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Wissakon Conditions

33K views 488 replies 45 participants last post by  justo8484 
#1 ·
Last week they were terrible. Well, a good mile of the trails at the southern end near Hermit Lane were terrible. There was an inch+ thick sheet of ice over the entire trail; completely unrideable. I'm just wondering if anyone's ridden them this week. Most of the snow around town has melted, but since the temps are dropping this weekend I was kind of figuring the trails would be ridable, not sloppy.

Additionally, if anyone knows of any resources for this sort of information, please educate me.
 
#9 ·
I did a trail run with my dog on Saturday during the snow fall (late morning/lunch time) and it was insanely dangerous. Very sketchy in too many sections. I ran about 7 miles, but it was more skating and slip-n-slide in a lot of sections. The fresh powder hid all the ice. I followed someone’s tire tracks on the backside of the stables, at Kitchen's Lane, and I can imagine the pucker factor coming down the trail.
 
#16 ·
100% unrideable without studs. Imagine riding down the middle of a frozen creek, except instead of smooth ice it's all frozen, deep bootprints. I don't think that's a very fun riding experience with studs, either. There were no tire tracks at all in the part of the park where I hiked earlier this week.
 
#19 ·
It finally looks like the thaw has come. I noticed that the trail are now free of snow and ice. It is just a matter of time till the trees wake up and dry the trails out!
 
#21 ·
Depending on how the weather pans out this week, we could see a good bit of drying. My back yard is mushy in some spots and tacky in others.

All the low spots in the Wiss that are typical of being water logged are still going to be mushy. Rain on Friday is going to make it messy again.

It's so close that the anticipation of spring riding feels like being a little child on Christmas Eve.

I'll try to get out for a trail run tomorrow morning with the dog and give a conditions report.
 
#23 ·
Was out walking the dog on the Creshiem trail this afternoon. Some areas are dry and firm, some are still a bit tacky but drying really well, but there are still some water logged areas. The usual low spots were soggy, along with other unusual areas that must have seen a lot of storm water run off. A little more time will definitely help
 
#24 ·
wiss is funny in that it can be 90 % great but the 10% that isn't is f@cking horrible...

people then use this as an excuse to ride (i'd guess) because most of the park is fine. problem is it makes the 10% of already horrible spots even worse and they keep taking longer and longer to dry (which of course people never wait for, which then makes them even worse). finally they need to do trail maintenance to fix those areas that would probably be OK if people just gave the park (or even just these areas specifically) a little time to recuperate when it needs it.

i am thinking thursday would be the day to check it out. all the drying that can possibly happen before the rain/snow friday screws it all up again.

so if you do go out, like i probably will thursday, and come across a section of horrible soft mud please get off your bike and walk it. you'll be doing yourself and everyone else a favor in helping the trails dry faster in the future by not making the ruts even bigger.

it's spring; if you're serious about riding through the spring you need a road bike or the determination to drag the mtb out on the paved paths and roads in the area (yes, it sucks i agree, but it is still better than no riding or worse yet f@cking up the trails because you can't be patient). got 45 miles in; mostly in the dark last night. like i said not my favorite biking (much better with a like-minded friend or two for sure; personally i'd never do it alone) but those painful early season miles do feel great in the legs when the dirt finally does dry and it is warm and nice...
 
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