West Branch State Park

[jeffw-13]

Do it.

http://www.camba.us/pn/modules.php?o...owcontent&id=1

[Glynis27]

I do. Frequently.

[slayer27]

At least twice a week

[jeffw-13]

Hey Slayer! I'm the guy who loaned you the allen wrench Monday.

[swampboy62]

Tonight after the rain.

And Saturday, Sunday & Monday.

Yup.

BTW the trail held up to the rain pretty well. There were some low spots that had standing water, but 95% of the tread actually looked dry. But it certainly downpoured earlier - hail & wind - very impressive.

Steve Z

[slayer27]

Hey Slayer! I'm the guy who loaned you the allen wrench Monday.

Thanks again Jeff! Being able to use my front brake made my ride more enjoyable and you were right, the other side of cable was nice.

I hope to see you out there again.

Ken

[swampboy62]

Some WB video from this last weekend, on the gorge side trails:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM2_JmDki1k

Steve Z

[jeffw-13]

Some WB video from this last weekend, on the gorge side trails:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM2_JmDki1k

Steve Z

Nice! Your brother makes it look easy.

[swampboy62]

Seems like not many people riding up in NE Ohio with the snow. I've been to Quail Hollow, Beaver Creek and West Branch and only seen one other set of tire tracks (at Quail Hollow). West Branch is my home trail, so I've been there several times, though the riding is much better at Beaver Creek right now.

Anyway, I went out to West Branch this morning and rode on the gorge side trails for a while. Here's a bit of video from the ride:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfjO3yDkKy8

Get out and ride!!!

Steve Z

[mullen119]

Seems like not many people riding up in NE Ohio with the snow. I've been to Quail Hollow, Beaver Creek and West Branch and only seen one other set of tire tracks (at Quail Hollow). West Branch is my home trail, so I've been there several times, though the riding is much better at Beaver Creek right now.

Anyway, I went out to West Branch this morning and rode on the gorge side trails for a while. Here's a bit of video from the ride:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfjO3yDkKy8

Get out and ride!!!

Steve Z

For me, winter = Rays MTB

[Bataivah]

WB closed today (March 1st) till the 3rd Sat. in May (if dry).

[thumpduster]

What's the reason for the closure?

[Bataivah]

Spring closer because they say it's too muddy all spring. Even though the top half is more rock than dirt! I wish they would just close the one half of it but... Oh well. I usually hike the trail and clear sticks and trees before it opens. At one time I fixed ALL the ruts on the trail and a few asswipes rode thru the next day and messed it all back up again. I did'nt bother doing that the following spring for obvious reasons!

[thumpduster]

Sounds a little heavy handed to me. I'm getting ready to move up to that area and am a little concerned. It sounds like the land managers in the area either hate mountain bikes (cleveland metroparks), ignore mtbs (CVNP), or don't quite know how to manage mountain bikes (WBSP).

[Bataivah]

All I know is that I hate waiting for three months every spring to ride there. But it does give us time to do repairs and stuff. It's mainly volunteers who do all the work. We are'nt supposed to ride when it's too muddy either. Kinda takes the mountain out of biking if you ask me. You will love the trail if you ride it though. They're adding 6 more miles to it this year too! It'll be 16 to 24 miles depending on how you ride it. We all have to go to other trails around here till it opens, but non are as cool as WBSP.

[mullen119]

There are lots of great trails other then west branch around here. West branch just tends to stay wet longer then the other trails. Go to Vultures Knob or Mohican instead. Vultures Knob is a more diverse trail anyway.

[Bataivah]

I agree. But for me WB is right up the road from me and it's able for me to nail it every day when my body can take it. By the time I drive to the knob I have already rode WB and I'm back home drinkin a beer. It does stay wet in the spring except for the rock gardens. If people would stay on the armour instead of being lazy and riding around it all the time then it would'nt get so messed up either. I'll take WB over the Knob any day of the week. The Knob's XC trail was only 6 miles the last time I rode there and I like a liitle longer of a ride most of the time. I do like the trail alot though, but it's just not close to me like WB is.

[mullen119]

You can never argue with trails being close. The closest trail to me is 40 minutes, so I dont get that luxury. It sucks that they closed the killbuck section, that added about 4-5 miles to the trail. They have made a lot of changes to the knob over the last year or two though, its worth making a trip to if you havent in a while.

[Bataivah]

Yeah, they seem to change it every year! I did't get out there last year but I plan on hittin' it in a couple weeks or so. I did Medina and Quail Hollow last year in the spring. I could have rode the vintage ridged frame there with no problem. I have to do 4 laps at Quail to get a good ride in and it gets a little boring sometimes.

[mullen119]

There was a big difference between 09' and 10' at the knob. Not much longer but a much more fun ride. Medina Regan park is very flat and boring, I try not to ride there I have never been to Quail hollow before, But if you day you have to do 4 laps, then it sound like Erie Canal(where I do 5-7 laps when I ride there)

All this talk makes me want to ride outside pretty badly!

[swampboy62]

Sounds a little heavy handed to me. I'm getting ready to move up to that area and am a little concerned. It sounds like the land managers in the area either hate mountain bikes (cleveland metroparks), ignore mtbs (CVNP), or don't quite know how to manage mountain bikes (WBSP).

If you're really into riding it's something you should consider - but it does seem like prospects are generally looking up.

The thing at WB is like Andy says - the gorge side is generally not as affected by the spring rains and is often good enough to ride. But the dirt on the lake side is just soft and loose in the rain - it doesn't handle lots of water well at all (the reason for the extensive East Davis re-route two years ago). And regardless of the closure it seems like there's always some halfwit that breaks the rules and ruts up the trails. I can hardly imagine how bad it would be if the trails weren't closed during that time. But maybe - keep open only the gorge side trails? Put up some new signs - this trail closed -this one open - and hope that people have enough sense to keep off the gorgeside when it's REALLY too wet?? I'd hate to be the one to make that call.

Just need to get together a group and head west to some of the hardier trails in PA on the weekends. Moraine or Kennerdell. Maybe Two Mile Run. It's only like an hour and a quarter each way. I could conceivably show some fellow Buckeyes around over there if you don't mind riding with a slow old guy.

BTW the new trail being built at WB appears to drain astoundingly well - like it's sand or something. Maybe it could be something that could be open all year.

Steve Z

[Bataivah]

Hey Steve, I was just going to Email you for an address that I can enter in my GPS for Moraine. Do you have one that will put me in the area? It's gonna be 50 degrees this week and I got to ride!

[Bataivah]

There was a big difference between 09' and 10' at the knob. Not much longer but a much more fun ride. Medina Regan park is very flat and boring, I try not to ride there I have never been to Quail hollow before, But if you day you have to do 4 laps, then it sound like Erie Canal(where I do 5-7 laps when I ride there)

All this talk makes me want to ride outside pretty badly!

I'm with you there. Since it will be in the mid 50's this week, I'm taking off the snow chains and hitting the Knob or Moraine for sure. It will be nice not to get frostbite when I ride for a change!

[Bataivah]

Hey Steve, I was just going to Email you for an address that I can enter in my GPS for Moraine. Do you have one that will put me in the area? It's gonna be 50 degrees this week and I got to ride!

If not, that's fine. I'll browse around and find something close (hopefully) that I can use to get me in the general area at least.

[deoreo]

Medina Regan park is very flat and boring

Really?
There are two sections to the park area, the Huffman park area, and yes, that is fast 'n flowy, and not real technical, but the older, original Reagan park section has some elevation, and technical sections, even some jumps, that I feel are as good as the Vulture's Knob XC trail (I've ridden everything at Vulture's for years, and miss the Killbuck section.)
If you park at the Huffman soccer field, are you crossing the street to the Reagan area?