Trail Conditions for Calgarians

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Trail Conditions for Calgarians
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flag cheddabowl
Posted: May 15, 2012 at 12:43 Quote
tcwarne wrote:
Hand saw or chain saw (i.e. 10" or >10")?
I cleared the big tree on Ridgeback this morning but didnt fancy risking my car driving up to the top of Pneuma on the off-chance of needing a chain saw up there. I'll ride a bunch of this stuff tomorrow with a decent handsaw so let me know if that will be sufficient (otherwise I'll check top of Pneuma and give Moose Packers a look first).

Handsaw will probably do it. ~6" dia if memory serves me
flag tcwarne
Posted: May 15, 2012 at 14:01 Quote
cheddabowl wrote:
tcwarne wrote:
Hand saw or chain saw (i.e. 10" or >10")?
I cleared the big tree on Ridgeback this morning but didnt fancy risking my car driving up to the top of Pneuma on the off-chance of needing a chain saw up there. I'll ride a bunch of this stuff tomorrow with a decent handsaw so let me know if that will be sufficient (otherwise I'll check top of Pneuma and give Moose Packers a look first).

Handsaw will probably do it. ~6" dia if memory serves me

Great. On it tomorrow. Ride up the mountain road and Packers from West Bragg, over and down Pneuma to RoS then up Ridgeback and home - one of my favourites! Anyone want to join me? Probably start ~9am.
If anyone looking to ride West Bragg tonight - Potlickers riding at 6:30, the Witch loop to the South. All welcome - no drops. More info on the potlicker blog.
flag tcwarne
Posted: May 15, 2012 at 14:10 Quote
codkiller wrote:
Anyone checked out JP/cox lately?

Serious?? If you see any (and I mean any) snow on Moose then you'll have snow on Cox that will cause shrinkage. Its almost as high, faces NE and gets serious windpack with the odd snow-shoe/hiker to compact it all in. Not much snow in Calgary this year but Louise had best snow in 80yrs and it was very windy - I wouldn't be optimistic that all balances out to an early open. You can usually ride JPR a bit earlier (maybe early June if you don't mind pushing through some snow in the rock garden section or as and out+back up the Lusk Pass access) but any descent other than Cox from the ridge seems such a waste of time given the long drive, gravel road and brutal climb.
Cox gets a bit more washed out every year - still rideable on a 26" hardtail but I may enjoy it more this year with my new dropper post!
flag pinkrobe
Posted: May 15, 2012 at 14:41 Quote
tcwarne wrote:
I cleared the big tree on Ridgeback this morning

Thanks! Beer
flag bayrak
O+
Posted: May 15, 2012 at 15:05 Quote
Jean- guy - good to go - cleared a few blown down trees thismorning

T-W has snow at the top and in the "dip" section on the ride-around, watch out or you can go otb in the snow, reg was clearing the blown down trees that reguired a chainsaw earlier thisafternoon.


shuttle road is shit.
flag aka-bigsteve
O+
Posted: May 15, 2012 at 18:42 Quote
Moosepackers, May 15
My 7th. annual tree clearing day on Packers.
Pedaled up from West Bragg- wellsite to top of the switchbacks GTG, from upper switchback to Moose Mountain lookout road, there is heavy snow cover over much of the trail, expect to do a lot of postholing (as usual this time of year).
Surprisingly, after the intense winds back in early winter, there was not a lot of work to do- a couple of blowdowns blocking the trail, a few more looming overhead that I took out, and a bit of pruning.
Ridgeback below Packers is in great shape- smooth and fast.
After dumping the big pack with saw and tools back at West Bragg, I humped up Braggin' Rights and Long Distance and back down again. Nice trails, but they sure are bumpy from the careless equestrian abuse earlier this spring. More riders needed to flatten all that stuff out.
flag pinkrobe
Posted: May 15, 2012 at 21:39 Quote
aka-bigsteve wrote:
Moosepackers, May 15
My 7th. annual tree clearing day on Packers.
Pedaled up from West Bragg- wellsite to top of the switchbacks GTG, from upper switchback to Moose Mountain lookout road, there is heavy snow cover over much of the trail, expect to do a lot of postholing (as usual this time of year).
Surprisingly, after the intense winds back in early winter, there was not a lot of work to do- a couple of blowdowns blocking the trail, a few more looming overhead that I took out, and a bit of pruning.
Ridgeback below Packers is in great shape- smooth and fast.
After dumping the big pack with saw and tools back at West Bragg, I humped up Braggin' Rights and Long Distance and back down again. Nice trails, but they sure are bumpy from the careless equestrian abuse earlier this spring. More riders needed to flatten all that stuff out.

Thanks Steve! tup
flag zshipowick
O+
Posted: May 16, 2012 at 8:41 Quote
Hey guys, just want to give a heads up to everyone around the city. Last night my car was stolen off the street in front of my house in Silver Springs. Its pretty recognizable, especially to mountain bikers so if you see it please call the cops. It is a Red 1998 Civic Cx hatch with a bike roof rack and a bunch of stickers that should be pretty recognizable. It has Pinkbike, MMBTS, Wipe-Out and x929 sticker on the back window as well as a bunch of other ski and bike related stickers on the side windows including Armada, Trek, Rocky Mountain, Salomon, Silver Star bike park and Wipe-Out. If you see it around please call the cops!
Thanks
Zach Cry
flag kenny99
Posted: May 16, 2012 at 8:46 Quote
bayrak wrote:
Jean- guy - good to go - cleared a few blown down trees thismorning

T-W has snow at the top and in the "dip" section on the ride-around, watch out or you can go otb in the snow, reg was clearing the blown down trees that reguired a chainsaw earlier thisafternoon.


shuttle road is shit.



Is the road crappy right from the bottom or just near the top? Just curious to see how high a guy could get in a SUV. Or better to not bother?? Thanks
flag reillyforster
O+
Posted: May 16, 2012 at 9:19 Quote
if you got good tires, you can get up to top no problem. there is some parts that get tricky and the shoulders are soft. use common sense and you shall be fine.
flag kenny99
Posted: May 16, 2012 at 9:46 Quote
fallline wrote:
if you got good tires, you can get up to top no problem. there is some parts that get tricky and the shoulders are soft. use common sense and you shall be fine.


Thanks bud!!
flag jitenshakun
O+
Posted: May 16, 2012 at 9:51 Quote
It looks like they are trying to dig a ditch on the side here and there. In the process they chewed up the road in a few spots between Billy Dog and Jean Guy. After Jean Guy the road is the same as last year.

Slow it down, watch the shoulders, and don't try and take a minivan with 10 year old all seasons and you'll be fine.
flag Cro-Mag
Posted: May 16, 2012 at 11:04 Quote
I think we should all just chew the road up cause we're starved to ride so its good and bumpy for the rest of the season.....

maybe put some chains on if you can't get up in your S/CUV's.....that'll get ya riding right away!

CM!
flag tcwarne
Posted: May 16, 2012 at 12:24 Quote
BIG NEWS - The road is 'buff' (some 2WD hatchbacks at the top)

Also...
PACKERS - As per Steve's report (i.e. just the switchback up+down are rideable)
PNEUMA (Packers to Special K) - no trees, a few patches of deep snow but clear on the ridge
PNEUMA (Special K to RoS) - cleared the trees but enough patches of deep snow to ruin your ride
RoS - Friggin Awesome. Cleared the final few trees and yes a very tiny patch of snow on the ride-around by the first skinny but its super dry (even by Diamond T) and only sad I had to wait for my dog to catch up occasionally!
TOM SNOW - maybe the sun got to me or nostalgia but even cleared the trees here (hardly got my saw off so far), relatively dry but obviously the perma-bog sections remain.

SHAFT - only took a quick glance but snow in the first few berms (using the entrance near T-Dub) so have to wait a little longer for that one.

I think totting up all the comments, some chatter and personal experience the wind blow is clear on virtually all MTB trails East of Prairie Creek with just T-Dub, SHAFT and Special K to check?? Some tire tracks on Special K so if that was you please report in on wind blown.

Thanks to everyone who spent some time clearing all the wind blown this year!
flag moolay
O+
Posted: May 16, 2012 at 12:27 Quote
tcwarne wrote:
BIG NEWS - The road is 'buff' (some 2WD hatchbacks at the top)

Also...
PACKERS - As per Steve's report (i.e. just the switchback up+down are rideable)
PNEUMA (Packers to Special K) - no trees, a few patches of deep snow but clear on the ridge
PNEUMA (Special K to RoS) - cleared the trees but enough patches of deep snow to ruin your ride
RoS - Friggin Awesome. Cleared the final few trees and yes a very tiny patch of snow on the ride-around by the first skinny but its super dry (even by Diamond T) and only sad I had to wait for my dog to catch up occasionally!
TOM SNOW - maybe the sun got to me or nostalgia but even cleared the trees here (hardly got my saw off so far), relatively dry but obviously the perma-bog sections remain.

SHAFT - only took a quick glance but snow in the first few berms (using the entrance near T-Dub) so have to wait a little longer for that one.

I think totting up all the comments, some chatter and personal experience the wind blow is clear on virtually all MTB trails East of Prairie Creek with just T-Dub, SHAFT and Special K to check?? Some tire tracks on Special K so if that was you please report in on wind blown.

Thanks to everyone who spent some time clearing all the wind blown this year!

Nice work and glad to hear the road issue has been resolved.

T-dub was cleared of deadfall yesterday. Word is Shaft has several bigger deadfall trees that need to be cleared.

 


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