Mid-State: Burchfield

[centralRH]

I'm going to be in Lansing this weekend and I'm bringing my fatbike. I would love to get in a good workout and ride ~20miles. What's the best trail system?

Thank you.

What kind of riding do you like? Burchfield is a mix of twisty single-track, man-made tech, and some open field riding (longest trail in the area...I think slightly over 10 miles). Anderson Park has many turns with good flow (my opinion) and a small section of man-made tech features but is only about 6 miles in length. Bennett Park is a bit further away in Charlotte and contains a lot of trail packed in a small area (8-10 miles not sure the latest number). All are marked well.

[SteveF]

I'm going to be in Lansing this weekend and I'm bringing my fatbike. I would love to get in a good workout and ride ~20miles. What's the best trail system?

Thank you.

I would ride one or two laps of Anderson and then motor over to Burchfield for a lap. That's a fun day and showcases the two best trails in the area. You might post in the MMMBA forum for more ideas and maybe a guide. Which day are you hoping to ride? What kind of pace? I have a fatbike as well and haven't been on it in a while so depending on the day (and how much rain we get this afternoon) I might be up for a fat tour!

[rvd]

It is possible to do a 20-mile ride at Burchfield without seeing much of it more than once, but it requires some creativity: http://app.strava.com/rides/2070433. This route combines (not in this order) the full beginner trail and full advanced loop, plus several variations; the connector sections south of Peppermint bridge that are accessed from the beginner trail, the purple trail in the same area as Annie's Playhouse, and several loop options of blue/red around the pond just south of Swamp Thing.

[xcrdr]

Great work on Hellboy. First time riding on a 29er feels different. 26er felt good on it. I don't know if it's mental or the center of gravity is off that much but 29er feels a bit sketchier. Might take a little practice. I didn't do the long skinny climb on the 29er yet. Gotta shoot for that.

[TenSpeed]

Trail is in pretty good shape given the rain that we had on Friday. Swamp Thing is really slick in some parts, and there are some parts that are really messy on it. If you are running a Smallblock 8 or similar tire on the ass end, you may want to avoid this section until it dries out. I was all over the place.

[jonw9]

Trail is in pretty good shape given the rain that we had on Friday. Swamp Thing is really slick in some parts, and there are some parts that are really messy on it. If you are running a Smallblock 8 or similar tire on the ass end, you may want to avoid this section until it dries out. I was all over the place.

If it is that wet, it would probably be a good idea to avoid that section regardless of the tire on the bike, no?

[mjpo]

An Eagle Scout candidate is organizing a project to replace and rebuild the stunt at Red Route 1. He is looking for volunteers to help him with the build. The old log is going away, and posts will be installed to hold the new stunt. It will have two lines, each being about 56' long.

The first (and hopefully only!) day for the project will be on Saturday May 5th. Start time is 8:30 at the Riverbend parking lot.

Hope to see you there. Thanks.

[TenSpeed]

Finally rode Hellboy today. Nice work Reid. The entrance is a lot smoother than it looks. Any chance that one of the bridges not being used could be moved up further on Swamp Thing, towards what is now the exit? Very muddy there. We put more sticks over the mud, but I am not sure if it is ride ready.

[reidabel]

I really like how the entrance into the Hellboy trail looks now (well, last weekend anyway) - those weird mushroom-shaped plants and the rocks give it a funky vibe - kind of fitting for a trail with this name. I should get a new picture of it. The trail entrance is a lot more obvious now than it used to be - I used to be surprised when people came through it - lots of curious explorers out there, good to see ...

[AllMountin']

Got in my first ride of the year out here. Things really look good on most of the trail. Hanson's is still a sloppy mess near the 3 line stunt.

Really enjoying the Hellboy trail and all of the line options. Must have ridden it a dozen times, with variations.

Also, in regards to the 3 side by side tech options that went in last fall on Dragonball(thanks Shaun): The right most line is fine as is IMO. It is a difficult stunt, owing to a short entry from the left, and a tight quarters left exit. Basically it requires combining a left turn and a log crossing. There was some discussion of altering the line to make it easier, but after cleaning it w/out issue last night, I no longer think it needs altering.

Also, and this has little to do with B**chfield really, but RVD is too GD fast this year. Dude needs to go on a reverse diet, or maybe take up smoking.

[F7Cannon]

I am still thinking about removing that one small tree to the left on the exit side. What are your thoughts on this? I cleared this stunt for the first time as well last week but had to carry a little more speed to do so and clipped that tree with my right shoulder.

[jonw9]

I think we should remove all the trees out there. It would make it easier to get the paving machine in there!

[Overdrive]

I think we should remove all the trees out there. It would make it easier to get the paving machine in there!

My ?s here are unrelated to the great work and alternatives that Shaun, Reid, etc. have been doing. But wanted to query if anyone reading this is familiar with these recent changes:

Just ahead of Loman's Run and farther in: The easy log after the initial stunt is cut out, later on a nice rock was dug out at the end of the rotted stump in the mini rock garden. The rocks have been there since the trail was cut and that rotted tree was a large healthy downfall blocking the trail route. The other 5" log was in place for the TT last fall so a bit of a mystery why is was taken out.
There's a nice mix of near highway trail and challenging stunts. It's the mix that makes the place great.

[mjpo]

I think we should remove all the trees out there. It would make it easier to get the paving machine in there!

My ?s here are unrelated to the great work and alternatives that Shaun, Reid, etc. have been doing. But wanted to query if anyone reading this is familiar with these recent changes:

Just ahead of Loman's Run and farther in: The easy log after the initial stunt is cut out, later on a nice rock was dug out at the end of the rotted stump in the mini rock garden. The rocks have been there since the trail was cut and that rotted tree was a large healthy downfall blocking the trail route. The other 5" log was in place for the TT last fall so a bit of a mystery why is was taken out.
There's a nice mix of near highway trail and challenging stunts. It's the mix that makes the place great.

This is the first I am hearing of this. This is an example of someone not appreciating the trail the way it is, taking it upon themselves to change it to their liking, and thereby wrecking it for everyone else. This is a battle we wage every year. I don't know how to fix this problem. Seems like we have to bring it up at least once a year.

Maybe we could post a sign near the damage. Something to let them know that the changes were not appreciated, please respect other peoples riding abilities, etc. Make them think about it at least.

[xcrdr]

That is kind of frustrating because the purple trail is a nice beginner trail without obstacles. If they don't want to ride those trails features I guess they could ride the purple trail, would make more sense.