Wasatch Dirt Thread

[volklpowdermaniac]

Checking in. Sure most of you saw the ski thread. But kind of down on ski mojo last few years, bikes dominating the life. Looking forward to being out there

Bazooka Joe for Karma

[Boissal]

Engage rant now:
Hasn't been much DH trail development in the N. SLC foothills over the years and as Boissal said there is a TON of potential for more Bobsled'ish or even Terror ridge types of trails. Lord knows the city and contractors aren't going to build them cause they cant get their damn excavators in there and benchcut the shit outta everything....USE the fricking' terrain and HANDBUILD it!....This trail was constructed literally under 24 hours, for free, and IMO is better than any recent contractor built "DH" benchcut BS in the N. SLC foothills. Not saying every trail needs to be built like this, but also not every trail needs to be a benchcut flow with an excavator.

Encourage people to just get out there and build it...all the classic trails we have and value has been built this way. Everything else is a bureaucratic pussbag of vanilla.

Example of this: there's a sleeper build in NSL called Long Woody. May not be the actual name but there's been a Strava segment for it for a while now. Access is from the Wild Rose trailhead via new Shoreline and some short and steep HAB (using the Woodbriar hiking trail), or by continuing along Dude Benchmark dirt road past the start of Lost Lad for a while (fairly heinous). The trail is a little gem, 1.6 miles of tight trees shenanigans, barely scratched in, no berms, you gotta be on your game or you wash out/clip a tree. It's all moss out there so eating shit doesn't much of a penalty. After it crosses new Shoreline it changes character, more of a gully ride type deal, similar to Tio Bob (which is probably what Bobsled was like 200 years ago) with bigass poorly built jumps that can be bypassed.

The upper section probably took an afternoon to put it and is very fun, I ride it any chance I get. Low traffic since there's no pleasant way to get there. A couple more afternoons of digging and trimming trees would make it a super classic. The lower section is seeing some action now that it loops well with new Shoreline. Another afternoon fixing jumps and you'd have yourself a rad option for a quickish loop. I "rode" down 3 similar options in the vicinity last year, none of which have been cleaned up yet. There are at least 5 more off Dude Benchmark that connect to new Shoreline with reasonable access and insane potential. The whole section between Wild Rose and N Canyon is game on now that now Shoreline provides access. I wish I had time to get after it...

[Dantheman]

ZOMG building trails in drainages! Teh erosunz will be catastrophic! Trails must be built sustainably...by moving hundreds of yards of soil with an excavator!

[zion zig zag]

Hmmm, I’ve had my eyes on some zones in O-town that could use some trails. I spent years trying to do it the right way, with permission and planned, etc. But I think it’s time to go rogue.

[MarsB]

Hmmm, I’ve had my eyes on some zones in O-town that could use some trails. I spent years trying to do it the right way, with permission and planned, etc. But I think it’s time to go rogue.

There's been some traction of late with the official route getting some cool stuff built. Have you ridden the new section of gravity trail above Birdsong? A few of the Ogden crew seem to have figured out how to get some stuff sanctioned, granted it is more flow-oriented.

[Phall]

FYI on the trail above, just ran the pup on parleys point n side and even the deep N pockets were super muddy, but it’s above the smog and it’s 52 deg right now up there!


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[zion zig zag]

There's been some traction of late with the official route getting some cool stuff built. Have you ridden the new section of gravity trail above Birdsong? A few of the Ogden crew seem to have figured out how to get some stuff sanctioned, granted it is more flow-oriented.

I haven’t, but I *think* that may have started as a pirate build? Not sure. It’s been awhile since I was formally involved.

[mar123]

Example of this: there's a sleeper build in NSL called Long Woody. May not be the actual name but there's been a Strava segment for it for a while now. Access is from the Wild Rose trailhead via new Shoreline and some short and steep HAB (using the Woodbriar hiking trail), or by continuing along Dude Benchmark dirt road past the start of Lost Lad for a while (fairly heinous). The trail is a little gem, 1.6 miles of tight trees shenanigans, barely scratched in, no berms, you gotta be on your game or you wash out/clip a tree. It's all moss out there so eating shit doesn't much of a penalty. After it crosses new Shoreline it changes character, more of a gully ride type deal, similar to Tio Bob (which is probably what Bobsled was like 200 years ago) with bigass poorly built jumps that can be bypassed.

The upper section probably took an afternoon to put it and is very fun, I ride it any chance I get. Low traffic since there's no pleasant way to get there. A couple more afternoons of digging and trimming trees would make it a super classic. The lower section is seeing some action now that it loops well with new Shoreline. Another afternoon fixing jumps and you'd have yourself a rad option for a quickish loop. I "rode" down 3 similar options in the vicinity last year, none of which have been cleaned up yet. There are at least 5 more off Dude Benchmark that connect to new Shoreline with reasonable access and insane potential. The whole section between Wild Rose and N Canyon is game on now that now Shoreline provides access. I wish I had time to get after it...

^nice, love it.

Good to see people out there today, my buddy was on the ebike and said he ran into a few of you TGR peeps up top. Think I saw you guys at the bottom at one point. ....Took a couple laps and able to ride it a little faster each time knowing the trail better. Some muddy/greasy spots so expect mud on the bike but overall running just fine. ....a few of the berms need to get dished out more so they transition better but not to shabby so far.

[beaterdit]

That was me and Lady and ran into Yukon Rider. Not bad. I accidentally led us past the Weather Station turn and we got our tires packed in short order, sucky. Made the ride down a little spicier till the mud flung itself out.

Not bad, nice to have something else. Again, thanks for your efforts Mar123!

[brutah]

This weather and all this talk of rogue trails are going to make me take my bike out of winter storage.....

[muted reborn]

FYI on the trail above, just ran the pup on parleys point n side and even the deep N pockets were super muddy, but it’s above the smog and it’s 52 deg right now up there!


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Parts of the BST are real muddy and not good to ride at all, or run, but in the mornings it's probably fine, or if it cools down. Really variable out there the past few days.

But Bodybag is different of course - so many leaves in there I'd guess it's fine for most of it.

Kidding but - can ya rename it to something less core? Funbags? Naughty Body? Chocolate Sunshine? DH names are so intense!

[Yukonrider]

Fun trail! Still a bit muddy and soft, spent half the way down wondering if I was clipped in or not!

Only took one lap, hoping to come back for more later in the week, thanks for your work on that, let me know if you ever need help!

[mar123]

Parts of the BST are real muddy and not good to ride at all, or run, but in the mornings it's probably fine, or if it cools down. Really variable out there the past few days.

But Bodybag is different of course - so many leaves in there I'd guess it's fine for most of it.

Kidding but - can ya rename it to something less core? Funbags? Naughty Body? Chocolate Sunshine? DH names are so intense!

haha Believe it or not ....allegedly... as the story goes....as daylight was fading, a bodybag was discovered out on the trail ...so Bodybag it is!!! -true story.

[Phall]

…..full or empty?


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[unitofstuff]

Checking in. Sure most of you saw the ski thread. But kind of down on ski mojo last few years, bikes dominating the life. Looking forward to being out there

Bazooka Joe for Karma

I hear you on the ski mojo. Hit or miss snow years, ticket prices, parking, traffic, and work schedules make it hard to get excited. A couple new bikes and a trip to AZ to ride with some friends got me stoked about riding again, and in the past I had just assumed there was nothing to ride over the winter. A trip to Eagle Mountain last week definitely proved that wrong, so I'm trying to learn more about what's rideable and what's not.

[Boissal]

I hear you on the ski mojo. Hit or miss snow years, ticket prices, parking, traffic, and work schedules make it hard to get excited. A couple new bikes and a trip to AZ to ride with some friends got me stoked about riding again, and in the past I had just assumed there was nothing to ride over the winter. A trip to Eagle Mountain last week definitely proved that wrong, so I'm trying to learn more about what's rideable and what's not.

I'm in the same boat. Always hard to transition from an awesome fall of riding into winter, especially when winter isn't starting with a major bang. Winter riding around here takes a bit of motivation if you're not constantly driving to SoUt or further, but there are some fun options. EaMo is definitely the most reliable and makes the long January dry spells with inversion much more tolerable. It's not great riding but when that's all you have... If you drive another 20 minutes SW into the Lake Mtns there is some proper gnar to ride as well. Antelope Island is always worth the drive, even if it's just for a scenic ride. Shoreline can be a riot if you're willing to get up early, and idiotic foothill steep lines are rideable whenever there's no snow on the ground, all that W facing grass dries out really fast. If you have a fattie there's a dedicated groups of people who pack LCC from the White Pine trailhead down, and from what I understand it's some proper burly riding in the winter (it's hard enough in the summer).
Hell, I just had to drop off my car at the tire place and rode back home, under 3 miles of pavement in the cold with traffic, and I was giggling the whole time. Bikes are fun. Slightly less than skiing pow, but a shitload more than not doing anything.

[Touring_Sedan]

If you have a fattie there's a dedicated groups of people who pack LCC from the White Pine trailhead down, and from what I understand it's some proper burly riding in the winter (it's hard enough in the summer).

We usually don't make it all the way up to White Pine, especially with the quantity of snow the last couple of years, typically it's from the ruins down. American Fork Canyon is an absolute hoot in the winter. The quantity and quality of riding down there in the winter is unparalleled.

[Boissal]

We usually don't make it all the way up to White Pine, especially with the quantity of snow the last couple of years, typically it's from the ruins down. American Fork Canyon is an absolute hoot in the winter. The quantity and quality of riding down there in the winter is unparalleled.

You know Bryce P? Zoso on in the internets? He loves packing and riding the section that drops off the White Pine road and eventually crosses the creek and goes into Tanners campground. Says that first berm has tossed a lot of people out I don't think he rode that section much last year, too much snow, but he's already done laps from Tanners to the ruins this year. Dude doesn't slide on snow, bikes or ice climbing for him.

[Touring_Sedan]

You know Bryce P? Zoso on in the internets? He loves packing and riding the section that drops off the White Pine road and eventually crosses the creek and goes into Tanners campground. Says that first berm has tossed a lot of people out I don't think he rode that section much last year, too much snow, but he's already done laps from Tanners to the ruins this year. Dude doesn't slide on snow, bikes or ice climbing for him.

I know him in passing. He's ....."interesting." I'm usually up there a couple of times a week in the winter. Last years trail packing was demoralizing as fuck. You'd bust your ass getting it dialed in only to have it buried under another 18" 6 hours later. I'm glad to have the FS help out with some sleds in AFC.

[Boissal]

I know him in passing. He's ....."interesting." I'm usually up there a couple of times a week in the winter. Last years trail packing was demoralizing as fuck. You'd bust your ass getting it dialed in only to have it buried under another 18" 6 hours later. I'm glad to have the FS help out with some sleds in AFC.

He's a good lad, always up for riding, and very easy to convince to get into dumb sufferfests/heinous HABs. Major source of bad ideas and always willing to go test them out which I something I really appreciate in people I ski/bike/climb with. Can be a bit quirky but, aren't we all?
He did mention the packing last year was soul crushing. Seems like it's been feast or famine in the fat biking world these past few years.

[SJG]

Zoso keeps some Wasatch trails running smoothly (Mormon East, Quarry gnar).

White Pine down for fat biking was my idea, but we did give up in Feb last year because it was impossible to keep up with the relentless snowfall above the ruins.

[beaterdit]

EaMo firing. Don’t think this system’s gonna do much in the way of precip in the valley. Prolly minimal interruption out there.

…

[volklpowdermaniac]

I hear you on the ski mojo. Hit or miss snow years, ticket prices, parking, traffic, and work schedules make it hard to get excited. A couple new bikes and a trip to AZ to ride with some friends got me stoked about riding again, and in the past I had just assumed there was nothing to ride over the winter. A trip to Eagle Mountain last week definitely proved that wrong, so I'm trying to learn more about what's rideable and what's not.

yep:/ weird in my 20s and just beyond i was on the hill 100+ days/year, lived in my boots, now all i think and fixate about is riding, fixing bikes, etc. 4 years in the PNW didn't help, but it's not like we're lacking for pow here heck my first year i did 800" at alpental, was all time. but since then, man all i want to do ride. i'm sure it's cyclical, but now all my buddies are getting excited for snow and im just like whatever ill take seattle 45 and grey and go bike all winter

[Touring_Sedan]

yep:/ weird in my 20s and just beyond i was on the hill 100+ days, now all i think and fixate about is riding, fixing bikes, etc. 4 years in the PNW didn't help, but it's not like we're lacking for pow here heck my first year i did 800" at alpental, was all time. but since then, man all i want to do ride.

I'm pretty much full time bikes now. Between the cost of passes for our family of 4, the parking shit show, the uncertainty of when or if I'm going to be able to get up canyon, or down and the crowds. The bang for the buck just isn't there for me anymore.


Also. It's still shorts season. On the 22nd. Of December.

[Boissal]

EaMo firing. Don’t think this system’s gonna do much in the way of precip in the valley. Prolly minimal interruption out there.

Hell yeah! Ran into a buddy out there recently, for some reason I had never ridden those trails and he had to give me a stern talking to cause I was hesitating and wanting more boring XC mile. What a chance of pace it was from regular EaMo. Some of the drops are for real, bit surprising when you're chasing someone and trust that they're not sandbagging you. Which he obviously was