Burnaby Mountain 2015

the work on GJ was top notch and am quite surprised it didn't handle the storm. Was there much damage?

Well, it's not destroyed and some of the major armoring and new infrastructure/routing held up. Main failures were the two key french drains. I think too much rock, so they run out of capacity too quickly. This could be aided by larger pipe size, but may increase flow rates.

I agree, it was major work that was well done, but way above normal flow-rates certainly put it to a test and it didn't hold. The first tact is upstream flows. If those can be better mitigated there may be hope.

That said, a small devil speaking in my left ear always reminds me that it was a poorly routed trail from the outset at the first rebuild (I agree it had to get off the hydro ROW) - the case of not being designed by people who intimately know the trails and geography despite credentials. It speaks to the need for truly local input in siting trails in all areas. The "new" GJ built in approx 2010 (to pull it off the old straight-shot alignment) has a huge history of crossing seepages, drainage channels, etc, just by virtue of its meandering path and large amount of water and springs on that side of the mountain. Burnaby has quite a work record for drainage issues on GJ prior to the recent problems. Part of me says it should just be shut down and a new "flow" trail constructed on the south face of the mountain adding to the Snake/Nicole's network that ties to the new climbing trails Burnaby is adding along Gaglardi. There's also a great long flowing alignment down the west side along the new waterline right of way, unfortunatley you'd have to cross the ring road above Gaglardi to give it the distance you'd want. Then you tie back over to the west side TCT to return to the top through the park where the rose garden is.

while union guys may be happy to volunteer it seems the union itself is not so joyfull to have volunteers working on the trails.

He said the union guys were happy to "have" volunteers, not to volunteer themselves. Union guys are the union.

i had an interesting conversation with someone over at the COB last year regarding trail work and let's just say that it's not the city that's turning down the free labour and experience. there are other forces at play that are stinking this up for the people that ride sfu.

Mark:

You are wrong

let's just say that it's not The City that's turning down the free labour and experience.

They are turning it down.
If you have information, it's not going to help the trails by posting here.

Why didn't you get back to me last year when I PM'd you? I really could have used your "inside knowledge" at that time.
I still can use it, if it is actually anything other than COB propaganda.

He said the union guys were happy to "have" volunteers, not to volunteer themselves. Union guys are the union.

ahhh, i misread that part. thanks.

Mark:

You are wrong

They are turning it down.
If you have information, it's not going to help the trails by posting here.

Why didn't you get back to me last year when I PM'd you? I really could have used your "inside knowledge" at that time.
I still can use it, if it is actually anything other than COB propaganda.

we tired a couple of phone calls but never connected. you had my number as well?

i got the impression that there were issues with volunteers doing work that city workers could or should be doing. now whether that's specifically the union saying not to volunteer workers, an issue of liability on the city's end, or a combination of the two i don't know. but i can say my impression was that it was more of a union issue than not. i don't know if i'd call it insider knowledge though - i don't work for the city of burnaby. i simply got on the phone, called city hall and they passed me on to someone in the parks department.

that said, if the city workers are happy to have volunteers working on the trail, union management may not. the views of the unionized workers and the union management are not always in alignment and this can go either way.

if you still have my number, get in touch - but my availability may not be convenient for you. i will pm my number to you as well.

that said, if the city workers are happy to have volunteers working on the trail, union management may not. the views of the unionized workers and the union management are not always in alignment and this can go either way.

True enough. I'll consult with my spies in the field.

Today - top section GJ dry and fast. Bottom, um, not so much. UC really took that rain event on the chin too.

Couple updates from those of us that are up on the mountain daily.

1. Naheno.

I requested with SFU Facilities that they remove fallen trees on upper Naheno by the bridge. They just emailed me that they had completed this work. Will check on the ride home tonight.

2. Gear Jammer.

Interim repairs to the blow-out of the two french drains were completed by CoB (and seemingly bolstered by trail fairies) and withstood the last storm between Thursday and Sunday of last week. All other repairs done by the last trail contractor continue to hold out well.

Some trail fairies also corrected some drainage on a couple of the switchbacks, taking the water to the inside of the curve and into culverts or under bridges. These adjustments also survived the storm cycle and will ideally be enhanced by trail fairies or trail crews in the spring. Smart thinking there.

The Hoots' Hump has improved. The biggest improvement is that aforementioned trail fairies actually cleared and enhanced all above-trail drainage channels that had accreted with material over the years significantly reducing capacity. Holy shovel-work batman. This reduced the amount of water flowing toward the hump and jumping the channel and heading below the hump and down Gear Jammer. A temp pipe was layed under the hump to see if that would help water flow. It did, therefore a properly sized pipe will be added in future and then backfilled to re-create the "hump" as originally instated.

The endless seep just as you approach the powerlines, below the hump, is being drained with water actively leaving the trail at the low point. It is proposed that if this continues to work, then the deeply eroded trail bed will be backfilled with larger boulders so seepage water can continue to flow to the low point, but will be topped with trail base and mineral soil to provide a better riding surface and safer downside to the Hoots' Hump. Likely in spring?

I've been told that Burnaby will do work below the power lines on Lower GJ and Uppercut in the spring as well to fix any drainage issues that are being monitored.

As for the upstream control point and reduced flows… as soon as their is a consecutive dry period (possible early next week), a flow modifier/reducer will be installed in the upstream culvert that will limit the max flow rates. This should pretty much resolve any massive "surges" in storm events that were still lingering. Once this work is done, then we can see if the trail fairies will comply with touch-ups. Certainly the contractor doing the last round of quality trail work will be engaged as well for a day of heavier lifting.

hows that little mini bike park at the top of sfu doing?

hows that little mini bike park at the top of sfu doing?

Closed it for the winter and people are respecting the closure. Topped the lips of the jumps and the rollers in the pump track with Coco Matting to stop erosion from the rainfall.

Should reopen in April pending weather. Plan to build an intermediate jump line this spring, as they little one is pretty small and the big tables are a bit big for intermediates.

Just updated PinkBike with this update (and comment on illegal trails as they were complaining about illegal trails being closed):

Gear Jammer is about 75% in good running order. City of Burnaby (CoB) notes that they will be repairing Lower GJ and Uppercut in the very near future.

Flows from above are in the final stages of adjustment, then a final sweep of the main GJ trail will be done. Looks like most of the trail rebuild held up well in the last major storm. Kudos for a good design solution from the contractor doing the work (not CoB repairs). Also some good trail fairy work lately to get it through these last storms.

The developer of the UniverCity community also built the jump park and pump track across from Cornerstone entirely at their expense as an amenity to the riding community. They hope to add a medium jump line this year. There will be nothing bigger due to risk and space, but it's a great free addition to the mountain and good pre-dh prep after the climb up the mountain.

However, PLEASE RESPECT THE WINTER CLOSURE of the jump park/pump track. The jumps and berms are currently covered with a material designed to protect the jumps and the lips over the heavy wet period so that they are good to go in the spring. Some folks have pulled back the matting to hit the jumps and this will JEOPARDISE the willingness of the developer to keep this park going.

As for illegal trails…. they are illegal…. so you pretty much are at the whim of the City of Burnaby. I agree that their policies could be far more progressive allowing the co-development of some new additions to the trail network. But when done illegally, they don't really help the cause of mountain biking on Burnaby Mountain, regardless of how fun or well built SOME of them are.

Seems like someone has spent some time reopening Upper Snake and the old Gear Jammer down the hydro cut.

Otherwise, everything is running as good as a dream. (Water dammage, what water dammage?)

In response to whitehonky (through an email): I would love to see a number of new trails built in the area below University Drive East, dowm to Mel's and further down to the 'bottom.' I rode these two trails in particular many years ago when they were still open. I don't remember well enough to have an opinion concerning their viability.

Regardless, they were both 'officially' closed by the City and public users should not undo that without permission. I want more trail options as much as anyone and I am going to ride these trails to see for myself. If the City ignores their opening, I might ride them more regularly.

However, its a mistake to frustrate the City's operation of all of the BM Concervation Area. Especially now that they are at last becoming more active in new trail building and trail maintenance. While it might not satisfy everyone's wishes, moves by the City (like these closures) need to be respected. These trails should not have been opened up.

The braiders are at it again on one of the right handers near the top of Lower GJr. Some one had laid down blocking material but it's been pretty much strewn about now.
I did spend some time channeling Tina Kraal on the braid but any 15yr old worth his salt will just blast right through it with a maniacal laugh.
There is however a large gnarled tree stump complete w/roots close at hand. The braid is funnel shaped, multiple entrance options but one narrow exit. If that stump could be moved into place it would plug up the bottom of the funnel emphatic like. I tried but it were a few lbs heavier than I thought safe for me to attempt an almighty heave.
Two guys could move it no sweat and I did hang out for a few minutes to see if anyone might happen by whom I could press gang into helping but no so I made like a seam in a pair of my wifes' jeans and split.

I'll check it out tomorrow. Right now I can't picture where it is at. Are you referring to just below Mel's?

the old Gear Jammer down the hydro cut

I still don't quite understand how a trail down a hydro cut can possibly be an environmental concern, and why that line was ever closed in the first place. Granted, it's a steep, chundery fall line, but didn't anybody notice that is was down the middle of a 40' wide hole in the forest where all the trees had been removed decades ago so they could put power lines there? :crazy:

That trail was quite literally the first trail I ever rode at SFU on my shiny new Gary Fisher ProCaliber, way back in the fall of 1989. Fun memories.