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mt sugarloaf
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
How many downhill trails is there on sugarloaf? is there only the one that starts on sugarloaf range road or is there more?
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Nothing on sugarloaf is legal, so if there is people won't be disclosing information about it,
well i already know of one trail up there thanks to people on this site... so if anybody else could help out it would be appreciated
theres not really mate, the old heaton track is way along the range road, and the old main sugarloaf track is basically from just down from the sugarloaf car park under the powerlines, i occasionally spend an hour chipping away at that one fixing a little bit of erosion here and there just because its about 4 minutes from home and is actually a decent track to have right there for an arvo play but the shuttles way too long to have a good days riding, youll get maybe just over a run per hour. The heaton one i sometimes get dropped at the top of sugarloaf on the trail bike, ride the single tracks along the range to the top of it then drop down cut some loops around killi then ride home, it makes for a good traily (all mountain if you believe in such a thing) loop, but neither are really worth trying to get serious about
is the old heaton track still rideable? cause i thought it got closed around 10 yrs ago
it still exists if thats good enough for ya haha its leafed over and rutted in a few spots but my 150mm bike doesnt mind it at a flowy kinda speed
might check it out later if the rain ever decides to stop. but its at the bottom of my list of places to ride
Passed a crew shuttlin sugarloaf this morning, was that anyone on here?
Not me, my Dh bike is in need of desperate maintenance and TLC.
how far along is the heaton downhill track, and does it start on sugarloaf range rd? and will people care if i ride it?
I've already said it was shut for environmental reasons and its in a National Park.
Reading between the lines, don't go looking to reopen it.
It's ages along, I rode it on the Xc bike the other day, its leafed and sticked over eroded has motos ridin up it and there's trees over it. Erosion wise I'm surprised they were allowed to leave the track there it makes for perfect water route and is makin a mess up there. Best to not ride it, don't you like Awaba or ourimbah bigred? How come your lookin for these other tracks to ride? We're lucky to have 2 state or even national round worthy tracks so close!
It was actually closed by the club a few times. But it kept getting reopened. State Forests at the time were satisfied it was properly shut down, but obviously its been reopened which is a shame.
Yeah I think in comparison to wanker 4wd damage up there (guys up chasin mud holes on days like today) the old mtb track damage is the least of their worries but unfortunately its easier to point the finger at a group as small as the mtb community compared with the 50,000 4wd in the area haha, the top of the track is invisible the problem is the bottom is in plain view at the intersection of that fire trail
ill stay off it. sounds like its not very good anyway. and of course i love ourimbah and awaba. i just like to ride other trails as well
Head south then
I ride in Wollongong more than I ride local haha
any good in wollongong? how are the tracks at oxford falls in sydney as well?
Depends what your into, I love the gong cos its steep fast rough flowy downhill tracks, oxy is more poppy mid sized freeride stuff, a long slack 8" bike will feel dead there, if you don't mind pushing warrimoo has 2 really fun dh tracks, there's other spots down that way but as far as I know they're in process of bring made legal and they're trying to keep people off them while they have attention focused on them. There's always del rio too but I'm not sure exactly how public the track there is I think the club try and limit to race days only cos it finishes at the resort there and probably don't want shuttle utes flyin around the place
sammydog, as nuke says, its still completely closed off at the top. i rode it as a climb a few months ago just for old times sake, and while the odd local might be climbing to the first intersection and riding down, by and large, its not rideable anymore, and especially not from the top with numerous trees and such across the trail and the ruts too deep and narrow to get pedals through.
few signs of people riding the lower part to the ridge, no sign of any use from half way up
isnt heaton state forest a state forest not a national park? i only ask because im not sure how all that stuff works
Heaton is a State forest. Generally, State forests are utilised for sustainable timber resources. However, Hinton is surrounded by National parks and is often treated as one.
Aww it's rideable just not much fun
haha strava said max speed was 43.8km I can only guess that would have been the last shoot out the bottom cos the rest was well on the edge of 150mm travels safety limits haha
The sugarloaf range was transferred from State Forest to NPWS in about 2007. http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/nationalparks/... I can post the legislation if anyone wants to see it.
For some reason google maps and other online maps still refer to the area as Awaba SF.
Out side the boundary to the east is Killingworth which is managed by the Hunter Development Corporation. HMBA moved from killi to Awaba as there was serious talk that HDC would hand killi to NPWS if the west wallsend land they owned got developed. NPWS at the time were not open to mtb, so the club moved to develop awaba.
If you know killi, the rainforest trail is on the NPWS side of the boundary. The Heaton trail for the most part is NPWS.
At the time I had quiet a few meetings with NPWS about having killi be a mtb venue, but the answers werent positive enough for the club to stick around.
Thanks for that mate, I assumed it was still a State forest as I'm pretty sure its zoned Natural Resources.
Killingworth and West Wallsend are still on the cards for HDC, but are at least 15 years away.
are motos and 4wd's allowed up there? because there seems to be alot of them. and also in killi
Nope, they aren't supposed to be there, other than on management roads, but it doesn't appear to be policed.