Quiet Waters Trail Building Days

[The Goose]

Club Mud friends and family,

Please check your calendars and try to make time for the posted Trail Building days featured on this great poster created by folks that care. 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month come out to Quiet Waters at 9AM to lend a hand in rebuilding the trail system.  Bring your bikes for post-work riding as well as a helmet, water, sunblock, gloves and the approriate clothing for the weather of the day.

With your help we can build and maintain sustainable trails that will reward us for many years to come.

Regards,
Your Club Mud Forum Admin

[terminator]

I don't meant to be negative, but I was recently out on the (existing) Quiet Waters Trail. (Kudos to those who have created something from what was clearly (and sadly) nothing after the decimation of the 2004 hurricanes.)  I even grabbed an Application to be a trail volunteer when first entering the Park, believing it was time to get dirty sans falling off my bike. But I have to say . . . I don't really think it's worth the effort unless there are plans to add some major foliage. 

Now, I know absolutely NOTHING about building, well, anything, and even less about building a mountain bike trail, but it seems more logical to build a trail through existing foliage and terrain than to build a trail and then plant around it. Or am I completely off-base?

If someone can educate the trail-building challenged and ignorant, I may very well be convinced to pick up a shovel (or bucket or hammer or whatever one grabs when playing construction crew) and help the cause.  But that's only if it's a WORTHY cause. 

Any takers?

[prophet rob]

Note to everyone!!! Moab will be closed due to lack of foliage. Just kidding terminator, It will certainly be sunny and never the same as it was but we and the county have planted hundreds of trees that will be there for future generations. Ya know when I think of it we play volleyball, football, roller blade, road bike 100 miles and more, soccer, golf, skateboard, run, field hockey, baseball, ect...... And ride mountain bikes in many parts of the country, in the sun. I guess I 'll ride QW also. Thanks for getting the volunteer form, hope to see you out there.                                   P.S. only you can deside if its a worthy cause to you.

[John L]

One other important thing to note is not all riders are looking for the same thing. QW it seems to me will be an intro course for a lot of people. New riders are not to keen on dropping in on some of the stuff at Markham and might not be up for the drive to Oleta or JD. QW is a good place to start rolling so to speak. As far as trail building goes it is a great spot to build a foundation from the ground up. The challanges that the builders face there is are of vision, use of space, and shaping the terrain. Talking to Kevin Gray is mind bending for me in ways. What he sees and what I see are two totally different things,  but when he takes you through it the trail folds under you. It is not a waste if you knew what it was before. I never rode there but to hear some people talk it up means a lot to me. I think that setting up the park for the future is noble and worth while. If you are riding for the first time, or building for the first time....it is a win win situation. 

[j4m3z]

When an entire tract of land is bulldozed flat and then you try to build a mountain bike track on that land, there's not much choice in terms of foliage except to plant trees, shrubs, tall grasses...hundreds upon hundreds of trees, shrubs, and tall grasses.  And in about 3-5 years, pretty much in about the same amount of time that it will take to get the trails completely built out to what it will eventually become - keeping in mind that the trail will always be evolving in the quest for a better and safer ride - you'll have lots and lots of trees, shrubs, and tall grasses that you can actually see and are starting to provide some semblance of shade.  Besides, with no trees you get a nice cool breeze coming off the lakes now.  At least that's what I keep telling myself the 3-4 days a week that I ride there and the two times a month I show up to work.

Worthy cause?  I can't think of anything worthier right now.  Okay, maybe curing cancer MIGHT be a more worthy cause, but just barely.

[tflounder]

The idea that there is no foliage at QW is a very narrow view. Not hundreds - thousands of plants have been and will be planted. It makes no sense to plant full grown trees in an area that will be growing for the next 50+ years. There will be forest there - eventually. If you can't wait or don't see the value, please enjoy the other trails in the area and remember they need help too.

Come on out and someone will gladly give you direction. There are plenty of things to do that don't involve skill or muscle. Hope to see you out there.

[shaggydog]

The way I see it is: This trail is Cat5 Resistant    I know it is hard to belive living here in Florida but we have Hurricanes that come and visit every so often, This kick ant trail is Hurricane resistant.
While the others will have to be rebuit if anything comes our way again, QW will live .
The other thing is LAND is very hard to come by for MTB trail building. Legal Land that is and QW has prime real estate.
Shade is not all it is about, the ride is more important.

[j4m3z]

QW will evolve into one of the premier trails in the state.  I have full confidence in that.  We have support from the park and county and all we need is support from the riders themselves.  Granted, it's a humble beginning, but once the second section opens and we can start working on the third section I think everyone will start to see its true potential.  You just have to try and use your imagination to get an idea of what it will look like in a few years.

[The Goose]

Careful with use of imagination.  I picture elevation changes that used to exist there.  If you can prove to me that will happen I have hope.

And can we bring back the Hillsboro rock please?  That was such fun for those that remember it. And Cork Screw ver. 2.0 would be nice.  Oh and if Clay hill can rise from the ashes I'm feeling happier. And U-terrace. and slo-flow....hmm.....imagination eh?

I am happy that QW is coming back to life...

 

[j4m3z]

Got a shovel or rake in your hand sir?  You've got me at a loss because I don't really know who "Goose" is relative to who the real person is so I can't say whether or not you've helped build there.  I will defer to your title in here that you are a member of distinction, but the question remains, got shovel?  You'll forgive my ignorance as to your identity.  I'm faulty that way.

[mtb777]

Please pick out which rocks you want for the Hillsboro rocks and we'll try to replicate that if you can drum up some photos (anyone got some clear shots???) I too miss the rocks!! As for Corkscrew.....bring us 6 or 7 truck loads of roots and ........no problemo!

I think we have MORE elevation at QW now....we just can't utilize* it as everyone wishes....but that too will come with time Grasshopper!


*Our new IMBA Program for trail design requires Rock Armoring for ALL fall line type features to eliminate the erosion and constant maintenance that comes with that type of Technical Trail Feature. We need bigger TM crews to build features like that and that takes time AND labor. Let's get the next phases opened up for riding and then we can work on our wish lists and tackle them one by one.

Also, a thought....if someone doesn't want to work for any good reason, but wants to contribute, go to Home Depot and pick up a couple of sanks of grass seed to green up the trails that are rocky just before rainy season starts so it doesn't cook in the mean time....or ladies pick up some cans of wild flower seed or ground cover and let's get the trails prettyfied. We still have the opportunity to go in there and pick and remove the AirPotato spuds that are laying around dormant right now before rainy season starts and get rid of them before we have to start cutting them back every three days in late summer.

Anyone got a couple of swimming pool rings and rope or a pool ladder laying around for the trail on the Land Bridge (Bike Wash Trail)?

There's LOTS to do beside whine, banana, and moan that doesn't involve actually building trails that needs to be and CAN be done!

[j4m3z]

Let's go over this again.

Get basic trail built and open to the specs that IMBA laid out and the county agreed to and approved. ALL OF IT.
Try to get people to drink the Kool-Aid and come out and work to help build out the trail to it's full potential.
Ride like a mo' fo' and have the time of your life and all the while keep improving the trail to make it all it can be.

[mtb777]

Pick up the new issue of BIKE mag for the basics of trail building! Go on the IMBA site and view the enormous amount of info on trail building....and there are books and books,too. Show up and watch and/or ask and we'll teach you (if your nice)!

Look at all of these resources.......

http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/index.html

[mtb777]

Also.......if you want to go out and pick up a couple of 40 foot oak trees and have them delivered and installed and watered...I'm sure the Park would love them!! (Me too!! )

[The Goose]

Let's go over this again.

Get basic trail built and open to the specs that IMBA laid out and the county agreed to and approved. ALL OF IT.
Try to get people to drink the Kool-Aid and come out and work to help build out the trail to it's full potential.
Ride like a mo' fo' and have the time of your life and all the while keep improving the trail to make it all it can be.

Oh no...not the Kool-Aid?!  When does the Mothership arrive?