This is also where we put notices about temporary track closures, Lost & Found items and upcoming events so it's always a good idea to swing by the board when starting a ride.
It was designed for us by Andy Lowe of Image Creators, one of our Gold Sponsors.
Talking about track closures, A big THANK YOU to everyone for respecting the notices and not venturing on to those sections of Easy Rider currently taped off. Riding ER before it has been groomed & compacted really does delay its re-opening so we appreciate your cooperation.
The recent heavy rains caused one significant slip on the lower end of ER. While still passable, with one dismount, extra care needs to be taken where the width of the track has been narrowed. Mouse, our digger, is progressing top-to-bottom with the Cycle Trail upgrade so will repair this damage when he gets there (which will close this section of track).
On the whole, however, the Park escaped pretty lightly- again :P
This was partly due to the variables that determine where a rain bomb is going to land and, partly, to track design that prioritises the ability to shed water.
There were some minor slips (mainly on Swamp Monster) and a few culvert washouts - none of which seriously disrupted the circuit. If anything, they served to show us how design in some instances could be improved so that, when our 'bomb' does arrive, hopefully the tracks will be better able to cope.
Clearing heavily water-logged clay from a track is hard work. Luckily for me, 'Grib' Buchanan was in town.
Before moving back to Dunedin, Grib was a valuable asset to the Park.
In his spare time, he would often pack his small shovel into his biking backpack and nip out to the tracks to carry out minor maintenance.
Grib understood the importance of dealing with things early - before they became a bigger problem - and the tracks all flowed the better for it.
Most people would never notice the difference, perhaps just commenting on how well the tracks were riding, and that, in itself, was his reward.
So, while recently revisiting the region on holiday, it was typical of our former committee member to offer a hand in clearing the slips. A long day later, I headed off for a well-earned Friday night beer. Grib headed off for a ride...
Over on our Facebook page, Jackson Carver recently posted a short video of himself and a friend riding Corkscrew. It was shot & edited by Indigo Muir, who is obviously an emerging talent. We've uploaded it to our park TV (on the sidebar) so you can all enjoy it.
Working Bees
Having agreed at the start of the year that we would reduce our working bees from weekly to monthly, we've now decided to up them to fortnightly!
Seems there's nothing like a new track project to get our volunteers all keen. We've had good turn-outs to our last two w/bees and made a good start on hand-benching our new, Intermediate-grade, singletrack. It's going to carry on from Skullduggery and be similar in character, something we know many of you enjoy.
While the dotted line on the map above is only representational, it will connect onto Easy Rider and create a great loop of the Park.
If you haven't managed to make it along to a working bee yet, you really should. Not just for the fact that the Park relies on us all for it's development but because you'd discover how enjoyable they are! By definition, volunteers are good people so, right off, you're going to make new friends.
Then there's the satisfaction of helping to create a bit of new trail and you'll always feel a buzz at that spot whenever you later ride it. We always stop mid-morning for a cake'n'coffee break (thanks to New World and The Beached Whale) - at least when the w/bee supervisors are on the ball! - and there's usually someone who's up for a ride afterwards. Check out the calendar for the next one...
Mid-Winter 6 Hour Breakout
Now less than two months away, it's time to start thinking about who's going to be in your team and, for the creative, what you're going to wear :-)
June 23 is the date to load onto your calendar. Once again, the Tent Village will be at Bethany Park but the circuit will be different: a little easier, a bit shorter and even more fun! We'll post more detail nearer the time...
Finally (there's always a finally), it's fantastic to see so many riders out on the tracks, esp. with the school holidays upon us. From nippers being helped over the rollers on the Pump Track to teens exploring the expert lines off the ridge, it's obvious the Park is attracting new fans all the time.
And for regulars or newcomers alike, don't forget to finish your ride at the Shoreline Cafe & Restaurant on the beachfront and ask for the Mountain Biker Special of a $5 coffee'n'cake - to be enjoyed while you gaze out over the Autumn-calm bay and reflect on how good life is :-)
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