Another 1/3 Mile Groomed On Big Bear – 12/12/12
We completed another 1/3 of a mile today on Big Bear Mountain, continuing to work our way back to our previous stopping place Nov. 29 when we were coming into the work area from the west.
The Progressive Trail Design team has now pushed the trail to within eye-shot of Brady Mountain road. There remains another quarter to a third of a mile before the trail is expected to exit the Forest onto the road, and this last bit of tread will be steep, rocky, and difficult to cut. But, it’s getting there!
Today’s work was often in very rocky areas, but toward the end of the day, we broke into an area where the going was relatively easy. The views remain spectacular as we continue to climb, but we will soon be back to “moguls” as we traverse the north side of the mountain just below its summit.
Along the way, Traildog Mike thought he could get out of work by hiding in the big old oak that marks the beginning of our work from the east to the west. The hole wasn’t quite large enough for him to get away with this caper, and besides, he waited until our workday was over before trying it! Problems develop in the rarefied air at these altitudes!
Only a couple of ‘Dogs are signed up for work on Thursday, Dec. 13. We have extra rakes and nippers if someone wants to join us. We’ll again meet at around 10 am along Brady Mountain Road, about 1/4 mile north of the blowdown area where the flagging marks where the trail will emerge from the forest. Hope you can join us.
More Notes from Jerry
Great weather today as five Traildogs pushed west with the trail finishing work trying to tie in where we last suspended. Today we worked in an amazingly beautiful area, the Bear Mountain Saddle Area, about 1.6 miles west of Brady Mountain Road.
The Progressive Trail Design machine crew outdid themselves in the Saddle area. They have created a challenging double switchback with high banked edges that will thrill the East bound high speed mountain bike folks who will utilize this new section of the LOViT. The trail winds through the large boulders and huge rock spines as it rolls up and down like a roller coaster. Great piece of trail design that I know the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) will rate very high from a design and user standpoint.
We have about .75 miles back to where we previously suspended our work, and then about a mile of finish work from where we started this week back east to the Brady Mountain Road crossing. The machine crew will begin construction of the final portion of this section on the hillside that runs parallel to Brady Mt. Rd. tomorrow. There is some concern of construction debris rolling down to the roadway in this phase, so we have requested the USFS to install construction warning signage along this area.
We estimate that upon completion, “section seven”, which runs from Little Bear Creek to Brady Mt. Rd., will be between 7.5 and 8 miles in uninterrupted length, clearly the longest section of the entire trail to date. Entering from the west, users will start at the Crystal Springs Recreation Area Trailhead for section six and hike 3.5 miles before crossing Little Bear Creek and entering section seven, making the west to east trek well over 10 – 11 miles with no exit through this designated Roadless Area of the forest. The Corps of Engineers has agreed to build a new parking area on Crystal Springs Road where section six crosses the road. This will create a safer crossing and safer parking area for east bound section six and seven users, and it will reduce the overall length of the west to east trek by a mile.
We will be on the trail tomorrow, Thursday and Friday, meeting on Brady Mt. Rd four miles north of US270, at 10:00 am both days. The hike to the work site has been made much easier, as the Machine crews are almost to Brady Mt. Rd.
Thanks,
Jerry