More Single Trail

We have been working to extend the single track with much more single track having been built, and we've marked the end of stage 1, where the single trail joins the fire road.  Now we just have to go build the final few hundred metres to link it all up. 

After that there will be a few jobs to come back to on the trail, to make it a sweeter ride, including the construction of a few berms etc

another trail feature finished

up an' over the big log

Starting the job, looking East along the trail

Part way through and looking West,

trimmed and touched up.

The approaches where then finished, as well as the "B" line built, if other riders find it a little tricky.

We have also cleaned up around the old hut,

This was used in decades past as a place for Loggers and Stockmen to use, back when it was part of a cattle property some 30 years ago, so we want to keep that point of historical significance and we made sure the trail went right past it.

We've also managed to add more single track, as well as mark the trail network out in it's entirety, to where it joins the state forest.

More work to do ...

Log ride

While building the trail, I managed to link it to a LARGE log that had fallen in the forest some time ago.   For some time this project had been sitting unfinished as we built track up around and past it, planning to come back and finish it when we had time.  (See the log bridge ride section of this post) Well we decided to finish it over the last two days.

I had already trimmed the lumps and branches off with a chain saw, so the only thing that remained was to construct the on / off ramps.

This is the ramp on the  eastern side.

and on the western side

There were a few tricky bits that required some finesseing, here you see Toni with the wood chisel, notching a level platform for one of the treads to be screwed to

and the final product...

Now all that remains is to test it by riding it !!!

Coppiced tree regrowth

Went for a walk on the trail the other day.  It was good to see some of the trees we'd cut down early on for use on trail structures, starting to regrow.

As in the example above, near the first bridge constructed a few months ago, the regrowth looks great and it adds weight to my argument about using local materials, sourced at the point of construction if possible for the lowest ecological damage possible.

More Trail

continued working on the northern trail.  The layout of the house and land lends the property itself to having two trails, one north of the house and one south. It is slowly coming together.

Spent some time marking some more trail out and constructing it.   A beautiful stretch through a patch of forest has been added

This has been benched and winds between many trees, including several Tallowood trees














We have managed to go past the old hut, used in yesteryear when they used to log and run cattle and the property was part of a much larger one.

LOG BRIDGE RIDE
We have added a nifty new feature, by coppicing a few trees, Toni busily stripping the bark off the trees

Using the chain saw to notch a tree fall to add the stringers

Digging in the supports on either end and mounting them on rock

and bolting the stringers to the fallen trees 100mm batten screws used

It is slowly coming together

a test run after the decking has been added

rides well !

and then trimming it all up, making it nice and neat

the finished product, looking good !

LOG RIDE
We have also started on a big log ride.  We managed to get the trail to come to a large log, taking advantage of that fact, we have decided to build a ramp onto and off it.

Had to trim bits off it first to make i rideable.

It is scary being up there, took Toni about 20 mins to find her mojo the first time she rode it

but ride it she did, you go girl !















Yes, I had to pause before I had a go,

We still have to finish it but hopefully in the next couple weeks we will get back to it.

Further along the trail we have a nifty little rolling log ride, the logs at either end are fixed, the logs in the middle roll as you ride over them

Social MTB Ride

We have been out building more trail, finsally organised a social MTB ride on the trail  Had riders from as far away as Coffs Harbour come ride the trails for the day.

 We had about 20 riders show up, as well as a few spectators, a good day wa shad by all.  Luckily for us thew weather held off, just.  It has been raining a fair bit lately, so the timing was perfect.

 

Plenty of extra pics here

http://trevors.smugmug.com/MTB-Rides/2010/02Nymboida-Social-Ride/11368583_CLF6c#798577592_YXufN

We finished up riding to the Coffee Shop in the Nymboida township to finish with.  Teh view from the coffee sho is great and it was good to chat to everyone at the end

 

The extra trail we have built has some nice features, a rocky ridge, a big log crossing

and a nice little dip into a berm but the majority is winding single trail through the forest.

We have also started on the next section, more to come on that...

More trail, bridge finished

We finally finsihed the bridge, screwing the decking down last week. 

There has been nearly 2 weeks of rain, with the only clear days being the last two, so things slowed down a fair bit, so we started adding the decking in the rain.  Here it is half way thorough.

and finished

 

It was all too much for Toni, so she had a jump, to celebrate and check the integrity of the construction !

We have also added another 400m or so of single track, with only one large log crossing to finish to make it 100% rideable.  The new trail comes off the old part, winds it;s way through the forest, over a rocky ridge, then back beside the creek through the forest.  It makes a sweet addition that's fun to ride with a few interesting bits to make it fun, like a log you need to duck under.

This little berm is at the bottom of a small downhill section, allows you to not lose any speed as you come through the corner and minimises braking, avoiding erosion.

 

We will be adding more over the coming weeks but will also spend some time grooming the trail we have built in preperation for a tentative upcoming social ride.  

The next bit of trail goes back past an old historical hut that was built several decades ago on the property.  More to come.