Sweet Walker Ranch Video on vital

[p_DuBs]

ONE LAP: Walker Ranch with Joey Schusler and Michael Larsen

looks like some rad trail up there!

[Kaj]

Nice vid.

Glad there was no one taking a video of my Walker Ranch loop today, my mojo must have been frozen in a bottle somewhere, because I didn't have any

[PhxChem]

Warning: turn the sound down until around 1:09!! Seriously, i warned you...

[WKD-RDR]

[hitechredneck]

Wonder if I would be able to ride that on my 29er?

[thump]

You will be once BMA and BCPOS are done with it. They're going to get rid of all that "unsustainable" terrain and make sure there's no more reckless shenanigans like this video.

"The South Boulder Creek trail, while not exactly a road, is too steep for multiple use, and user conflict and unsustainable conditions are a natural result of taking a fisherman access and making it a multiple use trail. Let's take a fresh look at designing a building something that will manage speeds and make it fun for all."
-BMA
Walker Ranch Management Proposals Meeting | Boulder Mountainbike Alliance

[Funrover]

Fun video!

[Walt Disney's Frozen Head]

You will be once BMA and BCPOS are done with it. They're going to get rid of all that "unsustainable" terrain and make sure there's no more reckless shenanigans like this video.

"The South Boulder Creek trail, while not exactly a road, is too steep for multiple use, and user conflict and unsustainable conditions are a natural result of taking a fisherman access and making it a multiple use trail. Let's take a fresh look at designing a building something that will manage speeds and make it fun for all."
-BMA
Walker Ranch Management Proposals Meeting | Boulder Mountainbike Alliance

Ughhh, I've nothing but good things to say about BMA and advocacy but I'm equally less inspired by their trail "design" to date. Maybe stick with what ya do best (and some might argue that point too).

[dickt3030]

^^ Boo that!

[smmokan]

You will be once BMA and BCPOS are done with it. They're going to get rid of all that "unsustainable" terrain and make sure there's no more reckless shenanigans like this video.

"The South Boulder Creek trail, while not exactly a road, is too steep for multiple use, and user conflict and unsustainable conditions are a natural result of taking a fisherman access and making it a multiple use trail. Let's take a fresh look at designing a building something that will manage speeds and make it fun for all."
-BMA
Walker Ranch Management Proposals Meeting | Boulder Mountainbike Alliance

"Too steep for multiple use"? Since when is a trail too steep for hikers, but not mountain bikers?

I wonder how many switchbacks they could fit on Walker if they use the same formula they used on the new section at Hall? Given there are five or six at Hall covering about 100 vertical feet, I bet they could easily fit 40-50 at Walker without blinking an eye.

[thump]

"Given there are five or six at Hall covering about 100 vertical feet, I bet they could easily fit 40-50 at Walker without blinking an eye.

And then they can self-champion about how many miles of singletrack they "added".

I'm having tougher time keeping any positive attitude towards BMA. I'm not sure why they have this focus on continuing to replace existing fun trails with "managed speed" sidewalks instead of fighting to keep the trails we love and pushing the trail work resources into advocating for new singletracks. I'm all for the proposed (long overdue) connectors, but then in the same breath they want to kill off all the fun parts of S. Boulder Creek that you see in that vid??

Hell, many folks still have a goal to be able to ride the entire portage down (myself included). I don't think I even want to know what they have in mind for that. I don't get the mentality of trying to eliminate all natural technical features from BoCo trails. Is some diversity really so bad?

[inkpad]

And then they can self-champion about how many miles of singletrack they "added".

I'm having tougher time keeping any positive attitude towards BMA. I'm not sure why they have this focus on continuing to replace existing fun trails with "managed speed" sidewalks instead of fighting to keep the trails we love and pushing the trail work resources into advocating for new singletracks. I'm all for the proposed (long overdue) connectors, but then in the same breath they want to kill off all the fun parts of S. Boulder Creek that you see in that vid??

Hell, many folks still have a goal to be able to ride the entire portage down (myself included). I don't think I even want to know what they have in mind for that. I don't get the mentality of trying to eliminate all natural technical features from BoCo trails. Is some diversity really so bad?

Same thing is happening here in Fort Collins. Already this year a few of the best challenging sections of a few different trails have been replaced with 4' wide dirt paths & nearly un-ridable switchbacks What was once a very fun, 30-50' technical section of trail is now 100 ' long boring path.

Boo

[honkinunit]

First, there was Walker.

Then, Super Walker.

Now, Magic Walker. The one where you don't have to climb.

[hitechredneck]

Sounds like they are trying to make a fun looking trail into something weaksauce. I better get up there soon so I can ride the fun stuff before I drive up there for a bike path switchback death zone of boring.

[lidarman]

Last time I rode Walker, I remember a lot more climbing. ...I like this version better.

[andrewnielson]

Last time I rode Walker, I remember a lot more climbing. ...I like this version better.

haha I was thinking the same thing!

[IH8MUD]

Wonder if I would be able to ride that on my 29er?

Why wouldnt ya?

and make sure there's no more reckless shenanigans like this video.

Reckless what? Looks like a normal day of Walker to me...

[thump]

Reckless what? Looks like a normal day of Walker to me...

Evidentially I forgot to use the sarcasm font.

But it appears like this type of riding is no longer okay since all the new BMA trail is into "managing speeds". For some reason I thought that's what those fancy lever thingies attached to my handlebars were for.

[MCS5280]

People ride without gloves? My hands would be turned into hamburger after a few rides. I crash way too much.

[elder_mtber]

quoted:
"The South Boulder Creek trail, while not exactly a road, is too steep for multiple use, and user conflict and unsustainable conditions are a natural result of taking a fisherman access and making it a multiple use trail. Let's take a fresh look at designing a building something that will manage speeds and make it fun for all."
-BMA
Walker Ranch Management Proposals Meeting | Boulder Mountainbike Alliance
end quote.

"...fun for all." except the mountain bikers.

[fooblahblah]

I'm all for one of those wheelchair lifts up and down the portal steps

[rhamilton]

Great vid Joey. However, The "superior way" to ride Walker is start Counter Clockwise, ride almost all the way to the stairs, ride the techy section and loop back the way you came (unless you want to ride the stairs down... Crazy!). Once you get back to the lot continue on the Clockwise portion of Columbine Gulch Trail, rock that sweet down hill to the river and turn around again and climb up to the lower lot. Then hop on the dirt road and climb back to the main lot. You get the best of everything, man I love Walker. Can Someone make a bumper sticker that say 'Don't Sanitize Walker Ranch'

[rhamilton]

Hi All, I am a crazy fan of Walker Ranch. I have posted concerns about the possibility of trail change up there and seen a lot of other riders who share my concern, see this thread for more Possible trail changes at Walker Ranch!. I just want to clarify a few things that I have learned as I have talked with more of the people involved.
1. BMA is not the problem. I see a lot of BMA bashing on this site, and some of my post may have started these rants. BMA is the best resource Boulder Mountain Bikers have. The guys that run BMA want to see great trails just as bad as you and I but they are bound by the completely insane politics of Boulder. Yeah in the name of sustainability some trails have gotten worse but the alternative could very easily have been that open space would just close them to bikes all together. So in short BMA is the good guy here, just they have to talk the talk and walk the walk of the boulder political system....
2. From the meeting I went to where Jesse Rounds presented the proposed changes, not a whole lot of the changes appear to really effect the fun parts of the trail. The only part I am really concerned about is the changes to the real steep portions of the Columbine Ranch section (the part you drop into if you go clockwise). These changes could be severe if we don't provide enough feedback on what we would like.
3. The most important thing we can try to do as riders is build a united front of support for the Walker/Eldorado Canyon link. This is still a far off connector but if the public really turns up the heat maybe things will start to move.

if you support my view I have started a facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DontSanitizeWalkerRanch
Please like this page if you want your voice to be heard. But be aware this is not a page to bash BMA or Boulder County Open Space, we are shooting for advocacy here

[kgm]

Walker is one of the only fun trails I've found here so far. I will be moving out of Colorado if all the trails turn into Centennial Cone. I only moved here for MTB.

[stapes]

Same thing is happening here in Fort Collins. Already this year a few of the best challenging sections of a few different trails have been replaced with 4' wide dirt paths & nearly un-ridable switchbacks What was once a very fun, 30-50' technical section of trail is now 100 ' long boring path.

Boo

Just out of curiosity, what sections have changed up there? Haven't ridden up there all year, used to be my backyard trails. Also liked the more rugged nature of trails there too.