New mtb trail system in NE OH

[swampboy62]

Lake Milton State Park, about 10 miles west of Youngstown, is going to be the home of the newest state park mtb trail system in Ohio. Rust Belt Revival Trail Coalition, the new IMBA chapter for eastern Ohio, had a site visit with the Ohio DNR representative last month. And today at the club board meeting we voted to take on the construction of this new trail system.

Specifics: 5 to 8 miles of intermediate to advanced level trails. The site doesn't have a lot of elevation change, but it has plenty of contour due to small creek drainages entering the lake. Some of these creeks go right down to bedrock, so there will be opportunities for developing some nice technical rock lines. The uplands are almost all second growth hardwood, but we can bring some rock up from the creek. Talking with the DNR guy, we suggested doing some lumber and log features to make the trails more interesting - something like they did at Findley. Log skinnies, short ramps, logovers, skinny boardwalks, maybe some log & dirt berms - things to make the trail a competitor with West Branch as far as the skill level required. He tentatively agreed (though we're not going to have any teeter totters), so we hope to make this place something different for the area.

If you're from the area and want to get involved, check out our the facebook page for Rust Belt Revival Trail Coalition. Or send an email to rustbeltmtb@gmail.com.

We're hoping to start doing trail work in late winter or early spring.

Steve Z
secretary, Rust Belt Revival Trail Coalition

[mullen119]

Awesome news. I wish I lived closer so I could help build the trails! Thanks again for all your work!

[swampboy62]

Hope this link works. Here's some pictures showing what the site has to offer:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set...8330255&type=1

Psyched. Hell yeah.

Steve Z

[rti27]

pretty sweet

[swampboy62]

Submitted a proposal and trail map to the Ohio DNR yesterday and today got word back that we're approved to start trail work!!

We'll be flagging the first mile loop before the end of the year. Trail work will start in January or February. Check the Rust Belt Revival Trail Coalition facebook page for info and trail work days.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/rbrtc/

I'll post updates here as they happen.

Steve Z

[swampboy62]

And for the NE Ohioans who were lamenting the dumbing down of our trails, here's something from our (APPROVED) trail proposal:

"The type of trail features being considered would include log skinnies, lumber skinnies, log ride-overs, low log ramps, curving lumber boardwalk skinnies, lumber pump track humps, log and dirt berms, rock gardens, rock roll-overs and advanced rock features. There will be no 'teeter totter' features, or jumps."

So we need to be creative and see what kind of cool stuff we can get built here. Features need to get preliminary approval from the DNR, but I anticipate no problems.

Can't wait to get going on this. I am slightly worried about the ability of our new club to raise money for lumber right off the bat, so I'm thinking we'll concentrate on log and rock features as much as possible to start.

Steve Z

[mullen119]

And for the NE Ohioans who were lamenting the dumbing down of our trails, here's something from our (APPROVED) trail proposal:

"The type of trail features being considered would include log skinnies, lumber skinnies, log ride-overs, low log ramps, curving lumber boardwalk skinnies, lumber pump track humps, log and dirt berms, rock gardens, rock roll-overs and advanced rock features. There will be no 'teeter totter' features, or jumps."

So we need to be creative and see what kind of cool stuff we can get built here. Features need to get preliminary approval from the DNR, but I anticipate no problems.

Can't wait to get going on this. I am slightly worried about the ability of our new club to raise money for lumber right off the bat, so I'm thinking we'll concentrate on log and rock features as much as possible to start.

Steve Z

[gfs69]

Good job! It is great to see new trails going in around Ohio. It is a lot of work from the start of flagging to opening day, but man that first ride is sweet!

[swampboy62]

Started flagging phase 1 today. Some nice flowy trail that we'll add features to. And looked at the 'gorges' where there is a really nicely placed fallen tree that I hope to make into a log bridge. We could actually start work now - - - if there wasn't 10" of snow!!!

We'll get there.

Steve Z

[swampboy62]

First trail work day at Lake Milton is this weekend. We'll meet at 10 am on Saturday, January 26 for a couple of hours of cutting corridor along the new line. The meeting place is on Ellsworth Road, just to the east of the bridge crossing the reservoir. There is a roadside parking area across from the old 'Carsons Landing' store. We'll bring tools, you bring work gloves, water and a snack if you want.

Hope to see some people there for this.

Steve Z

[swampboy62]

Had our first day of trail work at Lake Milton on Saturday. Had 6 people working, including two from Ohio DNR. We got 3/4 mile of corridor cut, which was way beyond what I'd expected.

Also, ODNR is going to help us a lot more than I'd expected - they're going to supply some labor, materials & funds for lumber. This is going to go faster than we'd thought!

Steve Z

[mullen119]

Great news. I really wish I lived closer so my wife and I could help out. Keep the updates coming and hopefully we will be able to make it eventually.

[Bike Ride 934]

Good deal we need more trails around this area west branch is the closest but it does get old .... I'd be down to help

[swampboy62]

Good deal we need more trails around this area west branch is the closest but it does get old .... I'd be down to help

We can use all the help we get. It looks like our next scheduled Lake Milton trail work day is Feb 23, at 10 am. We'll meet at the east side of the lake on Ellsworth Road. Check out the Rust Belt Revival Trail Coalition facebook page for trail updates for there and Beaver Creek.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/rbrtc/

Steve Z

[swampboy62]

Trail work day this Sunday, February 24, at Lake Milton. Meet on Ellsworth Road, at the roadside parking area across from the old Carsons Landing building, just east of the bridge over the lake. We'll start at 10 and work till 2-ish. We'll bring tools, you bring gloves, water and lunch if you want it.

This is the second trail work day on the new trail system. We hope to get some tread done if the temps are above freezing as forecast.

Steve Z

[swampboy62]

So trail work day number two is in the books now. We got neary 1/4 mile of tread finished in one day. Next trail work day will be in three or four weeks - I'll post up the date. Check out the Rust Belt Revival Trail Coalition facebook page for photos of the new work.

We keep up this rate of building and this trail will be done way sooner than we expected!!

Steve Z