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Another Rant...Chumash

1K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  1000-oaks 
#1 ·
can't the trailblazers leave trails natural???

throwing loose dirt to fill in the holes. is no good:nono: :nono:

widening the trail in areas by chopping at the hillside:nono: :nono: :nono: ...

it is getting to the point that you have almost a fireroad

man we have great trails that are technical and fun in the area....it would be nice to leave the technical aspect alone....I was bummed as soon as I entered the trail and notice the little rock gardens at the top covered over and the trail widened......

I stopped and asked 5 hikers and they said they didn't mind walking through the hard stuff and the loose dirt was a nuisance.........


:madman: :madman: arrrrrrrrr:madman: :madman: :madman:
 
#3 ·
smt - it's been like that for months, relax. While I like the technical aspect of mountain biking a great deal, not every hiker or rider does. In fact, I'm sure if you rode up there as much as I do and polled the folks I see walking their bikes down those sections even still, I'd bet they'd skew your poll in the other direction...

Don't take this the wrong way - I don't want the trails any wider than you do, but filling holes properly and making some of the trails better isn't a bad thing (read - when it's done right, get off my back lmnop). Why not get out there when the weather is right and do some trail maintenance other than building ladders, kickers or whatever else you usually do. Or here's a novel approach, ride up Chumash and down hummingbird, you'll get the technical you want and you'll still have a great climb... mix it up kid, we're on the same team...

G
 
#4 ·
GMoney said:
Or here's a novel approach, ride up Chumash and down hummingbird, you'll get the technical you want and you'll still have a great climb... mix it up kid, we're on the same team...
That's exactly how I usually ride it. And I really like(d) those technical sections on Chumash - they were always a challenge. I still don't make some of them most of the time - but I'd much rather have something to aim for, and the satisfaction of making them occasionally, then to have the hard parts filled in. It's just not that tough to walk the few hard sections - the rest of the trail is plenty smooth.

I'm all for trail work to repair damage or make trails more sustainable, but that's not what is happening in this case. It's disappointing to see great trails "sanitized" for the lowest common denominator biker or hiker. Anyone who makes it to the top of Chumash is hard-core enough to be able to handle a few rocks, and those sections are (were) the heart and soul of the trail. It's a shame to lose them.
 
#5 ·
GMoney said:
. Or here's a novel approach, ride up Chumash and down hummingbird, you'll get the technical you want and you'll still have a great climb... mix it up kid, we're on the same team...

G
Hey I earned my ride....I rode up LLas or whatever the backside is called and up sea shells too....Man I just wanted some fun :D ....I don't know...I just like the challenges...Makes you feel better then just riding over a sidewalk
 
#6 ·
I agree with Agoura biker, I liked the challenge of trying to clear the rocks riding up that trail and I NEVER made it up them all the way. The top of that trail defined it for me and gave me something to work on to improve my skills (what little I have). Sucks.................
 
#7 ·
I was glad to see the "potato" section swept last season, but this season's work seems somewhat counter-productive. Isn't Chumash even more subject to erosion now that the solid, non-erodable rocks up top have been pried away? The next heavy rains will tell the tale.

Complaining here may yield a sympathetic ear, but won't make much practical difference. The Trailblazers frequently request help with their work parties and, as far as I know, they don't have an experienced mountain biker on board. In fact, the position of Work Parties Chair is currently OPEN. In your spare time, why not work within the system? Join forces with the Trailblazers and apply your trailbuilding/maintenance knowledge to an organization that not only has permission to maintain the existing trails, but to legally create new ones. Who can argue with new trails!

From the Rancho Simi Trailblazer's website:
The trail is on property owned by the Santa Monica Conservancy. The Chumash Trail was constructed between November 1989 and January 1990. The trail is maintained by the Rancho Simi Trail Blazers and patrolled by the Volunteer Trail Safety Service, which is a volunteer organization associated with the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District. If you have any questions about either of these organizations, you can call the Volunteer Coordinator with the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District at (805) 584-4453.
 
#8 ·
LadyDi said:
I was glad to see the "potato" section swept last season, but this season's work seems somewhat counter-productive. Isn't Chumash even more subject to erosion now that the solid, non-erodable rocks up top have been pried away? The next heavy rains will tell the tale.

Complaining here may yield a sympathetic ear, but won't make much practical difference. The Trailblazers frequently request help with their work parties and, as far as I know, they don't have an experienced mountain biker on board. In fact, the position of Work Parties Chair is currently OPEN. In your spare time, why not work within the system? Join forces with the Trailblazers and apply your trailbuilding/maintenance knowledge to an organization that not only has permission to maintain the existing trails, but to legally create new ones. Who can argue with new trails!

From the Rancho Simi Trailblazer's website:
The trail is on property owned by the Santa Monica Conservancy. The Chumash Trail was constructed between November 1989 and January 1990. The trail is maintained by the Rancho Simi Trail Blazers and patrolled by the Volunteer Trail Safety Service, which is a volunteer organization associated with the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District. If you have any questions about either of these organizations, you can call the Volunteer Coordinator with the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District at (805) 584-4453.
next wednesday I get electronic fingerprinted and then go to a learning class for trail building....I really want to sit down and have a talk with those guys...I am glad they do work but maybe I can show them a different angle :thumbsup:
 
#9 ·
SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:
next wednesday I get electronic fingerprinted and then go to a learning class for trail building....I really want to sit down and have a talk with those guys...I am glad they do work but maybe I can show them a different angle :thumbsup:
Good, you'll be a certified trail builder, then you can come and help me build trails.:thumbsup:
 
#10 ·
smt - since you pedaled up Las Llajas up to chumash, why not continue the ride down to Johnson's it's plenty rocky or over to hummingbird, since you're so XC now, it should be nothing...quit whining that the locals trails aren't 'core enough for you...
We all know you rant just to increase your post whorishness, and yes whorishness in now a word...
Later,
G
 
#11 ·
SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:
next wednesday I get electronic fingerprinted and then go to a learning class for trail building....I really want to sit down and have a talk with those guys...I am glad they do work but maybe I can show them a different angle :thumbsup:
That's great news, I think. And you'll be on file with the FBI, the CIA, Homeland Security, Interpol... :p
 
#13 ·
SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:
Hey I earned my ride....I rode up LLas or whatever the backside is called and up sea shells too....Man I just wanted some fun :D ....I don't know...I just like the challenges...Makes you feel better then just riding over a sidewalk
if you rode not pushed up las lahas I will buy you a beer. I'm safe.
 
#15 ·
SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:
(Rancho Simi Trail Blazers) ...have a talk with those guys...I am glad they do work but maybe I can show them a different angle...
I've done trail work with them in the past, they really don't do the hard tread-work, mostly they'll do a little brush clearing or perhaps fill a small rut with loose dirt that washes away in the first .25 of rain. Although what they do is better than nothing, what they DO do does not last more than a week with all the hiking and riding that is done on this busy trail.

Four hours with two or three of us doing hard heavy work in one morning does more and lasts much longer than everything they do in a whole year.
 
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