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The Chainsaw Massacre - Ten Years Later

June 10, 2009, 6:57 p.m.
Posts: 0
Joined: Feb. 2, 2005

Alan and Sharon are fighting the good fight.

You owe them your thanks and your beer.

June 10, 2009, 7:05 p.m.
Posts: 3989
Joined: Feb. 23, 2005

The CofT and IMBA have basically driven the trail builders out of the area. And it is noticeable. You can see how little maintneance is being done. All sorts of problems that need to be fixed that aren't. Because every one has been driven out of Crothers woods. Only those of the high order of IMBA or CofT can do trail work.

Meanwhile on the remaining few kilometers of the ridge you can see trail work is being done. Trees have been cleared, mud holes fixed , drainage cleared, and so on. All within roughly 48 hours.

This is a very good example of what could happen on Fromme if the DNV mess too much, particularly if they consolidate :rolleyes: trails. They will alienate builders and kill the Golden Goose.

Please let me demonstrate the ride around; really it's no trouble.

June 10, 2009, 7:34 p.m.
Posts: 26382
Joined: Aug. 14, 2005

This is a very good example of what could happen on Fromme if the DNV mess too much, particularly if they consolidate :rolleyes: trails. They will alienate builders and kill the Golden Goose.

That is what they have done. Funny how they shut down as they call it, "renegade trail builders" yet these same people are what keep the trails sustainable.

All this shows to me is that for trails to be truly sustainable it requires continuous maintneance. And this means at any time and any where that is required. Sooner then later before major problems occur.

All this does is create new versions of the Secret Trail Society.

www.thisiswhy.co.uk

www.teamnfi.blogspot.com/

June 10, 2009, 8:38 p.m.
Posts: 6328
Joined: Nov. 19, 2002

Great article and always good to remember the past that brought us here.

It is a balancing act.

between the riders and land owners,
maintained and natural which is directly related to rider numbers.

wrt the land owners I only hope that they continue to work with us to help build a great trail network that everyone can enjoy.

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June 10, 2009, 8:52 p.m.
Posts: 3596
Joined: Nov. 23, 2002

on the topic a good trail with gnarly steeps and loam can handle a limited number of traffic. once you punch through the duff/loam and start rutting things out it all goes to shit really fast and then its toast. In van the critical mass of riders is way to high for the goods to stay good.

they goods have to be pedaled to if you want them to stay good. 2 hr climbs will keep all but the die-hards away.

We don't know what our limits are, so to start something with the idea of being limited actually ends up limiting us.
Ellen Langer

June 10, 2009, 10:09 p.m.
Posts: 1241
Joined: Dec. 3, 2003

they know have to pedaled to if you want them to stay good. 2 hr climbs will keep all but the die-hards away.

Great idea! Let's take a poll on blocking off Cypress Bowl Road. All in favour say aye.

Aye!

June 11, 2009, 5:10 a.m.
Posts: 5225
Joined: July 22, 2003

Alan and Sharon are fighting the good fight.

You owe them your thanks and your beer.

Could not agree more. Thanks Alan and Sharon.

June 11, 2009, 9:14 a.m.
Posts: 3800
Joined: April 13, 2003

Were you even here in 1999 Jerry? Didn't you build the full-stunty Jerry Rig trail after 1999? With lots of high skinnies? That seems like a revisionist opinion if you ask me. Reaper may not have been very 2009 when it was destroyed but it was amazing and fun in the late 90s. Mind blowing even.

I don't think it matters if I was here or not, but I was lurking around. I think Cypress is a better place to ride without the man made stunts, then and now. The stunts would have rot away by 2002 and it set a precedence that riding can be fun without man made stunts.

:canada:

June 11, 2009, 9:25 a.m.
Posts: 11203
Joined: Nov. 18, 2004

I don't think it matters if I was here or not, but I was lurking around. I think Cypress is a better place to ride without the man made stunts, then and now. The stunts would have rot away by 2002 and it set a precedence that riding can be fun without man made stunts.

Totally agree. It always confused me as to why people would build elevated structures over sweet natural gnarl.

June 11, 2009, 9:38 a.m.
Posts: 8554
Joined: Nov. 15, 2002

So that's a no.

The Reaper in its heyday was a special trail - and one that you can't evaluate if you never rode it. It was also an important part of the evolution which lead trails to where they are today.

Also - hurray for Alan and Sharon and all of their hard work!

June 11, 2009, 9:57 a.m.
Posts: 10010
Joined: March 11, 2003

So that's a no.

The Reaper in its heyday was a special trail - and one that you can't evaluate if you never rode it. It was also an important part of the evolution which lead trails to where they are today.

Also - hurray for Alan and Sharon and all of their hard work!

even I got to ride it. It was crazy on the HT with my sweet Club Roost riser bars.

Is there a Vancouver in Taiwan?! I had no idea!!

Nothing sums up my life's achievements like my stuffed corpse, suplexing a cougar.

June 11, 2009, 10:40 a.m.
Posts: 6662
Joined: Nov. 20, 2002

I've got mixed feelings about what Jerry said. Reaper OWNED you and so did Pre-reaper. Even with bigger gear they'd still kick your ass. And the stunts flowed from one to the other.

But the new Reaper is still good and tough enough that you don't just come off CBC and think you're going to ride it - well at least you'll walk most of it.

and fifth is one of my favourite current trails but you had to ride the fresh woodwork on it and that scary vertical coaster to appreciate just how beautiful that trail was "back in the day".

In the end - its all good but just different

June 11, 2009, 10:48 a.m.
Posts: 3800
Joined: April 13, 2003

I feel bad for Dan's hard work that got destroyed, I know what its like but it's the chance you take. From what I've learned throughout the years is that it is pretty much impossible to close a natural trail and it is much faster and cheaper as well.

Long life the natural knarl and a shout out to the peeps fighting the good fight.

:canada:

June 11, 2009, 10:55 a.m.
Posts: 16
Joined: March 11, 2007

and fifth is one of my favourite current trails but you had to ride the fresh woodwork on it and that scary vertical coaster to appreciate just how beautiful that trail was "back in the day".

I'm a relative noob to the shore (5 years) so I never realized fifth was one of the victims of the massacre. Is there any pics floating around of the original woodwork? It's one of my favourite cypress trails as well and I would love to see what it was like originally.

June 11, 2009, 11:10 a.m.
Posts: 6662
Joined: Nov. 20, 2002

I never took any as it was John and Elliot's work. They had all the pics and I think Cam had some too. Don't know where they've gone now - hihh quality stuff they built

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