Poto: Potawatomi

[c0nsumer]

Frozen ! .....sure would be nice if people would quit riding when it's soft and stop prying rocks out of the trail tread

Did you ever notice that when the trail dries out the dirt shrinks back from many rocks, freeing them up to pop free when hit by a bike? This tends to happen a lot during the springtime (and this autumn/winter's) freeze/thaw cycle. I don't think all of the displaced rocks are done intentionally.

[barrybs]

Frozen ! .....sure would be nice if people would quit riding when it's soft and stop prying rocks out of the trail tread

Did you ever notice that when the trail dries out the dirt shrinks back from many rocks, freeing them up to pop free when hit by a bike? This tends to happen a lot during the springtime (and this autumn/winter's) freeze/thaw cycle. I don't think all of the displaced rocks are done intentionally.

Yea, I know what you mean, but unfortunately these instances weren't the occasional smaller missing rocks that you describe. A couple of weeks ago I came upon a section that was missing 8-10 rocks on one uphill. Several of them were baby head size and all were thrown off to the same side of the trail. ( one of the local Poto riders told me "I'm sure it must have had help getting out of the ground. I would love to hear their story". Not sure what they were trying to accomplish as this part of the trail is pretty much all rocks.

Monday's incdent was two large ones and several smaller ones, all within 25' of trail. It's not that easy figuring out which rock goes where and jamming them back in their holes.

We also have someone that likes to spray paint blue mileage markers on the trees. G. Cook spent a lot of time covering them up with "bark" colored paint only to have them reappear in a few months
.
A lot of strange things go on in the woods around here, if only the trails could talk.

Barry

[scat silvurz]

It's called frost heaving.......happens all the time, and it's completely natural.

[scat silvurz]

You didn't get the memo, rocks, jumps, and drops are prohibited on Michigan trails. Somebody was doing the same things at Highland were you join the C loop. If its not babybutt smooth the newbs get scared.

It could be that the rigid 29'ers keep getting their wheelchair wheels stuck in between the rocks......

[PotoKing]

I saw one of the holes too, but not sure it was naturally occuring frost heaving. By the hole size, it appeared to be a 5 inch diameter rock, which left behind a 4 inch deep hole.
I'm no expert though, I just find it hard to believe it got out of the hole without help.

From a riding point of view, it was a 1" rock top vs. 4" hole... not sure it was done to make trail smoother. Now if only the do-gooder/mother nature could have placed a 4 inch rock in that hole to make it baby butt smooth.

[WildWoody]

I did like the red bow ribbons during the Holiday season...

[jajones]

I'm nearly 100 percent sure that the rock removal is being done by a certain XC skier who always complains to the Park Manager about mountain bikes causing baby head rocks to come up in the trail so that he can't ski it. I'll talk to Chuck, but this is hard to stop unless someone sees him doing it.

[Steve_Balogh]

I'm nearly 100 percent sure that the rock removal is being done by a certain XC skier who always complains to the Park Manager about mountain bikes causing baby head rocks to come up in the trail so that he can't ski it. I'll talk to Chuck, but this is hard to stop unless someone sees him doing it.

Time for a hidden motion detecting camera

[ericp]

Anyone ride today?

[Paul Brown]

Trail was rock soild at 8am. Too bad so many choose to ride mid-day when the trail is soft. There are plenty of areas that are trashed. Riding on frozen ruts caused by riders who don't give a *beep* about others really blows. Same old s#@%.

[winbert]

Rode Sunday morning - frozen solid @ 9 a.m., still very firm @ 11. Not surprisingly, almost zero remaining snow/ice. I hoped to flatten some of those ruts & footprints on the Fatback's maiden voyage but they were frozen solid. Two trees down very close to each other on Gosling - sorry, a little fuzzy about the exact location but I think they're after the UofM fenceline around the 2nd Doyle Rd. crossing. One you can just ride under, and the other is at a multi-route spot and can be ridden around/over on the left.

[G.Cook]

I hoped to flatten some of those ruts & footprints on the Fatback's maiden voyage but they were frozen solid.

Yeah, been thinking about using the Mcleod at the worst areas. Busy Sat. maybe trail work Sun. If someone makes that dead fall disappear please post up.

[barrybs]

Rode Sunday morning - frozen solid @ 9 a.m., still very firm @ 11. Not surprisingly, almost zero remaining snow/ice. I hoped to flatten some of those ruts & footprints on the Fatback's maiden voyage but they were frozen solid. Two trees down very close to each other on Gosling - sorry, a little fuzzy about the exact location but I think they're after the UofM fenceline around the 2nd Doyle Rd. crossing. One you can just ride under, and the other is at a multi-route spot and can be ridden around/over on the left.

Hiked Doyle to Doyle and cleared/trimmed some small stuff. The above mentioned deadfall was just before the first Doyle road crossing and had already been cleared. Nice afternoon to hike the trail.

Barry

[Paul Brown]

Rode at 9am this morning. Frozen solid. Good until about 10:30. Parking lot was filling up when it should have been emptying as we left. The frozen ruts give a new element to riding, thanks to all those who ride when it warms up and create those ruts.

[G.Cook]

Thanks Barry!