cleaned up this entrance to a wash crossing that was badly rutted. Can't do much with the dirt right now but at least the rut is gone. Got about 1/3 mile total brushed. There is another 2/3 mile to go on this trail and then similar distance on a trail above this to bring this ride back. Perfect day, temps never got above 60.

http://www.habventures.com/photos/Digging/2021/HC4.jpg

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It's crazy to me how fast nature will reclaim trails if use pauses for even a year or two. It kind of makes me question the massive environmental review that's required on a lot of these projects.

Nice work on getting that stuff back up and running.

This line is coming in nicely. Using an old road cut for a step-up to 180 berm.

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Originally Posted by toast2266

It's crazy to me how fast nature will reclaim trails if use pauses for even a year or two. It kind of makes me question the massive environmental review that's required on a lot of these projects.

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Thanks, and agreed on the environmental review. A single hand built trail or re-routes should be below scope for a full review. Walk it with the biologist and maybe an archaeologist depending on the area. Adjust the design if needed, then go build.

For major trail additions (and dirt freeways like above) sure, since those will bring in a lot more people and probably include upgraded facilities or trailhead parking.

Lol, $200 fine...

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We're almost done with the first part of this big mount dean stone project. Hopefully all we've built will be open in june sometime

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Jamal, thanks for being a leader in the local MTB community. It is appreciated.

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Taking advantage of this rain

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Originally Posted by RoooR

This line is coming in nicely. Using an old road cut for a step-up to 180 berm.

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Where is this, RoooR?

Splitting wood that is not cedar is not as fun. Sometimes I miss the danker forests of my youth.

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Originally Posted by RootSkier

Where is this, RoooR?

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It's at a buddy's house. There's some pretty cool projects going in the 5 valleys though.

Also if you like big flow trails I'd take a look at what's going on up at Lakeside. Pretty sick bike park going in up there.

Cool. Nobody is more stoked about the Lakeside park than my 7 year old. Sounds like there might be a shot that the game at a certain Missoula-area mountain is about to change in a big way, too.

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Originally Posted by RootSkier

Cool. Nobody is more stoked about the Lakeside park than my 7 year old. Sounds like there might be a shot that the game at a certain Missoula-area mountain is about to change in a big way, too.

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I have heard this as well. Apparently necessity is the mother of invention. Not sure how official yet though...

I do kinda wonder how as the population grows it may be worth if for the MTB community to buy some of these 100ish acre lots without houses up Pattee, Grant Creek, Miller, Etc. The forest service won't ever let us build anything new.

Agreed. The most obvious thing I'd like to see right now is biker-friendly singletrack from the end of Orange Street, through the North Hills to the top of Duncan Drive. I know it wouldn't be "rad" but it would still make it so you could ride singletrack from downtown to the Rattlesnake. And this is all city-owned land. You'd think the city would get behind something like this but unfortunately the city hates mountain bikers.

^^^ Borrow some horses, and ride that trail in?

Not exactly dig stoke, but our trail maintenance crews have been disorganized since COVID and state park rules. Got sick of getting hives/pricksrs/ivy and bought a new 40V elec hedge trimmer. So much better than gas one IMO for beating back the jungle we get summer here. Less noise, smell, immediate start and battery lasted long enough for about 3 miles of trail.


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This guy is taking his backyard to the next level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RXS4xZYb8k&t=24s

Had a large tree fall, so we made a reroute and could now incorporate this boulder. Funny when you're building a trail how you get to sections and sometimes take the path of least resistance and plan to incorporate that "section" or "feature" some day. Then when it's forced and you finally do it, you realize you should have done it to begin with!
So I realigned the short log ride to flow into the new boulder up and over. The two primary ramp rocks were heavy! But it was worth it. Flows nicely. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...57741e496b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7ecb2e1a57.jpg

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Originally Posted by RoooR

I have heard this as well. Apparently necessity is the mother of invention. Not sure how official yet though...

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All but a done deal. Missoula mountain biking just got a LOT better. Hopefully the new owners will let any new trails that need to get built/modified on the parcel get done before they turn it over to the city.

https://missoulacurrent.com/business...untain-buyers/