In the past several months a lot of good has happened on the trails at Raystown Lake- Aside from regular trail work being completed such as trimming, blowing, lopping, drain cleaning and the like....all this happened too.
Fawn Trail Deck Project
Location: Approximately 3/4 down Fawn Trail just prior to the wooden bridge was a very long wet spot.
Issue: The large wet spot was armored with rock prior to the opening of the trail with IMBA guidance. Unfortunately, because the section of trail was built over several seeps in the hillside the spot was always problematic.
Resolution: It was decided last year that the best means to resolve this ongoing issue would be to build an elevated deck over the trail. So Project lead Ellis D was able to get the ball rolling and ultimately completed just before the leaves began to fall-
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Eagle Trail Reroute
Location: Just off of Susquehannock Road headed towards Hydro Loop was a very long stretch of trail area that had become progressively more gouged out and rutted. original layout.
Issue: Prior to Dirt Fest this year plans had been laid to reroute this section high up on the hillside. Eliminating some of drainage issue associated with it's location. After the four inches of rain fell during the days prior to Dirt Fest, and some thousand plus passes across the trail during the weekend of the event. It became evident that this project couldn't be put off any longer.
Resolution: The original trail corridor was abandoned and a new trail constructed much higher on the ridge in a much dryer spot. The section adds some climbing to the end of the trail but eliminated the abrupt grade reversal that seemed to be problematic. No longer will riders have to search for the trail or become covered in mud trying to ride it.
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Terrace Mountain Trail Efforts
Location: On the opposite ridge of Raystown Lake lies a trail that will span from just outside of Huntingdon all the way down past Trough Creek State Park to Saxton.
Issue: Terrace Mountain Trail was never truly finished. It has always been permissible to ride or hike but finding the trail was holding folks back. Additionally with so many downed tree across the trail it was nearly impassable in sections where blazes could be seen.
Resolution: In mid 2011 when the trail risked permanent closure myself and Ranger Gwinn went over and looked at sections in need of improvement. After outlining a plan of attack Gwinn was able to secure funding to hire a contractor to do some tread work that would greatly save volunteer time. During the summer of 2014 contract work was completed on numerous isolated sections of trail. With the machine work largely done the finish work is now underway. Re-blazing the trail is underway with a few end of the year work crews headed out in the coming weeks. With a little luck Spring of 2015 will be the formal re-opening.
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Seven Points Skills Area
Location: Across Seven Points Road from the Visitors Center is a 3.4 acres field that has been approved for use by the Army Corps of Engineers for the purposes of constructing a mountain bicycle skills area.
Issue: Allegrippis is great but wouldn't it be even better if we had a skills area? Before we start putting features out on the trails we need riders to know how to ride them.
Resolution: In a partnership effort with the ACoE the Raystown Mountain Bicycling Association and Friends of Raystown Lake have begun the process of securing funding to develop the park. Planning and design work for the park is already underway. Dirt won't start moving until late 2015 in hopes of having the park open for the 2016 season!
We are stoked and hope you are too.
Fawn Trail Deck Project
Photo Credit: Rob Sharer
Location: Approximately 3/4 down Fawn Trail just prior to the wooden bridge was a very long wet spot.
Issue: The large wet spot was armored with rock prior to the opening of the trail with IMBA guidance. Unfortunately, because the section of trail was built over several seeps in the hillside the spot was always problematic.
Resolution: It was decided last year that the best means to resolve this ongoing issue would be to build an elevated deck over the trail. So Project lead Ellis D was able to get the ball rolling and ultimately completed just before the leaves began to fall-
_________________________________________________________________________________
Eagle Trail Reroute
Photo Credit: Rob Sharer
Location: Just off of Susquehannock Road headed towards Hydro Loop was a very long stretch of trail area that had become progressively more gouged out and rutted. original layout.
Issue: Prior to Dirt Fest this year plans had been laid to reroute this section high up on the hillside. Eliminating some of drainage issue associated with it's location. After the four inches of rain fell during the days prior to Dirt Fest, and some thousand plus passes across the trail during the weekend of the event. It became evident that this project couldn't be put off any longer.
Resolution: The original trail corridor was abandoned and a new trail constructed much higher on the ridge in a much dryer spot. The section adds some climbing to the end of the trail but eliminated the abrupt grade reversal that seemed to be problematic. No longer will riders have to search for the trail or become covered in mud trying to ride it.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Terrace Mountain Trail Efforts
Location: On the opposite ridge of Raystown Lake lies a trail that will span from just outside of Huntingdon all the way down past Trough Creek State Park to Saxton.
Issue: Terrace Mountain Trail was never truly finished. It has always been permissible to ride or hike but finding the trail was holding folks back. Additionally with so many downed tree across the trail it was nearly impassable in sections where blazes could be seen.
Resolution: In mid 2011 when the trail risked permanent closure myself and Ranger Gwinn went over and looked at sections in need of improvement. After outlining a plan of attack Gwinn was able to secure funding to hire a contractor to do some tread work that would greatly save volunteer time. During the summer of 2014 contract work was completed on numerous isolated sections of trail. With the machine work largely done the finish work is now underway. Re-blazing the trail is underway with a few end of the year work crews headed out in the coming weeks. With a little luck Spring of 2015 will be the formal re-opening.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Seven Points Skills Area
Location: Across Seven Points Road from the Visitors Center is a 3.4 acres field that has been approved for use by the Army Corps of Engineers for the purposes of constructing a mountain bicycle skills area.
Issue: Allegrippis is great but wouldn't it be even better if we had a skills area? Before we start putting features out on the trails we need riders to know how to ride them.
Resolution: In a partnership effort with the ACoE the Raystown Mountain Bicycling Association and Friends of Raystown Lake have begun the process of securing funding to develop the park. Planning and design work for the park is already underway. Dirt won't start moving until late 2015 in hopes of having the park open for the 2016 season!
We are stoked and hope you are too.
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| Helena and I getting ready to trim the southside (Photo: Bearica Quinn) |
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