Trail Conditions for Calgarians

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Trail Conditions for Calgarians
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flag R-M-R
Posted: Sep 11, 2023 at 11:24 Quote
aka-bigsteve wrote:
Same as it ever was!

It was always old-school and janky, but it had been about a decade since I'd ridden it and I'm certain it's deteriorated considerably. I used to be able to clean the whole thing on a good day, but there's no way I was going to clean it the other day - even accounting for me now being old and fat!

Will be interesting to see what gets done to the trail. In my view, the climb needs extensive work, while the descent would be fine with just a few re-routes.
flag leftypumpkin
O+
Posted: Sep 11, 2023 at 12:12 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
aka-bigsteve wrote:
Same as it ever was!

It was always old-school and janky, but it had been about a decade since I'd ridden it and I'm certain it's deteriorated considerably. I used to be able to clean the whole thing on a good day, but there's no way I was going to clean it the other day - even accounting for me now being old and fat!

Will be interesting to see what gets done to the trail. In my view, the climb needs extensive work, while the descent would be fine with just a few re-routes.

Assuming you went clockwise around the loop - we climbed the 'descent' three or four weeks back and it definitely rides better downhill than up. The climb up the front side is seriously janky anywhere above the cobble climb so anything they do to that part of the trail would make it better.

I have to admit I don't miss the boggy-er parts of Prairie Creek - we rode it last year (after looping up Powderface/Powderface Ridge/Powderface Trail to Prairie) and it was a slog even with the drier conditions. The south final descent on Powderface Ridge also needs a redo - its a braided rocky mess.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Sep 11, 2023 at 13:27 Quote
Yes, clockwise. And yes, trails are always better in the descending direction Wink

How did you feel about the loop ridden counterclockwise? I'm assuming the the rocky portion of Powderface Creek between the Link and Powderface Trail (road) is a mediocre descent when heading northeast ... ?
flag leftypumpkin
O+
Posted: Sep 11, 2023 at 15:56 Quote
Actually, we didn't descend Powderface Creek (though I've done it in the past when I was more into brutal climbs/XC type old school rides), we climbed up Powderface Ridge then traversed/descended back down to the end of the pavement/Elbow Campground turn-off. Our loop was park at the end of the pavement/start of gravel, ride north up the gravel road, then east up Powderface to the saddle, then up to the top of Powderface Ridge and back down to the cars from the top of the ridge.

From past experiences - the descent west to east along Powderface Creek is pretty meh on a mountain bike - its chunky and fast, but not overly challenging (other than trying to make sure you don't bounce down the cobbles and off the trail). We've also done an out and back on our Fat bikes and that is definitely more fun, but you have to watch out for winter hikers hogging the single ribbon of packed snow.
flag Fxtim
Posted: Sep 14, 2023 at 9:39 Quote
I'm interested in an old school route. Is Tom Snow between mountain road and Ridge Back 4 improved ? After Descending Snakes and Ladders I rode up Ridge Back 4 back to Mountain Road thinking that the Section of Tom Snow that connects to Ridge Back 4 would be swampy, like it always is. Smile
flag lazyname
Posted: Sep 14, 2023 at 10:32 Quote
No actual intel from me. But quite certain that section has not been upgraded. I don't recall it being swampy there at all, I thought it was mostly sidehill single track, possibly a little overgrown.

Tom Snow South of R4 definately sucks though, between R4 and Special K.
flag sweaman2
O+
Posted: Sep 14, 2023 at 10:55 Quote
As per lazyname - I don't think it's been improved but I also don't think it's terrible.
flag aka-bigsteve
O+
Posted: Sep 14, 2023 at 20:48 Quote
Fxtim wrote:
I'm interested in an old school route. Is Tom Snow between mountain road and Ridge Back 4 improved ? After Descending Snakes and Ladders I rode up Ridge Back 4 back to Mountain Road thinking that the Section of Tom Snow that connects to Ridge Back 4 would be swampy, like it always is. Smile

Yes, pruning and drainage work 2 summers ago by the Bragg Creek Trails crew has markedly improved that section.
For a short evening ride I quite like Rangers- Snakes and Ladders- that section of Tom- Mountain Road- shortcut off Mountain Road to Mountainview ski trail, with a finish on Snowy Shortcut and the West Crystal Singletrack.
flag leftypumpkin
O+
Posted: Oct 24, 2023 at 10:41 Quote
Paskapoo traction this morning was mediocre for the first lap (traction, then no traction, slidy roots, slippery snow on climbs) but anywhere I looped around for a second go traction in my first track was very good. Only one other bike track (a skinny, I was on my fatbike), handfull of dog/people tracks at that time, did get some fresh tracks too.
flag khamtb
Posted: Oct 26, 2023 at 13:23 Quote
Rode Moosepackers today. Sulphur springs was dry, top of packers had snow and was slushy, Tom Snow was it's regular muddy self.

Ride up the road wasn't bad today, dust was low due to the damp road. Rolleyes
flag husstler
O+
Posted: Oct 26, 2023 at 18:15 Quote
Like dry and snow free?!?
flag lazyname
Posted: Oct 27, 2023 at 13:50 Quote
khamtb wrote:
Rode Moosepackers today. Sulphur springs was dry, top of packers had snow and was slushy, Tom Snow was it's regular muddy self.

Ride up the road wasn't bad today, dust was low due to the damp road. Rolleyes

This reads likes AI generated spam taken from the entire existence of this thread
flag sweaman2
O+
Posted: Oct 27, 2023 at 14:20 Quote
I doubt it's snow free. I hiked prairie mountain this morning and it was snow from the bottom. I imagine it's melting in the sun now so I think tomorrow will start as frozen slush in sun exposed areas before becoming just slush and / or snow in shady areas.
flag leftypumpkin
O+
Posted: Nov 4, 2023 at 13:13 Quote
Fatbiked Station flats up Sulfur, Pneuma and Moose Road and down Race of Spades today (10am-12:30) - Sulfur is a ribbon of ice from the parking lot to the bottom of 7-27, then packed snow, some ice and lots of bare (all the steeps were bare); Pneuma from Sulfur to 7-27 was 1/2 bare then a mix of bare and packed snow (with some puddles); ROS was fresh sticky snow (no tracks) at the top, transitioning to bare/packed snow/roots with puddles in the middle, then freezing up and icy on the bottom section (where the hikers have packed it in). Moose Road was frozen between 7-27 and the top of ROS, it probably will soften up in the afternoon with sun/warm temps.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Nov 13, 2023 at 16:13 Quote
2023 11 13: Braggin' - Merlin - Kestrel on summer XC race tires.

• Braggin' Rights
More dry dirt than ice, but plenty of ice. Some of it is covered in dust that helps traction, but also hides the ice, and a couple icy patches are inconveniently located over the crests of undulations. Slick in the morning, becoming softer in the afternoon, but also wet and occasionally muddy. Use caution!

• Merlin View
- East (climb): Mostly clear. Few short sections that weren't bad, though some in the group spun out. A little caution is required between the high point and the Kestrel junction. Several sections might get squishy in the afternoon.
- West (descent): Almost fully clear. Couple icy spots that could catch a person out, especially along the "dirt jumps". Muddy between the junctions with Moose Singletrack and Braggin' Rights.

• Kestrel
- Plateau: Mostly clear. Few frozen puddles and some extended sections of snow and ice (100 m at most). Be careful of the corkscrew mini descent about 1 km out from Merlin: it was snowy enough to be rideable today, but will probably get icy in the next few days. Ice will diminish, but also become more slippery in the next few days.
- Descent to Tom Snow: Almost fully clear.

 


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