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  1. #1

    Mountain Bike Conditions

    I was think of coming up to mt bike this weekend. Does anyone know the trail conditions both on and off the mt. I was going to do lift service on Sat and off mt sunday. Probably Dana Hill with a bunch of friends on Sunday. Is it wet or just damp? Haven't been up to vt in over a month. Any info would be appreciated.



    Thanks,

  2. #2
    long trail was very soggy last week and the forecast is calling for lots of rain.
    the rivers are also really high. I was tempted to try my hand in canoeing, people on the mad looked like they were having fun.
    Of course, all that mud might be really fun to bike in too. Just watch out for downed trees, they are everywhere for some reason.

  3. #3
    Hawk's Avatar
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    I have the same agenda for Friday and Saturday. The word earlier this week was that it was wet and slick but not totally washed out. But with the recent rains the last couple of days, I think a post from Mr. Atkinson is in order.
    Trouble with you is the trouble with me,
    Got two good eyes but we still don’t see!

  4. #4
    I biked last week and it was wet/wild. friday on the mountain was fine until I was going up from the CR chair on CR connection and got hit with a nasty thunderstorm shortly before I reached the bridge. That was interesting. But the trails on the mtn were in surprisingly good shape.

  5. #5

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    Yes, our team here has done a good job on the mountain and on the golf course and the rain this year has been handled a lot better than in previous years! That said we want more days like today and what is forecasted for tomorrow!

  6. #6
    Conditions are very wet,with most locals not riding. Thunderstorm this afternoon killed off any chance of riding tomorrow without causing considerable damage.
    The x-terra race [routed through very wet trails {old and new} with no thought to conditions] should be rerouted to an alternate route according to IMBA guidelines. If this is not done it should be reported to the USFS, Vt. State Forest Dept., IMBA/VMBA as poor stewardship of local trails. Cannot trust the mountain with new woods areas if they cannot even respect the Fayston town/school trails.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Go Figure
    Conditions are very wet,with most locals not riding. Thunderstorm this afternoon killed off any chance of riding tomorrow without causing considerable damage.
    The x-terra race [routed through very wet trails {old and new} with no thought to conditions] should be rerouted to an alternate route according to IMBA guidelines. If this is not done it should be reported to the USFS, Vt. State Forest Dept., IMBA/VMBA as poor stewardship of local trails. Cannot trust the mountain with new woods areas if they cannot even respect the Fayston town/school trails.
    Maybe you should let the mountain know rather than posting it in here. They would probably appreciate knowing.

  8. #8
    The mountain knows exactly how wet the trails are.

  9. #9
    The sight of mud encased bikes and riders covered in mud to mid thigh showed a lack of concern. I know there is a mountain employee who was a VMBA board member and knows better.
    http://www.imba.com/news/trail_news/..._14_3_mud.html

  10. #10
    Hawk's Avatar
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    So the downhilling on Friday was pretty good. The trails at the mountain are not in bad shape and lots of drainage work was evident. Good work Guys! There is a definate lack of riding thou. The trails are not beaten in yet. I am sure that will come in time.

    I will agree that the off mountain trails are soupy. We opted for a road ride out of Bristol instead. I have to say that area is some of the best road riding I have ever done. If you haven't gone you should. We may have saw a dozen cars in 45 miles. Just beautiful with rolling hills and corn as far as the eye can see.

    I also agree that there are better ways to get your message accross about the trail abuse. Singling out people only causes bad blood.
    Trouble with you is the trouble with me,
    Got two good eyes but we still don’t see!

  11. #11

  12. #12
    We were out on the Xterra trails today working and cleaning up. They came through very well, some parts looked like they always do, but other areas need some love and attention. Colin and I got one pass through on Sugar Run and Catamount and started on Guyer's. FYI, some of the persistently wet areas are persisting in their wetness, i.e. lower Guyer's, the top of Sugar Run and the bottom of the Catamount. More work to come this week.

    The trails, none of which were on state or federal land, are going to continue to receive judicious amounts of help to ensure proper drainage and armoring. Some of the places we worked on have been problems for years, but now they should be much better.

    The Xterra route was chosen long before this weekend and reroutes were not possible. Just so everyone is clear, the entire route was on private land with signed permission from all landowners, with the exception of the road section and the bottom of the Catamount, which is Fayston town land.

    For a little perspective on wet racing, I organized one of the Wicked Witch races during the major snowmaking expansion in the mid-1990's. It rained 10" in 3 days before the event. We ran the race on the trails above Eurich Pond and I felt guilty the entire time, thinking that they would never recover. However, this was not the case. They needed some love, but in a short time, you couldn't even tell they had been running with water and knee deep in mud. People still ride these trails today, so the evidence is on the ground.

    I've come full circle on the whole "don't ride when it's wet" philosophy. When I first started riding back in the 1970's and 1980's, I rode whenever and wherever. Then I started getting educated and tried being a stickler for dry trails. In the last few years, I learned that properly built trails can be ridden in the rain.

    Scotland is one of the best biking areas in the world and they get massive amounts of rain. They've armored and drained their trails to the point that weather doesn't affect them that much. Guess where I learned about Scotland? At a VMBA/IMBA trail-building conference.

    The Mad River Riders and the Mad River Path Association have done several hundred hours of maintenance this spring and summer already. Sugarbush has supported some of these efforts, including the work done today and a lot of the work done on the Plum Line earlier this year. Yet there is so much more to do. The project list is huge and we need lots of help. If you want trails that ride great no matter the weather, we need less bitchin and more pitch in.

    John

  13. #13
    If its okay to ride the trail wet. Then why do alot of places close the trails during wet periods? I've been told Waterbury closes when wet? Does this mean that it is okay to ride in late November and early spring? Whether state, fed or private land Its about respect for nature. The group that i ride with down south stay off the trails when wet just out of respect for the land.

    The youtube vid shows standing water on many parts of the trail.



    It's good to know that my friends and i don't need to check on trail conditions when we come up to ride in the MRV. Wet or dry ride them.

  14. #14
    If its okay to ride the trail wet. Then why do alot of places close the trails during wet periods? I've been told Waterbury closes when wet? Does this mean that it is okay to ride in late November and early spring? Whether state, fed or private land Its about respect for nature. The group that i ride with down south stay off the trails when wet just out of respect for the land.

    The youtube vid shows standing water on many parts of the trail.



    It's good to know that my friends and i don't need to check on trail conditions when we come up to ride in the MRV. Wet or dry ride them.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by HowieT2
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKK0z-fAhz4
    Love the video, shot while its raining! Mud everywhere ,like a mud pit. Plenty of time to [according to IMBA] lay out an alternate route.All trough this vid. saying its very wet and muddy while rining in the rain through mud. Great words of advise in the closing minute of the video," ride on the side of the trail on the vegetation to get traction" . I have never seen a video that shows a greater lack of respect for trails. It does not matter that this is private land and some is being "fixed", it is a lack of respect for accepted guidelines for trail management.
    Recently a "What Goes Down" acticle admonished everyone to stay off the wet trails. Most locals have been doing this {notice the empty roof racks}. THe poor route choice and conditions have been the subject of much discussion at the local shop.
    As for posting here, its a Sugarbush production and My Wife tried to talk to someone at the mountain. After being on hold for 6 minutes, she was told there was no one available to talk to about the issue.
    Our Daughter is arriving from CA. for a visit this week and We had to tell Her We would not be going for much riding as the wet weather has settled in and probably won't dry out while You are here.



    [quote]I've come full circle on the whole "don't ride when it's wet" philosophy. When I first started riding back in the 1970's and 1980's, I rode whenever and wherever. Then I started getting educated and tried being a stickler for dry trails. In the last few years, I learned that properly built trails can be ridden in the rain.
    Scotland is one of the best biking areas in the world and they get massive amounts of rain. They've armored and drained their trails to the point that weather doesn't affect them that much. Guess where I learned about Scotland? At a VMBA/IMBA trail-building conference.

    The Mad River Riders and the Mad River Path Association have done several hundred hours of maintenance this spring and summer already. Sugarbush has supported some of these efforts, including the work done today and a lot of the work done on the Plum Line earlier this year. Yet there is so much more to do. The project list is huge and we need lots of help. If you want trails that ride great no matter the weather, we need less bitchin and more pitch in. [Quote]

    Please, folks around here have been riding respectfully for years and do not need to toil in the woods to "armour" trails.WE were riding PLum and High plum in the mid 80's and knew when to avoid them. There are plenty of other activities to occupy ones time [we have been floating a lot lately {both white and flat}] so dig deep and let it dry out. There are a few Scots here but its not Scoland.

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