You are hereGlenrock State Conservation Area update for 11 Jul

Glenrock State Conservation Area update for 11 Jul


Empy's picture

By Empy - Posted on 11 July 2012

NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
Status: 
Red/Closed

More rain has made it even worse than the weekend.

Please realise that riding while it is this wet damages the trails meaning they hold more water and take even longer to dry out.

Smash the Firetrails and management trails if you're desperate.

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......'s picture

not to mention creates ruts, and widens trails

Lenny_GTA's picture

There are some massive V shaped ruts forming at the start of Kenny's now. The ground is so wet now that people sliding around is accelerating the problem.

The big question though, are the trails ever going to dry out again?

Empy's picture

You were joking about the drying out.

Lenny_GTA's picture

Unfortunately I can't see any humour in there. I'm thinking the GTA just needs to relocate to the pub.

......'s picture

lets rent a concrete truck and pave the trails.

c3024446's picture

El Nino is coming back. Sweet!

Hop fiend's picture

the rain will stop on Friday arvo & the sun will be out all weekend!!!!

......'s picture

didn't think i would ever say this. I'm hoping for rain all weekend

pharmaboy's picture

Surely people will slowly gain experience of what its like, eventually?

bit of bunting and a hand drawn sign across kennys's and twisties would be all thats required to stop the main damage - having gone for a shortened ride a couple of nights ago, this rain on top will make riding for a few days extremely slow, crappy and even riding on the road will be more fun.

Incidentally I noticed the other night that quite a few bikes had been using the firetrail upto baileys (over the concrete bridge) both down and up, which is far more use than i've seen before. As always for preservation of single track, what you need (in general) is less users - either more track for the users, or less riders.

Though i did have a crazy thought the other day, i wondered whether deliberately migrating tracks would be better than trying to always repair tracks - eg zeuss, strikes me that the best thing for the ecology of the area would be to allow the new lines to be permanent, but close the old line each time for rehab? Sort of like a survival of the fittest. ie an acceptance that tracks have a finite lifetime, and new ones cause the retirement of the old - eg think of the switchback track descending from near the surfers carpark, down to the track that goes to elvis rock - it was a great track for years, then just got too rutted out to ride , and people simply stopped riding it, sort of replaced naturally by another track 200m west that changed the way people rode the area.. cant help but think the luge is going the same way of retirement.

Empy's picture

There certainly is an evolution/education process continually happening as new riders learn about trail impact and drivetrain wear. We have just had a real increase in new riders in the last year or so.

We have resisted doing our own closures this far, the trails don’t belong to us and we can’t really be responsible for making the call. It may be easy at the moment but what about in marginal conditions? Really the NPWS should be taking responsibility for that.

It is good to see people making more use of the management trails, some are quite good riding. I think we could use a bit more guidance of how they fit into the loops but this is difficult to include on the maps.

Yes often trails that ride-around puddles are better than the original, however as soon as they dry out people revert to the old line. We do need to consolidate the best line and close the other. But this should be planned not just let evolve, otherwise the new line is no better – just new, it usually then suffers the same fate as the original.
The process then becomes trash and burn, one of the common criticisms levelled against MTB riders and trail builders.
We can build trails sustainable in the long term. Where, as in this case, we are required to stay on the original trail corridor it is more difficult we just need sufficient resources. Our old friends - Time and Money.

Hop fiend's picture

NPWS really need to close the singletrails when we have had this much rain & clear weather forecast-it is their land & their $$'s that they will have to use to help rehabilitate the damaged trails.

Lenny_GTA's picture

Logistically, closing the glenrock single trails would be a big job.

At the very least you would need to consolidate the number of entry points otherwise its a mammoth job for NPWS to get around and put signs up (and take them down again). We have enough trouble at the moment getting their time and money for track work, having the trail closure system done properly would be resource heavy.

pharmaboy's picture

closure doesnt need to be total with every entry imo. After all its very unlikely to be enforced, its a question of significantly reducing traffic to the worst areas. A bunting with sign across the entry to kenny's would effectively keep traffic off the worst effected trails on the north side, and still aloow people who have made the effort to come up to gunclub to ride the trails around GC in short circuits without heading out onto the worst effected trails.

Another alternative is just a big red sign at Glenrock gate. This weekend, 50 riders wont stuff the trails, but 250 will - any effort that simply reduces traffic by a degree will do good for the long ter. - hell, even just make it that much better the very next weekend rather than a month of recovery.

Lenny_GTA's picture

My point is that I wouldn't discount the number of people who ride to the trails via Fernleigh or up Yule Rd. These riders would represent a large number of riders and Gun Club signage isn't going to help these people make an informed call on whether to hit the trails or not.

Johnn's picture

Officially, Glenrock can be accessed of Scenic Drive, Gun Club Rd, Fernleigh Track, Burwood Rd and Scout Club Rd. There are other unofficial entry points which would double the number. Where would the closure signs be placed so that the 50 can ignore the signs and keep on riding?
I suspect one one of the arguments for the MTB network is the difficulty of keeping mountain bikes out.

pharmaboy's picture

John, thats why I was thinking closure at Kenny's entry and a sign at the GC noticeboard. The very large majority of riders go upto the gate at some point in their ride, and Kenny's is the start of the main loop, and I would profer the most popular trail.

Complete closure is pretty much impossible for the reasons you guys have stated. I'm not a binary kinda of person, so i was thinking whats the next best thing - well, reducing traffic, educating, and restricting one part of the network. Signposting can indeed include "why" the trail is closed.

Hell, even just one at the front noticeboard that hangs off the bottom in red - "Trails Extremely wet - subject to damage, please preserve your singletrack, and ride management trails today - thankyou"

Hop fiend's picture

as for a sign? wiil work on some riders,some will go around another entrance & others who like to ride in the mud n crud & do not give a stuff will just rip it down!!!-there is some riders who relish riding in that stuff as they are "learning" to control their bike.To limit the amount of damage on Kenny's the NPWS need at least a Field Officer up at the notice board informing riders of the situation-but lack of resources will not allow this so the trails suffer.

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