Laurel Hill

[DCBiker]

:nono:
LAUREL HILL TRAILS SHOULD NOT BE RIDDEN ON!!!
The trails need to dry out first. All of the snow is finally melting and there are numerous springs still feeding water on all of the trails. These conditions will continue for weeks AFTER the snow melts. The trails are saturated and are not in any condition that can support users. The trails have actually been severely damaged after the first snow fall earlier this winter season. Many hours trail work repairs will be needed.

Please contact me if you have any questions or would like a status update. Thanks for understanding!!

Trail Liaison
Chris Morin
cmorin@bcplc.com
703-625-3317

[SCKINZ1]

Thanks for checking this out. I suspect we don't have any options for trails this weekend.

[MyOtherBrotherL]

My apologies about the posts that were deleted. The trail damage at Laurel Hill is serious and Chris's message shouldn't get burried.

Please start another thread for off-topic comments.

L

[DCBiker]

:thumbsup:I rode them last weekend and the trails were suprizingly in good condition. So, i'm removing the recommendation to stay off the trails. There are some spots that were wet, mostly at the low areas were water is draining across the trails. I ask that you ride through the puddles, not around them. By going around the puddles the traill will be widened.:thumbsup:

These will be the areas of focus for the next Trail Maintenance day on Saturday,3/27/10.

[jago61]

saturday 3/20, all trails in great shape, even slaughterhouse and giles run, although the there was a muddy patch on giles just after the bridge btwn creek crossing and CCT (where there's notoriously bad drainage).

[lilray84]

Right after the powerlines entrance/exit there was a big mudhole that should not be attempted to cross until its fixed/completely dried out however.

[dan_hudson]

Right after the powerlines entrance/exit there was a big mudhole that should not be attempted to cross until its fixed/completely dried out however.

While conditions may have changed, there was significant water two weeks ago as well, both coming out of the ground and flowing across (from then melting snow). At that time, if you stayed on the trail (aka 4' wide of 6" of compacted road base), things were pretty sold. If you try to go around the wet and/or leave the trail by mistake not surprised if things get squishy fast!

All that said, 2 weeks of saturation may have undermined the layer of road base. Be great to read some other recon reports to get a clear picture.

Thanks.

[lilray84]

There was no trail there anymore, when I went there. Looked like they took a skid steer or trench bucket scratcher and scraped everything away to make it drain. They also had yellow tape and a roll of drainage paper blocking the path.

[bepooch]

There was no trail there anymore, when I went there. Looked like they took a skid steer or trench bucket scratcher and scraped everything away to make it drain. They also had yellow tape and a roll of drainage paper blocking the path.

Are we talking about the yellow segement blue and red? If so, Saturday it was bridged nicely with compacted gravel base over a culvert. Very solid if I recall.

[toonces]

Be great to read some other recon reports to get a clear picture.

Rode it today at noon (except for Giles Run) and it was 98 percent fine. Powerstation Loop could use some good old-fashioned organic matter removal (leaf raking) and de-berming of the low parts of rollers and grade reversals to allow them to more easily drain and dry quicker. The tree by the skinny has also been cleared.

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/2555/dscf1549.jpg

[dan_hudson]

Interesting! Pic is worth a thousand words after all.

FWIW, there was more like a foot of stone in that spot, including a layer of gabion stone as a foundation. I wonder if folks started riding around the standing water, left the surfacing, and sunk into the poo...

Will have to contact the county folks and see what the story is/was. Thanks.

[lilray84]

Ah interesting, it was thursday that I went by through there, and there was no way I was going to try to even walk through it. Runners were going through the tall grass...good luck with the ticks to them.

[bikerjay]

Thanks for that update I may try to get out there and ride this afternoon. Its great to see some serious stuff getting built out there. Let the trail work season begin.