We recently finished up our 6th TAP day of the 2012 season. With a turnout of well over 40 people, we were able to get a lot of work done on a tricky section with complicated drainage needs.
**[Photos from Jerry Willows here...
](http://www.nsmb.com/expresso-wrapping-up-tap-2012/)**
That was a photo essay and a half. Well done, Morgan. Thanks again to everyone who came out - the numbers were astounding (we ran out of food!).
it was a wet day but we got's lots done despite the conditions. That was probably the toughest 100 ft of trail I've ever seen.
Shout out to Andrew and Cam who have made almost every trail day since last year.
:canada:
Great pics and awesome work!
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That was a photo essay and a half. Well done, Morgan.
Jerry sent me 82 photos and it took me a long time to pare it down to half that. So many great shots, and our last TAP day of the year, so I figured… why not?
It was a wet day but we got lots done despite the conditions. That was probably the toughest 100 ft of trail I've ever seen.
It was definitely a tough section. A lot of water coming through (same water as we ran into where Digger built the bridges just up trail), but fortunately enough rock and gold to make it work.
Looking forward to riding the new work!
Pretty awesome to have so many pictures to tell the story of the day. Happy that I'm in a few of them as proof I was there :P
Expresso is riding so well. I can't wait to try the new work!
Ride, don't slide.
the horror!! link no work!! :cry:
Is it counter productive to ride on my exercise bike with a cocktail in hand?
the horror!! link no work!! :cry:
We've just done some changes, and I'm in the process of catching up to a lot of broken links. Fixed now!
Rode Expresso again today. Digger is a bo$$ putting in a lot of time on the trail. Two more spans and he'll be done the section we roughed in on the 18th. Apparently a lot of our gold work got washed off the trail by a particularly flowing spring.
Have been riding the original line all summer and really liking the old school roots and rock. It has been running great. I have been watching the build on the new line occur but was not interested in the new smooth flowy section from near the top to the big smooth (confession: I did use the word superfluous in an earlier post).
Well today in the pouring rain I finally rode it. And yes I agree it is a wonderful work of trail building art. Smooth, flowy, crowned, gappy, and bermy goodness. The trail builders have done a great job under Digger and Jerry's guidance, as directed by the district.
However….. I don't think it should have been called an "Expresso" TAP. Why?.. Well the trail is not really Expresso (yes I know there was some work done on the upper part of Expresso). The whole new section is really a new trail that could have been built anywhere. I recall the brewhaha before the trail work began about the need for Expresso to be TAPped because it had long been neglected (to which i disagreed). Well it has been TAPped, but really it has not. A new trail has just been built. Thankfully the old section is still there with the skinny brake boosters, log ride to off camber ladder (which was a little sketchy today when I hiked back up to ride the old section), and now there is a new trail for those that did not like Exresso.
After Expresso Smooth, the trail is its old self with some pretty big puddles and mud bogs. Similar to what was there 10 years ago. So really we now have a new trail, and we have Expresso. Maybe the best of both worlds. Perhaps we need a new name for the trail. " Americano" (not as strong as Expresso, and if made well, really smooth, and will put a grin on your face)…?
But I think my gripe is that this should have been conveyed from the beginning. "we are going to build a new trail to parallel Expresso. We will also do some trail work on Expresso.". Just admit that the purpose of the build was to make a trail even smoother than Ladies, that would parallel Expresso and that this was the districts desire. That there was a desire for a smooth NSMBA type trail that was easier. That "yes we will be NSMBAing (read making easier, smoother etc.) a trail" but it will be a new trail and the original line will remain techical and challenging. Creating the brewhaha around Expresso TAP was counter productive and misleading…
I hope that the plans are for the new trail to continue down to Baden, but for the original Expresso line to be left untouched.
Flame away…..
It's ultimately up to the landowner on what happens but some of those structures are a liability and should be taken out.
:canada:
Have been riding the original line all summer and really liking the old school roots and rock. It has been running great. I have been watching the build on the new line occur but was not interested in the new smooth flowy section from near the top to the big smooth (confession: I did use the word superfluous in an earlier post).
Well today in the pouring rain I finally rode it. And yes I agree it is a wonderful work of trail building art. Smooth, flowy, crowned, gappy, and bermy goodness. The trail builders have done a great job under Digger and Jerry's guidance, as directed by the district.However….. I don't think it should have been called an "Expresso" TAP. Why?.. Well the trail is not really Expresso (yes I know there was some work done on the upper part of Expresso). The whole new section is really a new trail that could have been built anywhere. I recall the brewhaha before the trail work began about the need for Expresso to be TAPped because it had long been neglected (to which i disagreed). Well it has been TAPped, but really it has not. A new trail has just been built. Thankfully the old section is still there with the skinny brake boosters, log ride to off camber ladder (which was a little sketchy today when I hiked back up to ride the old section), and now there is a new trail for those that did not like Exresso.
After Expresso Smooth, the trail is its old self with some pretty big puddles and mud bogs. Similar to what was there 10 years ago. So really we now have a new trail, and we have Expresso. Maybe the best of both worlds. Perhaps we need a new name for the trail. " Americano" (not as strong as Expresso, and if made well, really smooth, and will put a grin on your face)…?
But I think my gripe is that this should have been conveyed from the beginning. "we are going to build a new trail to parallel Expresso. We will also do some trail work on Expresso.". Just admit that the purpose of the build was to make a trail even smoother than Ladies, that would parallel Expresso and that this was the districts desire. That there was a desire for a smooth NSMBA type trail that was easier. That "yes we will be NSMBAing (read making easier, smoother etc.) a trail" but it will be a new trail and the original line will remain techical and challenging. Creating the brewhaha around Expresso TAP was counter productive and misleading…
I hope that the plans are for the new trail to continue down to Baden, but for the original Expresso line to be left untouched.
Flame away…..
I see what you're saying…but it seems odd to me that you are so against it. The whole purpose of the re-routes, benching, and new line was because the original trail didn't really have much thought put into it in terms of trail life longevity. From what I can tell, there's no shortage of fall line, skidded out, root infested, blown out trails on The Shore.
If we're really talking of re-naming trails, it would seem more appropriate to name the new cut Expresso, and the original line Black Folgers Drip Coffee. At times, they make the body have similar jarring motions.
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I see what you're saying…but it seems odd to me that you are so against it. The whole purpose of the re-routes, benching, and new line was because the original trail didn't really have much thought put into it in terms of trail life longevity. From what I can tell, there's no shortage of fall line, skidded out, root infested, blown out trails on The Shore.
If we're really talking of re-naming trails, it would seem more appropriate to name the new cut Expresso, and the original line Black Folgers Drip Coffee. At times, they make the body have similar jarring motions.
Ok Folgers sounds great. The new trail can remain Expreso
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