MORE
January 10th, 2005, 09:36 PM
The image of a mud-caked mountain biker spewing glop into the camera lens is a popular one in glossy bike magazines. But it’s a bad image. That biker has just done serious damage to the trails. While mud is an unavoidable part of off-road riding, this is the time of year when some trails are nothing but mud and bikers should stay off to avoid doing serious damage.
Among the wettest local trails are parts of Wakefield and Schaeffer Farms, which is closed for the winter. Rocky locales like Greenbrier, Gambrill/Frederick Watershed dry out more quickly. But after days of drenching rain, even Gambrill can be too soggy to ride. So how to decide when to ride?
Both Schaeffer and Fountainhead have hotlines you can call to find out if the trails are closed due to wetness. You can figure that if Fountainhead is closed, then Wakefield isn’t rideable either. Likewise, if Schaeffer is closed, other trails on the I-270 corridor are wet. Fairland trail liaison Austin Steo reports that Fairland has remained rideable when Schaeffer and Patpsco are not.
In the George Washington National Forest in Virginia, both the east and west ridges of the Massanutten Trail stay dry, Larry Camp reports. Duncan Hollow is wet but still fairly rideable. When it is really wet, snowy and/or icy, Larry likes a loop from Woodstock Tower north along the ridge to Powell's Fort, then back on the fireroad. Some of us might like staying by the fireplace better.
Here’s where you can get information about trail conditions:
MORE’s web site has a forum where riders post the trail conditions. Visit http://www.more-mtb.org/forum/.
MORE’s "Where to Ride" page also provides guidance as well as park phone numbers. http://www.more-mtb.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=25.
Schaeffer hotline: 301-924-1998
Fountainhead hotline: (703) 250-2473.
Among the wettest local trails are parts of Wakefield and Schaeffer Farms, which is closed for the winter. Rocky locales like Greenbrier, Gambrill/Frederick Watershed dry out more quickly. But after days of drenching rain, even Gambrill can be too soggy to ride. So how to decide when to ride?
Both Schaeffer and Fountainhead have hotlines you can call to find out if the trails are closed due to wetness. You can figure that if Fountainhead is closed, then Wakefield isn’t rideable either. Likewise, if Schaeffer is closed, other trails on the I-270 corridor are wet. Fairland trail liaison Austin Steo reports that Fairland has remained rideable when Schaeffer and Patpsco are not.
In the George Washington National Forest in Virginia, both the east and west ridges of the Massanutten Trail stay dry, Larry Camp reports. Duncan Hollow is wet but still fairly rideable. When it is really wet, snowy and/or icy, Larry likes a loop from Woodstock Tower north along the ridge to Powell's Fort, then back on the fireroad. Some of us might like staying by the fireplace better.
Here’s where you can get information about trail conditions:
MORE’s web site has a forum where riders post the trail conditions. Visit http://www.more-mtb.org/forum/.
MORE’s "Where to Ride" page also provides guidance as well as park phone numbers. http://www.more-mtb.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=25.
Schaeffer hotline: 301-924-1998
Fountainhead hotline: (703) 250-2473.