pouring her heart into it...

small change said:

So, last week I had a client who just happens to be a Backcountry Horseman who
does a lot of trail work with the horse club. He brought me several pack bags
for repair that lo and behold... they haul gravel with, on their horses. So,
we started a conversation and it looks like a cross-user group trail project is
in the works to help us get the gravel to our site. There's a lot of planning to
do, still, but I think this is exciting. Your average horse can haul #300-400
gravel, and beats the heck out of pushing a wheelbarrow. They sound like they
are totally into helping us, too. This particular trail is in a heavy multi user
group area; it's not just a bike trail.

We use a John Deere Gator to haul gravel. Yes, it's wider than the
singletrack, but the path it makes grows over in about three weeks.

Quoted message said:

http://www.fttrc.org/photos/devilsdown.cfm Here's the project. I've got more
photos of the last workday but they are still in the camera. I'm having computer
challenges and am using Mr Adventures laptop for a while. We really can't do any
more work ( aside from the gravel placement) until we get some rain: the soil is
like flour with a high Mt St Helen's ash content, and it is too fluffy.

Looks like a fun trail.

Quoted message said:

After 9 months, we've got 27 paid members, a listserve that goes to about 125
people, and about 5 or 6 of us that are "core" getting the actual organizational
stuff going. If we are lucky, we'll have enough folks to fill our 4 board
positions in the first election. If any of you are inspired, you can become a
member and vote for me in November. ;-) I redid the website over the weekend:
changed the color scheme so it wasn't painful to look at any more, reorganized
the articles, and I'm starting to add in photos.

You might want to look at the software I am using on my new website.
It's the right price and very powerful. I have another little project
going on right now as well at www.njmba.org. I've been kind of upset at
how JORBA, the "IMBA" sanctioned Jersey overlord has been lacking. I am
sure I will ruffle a few feathers, but someone has to do it.

Quoted message said:

The next task is getting the 5013C paperwork in. I've been staring at it for
two weeks now. The instructions from the IRS are 1" thick. I'd much rather go
for a ride...

Yup! I know what you mean. I think my NJMBA app is 22+ pages. You
really need a lawyer for that process. Did you do your bylaws yet? I
am building off of NEMBA, on of the truly great MTB organizations in
this country.

Quoted message said:

ps, thanks to Mike Dart and Mitch for all your support this year.

Anytime!

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Ride-A-Lot said:

small change said:

So, last week I had a client who just happens to be a Backcountry
Horseman who
does a lot of trail work with the horse club. He brought me several
pack bags
for repair that lo and behold... they haul gravel with, on their
horses. So,
we started a conversation and it looks like a cross-user group trail
project is
in the works to help us get the gravel to our site. There's a lot of
planning to
do, still, but I think this is exciting. Your average horse can haul
#300-400
gravel, and beats the heck out of pushing a wheelbarrow. They sound
like they
are totally into helping us, too. This particular trail is in a heavy
multi user
group area; it's not just a bike trail.

We use a John Deere Gator to haul gravel. Yes, it's wider than the
singletrack, but the path it makes grows over in about three weeks.

This is different in different places. Here in the high desert, it can
take a few years to grow back what would only take weeks in a wetter,
more fertile environment.

Matt

In article <[email hidden]>, Ride-A-Lot says...

Quoted message said:

small change said:

So, last week I had a client who just happens to be a Backcountry Horseman who
does a lot of trail work with the horse club. He brought me several pack bags
for repair that lo and behold... they haul gravel with, on their horses. So,
we started a conversation and it looks like a cross-user group trail project is
in the works to help us get the gravel to our site. There's a lot of planning to
do, still, but I think this is exciting. Your average horse can haul #300-400
gravel, and beats the heck out of pushing a wheelbarrow. They sound like they
are totally into helping us, too. This particular trail is in a heavy multi user
group area; it's not just a bike trail.

We use a John Deere Gator to haul gravel. Yes, it's wider than the
singletrack, but the path it makes grows over in about three weeks.

did you rent? Beg? Borrow? Steal?
might have to look into that.

[quote="small change"]getting this club happening!
<snip>
Don't lecture me about leaving a rocky
trail tread, this is really impossible stuff to leave as is. <snip>
Penny

ps, thanks to Mike Dart and Mitch for all your support this year.>

Why that looks like some fine east coast singletrack you have there ;-P

Good work Penny!

MattB said:

Ride-A-Lot said:

small change said:

So, last week I had a client who just happens to be a Backcountry
Horseman who
does a lot of trail work with the horse club. He brought me several
pack bags
for repair that lo and behold... they haul gravel with, on their
horses. So,
we started a conversation and it looks like a cross-user group trail
project is
in the works to help us get the gravel to our site. There's a lot of
planning to
do, still, but I think this is exciting. Your average horse can haul
#300-400
gravel, and beats the heck out of pushing a wheelbarrow. They sound
like they
are totally into helping us, too. This particular trail is in a heavy
multi user
group area; it's not just a bike trail.

We use a John Deere Gator to haul gravel. Yes, it's wider than the
singletrack, but the path it makes grows over in about three weeks.

This is different in different places. Here in the high desert, it can
take a few years to grow back what would only take weeks in a wetter,
more fertile environment.

Matt

Ah yes. Didn't think about that -- cryptobiotic (sp?) soil too. I
would think Washington should be wet and fertile enough with all that ash.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

In article <[email hidden]>, Ride-A-Lot says...

Quoted message said:

small change said:

So, last week I had a client who just happens to be a Backcountry Horseman who
does a lot of trail work with the horse club. He brought me several pack bags
for repair that lo and behold... they haul gravel with, on their horses. So,
we started a conversation and it looks like a cross-user group trail project is
in the works to help us get the gravel to our site. There's a lot of planning to
do, still, but I think this is exciting. Your average horse can haul #300-400
gravel, and beats the heck out of pushing a wheelbarrow. They sound like they
are totally into helping us, too. This particular trail is in a heavy multi user
group area; it's not just a bike trail.

We use a John Deere Gator to haul gravel. Yes, it's wider than the
singletrack, but the path it makes grows over in about three weeks.

second thought. Why rent/borrow/use heavy equipment when the opportunity exists
to team up with another user group? The BCH is a huge group around here, why
not work on being 'friends" with them.

~p.

small change said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Ride-A-Lot says...

Quoted message said:

small change said:

So, last week I had a client who just happens to be a Backcountry Horseman who
does a lot of trail work with the horse club. He brought me several pack bags
for repair that lo and behold... they haul gravel with, on their horses. So,
we started a conversation and it looks like a cross-user group trail project is
in the works to help us get the gravel to our site. There's a lot of planning to
do, still, but I think this is exciting. Your average horse can haul #300-400
gravel, and beats the heck out of pushing a wheelbarrow. They sound like they
are totally into helping us, too. This particular trail is in a heavy multi user
group area; it's not just a bike trail.

We use a John Deere Gator to haul gravel. Yes, it's wider than the
singletrack, but the path it makes grows over in about three weeks.

did you rent? Beg? Borrow? Steal?
might have to look into that.

Borrow. There's always someone who has that cool toy. The parks
department might actually have one. Ours does.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

small change said:

second thought. Why rent/borrow/use heavy equipment when the opportunity exists
to team up with another user group? The BCH is a huge group around here, why
not work on being 'friends" with them.

No problem there as long as you want to open up the trail to the
horsies. There are trails in Fair Hills, MD where I ride quite
freqently that are designated as non-horse trails. Mostly because the
canopy is too low for them.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

In article <[email hidden]>, Ride-A-Lot says...

Quoted message said:

small change said:

second thought. Why rent/borrow/use heavy equipment when the opportunity exists
to team up with another user group? The BCH is a huge group around here, why
not work on being 'friends" with them.

No problem there as long as you want to open up the trail to the
horsies. There are trails in Fair Hills, MD where I ride quite
freqently that are designated as non-horse trails. Mostly because the
canopy is too low for them.

lol. "open to horsies".... this area has been used by the horse crowd for much
longer than mountain biking has been around. You had better believe we have to
go for shared used in this park. The BCH made the best map of the place. And
frankly, we all get along pretty dang well.

P.

small change said:

So, we started a conversation and it looks like a cross-user group trail
project is in the works to help us get the gravel to our site.

They put gravel on the fireroads near my house from time to time. Every
crash that I know of (one requiring medivac) on these "trails" was caused
by the gravel (with one exception, a fork failure). I know, we weren't
supposed to say anything about gravel. :-)

Its cool that you won't have to haul it in by hand, though.

--
-BB-
To e-mail me, unmunge my address

In article <[email hidden]>, BB says...

Quoted message said:

small change said:

So, we started a conversation and it looks like a cross-user group trail
project is in the works to help us get the gravel to our site.

They put gravel on the fireroads near my house from time to time. Every
crash that I know of (one requiring medivac) on these "trails" was caused
by the gravel (with one exception, a fork failure). I know, we weren't
supposed to say anything about gravel. :-)

Its cool that you won't have to haul it in by hand, though.

the gravel is to use as fill in small chunky basalt. My pics don't show it well
but part of the trail is built into the runout of a cliff area. This is beyond
babyheads, or trying to find flat rocks for armoring.

p.

Quoted message said:

small change said:

getting this club happening!

Here's the coolest development. With the help of the IMBA trail care
crew, we've been working on this alternate trail in the local state
park. One thing that has to happen now is that we have to haul about
4 yards of gravel to help even up the tread in all the chunky
basalt.Don't lecture me about leaving a rocky trail tread, this is
really impossible stuff to leave as is. The closest the park can get
the gravel to our work site is about 4/10 of a mile, the rest we get
to move by hand/wheelbarrow, oh joy.

So, last week I had a client who just happens to be a Backcountry
Horseman who does a lot of trail work with the horse club. He brought
me several pack bags for repair that lo and behold... they haul
gravel with, on their horses. So, we started a conversation and it
looks like a cross-user group trail project is in the works to help
us get the gravel to our site. There's a lot of planning to do,
still, but I think this is exciting. Your average horse can haul
#300-400 gravel, and beats the heck out of pushing a wheelbarrow.
They sound like they are totally into helping us, too. This
particular trail is in a heavy multi user group area; it's not just a
bike trail.

http://www.fttrc.org/photos/devilsdown.cfm Here's the project. I've
got more photos of the last workday but they are still in the camera.
I'm having computer challenges and am using Mr Adventures laptop for
a while. We really can't do any more work ( aside from the gravel
placement) until we get some rain: the soil is like flour with a high
Mt St Helen's ash content, and it is too fluffy.

After 9 months, we've got 27 paid members, a listserve that goes to
about 125 people, and about 5 or 6 of us that are "core" getting the
actual organizational stuff going. If we are lucky, we'll have enough
folks to fill our 4 board positions in the first election. If any of
you are inspired, you can become a member and vote for me in
November. ;-) I redid the website over the weekend: changed the
color scheme so it wasn't painful to look at any more, reorganized
the articles, and I'm starting to add in photos.

The next task is getting the 5013C paperwork in. I've been staring
at it for two weeks now. The instructions from the IRS are 1" thick.
I'd much rather go for a ride...

Penny

ps, thanks to Mike Dart and Mitch for all your support this year.

Great work and you're welcome.

Good luck with all that paperwork. That's one reason I chapered off an
already established club.

Mike