Trail Days

The little corner of the bush at the beginning of the Stinky Girl is scheduled for cutting down in November, for the expansion of The Landfill site. This is quite distressing, but there didn’t seem to be any way for us to stop it from happening. Apparently this was planned a long time ago, before the existence of the trails. The good news is that we were assured that this is the last phase of the Landfill’s expansion, with no more intrusions into the forest to be expected.

The Stinky Girl trailhead and beginning has to be moved to a different spot. The new layout will actually have a much better connectivity, with the addition of some thrilling descents and a long boardwalk feature.

It would be quite a pity not to take part in such a significant trail change! We’ll need a lot of help with some difficult trail building and the installing of 9 boardwalk sections through a swamp.

Please consider volunteering to help from 8:30 till 12:30 pm. As customary, the shift finishes with a King Street BBQ lunch, not far from the construction site. To help us plan the work and the food amount, the participants are asked to signup by email ahead of time. If possible bring water proof boots, a shovel and a rake.

We’ve just got informed about a new expansion of the Landfill into the trails. Not much trail will be lost, but the effected area is exactly where the Trail Day projects were planned for. It is too late now for change of plans and to prepare a different project, so the scheduled October 5th Trail Day had to be cancelled.

The area in question is the little square bush lot at the beginning of the Stinky Girl Trail, and the clearing after it (see the diagram). The forest cutting is scheduled for the beginning of November, and the pond in the clearing will be made sometime later. In the meantime we need to remove our tool shed and reroute the trails. At this time we are not sure yet where can the Stinky Girl be rerouted to. Judging from their map/diagram, only the swampy, low lying areas will be spared, thus the Stinky Girl Trail will have to stay clear from the remaining trees and hopefully find a dry alternative.

The annual Spring flooding of Frankenstein’s South-East corner is such a nuisance, especially at that time of the year when people are eager to end the long Winter abstinence from enjoying the trails. This problem could be dealt with by rerouting/shortening the trail, but that would be a cowardly defeat, so let’s attack it full-on instead! The plan is to build up the shore with loads of rocks and gravel, to create an elevated dry passage along the lake’s edge.

This grandiose project will require many helping hands. The crew will be departing from the Glasgow parking at 8:30am, and return by 12:30pm, for the traditional King Street Cycles BBQ lunch. Please RSVP via email or by commenting bellow. Bring your own shovel, rake and wheelbarrow if possible.

With all this snow and the never ending Winter, many riders might have forgotten the trails, but the Spring is bound to arrive sooner or later. We will celebrate by finalizing the Adam’s Run changes that were started a year ago. These changes have been well received and, according to the prevailing opinion, have transformed the Adam’s Run from the least popular to the favourite trail in the Hydrocut. The final touches that we are about to make will complete the Adam’s Run reincarnation. Opportunities to participate in something like this don’t come too often.

For those who are looking for an upper body workout, we have a project than involves lifting and moving heavy logs with our favourite tool: the log-movers. The logs will be used for barricading some shortcuts that spoil the neatness of our trail network. Creating an impenetrable barrier, and making a point with it, is sure to provide a most rewarding satisfaction.

The volunteers will met at 8:30am at the Snyder’s Parking. The work day will conclude at 12:30pm, with the traditional King Street Cycles BBQ Lunch for all the participants. Bring your own rakes, shovels and axes, if possible. Please sign up by sending us an email, so we can better plan the work and the amount of food to prepare.

Our last Trail Day of this year is on Saturday, November 10th. The volunteers will gather on the Snyder’s parking lot at 8:30am and head to work on the Jessica trail. Some cool features will be added and the total distance will be nearly doubled. The trail will became a loop, starting and ending at the Kamikaze entrance.

Crews of volunteers have already been working and will put more work into laying out the new path and clearing it from brush and fallen trees, to make it easier for the Trail Day crew. The new to be open section is very long; we hope to get many participants and finish the project on that day.

Most of you are surely missing the riding that was made impossible by all the rains at the end of October. Take the Trail Day as a perfect alternative to riding and an excuse to get out to the forest.

The last Trail Day of the season is also a celebration of all the good work that was done in the year. As a tradition at the Trail Day season closing, in addition to preparing the BBQ lunch, King Street Cycles will bring draw prizes for the participants. In the past years many volunteers walked off with some wonderful prizes.

Please let us know if you can join us, so we can better plan the work and the amount of food to be prepared. If possible bring your own rake, shovel, axe and wheelbarrow. At this time of the year it’s important to bring warm clothes, gloves and rain gear.

The Adam’s Run, Twister and Jessica trails are getting extended. A lot of work on these sections has already been done, but we need a large crew to finish it all off. The more people we get, the sooner will these sections be opened.

The Trail Day crew is meeting at the Snyder’ Parking, at 8:30am and will be back to the parking for the lunch at 12:30pm. King Street Cycles is preparing their traditional BBQ, pasta, salads, chips and drinks.

Please help us better plan the work and food by letting us know if you can come. If possible bring a rake, shovel and an axe.

Also please note that the final Trail Day in November has been moved from the 17th to 10th.

We have a series of projects for making the Pines trail system longer, faster and more interesting. The only limitation is in the amount of available volunteer helpers. So don’t be a limitation and come to join the work crew at 8:30 am on the Syder’s Parking. From there we’ll have a short hike to the Creepy Corner trail. A good portion of work on the trail change is already done and by noon time we will be ready to open a bran new exciting section. Then we’ll head back to the parking lot to enjoy the King Street Cycles’ BBQ lunch.

Please sign up by email to let us know how many people to expect and plan the work and food amount accordingly.

Bring your own shovel, rake and axe if possible.

There are awesome trail developments lined up for this Fall:

On the September 22nd we will be extending the Creepy Corner Trail; making it longer and faster. Depending on how much help we get, there might be a need for a second phase of Creepy Corner revamp; adding exciting difficult lines through the steep gullies near the end of the trail.

In the October and November the Twister and Jessica trails will be made better connected, longer and more interesting. A construction of a “floating bridge” in Frankenstein is also in the  plans.

Mark the dates on your calendar and stay tuned for more details…