OK, although it's not exactly big, I do think it qualifies as a superfluous structure. I built it, I tore it down because it was a rotted liability to the landowner.
August, 2005- sure, I could have built it better, stronger, etc… that's not the point. I wanted to build something I could start learning drops to falt on. Rockwork was also done at the time, as this was a straightline washed out pile of crap section of trail.
March, 2011 - note the big rock already holding up the failing stringer.
February 2012. Note, she's getting greasy, and leaning to the left. The big rock is still doing it's job.
April 2013 - time to give it a kick while assessing structures on the trail. Shit, the stringer gave way and collapsed. Time to shut it down.
May 2013 - let's clean up the mess, pull out the nails and take them home and return the wood to the forest. (I had some help)
so, moral of the story (IMHO):
1. if you build it, use cedar, and only cedar. make the wood three times thicker than you think you might need.
2. keep an eye on it over the years and shut it down before someone gets hurt.
3. if you built it, clean it up when it's shit.
4. do you really trust that stunt you've been riding forever??
5. the rock berms are still there in the original condition they were built.