And the scouting continues..

                                     Northern entrance to the Moon Loop

I figured people might like to see a few more photos of the Cedar Cross course. I had a couple of days off, so I set out to do a bit of trail cleaning and find some new gravel.

I also wanted to get an idea of what the area would look like after 2 days of solid rain; Turns out it looks pretty damn fun. The picture below was taken on Burnett School road. This bit of gravel is usually dry, but when it rains the water has to go somewhere..

          Hmm..might be a good idea to put some fenders on the ol' cross bike

A few more miles down the road, the gravel was almost too smooth, as if I was the only person to have driven on it. Turns out I was right:

(You don't even want to know how much money this is costing me)

Then I was off to the Devil's Backbone to move some leaves off the trail. For those who don't know, the southeastern portion of the Backbone was only recently acquired by the Forest service. Thanks to this development, the course will now be taking you past 3 DEAD END signs.

Upon entering the Backbone trail, there's a short, unmarked trail that I can only assume was created by the property's previous owners. From this trail, there are several cliff-faces where you can step a few feet from the trail onto a rock ledge overlooking Cedar Creek. You can literally see for a mile in either direction, it's beautiful. Photos are forthcoming

As the trail descends, you get to cross this waterfall:

                                   *This spot is also normally dry*

I'm happy to say that the leaves have been removed from about 90% of this trail, and it is now very rideable. It's also worth mentioning that this piece of trail contains one rock garden that's so nasty I probably wouldn't attempt it on my full-suspension mtb....unless someone had a camera. No photos yet, but it's not like a photo would do justice anyway.

It was getting dark, so the work came to an end. Rather than make the 45 minute drive home, I hiked up to one of the bluffs along the Smith Creek Trail and made camp. Lemme tellya, those woods come alive when the sun goes down. I've never heard so many coyotes in my life.

Thankfully, this fire was just big enough to keep the Boogeyman away

 

Thanks to some frozen feet and an angry bladder, morning came early. A quick hike back to the truck, and I was on my way to the Moon Loop. I'm pleased to announce that this trail is about 80% leaf-free now. The only problem is that horses are rutting the trail and leaving massive piles of shit to clean up. This is nothing new.

 

Trekking along, I found another example of equestrian laziness:

                                                         So lazy

Rather than move the tree off the trail, people just blazed a new trail past it. This literally took me 2 minutes to clean up, and I can only wonder how long that tree laid there.

 

                                                  Seriously. 2 minutes.

Later in the day, I met a pair of horseback riders who thanked me for cleaning the trail. They seemed oblivious to the destruction they were creating and the mountains of shit their horses were leaving behind.  Since they were so nice and since it was Christmas day,  I decided not to pull my gun.

 

At the Big Branch Creek crossing, there is a strange and interesting rock wall. I have to assume it's man-made, and I can only guess at its historical significance.

 

                                     This has to be man-made, right?

 I think that's about all I'm willing to share for now. This race is only 5 months away and there is still a lot of work to be done. Maybe I should be doing more work and less typing?

Just so we're clear, I am NOT creating any new trails out here, only clearing leaves and downed trees from trails that already exist. I've been in contact with the local forest service, and they are well aware of my activities.

                                                        *Before*

I have no desire to go to prison for trying to organize a free bike race, so there will be no new trails cut by me. This thing isn't about new trails, it's about showcasing the ones we already have. Aside from having a great time on a kickass course, The whole point of this race is to get people out here enjoying these trails and working together to bring them back to their former glory.

 

                                                         *after*

Soon I'll be adding a place on the website for people to RSVP. The way I figure, if we know you're gonna be there on raceday, we'll be more motivated to get out there and make this course even better. When it's posted,  please take a moment to add your name to the list (if you plan on racing). You'll totally make my day.

 

           

 

 

Comments

[turbo]

This is awesome bob. Can't wait for the race. It's going to be a blast.

[Peat]

Good Lord, those picture are makin' my pants tight.

Any chance we can assemble a pre-ride this winter?

[bob]

The only thing stopping us is this wet weather.

I'd really like to get a few mtb rides going out there so the trails can get beaten down a bit, too.

Thinking about an off-road 5-10k, but I dont know how many people would show up for that.

[Matt]

i just got finished hiking the entire smith creek loop. awesome stuff, but the trail was a muddy mess.

[Mitch]

Bob, that trail is looking pretty damn cool! Are you talking about a 5-10k run? I would be down for that.

QUESTION:
Is that a rubber glove on your hand? Where has that finger been? Here, smell my finger!

Suppose to be 60 and sunny on Saturday, who is up for some mountain biking?

[bob]

Yeah Mitch, I'd really like to get some trail runs going out there. I think if we could get some more feet pounding the trail, maybe it would pack down and smooth out a little bit. I'll definitely let you know when I'm making progress with that. How would you feel about a 10k or something even longer?

That was definitely a rubber glove, and its whereabouts are classified. Let's just say it stays pretty warm.

Matt, I love Smith Creek and every time I go out there I get more pissed off at how little is being done to maintain that trail.

I've noticed that sections no longer covered in leaves dry out much faster than the ones that are still littered. I guess it's just going to take some time to get this shit done. That reminds me, if anyone has a backpack leafblower for sale or rent, drop me a line. The leafblower I have really doesnt have much "punch".

I think the biggest problem this trail has is that there are a lot of good people doing nothing to fix it. My hope is that we can put together a few quality events out there and people will see the potential this area holds. Every time I'm out there I find something new and interesting.

[Peat]

Hey, Bob, I got this old-fashioned leaf blower you can borrow. I think it's called a rake? Or something like that.

I'd be interested in a 10k plus run. That sounds like fun in a painful sort of way. What we need is for that trail to freeze hard. But who knows if we'll have winter this year.

Keep up the good work. My sources in the STL that the Cedar Cross is all the buzz.

[Mitch]

20k or under piece oh cake. I got connections on backpack leaf blowers. Let me see what I can do. Do you got a phone?

[Stoney]

Bob, you should talk to Cary or Les about using one of ORTA's leaf blowers.

What's with this running crap?

[Nick]

Ya...leafs!
I didn't have anything to say, I just wanted to comment.

[Cary]

Hey Bob,

Call my home phone (584-9506) and leave a number where I can reach you. We have some kick ass leaf blowers and I can help you out with some trail work.

[Mitch]

And there you have it, my backpack leaf blower connection!

[bob]

Binder night ride tonight at 8pm.

[turbo]

sweet, i think i might be in

[Stoney]

Would anybody be up for riding Cedar Creek tomorrow or Sunday afternoon? I'm not looking to do anything epic, just a couple hours at a leisurely pace enjoying all of Bob and Cary's hard work.

[bob]

I'm at work or I'd be all over it.

[Stoney]

For a while I thought I was going to have to pay you a visit at work. The rock gardens on the Smith Creek loop gave me a stiff body check to the ribs. That was shortly before I found out it was youth deer hunting season so I probably shouldn't have been out there.

I'll probably ride Binder or do a gravel ride tomorrow if anyone is interested.

[Stoney]

I put some crappy pictures here.

[matt]

I hiked all the Smith Creek loop a couple of weeks ago. There's some sections that looked like they would be awesome on a mt bike...then there were some sections that had me scared shitless.

[Bob]

Damn. I think we all need to throw some money together and get Stoney a new camera.

So did you make it down that rock garden, Stoney? I haven't even had a chance to try it yet.

The first photo you have there is the northern entrance to the moon loop. Cary and I are headed out there tomorrow to clear it off. What I've gotten done out there with the handheld leafblower should pale in comparison to what it'll look like come Tuesday.

There's an alternate way to get to the Big Branch creek crossing (with the rock wall), and I'd love to get your opinion on which route is more fun. We need to hook up sometime and I'll show you what I mean.

Cedar Cross is gonna be off the fucking chain. We've got 41 people signed up and They're driving from Oklahoma, Kansas, North Dakota and even Texas.

Bricks shall be shat.

[Stoney]

Yeah, I walked down that hill without too much trouble. It could be ridden, but I wouldn't ride it without a full-face helmet and motocross pads and some peer pressure.

I'm not sure if I made it to the Big Branch crossing. I never saw the rock wall. I did see plenty of other cool stuff, though. Here's where I went - http://connect.garmin.com/player/139759308

[bob]

You rode right past it :)