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Auburn State Recreational Area - Culvert Phase 2 trail work sign up Feb 8th - 10th

9K views 71 replies 33 participants last post by  peter19ue 
#1 ·
Folks,

We are resuming work on the popular Culvert downhill trail located within the Auburn State Recreational Area.

With Phase 2 approved, we will be realigning some parts of the trail to improve drainage and flow while ensuring this continues to be a thrilling ride.

If you liked and were a part of what we started last year, you'll want to join us to complete the vision we have for creating a world class downhill corridor that offers fun and excitement for all skill levels.

Registration is limited to 12 people per day so sign up now if you're interested.

Details:
When: Feb 8th - 10th
Where: ASRA Culvert (stage at Fuel Break and Culvert)
What: trail work
Time: 8.30 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (options for 1/2 day)

Sign up here -

Doodle: CULVERT ACTION ALERT

Note: While we will provide refreshments, please come prepared to be self sufficient.

Cheers,

Steve

If you have questions, reach out to me at jminn8086@gmail.com
 
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#36 ·
Wow. I can't believe how much some people seem to hate the changes!
I've been riding Auburn since the late 80's....boy have things changed!!

The Culvert Trail, between FireBreak and the actual Culvert, was a mess really. It was one lined. One rut. We used to joke that when it rained hard you just jumped in the rut and railed it. There was no challenge to it at all. Go fast, mostly straight lined. That's the way it was up to a handful of years ago when people started building lame side junk that didn't flow at all. (Well, not speaking of the ladders that were 'hidden' up there. That section was GREAT! until State Parks killed them.)

I for one am seriously stoked that the FTA guys and whomever else has formed a WORKING RELATIONSHIP with State Parks and reworking the trails for the better.

I don't get how some people are complaining about it being 'slow' now? It's too slow? Learn how to corner you yahoo's. Life is not all about straight line speed. It takes skill to rail corners. And remember these are just set in. Once they have a nice rain, like we're having now, and then a dry spell with a weekend coming up, I bet those berms set up nicely and the speed will increase exponentially, if you have any skill yourself. ;-)

And there's a bunch of love for that lame rock laden right handed turn? There was NO skill required to ride that thing. Really, come on now.

I just understand all the hate? Coming from where this rutted out one line unstable trail was headed, closure, the change is great for the longevity of trails in the canyon. Not to mention the good will that has been formed with State Parks that shows MTB'ers aren't a bunch of one shovel having goon squad dorks out hacking up the earth.



Well, there's my take. Flame away, saying I must be a poor underskilled rider to think the new trail is good in any way. Have fun! I can't wait to ditch work Thursday or Friday and hit the trail again.
 
#28 ·
I don't want anyone to take this personal, but what the hell?? Culvert used to be fast, and maybe an intermediate level trail.....now it's slow and totally a beginner trail......why on earth were all the berms built to slow you down?? I'm sorry......I just can't imagine why someone designed it the way it is now......Hopefully as folks try and renegade build features they won't get leveled.........I'm glad everyone worked hard, and I'll leave it at that.......
 
#40 ·
I to have gotten 2 days on the new improvements and have to give immense praise to all the people who put in the time to get this done! Outstanding work!!! You guys made something clean, fun, enjoyable and a place to progress. In fact, I feel completely guilty that I have not been able to make it out to a trail build day. Seeing what you have done has definitely inspired me to make it a priority for March.

I agree that before you just stuck your bike in a hole and hoped for the best, now you can dial in your turns and transitions. Friday was great, Sunday saw quite a huge amount of traffic due to the holiday weekend which is why those corners got loose. Can't wait to see how it beds in like the first few turns you guys put it in last year.

For those complaining, you really need to step back and realize what kind of positive reaction will come from this work and what would happen from not doing it to trails like Tinkers which is now closed to bikes.
 
#41 ·
Friday was great, Sunday saw quite a huge amount of traffic due to the holiday weekend which is why those corners got loose. Can't wait to see how it beds in like the first few turns you guys put it in last year.
I feel the same. I rode the new work tuesday, 2 days after it was completed. I thought the new berms although not very tall were fast and firm. They are probably soft now from riders braking in the berm. I'm not sure where the rockgarden was that some are complaining about being removed, I can't remember there being a rockgarden?
Sure alot of rocks were removed and the trail widend in spots. A beginner can easliy roll the small tabletops and berms, but a more advanced rider can also catch some pretty good air and get a good flow going. Seems like a good trail for beginners to build skill and confidence. I like the work overall, but I only ride it 4-5 times a year so I didn't have the old culvert memorized. Locals who had the old culvert memorized, may feel diffrent.
Hopefully the trail firms up and maybe a couple more fun options can be added in?
 
#45 ·
Mixed Opinion

I have done quite a few runs on Culvert trail in the past few weeks and here are my thoughts.

1. if I think of the Culvert trail as a totally new trail in Auburn which...essentially it is now. I give it a high fun rating. I enjoy riding it fast and hitting the features. It almost seems shorter...because I am riding it much faster now.

2. The old culvert trail (like 10-15 years ago) was super fun in a different way. Rocky and rutted in a few places with some nice rock gardens. Very much an old school trail with not a lot of thaught about things like "flow", drainage and overall sustainability. But it was hecka fun and not a big attraction to the shuttle riders.

3. in the last 10 years the proliferation of DIY projects on the culvert trail left it an unsustainable mess and a battle ground between old school mountain bikers, new school down hill shuttle riders and the ASRA. Things were beginning to look bleak. I and many others began to assume that ASRA would just scrap the trail. A few years back after a fire...buldozers began to use sections of the trail as fire break and to open up a firebreak along Foresthill road. the DIY projects continued.... Goodbye Culvert Trail.

4. what they built.....The design of this trail is certainly not what I would of liked to see in an ideal world. It is not very "Auburn" at all and has no resemblance to any other trail in Auburn.

5. In the end it seems like a win for the MTB community because we did not lose a trail and it seems like everybody got a little bit of what they are looking for in the existing design. I am just hoping this does not become some sort of design standard for trails in the ASRA.
 
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#52 · (Edited)
This should be interesting...

Look at The Connector trail. This trail was built with rocks as *part of the trail*, not something avoided so that huge equipment can plow a wide bike path that I can just as easily ride on my cyclocross rig. Flow does not equal a cement-like bike path.
It was? The Connector was roughed in with a tractor just like the new Culvert Trail. The few rocks on the Connector are on the only south facing slope, a very shale loaded hillside - of which a lot of rock has been revealed through wearing in of the trail. The few boneyards on the old Culvert were 10 feet wide after those rocks were revealed from wearing in and erosion - then the trail went around the rocks as most riders looked to avoid.

All trails are built wide, then the foliage grows in and narrows the trail. That was true of the Connector Trail when it was first built as well.

I don't see a compromise here at all. I saw (first hand mind you) a few designers who ignored the reason Culvert was so loved in the first place and imposed their ideas for a new trail that had nothing to do with the best aspects of the existing trail. When approached, they were haughty and dismissive. Again, I saw this first hand as a *volunteer on this project*.
On the new Culvert I see a lot of new jumps, some stunts some speed and some flow. The old Culvert was all of that, except the flow, it was just a straight line down a hill to the tunnel.

To claim that people who feel this way are haters and don't contribute is ridiculous. I've racked up many, many hours of volunteering in ASRA and elsewhere. Dismissing volunteers like this is indicative of the original mindset problem of the designers. My way or the highway-like-trail.
Many hours of meetings were had, plans laid out, documents submitted. Agreement was achieved on what to do. When it is time to do the work, should the builders stop and redo the plan because a helper voiced a concern? Or does one continue with the plan and back solve the minor issues?

BTW, thanks for your efforts and your passion. They are appreciated.

Hating on the people who build... makes them not want to build in their free time. Think about it.

Is the new Culvert what I want? Not exactly. But as I see it I lost a casing cutting boneyard, a few lame hucks to flat and an awkward turn for a lot of burms, bigger tabletops and a lot trail. When I dial in the flow, I'll be loving it.

FATRAC can learn from the experience and maybe next time bring in the crew that knows what it is doing and listens. The group that led construction of Connector would be great. Or IMBA Trail Solutions.
IMBA has some great solutions...
Flow Trails | International Mountain Bicycling Association
;)

Also, just to push this point home. We were not at the meetings establishing the goals of the trail work, and what ASRA demands that needed to be met. So we do not know the parameters of the project and therefor cannot judge the execution of the build.

We can however judge our ride experience. Again, for me, it's better than a rutted fall line down the hill.

You can dislike the trail and how it works with you, but don't write up a bunch of false reasons and hating on the builders, just say you aren't diggin' it.

P
 
#54 · (Edited by Moderator)
follow up on previous post and new culvert section

When I got back after first riding the new zig zag traversing turns at the start of the culvert, and the ride arounds of classic rock sections, I felt I had to write in this thread with a long time perspective (20plus years) on this trail and the changes. I also felt I had to follow up and see how it's going now, so I drove down the hill to see the last re route section just before the road.
I walked it yesterday, and I have to say, at rough in, it looks really good. I believe the planners may have taken some of the volunteers feedback, as well as the boys from Auburn Bike Works and created a trail that meanders better and traverses less. I was impressed with the work I saw when i walked it yesterday. I am anticipating a great result here.

I also thought adding some comments on what I dislike about the last section and how it could be addressed may be worthwhile.

as a tahoe resident who skis 3 or 4 days a week, and a long time mountain biker, the idea of "braking" turns, opening up into a straight traverse is exceptionally annoying. I believe the first section off of the firebreak, into the section that was completed last year w/ the dowhill gap is exactly this, braking turns into straight traverses. To address this, the turns can be opened up, and the straights shortened and even some re directions added between the turns. you can have a couple snappy little turns in there to pump and create engagement. In extending the 2 turns, they could also be finished slightly uphill and then redirected in those pumping turns. An image I have here is the sovereign trails in Moab. Recently made, pretty smooth, but still fun. their is one section less then 50ft long w/ 5 short little turns that is many peoples favorite section. In the length of these existing straights, something like that could exist, but the "flow" stick would have to ignored. I also believe the area right above the tunnel has the traverse to braking turn feel to it and could be tweaked a bit.

One of the things Zach with FTA said when I met him for the first time yesterday, is "it's all dirt, things can be changed", so maybe they are open to tweaking this.

the other primary issue I had with this section was taking lot of rocks out and adding ride arounds. the little rock climb after the right hander wasn't technical, but it took foresight and skill to carry speed over it. why ride around that with a straight level trail. I personally believe that ride around should be scrapped. Right after that, there was a rocky section, and maybe that ride around is appropriate, as it was developing on it's own from people who didn't like riding the rocks, and haven't learned that rocks are fun and a big part of mountain biking. leaving that one as an option seems OK.

Mr. P
"So we do not know the parameters of the project and therefor cannot judge the execution of the build.
We can however judge our ride experience. Again, for me, it's better than a rutted fall line down the hill."


I also have to comment on a couple things Mr. P above said, as I thought they may be directed at my earlier post. yes, we can judge. Just because we don't live in the area or have a vested interest in the project like the builders and bike shops, we can have an opinion and offer feedback. These guys have reasons to go to meetings and be part of the process, those of us that this isn't our work and we have families to raise may not have time to be part of those meetings or even trailwork. We can have an opinion. I work on my local trails and you have an opinion on those I bet. I have an opinion on Moab and Northstar trails, and didn't do work on them. we can have an opinion, and we can voice it to those that are being paid to work on a project that affects our play time.

and, degrading the confluence to a "rutted fall line downhill" is a silly insult of a classic trail that has entertained and inspired us for many years. Yes, their were areas that probably needed work, but it was far more then you have characterized it as. People (including me) wouldn't have driven hours and ridden it hundreds of times to ride it if it was "just a rutted fall line downhill", sorry.

I also wanted to say how much I appreciate that work ABW, Mike and Pete especially, have been putting into this project. I know they were/are pissed at me for voicing my opinion so openly. that said, I believe the public feedback may help, as this latest section is looking great. I also don't think giving feedback is "hating" as has been expressed here, but much more "HOPING".

thx,
Wade Holiday
N. Tahoe
 
#3 ·
saw you guys out there today working in the rain. Great job!

I got trapped between closures today, both culvert and middle trail / stonewall were closed today for work. Guess they're putting up a new fence that requires a dismount so moto's can't sneak into the OHV park without paying via old foresthill rd.

I read something about stage 2 incorporating more berms and fun on fuel break heading from green gate / connector parking, towards culvert. Any truth to that or just rumors?

Would you guys have any work for riders that just wanna give an hour here or there on random rides without signing up, or is it structured differently?

Thank you!
 
#5 ·
I'd say any help is awesome, an hour may only get your hands dirty though. 20 hours of volunteer work gets you a Parking pass!
saw you guys out there today working in the rain. Great job!

I got trapped between closures today, both culvert and middle trail / stonewall were closed today for work. Guess they're putting up a new fence that requires a dismount so moto's can't sneak into the OHV park without paying via old foresthill rd.

I read something about stage 2 incorporating more berms and fun on fuel break heading from green gate / connector parking, towards culvert. Any truth to that or just rumors?

Would you guys have any work for riders that just wanna give an hour here or there on random rides without signing up, or is it structured differently?

Thank you!
 
#7 ·
redmr2_ma

Thank you for your interest and willingness to lend a hand. You're welcome to join us during a scheduled event but would ask that any trail work done on the Culvert is part of an organized effort please.

We've worked hard to secure the support of the ASRA and the lead ranger and all trail work needs to be done according to our plans that have been approved and under supervision.
 
#12 ·
We really workd hard today, I personally recruited a talented group of locals and they kicked ass! Hard workers and a great eye for shape and contour! The trail looks great, a bit dry in some areas and wet in others but overall looking really fun. Ill get a full run in tomorrow when we get done, not just pieces!
 
#20 ·
Thanks for posting the video -

A BIG shout out to those that came out and helped. It's hard to see from this video, but there are both defined A & B lines and as mentioned, we added features back in on this outing.

Ride it - I think you'll like it. ... and, it's only going to get better!
 
#18 ·
There a a few more features added in this time around. Which rock garden section? The armored turn is gone but there are 3 killer berms and linkable rollers to jump. The rock garden at the bottom of the armored turn straight away is still there and there are a few more feature options opened up because of a berm we through in. I think you'll like it I'll post some pics tomorrow.
 
#19 ·
awesome!! it's hard to tell, I can't wait to ride it, it's a fun trail!! and i was worried ..... Thanks to all who helped.....it was insane how many folks were out there on Saturday.........I only saw it as the work started, so :thumbsup:
 
#25 ·
redmr2_man - Stonewall access



I spoke with the lead ranger about the newly erected fence near the top of Stonewall. In the short term, ASRA is putting more emphasis on controlling illegal entry and use of the park by motos versus MTB flow from Old Foresthill road.

This was done on FDLT as well and eventually the step through gates were removed ... cross your fingers that we'll see the same outcome here.
 
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