Gateway Off-Road Cyclists (GORC)

2012 Midwest Bike Swap this Weekend

2012-01-23T22:36:00.003-06:00

Man, you remember those good old days in the K-Mart?

It's about time to go CraigsList on your biking neighbors...
Where else can you see cranks listed for $120 and barter until you
walk away with them for $50 plus a water bottle and feel good about it?

At the Swap Meat, that's where!!

(below reposted from Trailnet)

2012 Midwest Bicycle Expo and Swap Meet

Sunday, January 29, 2012
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Gateway Center
One Gateway Drive
Collinsville, IL 62234
$5 entry fee
The 2012 Midwest Bicycle Expo and Swap Meet is your chance to revel in all things bicycle. You will have access to bike shops, nonprofits, individuals and other bicycle related businesses, each featuring a unique display of products and information.
The Expo is your chance to catch a sneak peak of next season's bicycle goodies, search for that hard-to-find bike part, or find a great deal on your next bike. The Expo will also feature a silent auction and the popular bike corral.
A Classic Bike Show will also be taking place at the Gateway Center. For a $5 admission fee (and $5 fee for each show entry) you can display your classic bicycle and compete for trophies in several catagories.
The 2012 Midwest Bicycle Expo and Swap Meet is presented by Trailnet.

Have questions? Contact John at john@trailnet.org or 314-436-1324 x106
Interested in being a vendor at the 2012 Midwest Bicycle Expo and Swap Meet? For more information or to register for a booth, please call John at 314-436-1324 x106 or email him at john@trailnet.org.
If you are interested in volunteering for the 2012 Midwest Bicycle Expo and Swap Meet, please call John at 314-436-1324 x106 or email him at john@trailnet.org.

SIUE Workday- Sat. Jan. 21st, 2012

2012-01-19T09:43:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder about the SIUE workday coming up this weekend. I was looking for something in the blog archives, and came across this old post where I was goofing around with Google Earth and some old photos of the Mississippi River Festival site and SIUE today. There's a lot of good stuff in the archives in case you have some time to waste. Funny to see breathless talk about the "new" trails being worked on: the Rollercoaster, Dogwood's makeover, Bangert, Broemmelsiek, Indian Camp Creek etc.

Separated at Birth?

2012-01-19T09:41:00.001-06:00

Invest in PBR!
(photo from teamseagal.blogspot.com)

Ride Report: Franklin County Foothills

2012-01-17T00:01:00.005-06:00

Somehow I managed to get off work early and to my house by 2pm. I'd explored in my truck and by satellite imagery some far roads out west and today was the day to ride the loop I christened the Franklin County Foothills. This 37 mile ride packed 2,700+ feet of climbing and on the cross bike I was determined to get worked over.

Intersection of Fiddle Creek at Highway T

Fiddle Creek awesomeness

Mission accomplished. After two previous days of riding (see below posts), this is the one that snapped by legs off after the 33rd mile. This ride is 90% pavement, however, a key connector road is gravel and over 2 miles long so skinny tires are not recommended! Grand Army Road is currently gravel but it looks like Franklin county is widening and shoring it up in preparation of its initial chip-n-seal coating probably sometime this year.

Starting from my house on the Allenton Loop I rode over to Fox Creek, up Old Manchester to Little Tavern and then tackled Highway T.

Definitely a century home on Fiddle Creek - looked to be

lifted right out of old St. Louis

Grand Army signage. Being the only gravel road on
this 37 mile route I assume it lost out in the paving wars of 1973

Note to other riders: Highway T, the two lane road that goes past St. Albans country club is not for the faint of heart. I know roadies say riding T is no big deal but I have to say it kept me on edge the brief times I was on it. The climbs are heinous and force you to sprint up them before a car rolls up (over) you on a blind curve. The fact that a guy in a Prius coming in the opposite direction rolled his window down and blew out his eyeballs screaming 'get off the road' did not add to my afternoon delight.

Once off of Highway T and on Fiddle Creek Road the country life rolled back by my side. The low use road followed meandering fields and past century homes. This road will connect you to Grand Army that heads into the sky right out of the gate. The gravel road is in excellent shape and you could almost imagine riding a road bike on it but it's too remote for me to have a double flat an hour before sunset.

Attention! You scoundrels are going to earn your legs or
fall in the ditch trying. I got some rear scratch on this climb.

More twists on Grand Army

Grand Army turns to pavement at the intersection of Thiebes and continues back to Highway T. At the peak height on Grand Army you can see the Labadie power plant and the cliffs across the Missouri that are, in fact, part of Klondike Park. If only bicyclists could get across the river at Highway 40 or the Washington bridge the riding options would be virtually limitless.

Grand Army looks to be getting groomed by the road
crew types for a possible ungravelling sometime in 2012.
Or they are just making it buff and wider, hard to determine.

Grand Army gets old chip at Thiebes

Back on Highway T and doing my own version of Gold Sprints I checked left onto Decker road very near the town of Labadie. This road took me past some sketchier looking homes and a few chained dogs that wanted so badly to drag me into the ditch. Decker ends at Highway 100 in Gray Summit. Wanting to keep my skin, I bolted down 100 after the last car went by and turned left 500 feet down the road at Hogan. This road follows Highway 44 all the way back to Pacific.

You're looking at one of the top polluters in Missouri.
But... you wouldn't be reading this either (no electric for me)
so I don't know what to say other than solar fields someday?

Another clearer view of the Labadie power plant.
You can see Klondike Park in the distance.
Oh, to be so close yet so far
away from St. Charles county trails!

From Pacific, I simply followed Old Route 66 back to my house. Whew! The ride opened my eyes to even more possibilities. I'm currently building a low-use route (as much as possible) from my house to St. Clair and it's clocking in around 37 miles one way. This route definitely has gravel stretches so I suppose the cross bike will need to be ready for some action again.

Welcome to Labadie, Missouri. This is taken from Decker Road.

BONUS: GPS Track starting from Greensfelder parking lot (32 miles - slightly shorter route)
You will need to go to gpsies.com/convert.do to convert the gpx track to a .crs course file for your garmin device.

Ride Report: 2012 Joe Dirt Gravel Ride

2012-01-16T23:11:00.001-06:00

The third Missouri Gravel Grinder event of the yearly winter gravel series took place near St. James, Missouri just south of Meramec Springs State Park. To everyone's surprise, over 70 riders made the trek from all over the state to attend the Joe Dirt ride on Sunday, January 15, 2012. This 27 mile social ride was hosted by Route 66 Bicycles and its shop owner, Dan Fuhrman. Several mountain biking scenes showed including St. Louis, Rolla, Jefferson City, Columbia and around the Herman area.

Dan promised beer and cookies to all finishers and that was just the icing on the cake. The hilly all-gravel route was a mountain biker's reprieve; the warmer 45 degree weather was wreaking havoc on Missouri's singletrack so the best way to stay in shape and not die of boredom in your basement was to attend this gravel ride.

Phelps County gravel near
Meramec Springs State Park

Lisa riding into the distance

The roads were gracious enough not to be wet or sloppy, though, a few short spots were definitely mush. The beautiful country roads followed meandering creeks, crossed several low-water bridges and climbed onto several long ridges. This relatively short gravel ride (in the gravel world!) injected 2,400+ feet of elevation into your January legs.

Somehow even with my nice little fancy GPS I managed to get Lisa and I briefly lost on two short stretches so we rode off the back much of the day. This wasn't a bad thing as we could do our own pace and check out the scenery.

I'm showing my Pacifico bottle as a scale reference:
Rob Ballou ordered a small Dos Equis at La Cabana
in St. James and this is what came
to the table and nearly broke the edge off.

Once back at the parking lot, we changed clothes and scavenged some remaining Miller Lite and PBR beers. The homemade chocolate chip cookies hit the spot and we chatted with Jason Zoll, Molly, John Cozad, Rob Ballou, Peat Henry, Steve Friedman, Stephanie McCreary and the list goes on.

We all caravaned to La Cabana in St. James for some copious amounts of Mexican. Rob ordered a simple draft beer but it was worthy of a cameo in Beerfest. Our table discussed the DirtyKanza200 and by the end of dinner I was still convinced it is not for me!

Dan Fuhrman, Samantha and Peat Free Awesome
rounded out our table.

Our Joe Dirt group inhabited the
entire back half of the mexican restaurant.

Saying our goodbyes, we all went our separate ways but everyone knew that these big group outings are what makes our bike scene so great.

See you on some gravel when the weather is meck.

Ride Report: 2012 Berryman Social Ride

2012-01-16T22:22:00.001-06:00

Three weeks ago a simple post was placed on the GORC site from Jim Davis who was cross-linking a blog post from Team Virtus. Until that post, I had not heard of this adventure race team. Turns out Bob Jenkins was part of this crew and he had thrown the idea of a Berryman Social Ride into the wind - then it took flight.

No big deal - until the the post was relinked across several sites. On the day of the ride, Saturday, January 14, 2012 the cars kept shuttling in to the Berryman Campground lot. A few GORC folks showed up, including Dave and Jim Bacon and a couple others whose names escape me. Twenty-Five riders suited up, greeted each other and took off clockwise on the Berryman.

A cold morning of 23 degrees greeted riders from all over the state.

About 25 riders set off together for a social ride put
together by Team Virtus based near Jefferson City

Lisa and I took our time and enjoyed the inch of snow covering the woods and tread. I admired the new reroutes on Berryman and they are definitely a good thing! I used my GPS to place waypoints on my track to pinpoint downed trees and trail sections that needs some GORC love. This was my early reconnaissance on the eastern side of Berryman as GORC is working on an agreement with the Ozark Trail Association to take care of this half of the Berryman.

The big news on the trail is that there's a new reroute that skirts the deadly switchbacks into Brazil Creek campground. The reroute skirts the hillside and plops you out directly across from the trail continuation on the paved road. There's even a spur trail that will take you into the campground. However, there's at least two spots that won't work in the long run due to fall-line into a small creek crossing - but maybe it was not complete when we rode it.

The Hoosier Daddys out of Sullivan brought a BBQ pit,
brats, burgers and a pony keg of Blue Moon.
Now that's a social ride!

We tried to burn the logs as close to our face
as possible - it was chilly for sure!

When we arrived back at the campground the Hoosier Daddys from Sullivan were grilling up burgers and brats on their own BBQ pit and had even brought a pony keg of Blue Moon. We thanked them and they said they never went on any big ride without the pit and keg - my kind of people!

We spoke about the upcoming CedarCross endurance cyclocross race with Bob Jenkins and he is the perfect guy to pull this adventure off. Some sponsorship is coming in and he revealed tidbits about the singletrack sections - it's going to be a good time.

By the way, Bar Mitts rock!

How Bike Wheels Are Made

2012-01-05T12:08:00.000-06:00

From the MO Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation site.

Extruded, shaped, cut, treated, welded, anodized, drilled, laced, trued. Now you know.

2011- The Year in Review

2012-01-03T10:11:00.001-06:00

Another busy year for GORC. With 19 official workdays, not to mention some impromptu ones, as well as a lot of unpublicized individual efforts, it's hard to keep track of everything. Here's a summary what went on this year, and I'll try to point out the plans for each of the trails in the coming year.

SIUE - 2 workdays. 0.3 miles of new trail.
1/15 - minor reroutes, and armoring of areas which were becoming troublesome to deal with. Announcement of the opening of additional area for building of new trails.
12/10 - first 0.3 miles of trail in the new area south of the Morris bikeway.
What's up for 2012: Continued expansion south of the bikeway and development of new area east of University Dr.

Greensfelder - 4 workdays. 1.25 miles of new trail.
2/26 - 0.5 miles of new trail on the Deer Run trail descending from Scenic Loop Rd. to Eagle Valley trail.
4/9 - Greensfelder- armoring of Deer Run trail in preparation for Greensfelder Challenge race. Armoring and maintenance on Eagle Valley trail behind Visitor Center.
9/24, Greensfelder - Worked on rerouting trail at the north end of the Green Rock just inside the park boundary that was encroaching on private property.
11/12 - completed reroute on Green Rock.
Greensfelder Challenge race was held in May as a fundraiser for GORC (Thanks DRJ and United in Dirt!).
What's up for 2012: completion of Deer Run descent from Scenic Loop to Eagle Valley. Work on new Beulah trail branching off from DeClue.

Matson Hill - 3 workdays. 1.1 miles of new trail.
3/12 - Matson Hill- construction of 0.6 miles of new singletrack branching off from the Oxen Mill trail, and opening a new section of the Hayes property addition.
4/23 - Matson Hill- canceled due to rain and mud.
10/15, Matson Hill - continued with work extending trail up the hillside.
10/29, Matson Hill - Up, up and away. Continuing up the hillside of the multi-switchback climb.
What's up for 2012: Continue heading southward towards Duke Rd. Matson will eventually have more than 10 miles of singletrack!

Indian Camp Creek - 2 workdays.
3/26 - reroutes, maintenance, and armoring projects.
6/4 - National Trails Day. Maintenance on the Ridge Trail.

Cliff Cave - 2 workdays, 0.8 miles of new trail.
5/21 - work on addition to Spring Valley trail which will complete an inner loop within the main SV trail.
10/22 - worked on completing inner loop of Spring Valley and rerouted some problem areas.
Tons of unofficial work put in by Kevin Ginther, Steve Ludwig and others. The official stats don't do justice to this.
What's up for 2012: Completion of Spring Valley inner loop.

Castlewood - 2 workdays.
6/4 - (moved from 5/14) - National Trails Day. Maintenance on main trails at the front of the park.
11/19 - reroute on Cedar Bluff trail, and maintenance.

Rock Hollow - 2 workdays.
9/17- worked on creek crossings which will show the contractor who wins the bid to complete the trail what level of work needs done.
12/3 - continued work on creek crossings.

Creve Coeur - 2 workdays, 1 mile of new trail.
11/5 - (GORC Appreciation Party) - 0.5 miles of new trail and Volunteer Appreciation Party complete with donation of Stone Beer from Major Brands! Thanks to all GORC volunteers.
12/17 - completed 0.5 miles of new loop trail giving it a total length of 1 mile. There is now 4.25 miles of singletrack at CCP!

Lost Valley - No official workdays, but the trails got a lot of much needed maintenance attention thanks to Greg Ott, Mitch Johnson and Larry Koester.
What's up for 2012: replacing doubletrack with singletrack, and lots of it!!!

In additon there were many events throughout the year that GORC members participated in: Ouachita Challenge, Syllamo's Revenge, trip to Taos, Brown County Breakdown, Berryman Trail Epic, Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, and numerous mountain bike and cyclocross races.

Matt Buckley took over as head of the GORC chapter of the National Mtb Patrol. Look for them out on the trail, or at a race.

This year also has something different with a bike (donated by Ballwin Schwinn) being raffled off to those who participated in 2 workdays. The drawing is January 4th at the monthly meeting.

It was a great year, and we hope to continue to add new trail, and keep what we have in good condition. None of this could be done without your help, so please continue to volunteer whenever you can.
See you on the trails!

Winter Alt Riding: Gravel Grinders

2012-01-02T21:54:00.002-06:00

Editors Note: This piece was written before Missouri decided to give us the best winter present ever so far - little precipitation and mild weather. But all good things must end and when they do this little piece will come in handy...

As you know, winter can be tough in the Midwest. Whereas, if you are currently living in Crested Butte you pretty much figure it out in about a week that you aren't going to be mountain biking as the snow gets deeper and deeper, here in the middle (North/South) middle (East/West) midwest the weather can play tricks on the outdoor-oriented adventurers. It can be wet and sunny or dry and cold but never dry and wet...

Well, that's not true either. With Missouri's typical freeze/thaw cycle there are days when you can ride the trails and days when they are best left alone. Sometimes you can't seem to figure it out... How can it be 40 degrees and the tread is firm at Greensfelder but at freezing temperature and slimy over at Broemmelsiek?

Since I don't have a degree in metro-astrology I'll pass on the explanation and simply give you a web link to a trail riding workaround that:

A - keeps you in shape and actively riding while at the same time;
B - sparing our treasured local singletrack from getting squished, mashed, and otherwise smeared up by rutting mountain bike tires getting their groove on.

These links offer a training tier that will lead your mind to gravel enlightenment:

gravelgrinder.blogspot.com/
a riding series which will prepare you for the
cedarcross.wordpress.com
which prepares your soul for the final gravel atonement while your dying corpse is in a ditch hiding from a tornado and your dehydrated brain is contemplating why you thought the
www.dirtykanza200.com/
was a good idea.......

Image courtesy cedarcross100

I guess I should back up a moment and mention the gravel concept. A few years back some of the locals and rural-locals started putting together gravel road rides - hence the name gravel grinders. Many people use these rides to prepare for life-altering events like the DirtyKanza200, the Leadville Trail 100 or the inaugural CedarCross100 taking place just outside Jefferson City, Missouri.

The bigger picture here is that you can make your own gravel grinder. No, the whole route doesn't have to be gravel. Yes, some gravel or dirt that's not a dedicated singletrack trail must be included or it's a /gasp/ road ride.

Image courtesy cedarcross100

With online services such as mapmyride or everytrail you can pretty much zoom in on an area and layout a tentative gravel route - usually the roads show up super white in color. For instance, out where I live, I could ride some road to get out towards Gray Summit and hit up Grand Army road from Spring Valley road which are both gravel routes.

Out in St. Charles, you can grind gravel all day on the KATY or through Busch Wildlife, the Hamburg or parts of Lost Valley. I ask everyone to steer clear of true gravel 'trails' like the Hamburg or KATY if the conditions are mush - stick to the gravel roads because if a car can drive on them then you can't mess them up! Pretty sure it's physically impossible to wreck an 8 foot wide vehicular road with a non-motorized bike.

The best steed for this type of adventure is a cyclocross bike. If you don't own one but have a 29er, buy some narrow mtb or burly hybrid tires and you have the start of your very own franken-monstercross. Put some dirt drop bars, switch the triggers out for bar end shifters, maybe go 1x9 or single, maybe even hook up some Jones H-Bars and you'll be a true-blue tourer type.

Image courtesy cedarcross100

There's nothing like exploring little used gravel roads at a medium pace and checking out the scenery. Usually these gravel roads come with low-tech water crossings, chase dogs, free-range chickens and the occasional ATV convoy. These are not bad moments unless you are dragging the dog with your ankle.

And logging roads count. And fire roads. Heck, you can ride for days around the Ozark National Forest just on fire roads and old logging roads without even being on a signed piece of singletrack. The secret is out; if you open your mind up beyond singletrack you can epic real easy, real fast. There are other states that would beg to have what we have just 1-2 hours outside of urban St. Louis.

Image courtesy cedarcross100

I understand it's not really mountain biking on a piece of singletrack. But sometimes, you just have to give the local trails some time to dry up and ready themselves for the upcoming year.

I hope I have many of you thinking about the possibilities. I'll see you out in the backcountry.

Matt

Ride in Peace, Bob Taylor

2011-12-24T16:02:00.001-06:00

Our GORC family lost a cycling brother on Tuesday December20^th. While Bob Taylor madethe most of the past 15 months – continuing to ride even after 2 brainsurgeries and chemo treatments, he lost his battle with brain cancer earlyTuesday morning. He lived life to thefullest and was a great friend to have on any ride. Not only did Bob love riding, but he trulybelieved in what GORC stood for – even so far as wearing the GORC jersey at hisfuneral. We could not ask any more froma member. He is survived by his two adultdaughters.

Ride in Peace, Bob.

Trail Tools: Spartacus (Revisited)

2011-12-20T19:57:00.001-06:00

Spartacus, our rock moving tool developed by one of our own members, last made an appearance on our blog back in 2008 when Ron debuted it with links to the plans.

I am revisiting Spartacus here to centralize the information we have about the tool and link to the blueprint plans.

In our original post back in 2008 we wrote:

"Tom Erb designed Spartacus several years ago to help with much of the rockwork at Klondike, but since we've been using it quite a bit as of late, I thought I'd mention it again. This is a very clever device, made out of chains arranged in concentric circles, that lets you move heavy objects, usually rocks, when you don't have the luxury of bringing in heavy equipment. The rock is maneuvered onto Spartacus, and then up to 8 handles allow for a number of people, strong of back, weak of mind, to carry or drag it to the desired position.

The plans for building your own have been released under the Creative Commons license, or you can pay Tom to build one for you."

Well, it's not clear if Tom has the time anymore to build one for you but we are sharing the plans with you. We have enhanced the Spartacus concept by applying the same design using nylon straps like those designed to tie down large truck loads. This has decreased the standalone weight of Spartacus by over 20 pounds (or more). This is a huge improvement as the complaints from volunteers who have had to carry Mr. Spartacus more than a half-mile have been silenced.

Image of nylon Spartacus in use

(poor visibility)

Finished product courtesy of Spartacus

rock delivery method

Below you will find the original document describing Spartacus:

Spartacus

The Spartacus is a chain sling used to enable people to move heavy rocks and objects during trail work. It is ideal for moving rocks bigger than a few people can move, to enable crib walls, stunts, and other rocky features. It's also the ultimate tool for closing renegade trails and building choke points into your trails to discourage unauthorized user groups.

! Specifications:

* Constructed of over 40 feet of 750 pound working load proof chain
* Connecting links are stronger than the chain
* Eight handles allow everyone a comfortable grip

! Directions:

1. Use multiple pry-bars to roll a heavy rock onto the Spartacus.
2. Get a bunch of strong people to pick up or drag the rock to near the desired place.
3. Roll rock into place.
4. Keep a sledgehammer handy to help rocks fit where you want them to.

! Warnings:

1. Not for overhead lifting
2. Use at your own risk
3. Only people should use the Spartacus. Connection to mechanized equipment is not recommended and should only be attempted by qualified personnel.
4. Inspect your spartacus daily for damaged links and connecting link
closures. After years of use, we haven't had one fail yet, but you
could be the first. See numbers 1 and 2 again.
5. Wear boots and gloves, duh. Consider steel toe boots if you do this a lot.
6. If thrown like a fishing net, Spartacus may cause brain trauma.
7. Spartacus is not a toy.
8. Do not taunt Spartacus.

Availability:

Plans, assembly directions, and parts lists are available free of charge under the creative commons license.

Download the blueprints in PDF format (117KB)

Contact GORC via our message board if you need one pre-built.

We do ask that if you build a Spartacus, please send us photos of it in action at gateway_mtb yahoo com.

Best of luck in your trail building endeavors.

Happy Holidays from GORC

2011-12-19T20:56:00.001-06:00

You'd think it would be easier to find a good holiday themed image searching for

bicycle + holiday + wipeout

but it would seem that this tree in a box on a trike.bike will have to do (thanks a lot google images). Hipster not included with purchase (but that's an assumption).

However, v this v did happen over the weekend.

They knew nothing but rolled with it...

Carnage post-package-parcel-delivery derby.

Gonna need a damage claim form for a lot of those presents.

See you all on the blog in 2012 -

or next week.

Until when.............

SIUE Workday 12-10-11 Pictorial

2011-12-12T08:27:00.004-06:00

Wow, a big Thank You! to everyone who showed up at our SIUE workday this past weekend. Forty-nine (49!) people showed up and we completed the new section of trail...yes completed. It was a total of 0.3 miles of trail, while not a lot, it is still something.

Big Thanks to The Cyclery for providing lunch! Please stop by and tell them thanks. Also, thanks for to the Bike Surgeon for providing our swag give aways for the day and showing up to work on the trail. Please go in and thank them for their time and swag.

We are continueing our trail building in the new area on Jan. 21st. GORC hopes to see you all out there again.

Thank you very much for taking the time to help make the SIUE trail system bigger and better.

Here are a few photos from the workday;

Just cleared corridor getting ready for some mild bench work

Maplewood has sent one of their paid staff to the last three workdays - this is huge! Jessica is working some benchcut.

Rodney and his daughter Maya taking a break.

Mike Dunston's section looked perfect - of course.

Taking a break from perfection

Ron striking a trail terminator pose

Ross is ready for some Iditabike trail conditions

Post-workday swag giveaway. It was a bit too wet to ride after the hard work so some of us went to the Global Brewery in Edwardsville.

Rock Hollow Workday: A Few Images

2011-12-04T16:18:00.001-06:00

Over 40 volunteers (GORC, Americorp and school students) helped clear the trail corridor and build a sustainable benchcut near the beginning of the trail. This workday will help the contractors who are bidding on this project see what the finished trail should resemble.

Here are a few images from the workday:

Volunteers hiking in from the Glencoe Mini-Railroad

Signage at the Rock Hollow entrance provided by the Great River Greenway organization.

Volunteers clearing the corridor

Bryan Adams and crew worked on this water crossing the entire workday

You can see the trail on both sides of the drainage

Black Friday Gravel Rally - Rolla-Style

2011-11-26T15:12:00.001-06:00

Reported by Matt Hayes

15 riders finished the 30 mile loop

Lisa and I were headed down to my Grandpa's for Thanksgiving in Vienna, MO and towed our bikes along for a 30 mile gravel ride put together by Dan Fuhrman of Route 66 Bicycles. The ride was on Black Friday and the weather couldn't have been any more mild for late November.

We rolled up to the tiny river town of Devil's Elbow on the Big Piney and parked across from the Elbow Inn. The crusty old dive-bar exterior made it easy to discount as a "biker bar" but as I'm often told, looks are deceiving. More about Elbow later.

The silo after dropping out of the Kaintuck trail

Precisely at 10am a group of 18 or so riders left Elbow to ride a 31 mile clockwise loop encompassing low-use pavement roads, gravel roads, ATV paths, part of the Kaintuck trail and narrow fireroads that were a hybrid between the look of ATVs-on-Kaintuck and the feel of horses-on-Kaintuck. The dirt portions were a bit wet but only two areas would be considered bog-like. Three tall, steep punches to the gut precisely at the beginning, middle and end-of-middle portions of the ride ensured that the secondary helpings of our everything-plus-turkey dinner would be purged one way or another.

It was refreshing to ride with complete strangers who quickly became two-wheeled friends. I'm great with faces and terrible at names so my internal naming system now includes "just back from germany guy", "flower earrings gal" and "beer sales guy". By no means am I being disrespectful, it's just that I'm more of a landmark than street names kind of guy.

Rail trestle approaching Devil's Elbow

The no-drop ride full of single speeders, a couple of cross bikes, (er, not recommended on this loop) mountain bikes, and a vintage Barracuda with hybrid tires rounded out the two-wheeled train.

Wrapping up our route was a beer-lunch-beer stop at the Elbow Inn. This river side establishment located on old Route 66 has been around since 1929 and is a piece of roadside Americana. We all sat outside on their side patio with Boots the cat hanging out to say hi and get some quality laptime. The beef brisket sandwich was awesome and the no-charge PBR cans courtesy of "beer sales guy" were a definite plus. Be sure to look up at the ceiling for some bra-tastic interior decorating ideas. Next time you are around the region treat yourself to some Elbow.

The final mile into Devil's Elbow along the Big Piney River

It's a great change of pace to ride with strangers-turned-friends on gravel and trails never traversed in unseasonably warm weather. It's all too easy to come up with excuses to not do something but I'm glad I took up Dan's Facebook invite.

The Elbow Inn serves up terrific smoked BBQ, cheap beer and bar cats.

Gravel rides are the new ticket to staying in shape outdoors (keyword: outdoors) during the cold, wet, damp, bog months of Missouri's wet season. Like I keep saying, I see a Surly Ogre (with fenders and drop bars) in my future.

Keep on keepin' on.

Track Link: GPS Track

Update 1: In Dev: GORC 3.0

2011-11-23T00:37:00.001-06:00

This project started in early October and is being built after-hours and when I have the time.

Of course, it is much more complicated than I originally envisioned and I had already anticipated a steep climb.

Some features may or may not make it in the first generation of the new site but I'm trying with the help of Rob B. to make it happen.

The site platform will be Drupal 7.x with CiviCRM 4.x handling membership and volunteer hours. I'm also researching a good message board that can 'bridge' the user information so that we all don't need three sets of id/passwords to get around the site. The IPBoard looks promising and is the same one over there on stlbiking.com

How committed am I to this project? Well, I've bought two books so far (about 950 pages total), joined the STL Drupal Users group, teamed up with Rob B and his technical skills and testing server environment, joined Drupal.org, CiviCRM and Issue Tracker (bugs). Spry Digital in St. Louis looks promising for technical framework issues regarding CiviCRM.

However, the club needs money to 'finish' the site's development concerning features and frameworks I may lack the time/expertise to develop. I would say that we roughly need $2,500 - $5,000 to completely finish the site.

Did I mention a site-wide Sponsor system will be in place?

Anyway, what I'm trying to convey is that this project has a long way to go. Once the content is in place, permissions and roles are set, bugs are fixed (yes, there are problems), the final step will be theming; as you can see below, I don't care what it looks like at this point in the project - I'm just happy it works.

Features, opinions, site flow, other mountain bike related sites that you like, send them my way via comment on this post.

Under active development: Some time next year you can touch

I enjoy doing this, I find it interesting. But, it is somewhat stressful knowing the club's modernization hinges on what I know and can do (and I know just enough right now to stay clear of programming code at this stage). With bike time on the back burner and working on this from 7pm-12am almost every night, it's easy to forget that this is a hobby task and not a job.

It'll be cool when it's finished. Especially the administration side.

MattH

GORC Gives Back at Cranksgiving 2011

2011-11-08T21:24:00.001-06:00

GORC portrait in front of a tiny portion of the food items

Several GORC members showed up to St. Louis 2011 edition of Cranksgiving, the nation's largest satellite event by far. Originally started by bike messengers in NYC, Cranksgiving is a combination bike ride/food drive, with all proceeds going to local food pantries. It involves cyclists following a route that goes past a couple grocery stores. There, they purchase food items that can be used to help others in need.

Matt hauled a BOB trailer filled to capacity

Lisa and Matt recruited additional members Randy, Kirby and Mike featuring JasonBoyd. Other GORC folks were present but I couldn't see them through the mass of over 600+ riders. After completing their 22 mile ride on cross/road bikes and stopping at 5 area grocery stores, all told St. Louis bikers donated 7,506 items - a record both locally and nationally.

Beer me up

What started at a microbrewery ended at a microbrewery and as you may guess some beer was involved, followed by copious amounts of Nicaraguan Fritanga. Consider joining another round of Cranksgiving next year, it's always an adventure.

Task complete

Bike parking

2011 Volunteer Appreciation Party

2011-10-31T10:47:00.000-05:00

Cake from last year's party

This year it's at Creve Coeur Park following the workday on Nov. 5th. Now we've held these parties for the last 5 years, starting at Greensfelder, and moving to Cliff Cave last year. Strangely enough, the promise of free beer, food and cake(!) has not been enough to draw many additional people. The first few parties were in Dec. so it's understandable that many might not like to be out in the cold all day, but they've since been moved to an earlier date, so there are no excuses!
If you've attended a workday this year, or even if this is your first one, let us know you're attending by signing up here, and then come on out. Weather permitting, it will be a day of trail building, riding, and free food and beverage. What more could you ask for?-- well, maybe don't answer that one...

Berryman (Trail) Epic

2011-10-23T12:40:00.004-05:00

First, I'll introduce myself. Hi, I'm MashOr or Mitch the Masher or just plain Mitch. I've been riding (and crashing) mountain bikes obsessively for over 20 years, building trail for almost as long, worked in various bike shops for over 10 years and generally like to tell people about whatever is going on. This past weekend was the Berryman Trail Epic or BTE, a 55 mile mountain bike race through some beautiful Ozark woodland all of which is part of the Mark Twain National Forest and I thought a few of you might wonder what it's all about.

Epic would be how most would describe the 24 mile loop that is the Berryman Trail. While lots of you have conquered this hidden gem in the Ozarks, many haven't taken the plunge. This loop is actually named by IMBA as an "Epic" on their blog. Each year the International Mountain Biking Association takes nominations and selects a few elite trail systems to be added to this list.

Now throw in an additional and spectacular 15 miles of the 45 mile Courtois(pronounced code-away) section of the Ozark Trail along with 16 miles of rolling gravel roads, and you truly have an epic day. Start that day with 250 other mountain bikers, and you have the BTE.

This is an event, I didn't say race because only a handful of people are actually racing anyone but themselves and simply try to beat their time from last year or out do their friends. Also, to encourage non-racer folks to get out and enjoy this annual gathering as its promoters provide us with a clean trail, places to refuel and a great atmosphere to test ourselves in.

This year the field was stacked with top level riders, weather was perfect and the trail conditions have never been better. The Ozark Trail Association has spent countless hours re-routing the west side of Berryman that is also part of the Courtois section of the OT, bringing it up to IMBA trail construction standards and much of this work has been completed since last year's BTE. Removed were sections of trail that followed creek beds and had developed into unsustainable washes that would rattle your teeth. Added are flowing sections of benchcut trail that crosses the same creeks as before, but on solid rock faces that will stand the test of time. The new trail adds a bit of distance to the loop meandering up and back down the valleys that the old trail passed right by. I didn't get a chance to see the work completed at the 2011 fall Mega Event , an OTA work day, due to an early exit from the race but that's a whole other story.

This new trail and the stellar conditions allowed a new unofficial course record of 4 hours 9 minutes to be set by Kansas native and long time pro Steve Tilford. Columbia Missouri's Jon Schottler, the 2010 and 2009 winner and previous course record holder, took 2nd. Locals Dwayne "Smiley" Goscinski and Jim Vandeven took 3rd and 4th respectively, while Garth Prosser, a Cannondale rider and super nice guy from Columbus, Ohio took 5th. From Illinois, Andy Gibbs claimed a top ten finish, some cash and a spot on the back of the t-shirt for next year's BTE. Official results haven't been posted yet so I'm not sure of the other top ten placings.

So, what's the point of this post? 1)To shed light on the vast amount of incredible trail we have available to us and the work that goes into taking care of such huge amounts of trail. There are plans to continue this work on the Berryman with a major re-route that will eliminate the only unridable section that drops you down 4 steep switch backs to Brazil Creek. The new trail will head over to hwy W on a less steep hillside and no longer will you have to cross the often deep Brazil Creek. This was tough to do in the winter time and keep dry feet. 2)To bring the BTE out to the masses that might not consider themselves racers but like a good challenge. And 3), to bore you with the first of hopefully many write-ups from this racer wanna-be, trail builder and master of mountain bike crashing.

Thanks for reading!

MashOr

Brown County Breakdown, Yeehaw Edition

2011-10-13T19:58:00.009-05:00

Both Lisa and I came to the conclusion in early August that we would again attend the Brown County Break Down in Nashville, IN the weekend of October 8th. Unfortunately the BCB always conflicts with the Burnin' 12 hour race.

Demo zone featuring Giant, Trek and Felt along with other component companies. Lisa fell in love with the small-frame 2012 Superfly 100 Elite. Uh-oh...

However, the BCB is so damn enjoyable, stress-free and awesome that I have no problem traveling the four hours to hang out with other like-minded midwestern mountain bikers looking for great food, fantastic blue-grass music and legendary flowy trails.

Yep, that's her new love. She said it handled well and felt really fast on board. I'd agree with that; we were hauling!

The Brown County Breakdown is HMBA's (Hoosier Mountain Bike Association) big fund-raising event for the year where they rake in upwards of $20K to fund their ongoing mechanized trail building at Brown County State Park and other local parks. The entry fee to the BCB is steep ($80-100 depending on sign up date) but you are rewarded with the above-mentioned music, food, beer, bike demos, raffles, and organized rides.

Lisa and I signed up for the 45 mile ride (on review of the GPS the 45 miler climbed 3,600 feet. The 100 milers got something like 9,000-11,000ft of climbing!!!!!). They also offer 25, 65, 80 and 100 mile lengths, however, the bulk of the 500+ attendees typically choose the 45 or 65 mile routes. The 80/100 milers are left for the racers because you really do need to haul butt... this year the 100 milers started at 8am and rolled in between 6-7:30pm... and remember, this ride takes place on a Sunday.

Yes, Sunday. That's the only bummer for us folks in St. Louis. After the fantastic 45 mile ride and buffet-style mega dinner you can revel in some top-notch bluegrass but take note - you have a 4 hour drive home with work awaiting you the next day. Ugh!

Start/Finish zone as we all get into our respective mileage groups. We rode Pine Valley, North Tower, Aynes, Green Valley, Hesitation Point, Walnut, Limekiln and some open-only-this-weekend trails.

The musical guests this year included Danny Barnes on Saturday night (fantastic genre-bending banjo player from Austin's Bad Livers who works solo now and has travelled with Dave Matthews Band) and the White Lightning Boys from Nashville, Indiana. This large bluegrass band rocked and filled the air with the yeehaw vibe.

Beer sampling on Saturday included Uplands Brewery and a newcomer called Flat 12. Both breweries were terrific. Had we arrived Friday night, we would have been treated to Big Woods Brewery, the local and talented microbrewery in Nashville.

The camping around the pool house with hundreds of other MTBers was just right due to the fantastic mild weather. And I can't forget to mention the hot showers all weekend! Other folks from St. Louis included Luke (newport) and his friends, along with Dianna (muleskinner) and her family. Both groups ended up on the 45 mile route.

The ride on Sunday lasted about 5 hours including all of our stops.

Riding on the new Green Valley loop? Check!

Banjo in them woods

Random fiddlers and banjos in the hollers playing to the passers-by? Check!

On top of Hesitation Point chomping on cookies (5!) and getting ready for some technical Walnut

Homemade cookies on top of Hesitation Point while listening to the Whipstitch Sallies? Check!

Tech on Walnut? Check!

Ripping it pump-track style on Limekiln? Double-double check!!

Drop in to the Nebo Cabin for refreshments and music? Check Check!

The Cabin at the 45 mile turnaround. In a tight valley, this cabin is quintessential hillbilly deluxe.

At the end of the ride we both agreed that we would most likely be back next year. The vibe, enjoyable people, organizational prowess, music talentness, tasty good foodness and shred-nastic trail wonderfondness adds up to one hell of an event.

To miss the Brown County Breakdown is a bummer, indeed. See y'all out there next year??!

Cranksgiving 2011 - Let's Make It A GORC GIVES BACK Event

2011-10-12T07:39:00.005-05:00

Cranksgiving 2011

Date: 11/06/11
Time: 10AM - 1PM

Where: Schlafly Bottleworks
7260 Southwest Ave
Host: St. Louis Bicycle Works for Food Outreach

Route: 25 mile loop from Schlafly Bottleworks

From Cranksgiving:
The Cranksgiving tradition has spread across the country, with events held in Los Angeles; Chicago; St. Louis; Madison, WI; and Des Moines, Iowa, among others. We are proud to say that St. Louis has the largest event in the country. Last year Cranksgiving hosted over 500 riders who collected over 4000 food items. This year we are looking for over 800 riders!

What happens at a Cranksgiving ride is that cyclists gather where they are given a shopping list of specific items needed by a local food pantry, plus a map of stores along a specific route (10 or 25 miles) from which to buy these items

A typical shopping list will have a dozen or so items, and maybe set back the riders $10-20. It's a terrific way to kick off the holiday season and be out on your bike, doing something good with the community alongside your fellow cyclists. Plus, it's an early start on burning off all the calories you'll be inhaling during November and December.

Cant ride with us but still want to help? Join us at the Handle Bar on Manchester at 8 p.m. on Nov 5th. New Belgium and PBR will be trading 4 cans of food for 1 beer!!

A huge thank you to our sponsors: Big Shark Bicycle, Rehab Care and Ameren.

++++

From Seamonkey:
This is a great event to attend. Lisa and Matt and a few other GORCers rode the 25 mile route last year and had a wonderful time hanging out with other bikers. There are sag wagons to load your purchased goods if you don't want to carry them to the finish at the Bottleworks. We hauled a BOB trailer last year and it held everything.

Cranksgiving is on a Sunday - the day after the GORC Appreciation Party. I hope to see my other GORC friends at Cranksgiving. If you have a GORC jersey, plan on wearing it so the community can see the club doing what it does best - volunteering and giving back!

Look for info on the message board in the coming days/week.

See you there,

Matt

Link to BicycleWorks info.

A Busy Month

2011-10-07T08:43:00.000-05:00

The next 30 days are going to be very busy. Ride your bike and help build some trail.
Coming up in the next month:

October 8th: Burnin at the Bluff
October 8-9th: Brown County Breakdown
October 14th: Moonlight Ride at Indian Camp Creek
October 15th: Matson Hill Workday
October 22nd: Cliff Cave Workday
October 22nd: Berryman Trail Epic
October 29th: Matson Hill Workday
November 5th: Creve Coeur Workday and Volunteer Appreciation Party

This Tagged along for my ride on the Berryman

2011-10-06T16:30:00.002-05:00

(Photo from bugguide.net)

After I finished my ride on the Berryman this weekend, I took off my helmet and found this not-so-little fellow lodged under one of the vents. I've had a lot of spiders in there before, but this was definitely the biggest, the green and black part being probably close to the size of a dime! In case you're wondering, it's a Marbled Orb Weaver, and totally harmless- unless you're a fly. I was still happy to have been wearing a skull cap! It was quite strong. Had to help it out with a stick, because it couldn't be dislodged by tapping on the helmet.

img: Horsepower

2011-10-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

Meeting in the stable: fast crabon is introduced to golden fibreglass.
Ignore the bucket of walnuts. Discuss.

Binder Lake

2011-10-03T07:52:00.005-05:00

Last Tuesday I treated myself to some new dirt. Since Binder Lake in Jefferson City MO has been on my to do list for a while and BigJimMac was available for a few hours after work to give a guided tour, I couldn't pass it up.

The plan was to drive out, set up a campsite for myself, ride some, then fish the lake from a belly boat, then grab a night ride (which is quite legal at Binder by the way). Of course I was running late so the fishing portion got dropped. I was able to ride the Yellow Loop on the east side of the trail, 1 lap counterclockwise on a 29r and then a portion of a lap clockwise on a double-boinger 26r, after setting up my tent and hammock and making sure all my little baby beers were nestled snugly in their icy beds for later.

I liked the Yellow loop a lot. It's all singletrack with a hardpack dirt surface with a lot of forest floor debris on it (rustic!) and plenty of embedded rocks. Going ccw it mostly just winds, twists, and switchbacks up and down the hillside that is the eastern shore of the lake until you hit a little clearing at the northernmost point where you turn back and cruise a rocky shoreline trail back to the beginning... 4 miles-ish. There were some neat bits of well-done rock armoring done at a few of the drainages and the whole trail flowed nicely.

Then it was beer-thirty.

As the daylight faded, Jim showed up and we headed across the little dam at the south end of the lake. We rode north on the Dark Blue to Light Blue to Dark Green to Light Green (staying right/east) then looped back (staying right/west). It was dim on the way out and dark on the way back.

That big loop route on the west side was awesome. There were some man-made features here and there but the star of the show (for me) was the fast and flowy sections (and there were plenty!). There were a few spots that required you tuck your bars through some close-spaced saplings and quite a few tight-ish switchbacks but that just kept things interesting. Definitely going back to ride this again, fo' sho'.

Also worth mentioning, the campground was quite nice. It's more oriented for RVs and pop-ups but most of the sites had a flat spot suitable for a 2 or 3 person tent. Besides just a flat spot, you're getting a 2 car paved parking pad, a picnic table, BBQ grill, trash cans, Forest Service-style fire ring, a wooden canopy, water spigots every few sites, and (get this) hot showers and flush toilets in the newer-looking campground bathroom. Nice.

I was really impressed with Binder. Kind of a nice mixture of Brown County (hot showers, flush toilets and bike-oriented trails) and Council Bluff Lake (Ozark dirt and rock riding and... a, well, lake in the middle).

Greensfelder Deadfall Cleared

2011-09-26T21:59:00.007-05:00

All the fresh deadfall at Greensfelder has been removed with 2-stroke power. Thanks to rider Gary who stopped to help me move the massive tree on the DeClue Six Flags climb (three year old extension.)

Other removed deadfall locations include the Radio Tower (old) rockin' descent and another just below the radio tower parking lot on DeClue.

Salsa and Trailer Bob took a beating but that's what friends are for. The trails are free-flowing again and that's what matters.

Just below radio tower on DeClue

Large tree on DeClue near Six Flags

Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day - Saturday, Oct. 1st

2011-09-26T07:03:00.005-05:00

Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day
Saturday October 1, 2011
10:00am til 2:00pm
Broemmelsiek Park, O Fallon, Mo

Gateway Off Road Cyclists ( GORC ) with St Charles County Parks invites children (8-14) and parents to celebrate International Mountain Bike Association ( IMBA ) sponsored “National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day”. Free bicycle/helmet safety inspection, instructions on riding techniques, a skills practice area, and guided trail rides tailored to different age groups and skill levels. Participants should bring a bike and an approved helmet. Limited Number of Demo Bikes/ Helmets from local bike shops will be available.

When: Saturday, October 1, 2011 ( 10am – 2pm )
Where: Broemmelsiek Park in St Charles County

So come out and bring a kid with you for some good, clean fun in the dirt. Bring plenty of water and an adventurous spirit.

Schedule of Events
10am – 11am Registration
10am – 11:30am Helmet Fit / Bike Safety Inspection
10am – Noon Skills Building Area available
11am – 1pm Trail Etiquette and Guided Trail Rides
1pm – 2pm Drinks, Snacks - Prize Drawings
Advanced Registration is recommended, but not required.
For More Information or to register:
Call St Charles County Parks at 636-949-7535

Directions To Broemmelsiek Park   
From US 40/61 Bear Right (North)onto Ramp Winghaven Blvd 
Bear Left (North-West) onto Local road 
Turn Left (south-West) onto Mo-DD 
Keep straight on Mo-DD for 3.9 miles 
Turn Right (West) onto Schwede Rd 
Go approx. ½ mile, Parking for Park is on the left side of road.  

From Bryan Road / Winghaven Blvd in Ofallon, Mo. (Bryan Road/Winghaven Blvd changes to Hwy Mo-DD after crossing US-61) 
Keep straight on Mo-DD for 3.9 miles 
Turn Right (West) onto Schwede Rd Go approx. ½ mile, Parking for Park is on the left side of road.

About the Event
The St. Charles County Parks Department encourages children ages 8 to 14 to get outside and celebrate the seventh annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 1 at Broemmelsiek Park, 1615 Schwede Road, south of O’Fallon. This fun, free, family event is sponsored by the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) and Gateway Off-Road Cyclists (GORC), and offers skills clinics, guided trail rides, safety inspections and demo bike use. More than 150 riders are expected to participate in the event. 

“This is a great opportunity for us to pass our passion for peddling on to children,” said Parks Director Bettie Yahn-Kramer.  

In support of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Initiative, this nationwide event is expected to get 30,000 children participating in 300 cycling events across the nation. 
For more information or to pre-register, please contact St. Charles County Parks at 636-949-7535 or visit www.stccparks.org. Early registration is recommended and the first 100 will receive a free goody bag.

In addition, Granada Cyclery, Momentum Cycles, Peloton Cyclery, REI, Wheel Sports, 2nd Street Bike Café, Big Shark West Bicycle Company, Alpine Shop, Ballwin Cycles, Backwoods, Clif Bar, The Hub, and Mesa Cycles are also supporting the St. Charles County event.

Building Community . . . and Trails (Def Trails!)

2011-09-23T00:13:00.009-05:00

What keeps gorctrails.com all together, you ask? I don't really know. Passion, I suppose. Maybe a bit of hobbyism to keep tabs on the online industry. I used to do this everyday, now I just play at night, sometimes all night, trying to keep it all going.

It's not that hard really; I bring it all on my own. And that's the thing... the club is more than one person; it's all about what members put into it. Input quality=output quality. The club's soul and vibe is the culmination of all our active members contributing to the greater good that is mountain biking advocacy in St. Louis.

Maybe you weren't riding 10 years ago but check it out -> Chubb and Castlewood were your main line options. You could ride doubletrack Lost Valley if you were really wanting to explore. St. Louis trail riding has come A LONG WAY since GORC formed in 1998. We started with Matson and expanded to include all the trails that are listed on our Trails tab.

I personally want our club to be the best in the midwest. Something other clubs would like to copy. I want to increase our membership, retain all you awesome people and offer even more in the way of events, socials and, ahem, merchandise. I feel that we are on the cusp of the next great phase.

We want - no - need, that. All of the above.

Somewhere along the way I've grown from an average GORC member to the website administrator to what I would now say, club marketer. I've been with GORC since 2001 and it was a life-changing social/outdoor activity move for me. I may be a somewhat shy person until you get to know me but I feel that it is necessary to promote the club online in all social circles.

You would not believe how many mountain bikers don't even know we exist. It's impressive the number of people who think trails magically appear overnight courtesy of the Stimulus Plan.

This isn't the most well-written call-to-action plan. I'd say it was written on a whim just before bed time, actually. I don't have all day to dial in my thoughts, you know, work and all......

What I'm trying to say in all of this is that we need you. You probably have skills we don't possess. We need writers, we need trail stewards and we could use some good connections to other like-minded folks who might be entirely outside the bike circles.

Here's what I want you to do; spread the word, tell everyone about GORC, the website, bookmark us on Facebook, and Twitter and YouTube and keep telling everyone you see out on the trail that GORC is there for the biking community.

We have big ongoing plans for trail riding opportunities in St. Louis and the surrounding region.

Keep in touch!

FWIW, here's a slight lift of the curtain. Never mind the guy behind the laptop. Tap your Sidis and grab your bike. Awesome local trails await. See you out there.

Matt H
aka seamonkey

Greensfelder Workday- Saturday, Sept. 24th

2011-09-19T09:30:00.002-05:00

Date: Sat, September 24th, 2011, 9am to 1pm (FREE LUNCH!)
Location: Greensfelder Park, St. Louis County

What: We will begin construction of a Northern Green Rock Trail re-route. This will possibly take you to places you have never been in the park. The re-route is approximately 0.7 of a mile long and will replace 0.5 miles that drifts on to private property.

Where: Greensfelder Park, Allenton Rd. behind Six Flags (Park at Tower Lot)

Take Interstate 44 to the Allenton/Six Flags Exit 261. Go north on Allenton Rd, past the Six Flags entrance. Allenton Rd. bisects Greensfelder Park. Lunch will be afterwards at the Mueckerman Shelter located at the corner of Allenton and Hencken road.
(See www.gorctrails.com for directions and details of the park)

What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail.

GORC & St. Louis County Parks provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, and safety guidelines.

Info and sign up on the GORC Message Board.

Green Rock at Greensfelder to Receive Generous Makeover

2011-09-15T21:36:00.011-05:00

So, you know that one spot where the horse jumps are down in the huge Greensfelder valley? Right there where you're cruising on the crushed gravel Eagle Valley trail where it curves left and you wonder where that single-turning-to-doubletrack goes off to the slight right?

Come help GORC next Saturday and let us open your eyes to parts of Greensfelder you may have never traveled.

Taking a worded tour, I'll fill you in the best I can.

Well, steer off to the slight right and ride up and over a weird knoll in the middle of the woods. That fast roller is what remains of a lake that used to be on the Greensfelder property over 100 years ago. It lasted something like one or two years before blowing out during a hard rain. Yep, that's a manmade feature in the middle of what appears to be virgin woods.

That camera is going to cost you - one knee should do. I pray you aren't on the one gear.

Now, stray to the left and cross the creek. Going right - before crossing the creek - would take you up a jeep road (maybe it was singletrack once???) that will break your heart. It climbs and climbs and then shoots up the last 200 feet. At the top is the Greensfelder Scenic Overlook that gives you a great view of the valley you just climbed (or walked) with your bike.

But anyway, cross that creek I mentioned. Continue and stay on the singletrack trail that veers slightly right. Going left takes you up another, um, death by hill. That drops you off on Allenton Road where you can hitchhike back to town since your legs may be smoked by then.

What was I saying? Oh, stay in that valley, veer slight right and you'll be continuing on Green Rock. This is a trail the Boy Scouts built many, many moons ago that goes all the way from Rockwoods Range through Greensfelder and wraps up deep in Rockwoods Reservation. Well, the Boys didn't have GPS gadgets back then and they ended up on private property. Boundary fail and such. Well, it was brought to St. Louis County's attention and they are tackling this issue and plan on having it resolved as quickly as possible.

That's where GORC, your local 501-c3 (tax-deductible!) non-profit trailbuilder extraordinaire, comes in.

The reroute offers a mix of fast dirt, karst technical, and climbing turns.

We've realigned the northern portion of Green Rock that crosses boundaries so that it will now be completely on County property. With the help of St. Louis County Parks we will be closing about a .5 mile of Green Rock and replacing it with almost a mile of new trail to reconnect both ends of Green Rock that are on Greensfelder's property.

Camera phone pictures nearly always fail at capturing depth. This climbs is deceptively boring in appearance. Wait till it opens to tires...

The new reroute will feature some rocky vistas, technical tread and some sweet descents. A short, original portion of Green Rock will remain to gain much-needed elevation and it is a crank bender. It is definitely rideable as I usually ride the Fixed Monkey out there in the winter months. Think Chubb steep with Chubb rocks and you'll have a good idea.

This GORC-built reroute, when complete, will tidy up the northern end of Green Rock inside Greensfelder's boundaries. This trail is considered an out-and-back because you have to turn around at the large Rockwoods Reservation sign if you are on your bike or horse.

Dropping back down into the Green Rock valley (just before the SoD) it's hard not to be impressed by the depth of the valley, the size of the trees and the amount of water that flows during heavy rains.

For the near future (as in years) this trail will be Greensfelder's only northern trail. Possibly, someday, in a galaxy far, far away, we may expand on this singletrack and assess the feasibility of connecting it to Melrose completely on Greensfelder's property or to make a lollipop/loop at that end of the park.

But for now, the tour is over, turn your bike around and descend back to the horse jumps. The park trails go in all four directions.

Which way will you go?

Trail Love, GORC Style

2011-09-13T21:34:00.007-05:00

A lot of the work GORC performs goes unnoticed - and that's a good thing. From downed trees to drainage issues, the club keeps tabs of the area trails every time riders hit the dirt.

What may take a volunteer several hours to complete can go unnoticed as you whisk by the maintained section in the blink of an eye. While not comprehensive by any means, here's a short pictorial of work performed this month.

This work has been performed all summer by Chubb riders as they beat this tread into the extreme sideslope on the two short fall line reroutes. If you remember last year they were very off-camber. You are in for a surprise now if you haven't traveled there lately. Both reroutes have been ridden and a great tread has formed. The amount of man hours it took to bench cut the hillsides is staggering. You have to remind yourself that you aren't on the side of a mountain traversing a scree field.

Kudos to the sideslope work on the Chubb reroutes. These additions let riders get up the hill while the still-open original track allows for ripping downhills.

This tree on Flint Quarry at West Tyson/Chubb stuck around all summer but unfortunately, sometimes that's the case. GORC is entirely volunteer-based and the summer months can be busy for folks with the day jobs.

Sawing out deadfall is one of the more dangerous jobs GORC performs but all safety measures are taken: Sawyer training, leg chaps, sawyer helmets, sawyer gloves and tip-top equipment ensures that all tasks go smoothly. This downed tree at Greensfelder needed a chainsaw; many times a simple pack saw will take care of many downed saplings or branches. They are compact and fit nicely in hydration packs.

This tree on DeClue was a bugger as it was large enough to require several strategic cuts. If a tree is too large or too high off the ground and is deemed unsafe, GORC will use prudent judgment and request the county to step in. Not all downed trees can be taken out safely with our equipment or man power, however, it is a rare occurrence.

This short pictorial is just some of the work GORC is performing for the benefit of all trail users - biker, hiker, and equestrian - in just the past month or so. Next time you see a tree cut at the trailside or some drainage maintenance just remember: GORC love you long time.

Fall Workday Season is Here!

2011-09-09T10:30:00.002-05:00

That's right, only one week away from the start of another workday season. This time it's a mix of maintenance and new trail construction. Have a look here for some info on how much trail we've built in the STL. We want more, but we have to take care of what's already built as well; and we can't do that without your help, so please come to some workdays this year.

9/17 Rock Hollow
9/24 Greensfelder

10/15 Matson Hill
10/22 Cliff Cave
10/29 Matson Hill

11/5 Creve Coeur (Volunteer Appreciation Party)
11/12 Greensfelder
11/19 Castlewood

12/3 Rock Hollow
12/10 SIUE
12/17 Creve Coeur

2X10 Babble

2011-09-05T21:25:00.002-05:00

I've finally ridden enough on the Superfly 100 to spew my thoughts on the 2x10 drivetrain. I know this isn't about trail building or advocacy but, hey, it's about bikes and how they move so I figured what the hell, this blog can use all the editorial content it can get.

My experience is on the Sram X0 2x10 drivetrain with a 39/26 in the front and a 12/36 on the backside. At first I wasn't sure what to think with all the hype about no dropped chains, no chainsuck, you'll ride faster, chains don't wear out, you don't need a chain, whatever the hype machine had to say in Mountain Bike Faction.

Well....

At Ouachita I dropped the chain off the large chainring twice ... and twice ripped some sweet metal flake paint clean off the drive side chainstay.

In Taos on the steep South Boundary descent I dropped the chain off the big chainring and pedal/jam-sucked the chain causing the 10 speed chain to twist a link. I didn't know why it shifted like a worn out a VW Bus until the next day while cleaning the bike.

But….

Other than those two semi-major incidents of droppage the system has been terrific. The shifter pods took a bit to get used with the upshift action being another thumb-activated push action. Unlike the Shimano system you press a smaller paddle just behind the main thumb downshifted. The shifting has been crisp and tight; on steep climbs the rear derailleur moves easily and deliberately when the going gets tough.

The gearing has been the best part. Unlike a 3x10 system where you learn about the badness of cross-chaining or how lame you are to use the granny or wonder why the big ring exists because it's rarely used when you're ACTUALLY mountain biking on singletrack, well, the 2x10 system condenses the gears down into a much more useable range. I found myself riding FASTER because the gears matched closer together and I didn't have to think about the shifting - there's no cross-chaining voodoo and the larger ring is used more often than not simply because the gear mavens have offered use a pizza wheel 36er to get us up those steep climbs.

After riding a 2x10 drivetrain most of 2011, I am convinced I won't be going back to a 3x10 ever - unless it's on my existing bikes. What I mean is that I won't be buying a new 3 ring crank in my future, not with our easier Missouri terrain. And to be as minimal as possible, I would say most people would enjoy a 1x10 with the newly available 36 hanging on the back. Those two extra teeth can conquer worlds… well, almost.

While I wouldn't say you should just go out and replace your perfectly good system, I would say that you should investigate the 2x10 options out there offered by Sram and Shimano if you are building up a new bike or have come to the conclusion that your current drivetrain is played out. I've checked complete systems and they do have that sticker shock going for them, however, the new XT keeps the price within reason and the x7 or x9 is supposedly pretty good stuff.

All of the above ramblings are solely mine and I don't take responsibility for your knee surgery should you discover the 2x10 setup is not for you. However, if you have any XT or XX product laying around I might be interested in applying it to some bikes for further testing.

Recycle Your Tubes, Tires and Bike

2011-09-01T22:21:00.002-05:00

Recycle Your Innertubes and Now... Bike Tires!
Recycle bike tires (50 cents ea) and tubes (free) while helping raise money for a local non-profit by dropping your used up rubber hoops off at these fine establishments:

REI (south of Galleria)
Hub Bicycle (Webster Groves)
Big Shark (U City - tubes only)
The Bike Center (Des Peres)

Since 2008, these shops have recycled nearly 3 tons of tubes and tires that get a second life as new auto tires and rubber ground cover. They are not made into "tire derived" fuel. In the process, over $500 has been raised for a local non-profit employer, W.A.C. Industries.

Recycle Your Used Bicycle!
BicycleWorks accepts bikes in any condition, see www.bworks.org, under the 'donate' tab for specific details)

Since 1988 BicycleWorks has repurposed for nonprofit programming, 10,000 bikes (and bike parts) that would have otherwise gone to a landfill. Each year about 50 at-risk kids from the city learn about bike safety and basic maintenance, while they earn a refurbished bike, helmet. lock, and light through their free Earn-A-Bike program.

Great Upcoming Mountain Bike Events

2011-08-30T21:29:00.004-05:00

It's been a great year so far and the weather has played along nicely. While I'm bummed to see the annual GORC vacation come to a close I've gotta say that the riding around St. Louis has been top-notch.

Matson Hill, Castlewood and Greensfelder are all riding fast and maturing gracefully. Greensfelder is especially nice right now. The weather has allowed bikers to keep the horse hooves beat down and there aren't really any hooves to beat down because no one has been riding in the rain. Because it hasn't been raining!

Matson Hill is the sleeper in the metro St. Louis area. Erase all past memories - the newly minted Oxen Mill trail addition is stellar and is the gem of St. Charles county. The GORC trail designers outperformed themselves and I can't wait to see what's coming next.

The best way to meet mountain bikers is to attend mountain biking events and we appear to have stacks of them coming up all put together by solid organizations.

In the race category we have the Matson Hill Mashor race next Sunday (the 6/12 hour SAC River race is the previous day), followed by the Chubb Time Trial in early October. That race is sure to find the weak link in you and your bike.

Next up we have both a festival event out of town - the Brown County Breakdown in Indiana - and a legendary 6/12 hour Missouri race - Burnin' at the Bluff. Both events are not to be missed, however, you'll have to miss one. If you've always wanted to do an endurance race and meet damn near every competitive mountain biker from St. Louis then you owe it to yourself to haul down to Council Bluff Lake. The camping is superb and the comaraderie grows deep into the night. Meanwhile, the Brown County Breakdown is held at the massive Brown County State Park and offers 30 miles of buff, flowy singletrack. Upwards of 700 people attend and you'll be the select few that traversed state lines to attend. This is a great introduction to the STL pilgrimage that is "hey, i'm going to brown county."

If you are into cyclocross then there's a ton of 'cross events scheduled around the STL into early next year. I haven't jumped into that pool so that's all I know about 'cross. I do know I love exploring on my Salsa cross bike, though. If a road bike is like a car then the cross bike is a stylish SUV; fast but always ready to get a little dirty (and its tires won't explode at the first sign of singletrack.)

And don't forget that GORC has a fall calendar FULL of trail workdays where we build and maintain trail in the morning and then get to ride that park's trails in the afternoon. This year we are having our GORC Volunteer Appreciation Day at Creve Coeur park. We'll post more details as the date approaches.

That's enough to keep you busy for the next few months. I am saddened to be back from Taos (so soon it's over?) but our trails are a shining star in the midwestern region and I'm happy to have discovered GORC back in 2001.

Fun fact; my very first workday was at Greensfelder. The workday was hard (worked on a section of Dogwood that's now been rerouted/closed), the trails beat me down, I saw Chewie throw up while climbing on a fixie and my Trek 6500 with flat pedals got scratched up. But I was hooked. Forget Grant's trail!

Last Ride: All Epic - Garcia Park, Jaracita, South Boundary

2011-08-21T14:19:00.004-05:00

On the last riding day, GORC headed up to Garcia Park and offered three ride scenarios; Ride from there down South Boundary to town (11 miles); Ride Jaracita as a loop and ending on South Boundary back at Garcia Park (14 miles); or kill it and ride the Jaracita loop and then take South Boundary all the way to town (31 miles).

Half the group rode from the cars to town, though, they made a group decision and detoured onto the Ojito Canyon trail which made their total 18 miles. The other half rode Jaracita loop with Bryan, Ross and Jason leading ahead to also tackle the epic down into town.

However, little did we know, Jaracita's upper reaches was comprised of narrow singletrack/bear track with large stretches of just beaten down grass. It was a truly awesome trail with alpine views and the sense of riding where not many people go - except bears, deer, cows, elk, squirrels and cougars. The riding was generally uphill until we got to South Boundary at which point Jon, Tom, Mari and Steve W saw the black death cloud forming over our descent.

The final GORC ride was, as always, truly epic. Thunder clouds, lightning, heavy rain, coldness and wet electronics, I wasn't going to forget this ride. The descent was sketch, especially without glasses (hey, where are they?) and I forgot about the two mile climb near the cars at Garcia.

The loop riders all got wet. The townies stayed dry and rode the most mileage. It was a great last day in Taos.

Following a chicken path - it was an adventure that reminded me of the Alpine Tunnel loop.

Only bent grass indicated the trail in several spots

The narrowest singletrack of the week. Steve W was in heaven

Speaking of heaven, New Mexico felt like giving us a good old beat down. A great shot but it all went to hell six minutes later.

Winded on Winsor; The non-shuttle Ride

2011-08-21T13:59:00.004-05:00

Matt, Tom, Lisa and Mari headed down to Santa Fe on Thursday to ride the famed Winsor trail just north of town. The trail drops 3,400 feet in ten miles and consistently drops - no climbing in the middle of the ride.

Since we didn't want to deal with the super long timeframe of shuttling cars back and forth we rode this out'n'back from the base to the top and then dropped back down. It took 3 hours to climb (with numerous camera breaks) and 44 minutes to descend - half of it in a good, pouring rain. The descent was fantastic and the views were super scenic.

The other GORCers rode AngelFire and had the time of their lives. I was torn and wanted to do both but Winsor, again, was a trail I'd been wanting to ride since last year. I'll post up some AngelFire photos when I get their camera images.

Oh, you might want to ask Mike why wearing a helmet is generally a good idea. Never saw anything quite like it...

The trail begins by climbing between residential properties for the first mile. If you didn't keep pushing you'd swear this trail was anything but beautiful or epic.

We broke out into this meadow a three miles up the trail and entered the Ponderosa Pine section. The trail base is damp and similar in feel to the Pacific Northwest (weird), enters the Pines, then Aspen and finally, high elevation foliage.

Many parts of Winsor are in mint condition. Large sections, however, are turning into a downhill course with huge ruts, gaping wide singletrack and general trail cargnage. Since the trail follows the Tesuque drainage, it's tough for it to even come close to IMBA's recommended trail gradients.

Another section of perfect bench

The climb was steady and doable until it got stupid steep near the top. The Garmin 800 loaded with a ton of area trail courses was invaluable with the numerous intersections, lack of signage and forest maps not featuring all the trails available.

Tom near the top of Winsor. It was quickly becoming like a motorcycle hill climb trail.

The view from the top of Winsor near the Santa Fe Ski and Recreation area. The scenery stretched over 70 miles. Classic mountain bike awesome. Classic.

Rest Day - Tent Rocks For Matt n Lisa

2011-08-21T13:50:00.003-05:00

For the rest day, Matt and Lisa headed down to Santa Fe to check out the Tent Rocks National Monument. The rest of the house went white water rafting on the Rio Grande in Taos but I'd been wanting to check out Tent Rocks since last year.

I don't have any photos of the rafting as I haven't acquired everyone's camera photos so the blog is MnL photocentric.

Figured we'd better get some house photos before the trip ends.

GORC:Taos Basecamp back patio. The hot tub is off to the right. The 7,500 SF house served us well. Across the gravel road we had an Adobe-style 3,000 SF home with a tremendous view of the mountains.

Blog update in action

Tent rocks are formed when the softer tuff/volcanic ash is protected by a denser caprock and water over millions of years erodes the material.

Hiking above the valley of the Tent Rocks

Classic northern New Mexico landscape. We don't get these kind of vistas in Missouri

Rio Grande Del Rancho and the Green Chili Beer

2011-08-16T17:07:00.011-05:00

Feeling a little tired today we all decided to ride the much more relaxed out-n-back Rio Grande Del Rancho 12 mile (total) trail. This formerly double-track trail climbed and descended the contours southeast of Rancho de Taos. I say formerly because it is mostly a two-track width of Banshee ATV tracks. The tracks offered a nice berm in all the corners so we could keep our speed. It was a reprieve in preparation for the rest of the week which we are still figuring out.

After the casual ride we all went to Eske's Brewpub and had lunch. We are taking the afternoon off but some may be rafting the Rio Grande tomorrow.

Stay tuned for an update tomorrow. I know it's a brief update but you like looking at the pictures anyway, right? Anyhow, I need a beer.

As usual, no matter how flat the actual ride, there is always a steep, loose climb at the start!

Climbing 3 minutes in...

View from the top where the trail levels off

The trail is reminiscent of the Midland Trail in Buena Vista, CO

Craig leaning into the short climb out of the arroyo

It's hard to imagine the mountains are five minutes outside Taos

Stunting the jump

Steve W jumped the jump and used his shoulder to skid-steer ... and blew the front tire off his rim .. and tweaked his rear rim.

After the ride we stopped at Eske's brewpub for a sampler. The bottom left is the famed Green Chili beer.

Green chili stew burrito!

Marvin eyeballing the goods Matt and Lisa ordered

All your courtyard are belong to GORC

Mission accomplished

Down the South Boundary

2011-08-16T07:26:00.005-05:00

The South Boundary trail is Taos' trail gem. It's the equivalent of going to Salida and riding the Monarch Crest or Durango for Kennebac Pass.

We loaded up the trucks and drove for about an hour up into the mountains where we dropped Jason and Ross off at the Elliot Barker trail to get a longer ride. The South Boundary is right around 20 miles and coupled with Elliot Barker they were looking at about a 34 mile ride.

Once they were dumped off we continued onto a rough dirt road before reaching the trailhead. All the riders unloaded and Suzanne, Mike, Glenn and Karen were all kind enough to take the vehicles to the end of the ride. Had they not our shuttle recovery mission would've added an extra tiring hour to the day.

The South Boundary shot up at a steep but rideable percentage. We climbed an additional 800 feet at the start before topping out at 10,700 feet at the trail's crest. From there it was all generally downhill except for the uphills in the middle.

However, once we passed Garcia Park and climbed a bit more we got to experience an 11 mile downhill more or less. Flying through the aspens it was hard to take in the scenery at times. But - you also don't want your eyes to stray as the mountainside grade sloped away enough to make you pucker.

Eventually South Boundary quit playing nice and dropped 1900 feet in 2.5 miles. This part of the trail traversed the arid lower elevations so large loose rock and outcroppings kept things mighty interesting at speed.

After four hours of downhill bliss, smoked brakes, a bent chain and 'wondering' where Ross and Jason might be we rolled into the parking lot and drank in the scenery.... in a can.

You'll have to ask Jason about the bear in the woods, a guy with a weed eater, getting lost with a gps course and how much he cares for Elliot Barker for the full story.

Of course no matter how far you drive up there is always a singletrack uphill awaiting at the start

Steve and Lisa climbing the 800 foot early ascent

Craig taking a berm

Beginning to open up into a meadow

Stopping for a break at Garcia Park in the middle of South Boundary

Climbing out of Garcia Park and onto the second half of major awesomeness

Jon A getting above the roller

Kirby floating

John T on the descent

There were several rollers early into the last major descent down South Boundary

Tom dropping the natural water bar

As we got closer to Taos the scenery changed from Pines to Aspen to semi-arid pinon and sage

The last half-mile back to the trucks. What a great day.

Horse Thief and Killer Dinner

2011-08-15T07:47:00.007-05:00

We rode Horse Thief yesterday near the Gorge and are heading up to ride the legendary South Boundary trail today. I'll keep this post short but hopefully you can see how the day went with this photo montage.

As always on vacation, I'm running late this morning.

Loading up to head out

Groupshot at Horse Thief trailhead - like herding cats on bikes.

Looking into the canyon at the start of the ride

Glen heading onto the trail

Rodney finishing the last climb

Jon A leading the train

Bryan on the SuppleFly

Kirby

Marvin with Steph catching up

Post-ride reflection with Tom, Mari and Kirby

Bryan, Matt and Steve looking into the canyon

Matt, Lisa, Tom and Mari headed to the Taos Pueblo in the late afternoon - simply amazing

An Indian oven - a horno - where the Indian bread comes from. Oh the Indian bread!

Matt flash-frying Shishito peppers for everyone. A New Mexico staple.

Shishito pepper make you crazy, man

'I can cook burgers!' ...

'...and burn down the hillside.' Aren't we at Stage II fire restrictions?

Enjoying the fantastic New Mexican evening weather at million dollar house.

Rift Valley Trail - Taos, NM

2011-08-14T08:22:00.003-05:00

We'll get more action shot photos soon but I (seamonkey) haven't had time to gather everyone's camera cards.

The Rift Valley trail was our first proper trail ride in Taos, New Mexico. Yesterday's ride was super enjoyable and all had a blast. The sun cooperated by not withering us into piles of burning flesh which we thought was a nice gesture considering the tallest things out there are crusty-looking sage brush.

The trail offered some great views of the Rio Grand Gorge. The 10 mile trail was ridden twice by several folks who just couldn't get enough.

OK, gotta run, Horsethief needs 40 tires on it.

Craig and Suzanne heading to do a loop of the Rift Valley trail.

The tallest vegetation were two lone trees about 10 feet tall separated at birth from one another by miles of sagebrush.

This is probably the 'rift' in Rift Valley Trail. The Rio Grand Gorge is spectacular to witness in person.

It stays arid in these parts ..... though..... it did roll in a good rain a few hours later. Thor has arrived.

Everyone had a great time on the easy Rift Valley.

Dale Ball Trails - Santa Fe, NM

2011-08-14T08:11:00.005-05:00

After a hard night of driving the GORC crew stopped by The Pantry on Old Route 66 (Cerrillos Rd.) for breakfast. We all drove over and inundated Mellow Velo with questions and window shopping.

Our goal was to ride the outer 10 mile loop of Dale Ball, which is a trail network comprised of at least 42 intersections, but after climbing some steeper percentages and with a looming thundercloud dropping some serious bass, we opted to cut it short. We ended up with just over 6 miles of riding the first day which was fine in itself - most of us were blown out from staying up since Thursday morning.

We'll show you our palaces in a later episode of our broadcast but I (Matt) have to get rolling out the door soon to tackle the Horsethief Trail.

Group shot, first day of riding, Dale's Balls.

Steve Woods climbing a rocky ledge at Dale Ball

Bryan ascending on the SF100

'Where the hell are we?' he asked. 'Yeah, but where the hell is the other half of our crew,' I wondered. We eventually located everyone.

Lisa at the top of the climb.

GORC Train En Route to Taos... Via Santa Fe

2011-08-11T22:53:00.010-05:00

As I write this the GORC storm is a few hours past Springfield having downed some large doses of Mexican fare. Their expected ETA is sometime tomorrow late morning.

The leading edge of this storm arrived in Santa Fe two days ago and has since introduced themselves to the fine entrepreneurs at Mellow Velo bike shop. They were very helpful in passing opinions of the area trails.

The GORC scouts (matt n lisa) have been acclimating to the altitude not by riding but by eating, yes eating. Breakfast burritos, dinner platters, desserts, you name it. They are hoping to make it up the climbs using Burrito Pow'r(tm).

Tom and Mari arrived at the scout camp in Santa Fe late this morning and all four of them went over to the Santa Fe Farmer's Market to score some Shushito peppers - 7 pounds - that will be used to feed the GORC crew and enable them to all send out audible smoke signals between the two mansion cribs in Taos.

Look for additional information here as the two storm fronts converge on the Dale Ball trail network sometime tomorrow before caravaning up to Taos.

Bikes lay dormant till Friday

Cafe Pasqual's is a favorite for the vacation scouts

Mellow Velo is operated out of a small adobe home. Tight quarters run by a tight-knit crew

The Santa Fe River running dry this year. Normally it has a garden hose's worth of water tricking down.

Shushito Peppers, flash-fried with a dose of sea salt, are just the mf'in' heat. Eat 'em till you're sick.

Taos Invasion Looms As GORC Forges Its Final Plan

2011-08-08T21:03:00.003-05:00

Map Details Intercepted from the GORC Offense Mapping Agency detailing key components of Taos' day-to-day operations.

GORC Headed to Taos Next Thursday Night

2011-08-07T20:23:00.000-05:00

Look for brief recaps, photos and more scattered on our blog and facebook page while we are away. We'll be back the following weekend.

Muddy area at SIUE

2011-07-18T09:33:00.001-05:00

SIUE is pumping some sort of mud slurry off the back of their maintenance area, just west of the maintenance road, and unfortunately, our trail just happens to be in the way. People are already trying to ride across it, and it will not help matters any in drying it up.
Last time this happened, about 4 yrs. ago, or so, it must have taken well over a month for the area to dry up with all of the tire tracks running through it and holding water.
To spare yourself a very muddy bike, or muddy shoes, your best bet is to follow the alternate paved route shown on the map through Cougar Village until it firms up a bit.

Matson Map Update

2011-07-05T10:42:00.000-05:00

The St. Charles GORC crew, and St. Charles County Parks never stop! They just keep adding more and more trail at Matson Hill. As a result of the spring workdays, another 0.6 miles of trail is ready for you to ride. Please respect the signs, and turn around and return by the same route, as requested. There are a couple of workdays scheduled for Matson in the fall, so if you want to see more trail like this, please volunteer.

Lumberjack 100

2011-06-20T15:02:00.003-05:00

Hey all you fans of endurance racing out there. Or, just those who happened by here to see if there was anything new. I went and did the Lumberjack 100 last weekend up in Manistee, MI. It was my first 100 mile MTB race since Leadville several years ago. A few of us tried to get in, but due to the popularity, Twister was the only one to get an entry. I was lucky enough to buy the entry from him and begin the "training" back in April. I can't say that I did a very good job of training until late May and early June. Which was probably way too late to be ready for a race in Mid-June. However, I did manage to finish without major issues and had a blast doing it.

Steph and I left for Manistee on Thursday and made a layover in Holland, MI. We stayed right downtown in a really swanky energy efficient award winning hotel. We tried out the local New Holland Brewery and each had a sampler. It was right after their IPA fest, so that had about every conceivable type of IPA available. Most were pretty good and a good night was spent in Holland.

Friday, we got up and drove to the race to get some pre-riding in. It was a beautiful day, but we soon could feel the humidity and the pesky mosquito's. We set up the EZ-UP in the pit area and battened it down for the evening. I ended up riding the first 6 miles and last 6 miles or so. I could tell it was going to be a fast race with lot's of fun singletrack, but hard because of some steep little ups. Mitch the Mashor told me it was all about momentum and I now know what he meant.

Saturday was race day and another beautiful one weather wise. We got there really early to make sure we could park near the start. The racers rode down the paved road 2-3 miles for the start. I managed to squeeze my way in the starting line about 100 or so back. When the gun went off I got on the back wheel of a guy that was motoring along and moving up. I'd say I went into the singletrack in the top 75 or so. My plan was to ride hard for the first 30 minutes to make sure I wasn't stuck behind the social groups and then kick it back to a 10-11 mph average. My goal was to finish the race at around 10 hours. The trail was so fun and fast that it was hard to slow down. After the first 33 mile lap, I had done a 12 mph average and just under 3 hours. I knew that was going to hurt me on the next two. And sure enough my 2nd lap was pretty tough. About midway I had a brief cramp which turned out to be the only one of the day. Amazing! I did recover a little and came in around 3:30 for lap 2. Lap 3 was way slower at 4 hours, but I felt pretty decent as I just was riding to finish and not push it too much. I had a great time chatting with the racers that I would catch or had caught me. I used Perpetuem and chomped Enervit tablets most of the day. I probably only did 3 GU's all day. Steph had peanut butter and honey sandwiches and a banana ready for me between laps. Throw in a couple cokes and a bunch of water and that was my diet for the day. I think I should have done more GU, but I was afraid of knotting up my stomach. It did really help my energy though when I did start using it later in the race.

I ended up finishing in 10 hours and 24 minutes. My ride time was well under 10 hours, but I spent too much time between laps and at the midpoint aid station and cost myself a lot of time. I was pretty happy with the way I felt and performed especially considering my preparation was not the best.

All I can say is if you haven't done a 100 miler and your interested, the Lumberjack 100 is a great choice for your first. The trail is a ton of fun without any real technical challenge. It's deceiving though because it is really easy to push your pace without even realizing it.

Thanks for reading,
Bryan

Spring 2011 Workday Schedule Completed

2011-06-15T09:06:00.005-05:00

Greensfelder- Deer Run Extension- modified Turnpike in mid-construction

Greensfelder -Deer Run Extension - Finished Turnpike

Another Spring workday session has come and gone. Here's a brief summary of what happened at each of them:

1/15 - SIUE - rerouted two sections of trail that had become unsustainable, and completed one major armoring job on Trail 4.

2/26 - Greensfelder - built new 0.5 mile trail off of Scenic Loop Rd. which will take Deer Run trail down the hill to the Eagle Valley trail.

3/12 - Matson Hill - worked on 3 switchbacks. Continued flagging and construction of new singletrack which will eventually give the park 10+ miles!

3/26 - Indian Camp Creek - continued work of reroutes to make the trail sustainable. Maintenance work on drainages.

4/9 - Greensfelder - armored drainages and opened new trail constructed in Feb.

5/21 - Cliff Cave - worked on trails which will form an inner loop within the Spring Valley trail.

5/28-29 - Klondike - reconstructed Hogsback Trail after storm damage. SLAG, GORC, and St Charles County Parks contributing.

6/4 - Indian Camp Creek - additional work on reroutes, and maintenance.

6/4 - Castlewood - maintenance work on National Trails Day.

6/11 - Matson - IMBA Trail Care Crew Class, built new connector loop at top of trail and reclaimed old trail tread.

We're going to continue building new trail, and maintaining what we have. Remember, none of this could happen without the time invested by volunteers. If you've always wanted to help out, but never have, or haven't been to a workday for awhile, well, the Fall would be a good time to get involved! Keep an eye on the GORC forum for a Fall 2011 schedule, and watch our email updates for more information.

2011 Greensfelder Challenge: A Fundraiser Benefiting GORC

2011-05-15T20:07:00.005-05:00

Saturday, May 7, 2011

A steady stream of 152 racers arrived at Greensfelder County Park to participate in one of the area's hardest mountain bike races. This particular race was special to GORC as the promoters of the race series, the United Federation of Dirt (UFD), turned it into a fundraiser for the club. Known as the Greensfelder Challenge, the annual race was first held in 2010.

Readying for 3 hours of Marathon bliss

This year's course was a half-mile shorter but offered over an additional mile and a half of singletrack. Members of GORC had designed a half-mile reroute that addressed a severely eroded and abused portion of the Deer Run trail. This new sustainable multi-use reroute snaked down a steep, scenic hillside from the Scenic Loop Road and connected to the super fast, technical Deer Run drop-in that catapulted racers onto the Eagle Valley gravel path. Turning left in 2011 showcased GORC's hard work from 2009-2011 to build a sustainable singletrack climb up to the Visitor's Center. This climb needed substantial armoring and drainage due to several seeps that "magically" appeared after the initial build. This long climb switchbacked three times above itself allowing for spectators to see racers climbing on three singletrack "levels."

However, the race almost didn't happen as a short but steady rain moved through the area in the wee hours of the morning. With the Marathon and Beginner Cat 3 classes launching at 10:00 the GORC honchos grilled pre-riders attempting to ascertain the course conditions. After several bouts of what-ifs it was agreed the trails would hold up quite well.

Jeff focusing on his perfection that is known as 'pulled pork sammich'

And they did! Despite the wetness during the first two laps of Marathon, the course firmed up over the course of the day as the sun came out to support GORC. Jeff Rippelmeyer, Bob and Steph manned the BBQ and brew booth all day long. Jeff's legendary grilling skills were confirmed the entire day as racers and spectators chowed down on excellent pulled pork sandwiches. The two Schlafly kegs, a hefe and pale ale, died honorably and swiftly. The thirsty crowds demanded more and so the gas stations in Eureka were raided with all available cans hauled back up the hill to the BBQ tent.

A healthy dose of GORCers represented in the race and did quite well. Scott Peipert (Cat I Expert), Jason Zoll (Marathon), Matt Hayes (single speed), Christine Ford (Cat I Women), Loreen Matson (Cat I Women), among others, all took home medals in their respective categories.

GORC members readying to single speed for two laps

The donations to GORC poured in ALL DAY LONG from racers and supporters. We raised more than enough to cover our mandatory but 'painful' insurance expense. This insurance allows us to host workdays at all the parks where we build and maintain trails. And to our surprise, Mesa Cycles donated a massive $1,000.00 to GORC. All we can say is thank you and will continue to build stellar trail for all to enjoy.

GORC crew enjoying the carbonated goodies from Schlafly.
Thanks to all those who volunteered!

The 2011 Greensfelder Challenge is in the books and with the exceptional generosity of racers, Mesa Cycles, and the UFD, we are glad to be a part of the awesome St. Louis metro mountain bike community.

Here's to a great summer of riding, racing and celebrating the singletrack trails!

Official Race Results
http://unitedindirt.com/results/UFD-E2-Greensfelder_web.htm

Race Day Photos

GORC (Matt Hayes Gallery)
https://picasaweb.google.com/matthayes4/2011GreensfelderChallenge#

Jim Krewet / DRJ Photos
https://picasaweb.google.com/rhadrj/Greensfelder#

Off The Front Photography
http://otfphoto.com/p310626450

GORC Trailbuilding Statistics

2011-04-18T10:55:00.011-05:00

Area trails with their total mileage, and the part of each which was constructed by GORC

GORC World HQ recently compiled the statistics showing the course of our trailbuilding efforts over the past 10 years, and they proved to be somewhat of an eye-opener, even to those who are actively involved in trail design and building.

Many people in the STL area probably take these trails for granted, or think that they were built with taxpayer money, and don't realize how much trail was really built by volunteer labor. Some of these trails listed have been around for a long time, others are brand new. One thing they have in common is that GORC has at some point contributed to them. The contributions range from very small, like construction of a short reroute on Berryman, and periodic maintenance there. Others are like SIUE, Klondike, or Creve Coeur where the trails were completely designed, built and actively maintained by GORC. We are not taking credit for all of the trails listed here, but the mileage totals speak for themselves. Many different outdoor-oriented groups make use of these trails, and we wanted to make it known how they came about.

GORC is really a pretty small group, and most of its effectiveness comes from being able to manage the logistical aspects of drawing together a shifting, and diverse pool of volunteer labor- not just mountain bikers, to get trails built. We need all the help we can get to continue to build and maintain trails in the area. Please consider attending a workday to help out. If you don't want to attend a workday, we'll also happily take your donations, but we'd rather have the labor.

Total trail mileage, and that constructed by GORC

Area trail mileage constructed by year
The dip in production in 2005-06 was due to our hosting the Midwest Mountain Bike Festival, which took away a lot of time from design

Field Test-- Fanno Bull Saw

2011-03-30T11:15:00.001-05:00

I don't know what's nerdier, using a hand saw to cut out deadfall, or writing an article about it. Anyway, most people probably never give much thought to how those trees laying across the trail magically disappear. There are several ways: trail users remove smaller ones that can be moved by one or more people, or cut with a pack saw; staff in many parks remove them once they are notified of the location; or GORC sawyers, with the park's permission, cut them out. There are 5 or 6 active sawyers right now, so the same guys keep getting called on.

After spending a long evening recently dealing with Stinkbait's finicky Poulan to remove a couple of trees on Dogwood and DeClue, I decided chainsaws were a real pain. Not having any desire to own one, got me looking for alternatives, and I came across the Fanno Bull Saw, which is billed as a one-man crosscut saw.

I figured that if I could cut out these trees on Deer Run shown in the pictures, I could probably do anything because:
--the tree was green
--the crown was caught up in another tree putting it in compression
--the diameter was ~10-14"
-- the tree was high off the ground and couldn't be supported it until it got lower
--it was hot
--my assistant had a short attention span

To make a short story short, it took about 45 minutes to make 4+ cuts. I think it would have been much faster had I used wedges, and all of the above stuff hadn't been against me. A chainsaw would have probably been done with everything in about 10 minutes or less, assuming everything went as expected. Overall, the time getting ready + time spent cutting probably balanced out.

Summary:
This saw works pretty smoothly, but was certainly more work than a chainsaw. The good things: much smaller investment; no time loading up bob-trailer and necessary equipment; no need for all the chainsaw safety equipment (chaps, earplugs); quiet, no smelly exhaust. I'll use it again for uncomplicated ones, but will probably leave the more difficult ones for a chainsaw.

Edit 3/30/11: Since I wrote the original post last fall, I've used the saw again at Greensfelder and SIUE. It really makes pretty quick work of trees up to about 10", and usually only takes a short time to get through, depending on how fit I am at the time... I've run into a few problems with trees that were lying flat on the ground, but as long as they're elevated enough to get the saw underneath as well, it hasn't been that big a deal.

Indian Camp Creek Workday- Saturday, March 26th 9am-1pm

2011-03-22T07:33:00.003-05:00

When: Saturday, March 26th, from 9:00 til 1:00.

Where: Indian Camp Creek Park. It's approx 7 miles North of I-70 on 40/61. (Turn left on Dietrich Rd roughly .6 miles after passing W.) The Google Map link (click this for link, then click the Green bike) will take you to the Park. Follow the road around to the back of the Park, and look for signage that will direct you to Saturday's meeting location. (This'll have to do until Google updates their map from early 2006. )

What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail. Please read through pilznr’s “What to expect at a workday” post. It will also give you some hints on how to prepare for a workday.

Please RSVP via ONE of the following (to make sure we bring enough food):
The St. Charles County Park's (SCCP) office [636-949-7535],
through the WebTrac registration system on the parks website, or on this thread.

GORC & St. Charles County Parks will provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, safety guidelines, and lunch.

NOTICE: In case of bad weather, please call the St. Charles County Parks (SCCP's) Trail Hotline (636-949-7475, option #2). SCCP's will only leave a message about the workday if it's canceled.

We've got ~ 40 Scouts and their parents coming out, so we could use some experienced workers. There's a reroute, plus a couple armoring projects on the list of things to do, so we've got something for everyone.

Lunch will be provided by Off The Front, so thank one of the team riders the next time you see them on the trails.

Don't forget this is another chance to enter the 2011 GORC Workday Season Raffle for a GT Peace 9r!

Ride Report: On the Middle Fork in the Middle of March

2011-03-20T23:00:00.009-05:00

Lisa and I rode the Middle Fork Saturday in an effort to purge some early season non-riding weaknesses such as ... non-riding. Being that Ouachita is two weeks away or something it seemed wise to at least see if we could competently ride half of it by running the 'Middle Fork-xc loop' implemented by the Team Seagal troops.

Stats (mfxc loop version):
+31 miles total broken down as / 18.5 singletrack (part I) / 10 miles gravel (part II) / 2.5 miles singletrack (part III - you re-ride the first singletrack segment back to the trailhead)
+ 3,200 ft elevation more or less
+ guaranteed awesome trail or your money back
+ seems to be dry when you assume it would be wet like everything in metro STL
+ your feet will get wet at Barton Fen and thereafter

There is a longer full loop that takes you to the end of the Middle Fork section but I have yet to ride it. That loop would make the mileage top out at 38, the extra 7 evenly split between trail and gravel/road.

There's water running down the first major falls. Camping can be had just across the mini-gorge. It's an interesting geological oddity because the terrain near the creek drainage breaks away revealing the water cut rock and opens into an expansive, but relatively shallow valley.

Closeup of the falls in action. Later in the year it is just a trickle.

Burning sensation: The forestry service is currently burning 4,000 acres in the area and riding through this large patch on the Middle Fork is both alien and awesome at the same time. It's cool to easily see the singletrack flow ahead on the contours.

Another shot of the burned berms.

The Middle Fork section of the Ozark Trail is the newest segment to be built within the last eight years. Since its opening in 2005, the trail has grown close to the hearts of mountain bikers and hikers with terrific views, geological features, creeks and sustainable, lengthy climbs and descents. This trail allows contiguous access to North Trace/South Trace, Council Bluff and the Berryman Trail. You could destroy your bike and body before you rode everything offered at the corner of HWY 32 and DD.

Ride it and love it.

The Middle Fork section is to be renamed in honor of the Ozark Trail Association founder and volunteer, John Roth who passed away far too early, for his dedication to the Ozark Trail. Without his leadership and planning, the Middle Fork section would not have been possible. This section was completed in November of 2005 making the Ozark Trail the longest multi-use trail in Missouri. The Middle Fork section connects with the Trace Creek section just northeast of Highway 32 and runs south to the Karkaghne section at Highway J.

Wet-Weather Adventure I: When Ya Gotta Go, Ya Gotta Go: Taking a Dump on the Trail

2011-03-08T16:33:00.006-06:00

In late February the thaw and wet weather cycle forced me to ride my road and cross bikes more than I desired but here I was, forced yet again to get some 'long-steady-miles' whether I wanted them or not.

Let's start by showing you what I wouldn't see on this trip...

That's the Greensfelder, for the record. Not anywhere close to the location of this episode.

With a goal of 50 miles on a early Thursday or Tuesday afternoon - I don't know - the wind carried me down into a Soulard preparing for Mardi Gras. Hookers at Johnny's set up tents and frat truckers quaffed Bud Light Lime.

Skipping 7th Street, I headed North on 3rd St. - the hell of the East. Broken and severely buckled pavement kept me alert while a headwind increased its volume. Shooting past the Arch, skimming by Hopeville, I settled into a nice rhythmn. I waved to the Hazmat crew that has been diligently working at the radioactive site between the trail and river bank for the past two weeks. I know it's radioactive because they have the radiation symbol... and the guys are in white suits. And big wigs seem to be watching from massive F-350s at all times. This is news that will never make it to air.

Anyway, I said I settled in, right? I did for about 15 minutes until I glimpsed a green minivan rounding just out of site. The flood wall curved to his benefit.

Normally, this is just what we call traffic on the Riverfront bike trail. Fish traffic, heavy machinery traffic, crack traffic, whores-for-crack traffic, rush hour overflow traffic, the trail sees it all.

I found out this was traffic fell under the dumping category.

On top of the levee just past the homes on barges, just far enough ahead the driver kept starting and stopping, obviously trying to set some distance between us. I looked down, grabbed some water and stopped to look at the supreme massive crane at the Alberici yard that must be building the piece parts for the oil refinery up the river.

Well, holy crap, I look up the trail after resuming a steady pace and I see the guy dumping his entire van out on either side of the trail.

Like a small apartment amount.

I rode up to the van and glanced over to him while he sat inside. Smoking a cigarette and looking directly at me, I'm pretty sure he questioned the 'hassle' it would be to throw me in the river.

I think it was going to be too much work.

I rode swiftly on, hoping that he didn't want to ask for directions to the nearest license center so he could get his plates renewed. When I turned around for a look, he has making a U on the levee and headed back to who knows where.

Story Shrink: ..., rode up to the Chain of Rocks, rode past 270 to Columbia Bottoms to check out the Confluence. Checked it out and headed back the way I came, past the Chain of Rocks, past the pimped out Mexican truck with every stick-on accessory AutoZone sold (stick on air scoops??) Rode past some abandoned cycling clothes and helmet by the creek drainage (la la la, I'm not thinking about what happened - they got hot ... and ran the other way.)

Came back upon the mini-landfill and attempted to find out 'who' this guy was so I could turn the info in.

I didn't know this was a new landfill. Otherwise, I would've pulled the BOB trailer with the ground plastic and leachate cleaning system. Now it's just going to drain into the river.

It's not in the picture but there's a box of canned food right over there. Corn, spinach, Chef Boyardee, Rice, Cupcakes (open), all with a light sheen of fry grease on the tops.

He has it on blu-ray now.

Because this is a public site with standards of sorts, I am self-censored from showing the pile of wicky-wicky tapes.

I did find several denied unemployment claim statements that had the same name on it. Riding on for about two miles I saw another vehicle approaching. ugh.

Miraculously, it was a CONSERVATION truck. The female agent took the letter and I told her all I knew. Of course, she asked for details. "Uh, green minivan, don't know the plates, black guy, smokin' a cigarette, didn't stop to ask." Case closed, unfortunately.

The story sounds like it should end bad. But that's just not true. Whenever you get on your bike, if you look around, you can best be assured there is an adventure somewhere looking to stir your interest... or drag you into the river.

Until next time, remember kids, recycle all you can and give the rest to the san man.

Matson Hill Workday- Saturday, March 12th

2011-03-07T09:24:00.000-06:00

New trail construction at Matson Hill continues this Sat. March 12th from 9am-1pm. We'll be working on the next phase which is shown in green on the map.
Sign up and details are available here.

Forest City Trail

2011-03-06T10:52:00.001-06:00

Route 66 Bicycles down in Rolla is finishing up the last loop of a trail which will give it a total mileage of 7.5 miles. The trail is located near St. James, MO, between St. Louis, and Rolla.
This is about 25 miles beyond the Bourbon exit heading to Berryman, so next time you're headed that way, or coming back from Syllamo and points west, you might want to stop and check it out. A map and description will be up on the trails page.

First Chance to Enter Raffle for GT Peace 9r

2011-02-25T08:33:00.001-06:00

The workday at Greensfelder on Feb. 26th marks your first chance to enter the 2011 Workday Season Raffle for a GT Peace 9r donated by Ballwin Cycles. Yes, you can join the cool boys and girls and ride big wheels.

The rules are pretty straightforward:
-- Attend a minimum of 2 workdays.
-- Be a current GORC member in good standing.
-- The more workdays you attend, the more chances you have to win.
-- The drawing will be held at the end of the workday season.

Next chance will be March 12th at Matson Hill.

Greensfelder Workday- Saturday, Feb. 26th 9am-1pm

2011-02-22T08:36:00.000-06:00

Finally, a new trail at Greensfelder that isn't rescuing an existing one!

Date: Sat, February 26th, 2010, 9am to 1pm (FREE LUNCH!) – Bike or Hike After!

Location: Greenfelder Park, St. Louis County

What: Our attention changes focus to developing new trail as we push North inside the park. We will be re-routing the Green Rock & Deer Run trails by combining them into a new, single trail. They will drop down from the Scenic road and ultimately connect with the Eagle Valley trail. This trail will be 1.5-2 miles of brand spanking new singletrack. Phase 1 of this project will be 0.5 mile hopefully completed before the Greensfelder Challenge MTB Race.

Where: Greensfelder Park, Allenton Rd. behind Six Flags (Park at Tower Lot)

Take Interstate 44 to the Allenton/Six Flags Exit 261. Go north on Allenton Rd, past the Six Flags entrance. Allenton Rd. bisects Greensfelder Park. Lunch will be afterwards at the Mueckerman Shelter located at the corner of Allenton and Hencken road.
(See www.gorctrails.com for directions and details of the park)

What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail.

GORC & St. Louis County Parks provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, and safety guidelines.

Sign up and more info available here.

Coming Up... Jan/Feb

2011-01-28T09:23:00.002-06:00

January 30th- Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Midwest Bicycle Expo and Swap Meet. Once again GORC will be present at the Bike Swap Meet on January 30th, 2011. We will have (3) booths for GORC members to sell all those old bike parts you have laying around collecting dust.

February 2nd- Wednesday, 7 p.m. The regular monthly meeting has been moved to the Granite City Brewery in Creve Coeur. If you're from out west, and have wanted to see what the meetings are all about, but didn't want to drive downtown, now is your chance.

February 26th- Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Greensfelder workday. Trail expansion continues with new trail linking the DeClue/Green Rock and Eagle Valley. We're going to need a lot of help with this one.

Be Prepared

2011-01-24T09:48:00.001-06:00

Tom shows how many nails it will take to sign the whole Berryman

(and probably every trail in Mark Twain Natl Forest)

Every year or so, GORC's chapter of the National Mountain Bike Patrol gets together for a refresher class on CPR/AED, and First Aid. This was the third year, and we talked about a few other things that were related to making sure everyone remains as safe as possible while they're out enjoying the trails.

Perry, the SLAG overlord, and first-aid expert brought up the so-called "10 Essentials" which are items that should be carried on every outdoor adventure. You might think that you're only out for a little mtb ride, what could happen?, but it's amazing how many people there are who are woefully unprepared when something really does go wrong. This was one of the main reasons the Patrol was started in the first place. With its motto "Assist, Educate, and Inform", the hope is to prepare patrollers in advance for an emergency, as well as help those who need it.

Perry also suggested looking at the REI website, which has a section called "Expert Advice" that has checklists, how-tos, and other advice on all sorts of activities, including one which is cycling-specific.

If you're interested in first-aid, or the Patrol, you can find out more information on IMBA's website, or by posting on the GORC message board.

Neither Snow nor Rain....

2011-01-16T11:00:00.002-06:00

Next time you're out at SIUE enjoying the 3 newly rerouted sections of trail, please be sure to give thanks to the 25 brave and intrepid volunteers who were out taking care of the trails for you! All of the people who rode through the work sites certainly thanked us a lot.

Also, some exciting news about the trails in IL. Kirby will probably announce it whenever he decides that the privileged few who attended the workday have had enough time as the only ones to be in on the news.

2011 Winter/Spring Workday Schedule

2010-12-24T12:13:00.001-06:00

1/15 - SIUE
2/26 - Greensfelder
3/12 - Matson Hill
3/26 - Indian Camp Creek
4/9 - Greensfelder
4/23 - Matson Hill
5/14 - Castlewood
5/21 - Cliff Cave
6/4 - Indian Camp Creek

December Meeting at TAP ROOM

2010-11-27T07:35:00.001-06:00

Just a friendly reminder that next week's December 1st GORC monthly meeting will be held at the usual location - the Schlafly Taproom downtown at 7pm.

Come on out as it's our last meeting for 2010 and we hope to see everyone there.

Poll Question - Integration or Not? Read On...

2010-11-26T09:41:00.000-06:00

Being a more complicated poll to explain, I've added a description here so you can be more informed.

The club has been approached to join forces with IMBA and integrate into their membership system. IMBA is pushing a Chapter program. Basically, all the membership would go through IMBA and we the club would receive 40% of the fees people pay to IMBA. All independent fund raising would still be 100% ours. Insurance costs would still be our responsibility. IMBA would take care of all the membership expenses with renewals, cards, that sort of thing. The GORC website would theoretically be a content managed site using IMBA's back-end civiCRM data-driven system. The website would look more like a portal website (joomla-based more than likely) and would also keep track of members.

In other words, regarding the poll below, would you be willing to join IMBA to support GORC or would you rather us (GORC) remain independent and we get 100% of the funds (your membership and donations). The big unknown is whether our members are BOTH IMBA and GORC members simultaneously.

Make sense? Now go cast your vote to let us know your thoughts. Feel free to comment on the forum or on this blog post.

Rock Hollow Workday-- Saturday, November 20th 9am-1pm

2010-11-16T08:47:00.001-06:00

This Saturday, Nov 20th at 9am is the first workday in Rock Hollow. We will construct one of the difficult creek crossings on the east side of the hollow, to demonstrate our skills, and to provide a model for the PTBA bidders that will eventually build the trail.

Sue Bell, County Parks volunteer coordinator, projects there will be 80+ people there, so we need as many workday leaders as we can muster. We will meet at the Ridge Meadows School parking lot, on Ridge Rd, just south of Old State Rd.

Please everyone, show up, we need to make a good show. More information, including directions can be found here.

Cranksgiving 2010: A Pictorial

2010-11-13T18:02:00.008-06:00

Lisa and I decided, at the last minute, to check out the 2010 Cranksgiving ride last weekend. I'd heard about the charity ride a couple of years ago but never got around to actually participating.

It's pretty cool to say the least. Cranksgiving is an organized ride approximately 24 miles in length, is a loop on commonly ridden roads - think Dogfish training ride, and stops by five supermarkets. Participants are asked to buy in total about $10-$20 worth of canned goods at one or more of the grocery stores. Riders are asked to carry the goods back to the start where they are displayed to show the enormity of hundreds of people donating the goods to Food Outreach. However, at a few stops the St. Louis Adventure Group (SLAG) worked sag so riders didn't have to lug heavy cans on their backs - you definitely want a messenger bag or backpack.

Apparently the St. Louis version is the fastest growing and had the largest turnout last year - 500 riders. This year's addition saw over 800 people and it was quite impressive seeing everyone riding single file (mostly) down Adams Road to Ballas.

We went in style as I borrowed the GORC full-squish BOB trailer and towed all the goods we purchased back to the start/finish. The cross bike felt a little squirrely near the end with about 30 pounds of canned goods following behind. And let me clarify the importance of the start/finish ..... at the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood. The organizers, BicycleWorks, among others, know what riders want after a workout. Yup. Carbs.

Yes, it wasn't on dirt, and no, it didn't involve building trail, but it was for a good cause, got us on our bikes, and was very enjoyable... and great beer. I'd recommend it to other GORCers to attend the 2011 edition.

Here's some snaps we captured throughout the day.

Hybrid Turkey

Rolling start in Maplewood with police escort

Straub's in Webster Groves getting the treatment. Pick your canned goods wisely or you will pay, literally.

Determining the dynamic load bearing optimization flow ratio. I never solved the equation.

World's most useful kickstand

Approaching Cranksgiving headquarters - I smell hops. Notice the World Cup socks driving the bus that failed to achieve any semblance of speed and proved my lack of endurance and stamina is, in fact, quite real.

The wall of donations that arrived by bike. This is an early shot before the sag wagons arrived with about the same amount of goods.

Bottleworks bike parking. We saw the entire range of two-wheeled rides; cross bikes, clapped out beaters, tandems, NEXT/Pacific/enter-chinese-extreme-brand-here 11 inch travel freeride rigs, mountain bikes, hybrids, road bikes made of rusty steel, "" made of nice steel, titanium wonder rigs, carbon fibre - that's proper English - for the French-made Look featherweights, vintage Klein crust bikes featuring never-before-seen Brooks premium saddles, a bike with a fur saddle (extinct megafauna?), kids bikes, trikes for adults who never learned to ride and would prefer to slide under a Prius at a 4-way stop, hippies on 75cm road bikes with head tubes longer than your top tube, racers on race bikes, moms on race bikes, moms on hybrids, dads on powder blue Varsities, and on and on. You get the idea. All walks of life, all budgets, all liking the bike riding part. Better than the Moonlight Ramble (not as crowded), safer than the old Critical Mass disasters (less scary participants featuring kwik-kopy manifestos).

Drink on, you deserve it. Hot Liquor Porter, I'll have another. Next year - wide right turns tandem with BOB trailer?

Cliff Cave Map

2010-11-05T21:09:00.000-05:00

Well, it was 5 years in the making, but it's finally here! The official GORC map for Cliff Cave County Park.

This can serve as another example of how someone who wants a trail somewhere decides that they're going to do what it takes to make it happen. There was no map, because there was no one with such an interest in Cliff Cave until recently. Enjoy the trails. The pdf version of the file will be here shortly.

GORC Water Bottles

2010-10-29T15:33:00.003-05:00

Momentum Cycles now stocks water bottles with the ultra exclusive GORC logo emblazoned on them. Proceed at once to your local Momentum shop and pick up one, two or a dozen. Momentum has graciously offered to share $1 from the sale of each water bottle with GORC. So, you get to stay hydrated, Momentum get's your business and GORC get's your money to help build trail! Supplies are limited, so don't delay.

Cliff Cave Workday/Appreciation Party-- Saturday, Oct. 30th

2010-10-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

When: Saturday October 30th
Where: Cliff Cave Park

Directions: From I-255 take Telegraph Rd. south 1.7 miles to Cliff Cave Rd.
Turn left onto Cliff Cave Rd. and continue 1 mile into park.

Details: We will meet at the pavilion. Start time is 9:00am and will work until 12:30 or so.

What to bring: Sturdy shoes, gloves, eye protection and something to drink. For a more detailed description, it's a good idea to read Pilznr's post at http://gorctrails.com/board/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3711

Please contact Sue Bell if you plan to attend.
314-615-8822 or e-mail sbell@stlouiscounty.com

Lunch will be provided by St. Louis County Parks, so please let Sue know if you are coming so she can plan for food.

Those that attend the workday will be rewarded with an opportunity to win an attendance prize provided by:
South County Cyclery and Olde Towne Fenton Cyclery, as well as Crusoe's Restaurant!

What we're doing: Cliff Cave Park has 2 trails Spring Valley and Bluff Trail.
We will be concentrating first on the Bluff Trail, we have 1/2 mile of new trail to build. This will eliminate several unsustainable sections and provide for a fun ride in both directions.
We also have several short re routes flagged on the Spring Valley loop. These will eliminate a couple short, non draining spots.
If attendance provides, we will put these in as well, so everyone come out and help!!

After the workday will be GORCs annual Appreciation Party!!!
Will have a ride, mother nature permitting.
More info on the message board.

Of Berryman and Men

2010-10-19T22:33:00.002-05:00

The Berryman is amazing.

The Berryman is difficult.

The Berryman is slowly wasting away.

These statements are all true. They have been for 20+ years. While I do not want to write a small book on the trail I will, however, explain the benefits of having the Berryman Loop within 120 miles of your front door.

The Berryman Trail is a loop of singletrack in the Mark Twain National Forest that serves hikers, equestrians and within the last 30 years, mountain bikers. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp - CCC for short - which was instituted shortly after the Great Depression. The Berryman Trail is an approximately 24 mile loop that features over 2,400 feet of climbing, several creek crossings and the scaling of over 12 Ozark hillsides. The trail follows creek valleys, climbs ancient Ozark hills and descends into several rocky outcroppings.

The Berryman Trail was classified as an IMBA Epic in 2002. The trail best features the "feel" of Missouri backcountry trail riding. There are many reasons that bikers continue to ride the Berryman.

But there's one major draw… The Berryman Trail is a LOOP.

You can't say that about any other portion of the Ozark Trail network. The Berryman Trail may be the largest loop in Missouri that doesn't need other trail connectors or roads to call it a true loop.

And the best part that the original designers may or may not have grasped is that there are several legitimate bailout options. Options that allow injured or destroyed folks to limp back to their cars via the "central" firewood that pierces the trail's core. On top of that, there are two major trailheads that feature camping.

True, the Berryman is suffering every trail's worst nightmare. Continued use in the muddy season, motorized use (ATV/dirtbike) and fall-line climbs are contributing to its "erosion issues". All of these issues combined would absolutely murder an average trail. But for some reason the Berryman is losing its foothold much more slowly. Sure, the switchbacks in some areas are grossly eroded but then think, really think, of the sweet, glossy-buff sections of trail that thread through the pines or hug the edge of a precipice. In the dry season the Berryman rails but in the wet the trail leaves you for dead. But you shouldn't be riding it when it's wet, remember?

Ignoring the switchbacks that would be more accurately called slides that drop into the Brazil Creek campground and the areas that require riders to know how to loft their front end chin-high in spots, the Berryman isn't out to destroy you - it simply wants to make you a better Missouri Ozark trail rider. If you use the Berryman as your training ground then you will be almost unstoppable - except West Virginia.

Simply put, the mere FACT that you can link up the Ozark Trail (hundreds of miles!) and Council Bluff is unfathomable to other folks. Missouri has a trail network that other states would die for - and it's all about 120 miles from your kitchen sink.

Spread the word.

2010 Brown County Break Down - Pictorial

2010-10-17T21:25:00.004-05:00

Lisa and I (Matt) decided to check out the Brown County Break Down after riding there multiple times and reading about the event. So on a whim we signed up and checked it out.

Here's a quick pictorial of the event. There aren't many photos because the trails are too fun to slow down and snap pics...

Everyone waiting to get started - about 500 riders

Near the homebase setup headquarters

Riders were staged based on distance (100/75/60/40/20 miles) and within the mileage by speed - fast, average, leisurely.

About to enter the first trail. On Saturday this parking lot was full of product demos from Scott, Trek, Cannondale and Giant.

Hesitation Point - at the top of the 2 mile climb then doesn't womp you on the way up. Very fun on the way down and where they hold their Super D races earlier in the year.

A small sampling of their trail armoring work. With 95% of Brown County's trail being dirt they take great care to ensure the singletrack doesn't erode or become a bog.

At the 40 mile end point - featuring live bluegrass music and food.

A view of the historic cabin and live band

If you ever find yourself wondering about Brown County State Park then check this out.

Annual GORC Appreciation Party

2010-10-07T22:27:00.008-05:00

Get ready for the annual GORC Volunteer Appreciation party on October 30th! This year it will be held at Cliff Cave park following a much-needed workday. Cliff Cave offers a wealth of geological curiosities and oddities throughout the park that can be explored while on your mountain bike. Sinkholes, caves, bluffs overlooking the Mississippi, haunted demon hollows and car wreckage. All can be found in this twisty trail-laden park.

This edition of the volunteer appreciation party will feature a poker run. Yep. We are holding the party earlier this year instead of the traditional GORC birthday of December 12th when we typically freeze to death. We're hoping for great weather and a large turnout so we better see you October 30th. Bring candy, too, Matt says so.

Look for more details on the GORC website either on the message board or home page as the date nears. We would like to get a head count so be sure to post up on the board.

DON'T FORGET YOUR COSTUME -- it's halloween weekend after all!

St. Louis County Parks Trail Hotline

2010-10-07T22:18:00.007-05:00

With last year's trail vandalism at the Chubb and now with the painful extraction of some monkeyheads at Greensfelder we at GORC felt it was high time to post the St. Louis County Parks Trail Hotline - 314-615-8911. Now we can all help police our favorite trails.

This hotline is for St. Louis County parks only. Parks include West Tyson (Chubb), Cliff Cave, Creve Coeur, Greensfelder and ALL of St. Louis County's parks.

If you encounter somebody destroying trail first-hand be sure to get involved by calling the hotline at 314-615-8911. Approach the individual if you feel comfortable and respectfully explain that he or she is wrecking the trail through their grooming actions.

Never start a confrontation and remember they probably think they are IMPROVING the trail. However, no matter the situation, always let the county parks staff know that this is occurring so they can better protect their valuable trails.

BERRYMAN Epic-alness

2010-10-07T22:10:00.003-05:00

October 23rd, Berryman Epic, version 3.0

Look out for some great racing on some of the best backcountry Missouri trails with 200+ of your racing friends. The race is on Saturday so you can party down through the night, stumbling back to your campsite at the ever-so-friendly Bass River Resort.

Get ready for 56 miles of BEST EVER.

GORC will be assisting the organizers in preparing the course in the coming weeks by cutting out any deadfall and securing the route.

We will see you there!

BURNIN!

2010-10-07T22:04:00.003-05:00

It's time for the 7th Annual Burnin' at the Bluff - this weekend. The classes are completely stacked this year and the weather outlook is absolutely killer. Several GORC members will be racing the 12 hour challenge around Council Bluff Lake and a few others will be PATROLLING the course to keep everyone safe. If you see a patroller out there let them know you appreciate their presence.

See everyone this weekend!!!!!

Lost Valley Workday- Saturday, October 2nd

2010-09-28T08:54:00.006-05:00

We're going to do some well-needed maintenance at Lost Valley. Mostly Focusing on the trail we've built over the last two seasons. Just an effort to tune it up and remove/mitigate some minor problems we've experienced.

We'll need as many able bodies as we can get. Perhaps you think that maintenance workdays are not as sexy as building new trail, but this work is really needed and will help the trail immensely.

The Specifics:

When: Saturday Oct 2nd
9am - 1pm (please arrive by 8:45 or so in order to "shuttle" in to the work site)

Where: Lost Valley "Upper Parking lot" aka The Mound, ~2miles south of hwy 40 on hwy 94 just around the bend from the High School.

Details: Bring: Water, gloves, sturdy shoes, dress for the weather.
Expect: Enjoyable but strenuous work, camaraderie and good times.
We'll Ride after lunch too!! As always.

Misc... As always, FREE LUNCH, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation will be provided after the work.

BONUS: Morning Coffee to be provided by the 2nd Street Bike Stop and Cafe

Sign-up and more info can be found on the message board.

Greensfelder Workday-- Saturday, Sept. 25th 9am-1pm

2010-09-21T10:55:00.003-05:00

We're going to do some maintenance work on the Eagle Valley singletrack, and try to complete one of the two switchbacks on the DeClue extension. Don't know where the singletrack is on Eagle Valley? Come and help out this Saturday, and you can find out.

If we can get the trail in good enough shape this fall, we can start working on a connector from the current end of the DeClue singletrack at Scenic Loop Rd. down to the junction with Eagle Valley on the valley floor(a potential route is shown in orange on the map). This will complete a loop of somewhere around 9 miles that will be ~ 99% singletrack, and ridable in both directions.

There will be fewer St. Louis County Parks volunteers than usual at this workday, so we really need a good turnout from GORC volunteers. You can find sign up, and find out more info on the message board.

Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day

2010-09-21T10:37:00.001-05:00

Once again, GORC is teaming up with St. Charles County Parks to host Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day. This years event will be held at Frontier Park in St. Charles, and on the trails at Bangert Island on Oct. 9th, beginning at 10am. You can volunteer, or find out more information on the GORC message board.

Hazel Creek out n'(barely) back

2010-09-17T08:16:00.010-05:00

Big Jim Mac and I seized a weekday opportunity to beat the crowds on the OT Curtois section earlier this week. The impromptu "plan" was to explore south from Berryman base camp down to Hazel Creek camp (if possible) for an out n' back trip of about 26 or 27 miles...
...ambitious, no?
The temps were moderate in the low 80's but the humidity was quite high. "High" as in it-started-raining-by-the-end, which made a not insignificant contribution to the overall epic-ness of the ride.

The section from Berryman down to highway 8 was generally similar to the hillier sections of Berryman proper including some babyheads, roots, pea-sized gravel, pine trees, and cool hillside rock formations. The Lost Creek crossing made for a good foot soaking and the sandy run after really put the grindies to our drivetrains. After that the trail generally climbs and descends some cool Ozark topography with a nice variety of lowland riding in lush valleys, and singletrack laced along the hillsides. There were some trees down here and there that killed the flow a little but we removed as many as possible (we were just going to have to ride over them again on the way back anyhow). Jim also spotted some flagging that looked like a re-route or two were in the works for some short steep and/or eroded sections.

In general, the trail surface itself had more duff and organic material on it than most of the trails that get heavier bike traffic but it was all quite rideable, just a bit slower and softer. Many of the hollows and north-facing slopes had awesome moss-covered rock outcrops and ferns lining the trail.

Progress was pretty slow overall, mostly because I was having persistent front tire trouble. I even violated one of basic mountain biking's more simple tenets: thou shalt always check thine tyre for offending objects before installing a new tube... lest ye pop it straight away. It was looking like it was going to be a pretty long ride either way so we turned around at Snapps Branch, about 2 miles shy of our original destination (not to mention one moderate hill + one huge hill, both to be repeated after reversing at Hazel Creek). It's a neat little stream that trickles over a nearly uniform rock surface.

Horses had been through the few miles leading to and from our turnaround spot and the chewed up trail surface made for some more slow going. It was kind of a bummer that I'd slowed us up so much that we fell short of the campground we were both curious to see, but it does leave me with an additional reason to make the drive to ride the rest of that OT section in the future. And even with a popped air mat, a headlamp that croaked in the night, a rainfly that self destructed into a sticky silicone mess, a dented downtube, multiple flats, grindy drivetrains, leg cramps, falling completely over into some manky sludge puddle, and rain on the ride back... I would definitely head back to get some more OT.

Creve Coeur Workday-- Sat., Sept. 18th, 9am-1pm

2010-09-14T09:21:00.002-05:00

The Fall workday season kicks off this Saturday on the Bootlegger's Run Trail, at Creve Coeur Park. It wasn't so long ago that this trail didn't even exist, and now there are 3.25 miles of singletrack right in the middle of everything.

Come out and help do some maintenance to ensure that the trail remains in great shape for years to come. Details and sign-up are on the message board.

Fall/Early Winter 2010 Workday Schedule

2010-09-04T08:35:00.000-05:00

September is here already and so is the workday season. With a mix of maintenance, and new trail construction there's a lot to be done, so mark your calendar. More information on each workday can be found here as the date approaches.

Sept 18 Creve Coeur Park
Sept 25 Greensfelder Park

Oct 2 Lost Valley
Oct 16 Chubb
Oct 17 North Trace Sawyer Run
Oct 30 Cliff Cave | Appreciation Party

Nov 6 Greensfelder Park
Nov 13 SIUE (Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville)
Nov 20 Rock Hollow

Dec 4 Matson Hill Park
Dec 11 Matson Hill Park

Time Lapse on the Continental Divide

2010-08-31T10:47:00.001-05:00

In this case the time lapse is 5 years, which is the difference between when these two photos were taken. The one on the top is from the top of Paywell Mtn. It was taken a few weeks ago, and it's looking north toward the western portal of the Alpine Tunnel.
The lower photo is looking south at Paywell Mtn. taken in 2005 from above the Alpine Tunnel, which sits squarely on the Continental Divide. You can see the turntable where the locomotives were turned around in the lower right. If you look really close, you can see Durango Doug standing right next to the turntable. I can't tell if he has his shirt on.

Matson map updated

2010-08-26T08:35:00.001-05:00

Well, it was a little slow in arriving, but the map of the new trail at Matson Hill is finally here! The best thing to report is the current distance of 4.9 miles, up from 2.8. There's a lot more to come, and Matson has 2 workdays scheduled for this year, so come out and help add even more trail. The pdf version of the map should be up on the GORC Trails page soon, and you will be able to find it here.

Withered and melted on MiddleFork

2010-08-03T19:00:00.010-05:00

I managed to convince a few foolhardy souls to make an attempt at an out-n-back of Middlefork on the 19th of July. The heat seemed like it might become an issue (heat indices well into the 100's F) but some extra measures were taken by the group to stave off instant death by dehydration or melting: electrolyte tabs, a water filter for refilling bottles and bladders, and I personally went for the full-on, double CamelBak maneuver...

The trail was in pretty good shape and its signature sustained benchcut downhills were as awesome as always. There was quite a bit of thorny veg to force your way through which made for some bloody raw arms and legs.

We hit Barton Fen and took a break... I think my tires were starting to smolder anyway. After refilling some bottles and plotting our next move, the smart guy in the group suggested perhaps a little turn-around-and-start-backing might be in order for safety's sake... because it was unbelievably hot and all. I'm not naming names, but his name starts with "C" and ends with "-raig"... And I'd probably be a dessicated pile of withered, leathery flesh on the side of the trail if I hadn't listened to his good sense.

Summary of Spring 2010 Work

2010-06-14T09:15:00.005-05:00

"Car Door Loop" at Matson

More new singletrack at Matson

Another busy Spring. Our trail mileage was down due to the number of workdays that had to be devoted to maintenance. Next time you're out in marginal conditions trying to decide whether or not to ride, please remember that these maintenance days take away from building new trail. Here's a brief summary which lists the trail name, what type of work was done, the number of workdays, and the mileage of the sections worked on:

Cliff Cave - New Construction/Reroutes 1.5 workdays 0.5 miles
Matson Hill - New Construction/Reroutes 4 workdays 1.50 miles
SIUE - Maintenance/Reroutes 1 workday 0.10 miles
Castlewood - New Construction/Reroutes 2 workdays 0.40 miles
Chubb - Maintenance/Reroutes No official workdays 0.10 miles
Greensfelder - New Construction/Reroutes 2 workdays 1.0 miles
Creve Coeur - New Construction 2 workdays 1.0 miles

Matson Hill - June 5th Workday 9-1pm

2010-06-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

When: Saturday, June 5th, 2010. From 9:00~1:00.

What: We're having the last of four workdays this spring at Matson Hill Park, and everyone is invited. Mountain bikers, hikers, and trail runners are all welcome, so don’t be bashful about showing up.

This is the continuation of a multi-year project, and we hope to TRIPLE OR QUADRUPLE the current trail mileage at Matson by the time we’re finished.

Where:

From the Highway 40/94 interchange,
• Take Highway 94 South for 7.4 miles to F (turn right on F).
• Stay on F for 3 miles, then turn left on Stub Road. Follow Stub Road for ~.5 miles to gate, and follow directions from there. Or,
• Click this for a Google map link. Clicking the green bike will give you the “get directions” link. (For some reason, the last instruction just has you turning left off of F, without naming the road. That's Stub Road.)

What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail. It’s also a good idea to read through pilznr’s “What to expect at a workday” post, available via this link; http://gorctrails.com/board/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3711

Why: To add more multi-use single track (natural surface) trail to the existing Matson loop. This is Phase One of a multi phase project, eventually utilizing 400+ acres of new Park property.

Please RSVP via ONE of the following (to make sure we bring enough food):
• The St. Charles County Park's (SCCP) office [636-949-7535],
• through the WebTrac registration system on the parks website, http://parks.sccmo.org/parks/
• or on this thread.

GORC & St. Charles County Parks will provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, safety guidelines, and lunch.

Bring your bike or trail shoes if you want to try what you built after lunch.

NOTICE: In case of bad weather, please call the St. Charles County Parks (SCCP's) Trail Hotline (636-949-7475, option #2). SCCP's will only leave a message about the workday if it's cancelled.

Monthly Meeting for June- Canceled

2010-05-31T21:43:00.001-05:00

The regular monthly meeting scheduled for June 2nd has been canceled. See you on July 7th.

Police Chaser

2010-05-26T18:57:00.007-05:00

From May 1-8 the International Police Mountain Bike Association held their annual conference in Chesterfield. Part of their training involved getting some off-road saddle time at nearby Castlewood state park. GORC supplied some volunteer trail guides to help direct the IPMBA participants to trails appropriate for their skill level and, of course, to keep them from getting lost... or arrested or something.

In the above photo Craig Seibert demonstrates how to use your focused chi energy to snap standard police issue handcuffs.

Mike Dunston found and posted this STLToday vid to the GORC forum...
...there aren't any GORCsters in the vid but it's got skid stops and gunfire.

Besides Seibert, the other GORC helpers were Ryan Overhoff, Fred Williams, Greg Suter, Charles Wells, Scott Nelson and maybe one other dude. GORC chieftain Bryan Adams posted this appreciation letter he received on the forum...

I tried to limit myself to just a few doughnut jokes in an effort to not besmirch the club's good name... and not get shot.

The bulk of my other photos from the event are largely based around the incredulity of a horse trailer jammed full of bikes.

Clif Bar Grant Purchase In Action

2010-05-26T07:12:00.002-05:00

Last year we received a $500 grant from Clif Bar to purchase a Stihl Yard Boss. I'd seen Glenn using it at workdays at Lost Valley, Creve Coeur and Greensfelder, but those were all on relatively small sections.
Here, we took it out to the Dogwood trail, and used it to remove a large berm that was causing water to be channeled straight down the trail.
This section was about 60' long, and Glenn ripped through it in a little over an hour. It probably would have taken the two of us most of the day to do it by hand. In these pictures, he's around half-way done, and you can see the height of the berm next to the mud. The Yard Boss is a pretty slick little machine, and we're planning to use it even more to help with maintenance and trail building.

Ticked Off

2010-05-14T10:31:00.007-05:00

Last year, after one of our members came down with erlichiosis from an encounter with some ticks on the Ozark Trail, I decided to find out some more information about ticks and the consequences of their bites. Luckily for us, we have a tick expert right here in Missouri, who also happens to be a mountain biker- Dr. Greg Cummins, who is a member of Earthriders out in Kansas City, and the author of the Tick-Borne Diseases section of Wilderness Medicine, which is kind of the bible for outdoor medical care. I contacted Greg and had a discussion with him about ticks and the local environment. Fortunately for me, he also mentioned that he would be working on a paper after many years of threatening to do so. So, I managed to win the battle of procrastination, and Greg has kindly allowed us to republish an article that originally appeared on the Earthriders website. He asked me to point out that while the article was written for the KC area, everything in it also applies to the STL as well. I've lightly edited out a few things that didn't really relate to mountain biking.

Despite our nicely groomed and well maintained trails, ticks are abundant at all trails, especially those around the Kansas City metro area. Tick-borne diseases affect everyone, not just those involved in outdoor activities. Building and maintaining trails especially exposes trail workers, as we are working directly in the leaf litter, where the ticks are found. Activities such as walking, working in the yard, sitting out on the patio, in addition to true outdoor sports expose you to ticks and the diseases they carry. Tick-borne diseases are common among us bikers, but are even seen in people who seldom or never go outdoors. They are much more prevalent in those who do spend a lot of time outdoors. Certain tick-borne diseases are five times more likely in pet owners, as they participate in activities more likely to expose the pet owners, and due to pets coming in and out of the residence. This may expose pet and homeowners to tick-borne diseases without actually encountering the outdoors. Ticks are generally non-preferential in regards to a host. In other words, they will get a blood meal wherever they can. Basically, they are not selective, and they suck.

Tick-borne diseases have increased significantly over the past 20 years, for various reasons, from increased suburbanization, increased reservoir host populations (such as deer, raccoons, opossums, coyotes, and numerous others--not to mention the all elusive bobcat or mountain lion), and the increase of people participating in outdoor activities and pet ownership. Additionally, there has been an extension of the warmer seasons, and overall change in weather patterns—call it global warming or climate change, whatever you want, it is indeed happening. Deer populations have increased 60 fold in the past 100 years due to decreased natural predators. Each deer can carry over 3000 ticks. Each female tick may lay over 3000 eggs. Deer are thus a significant contributor to tick populations. Combine these statistics with the increased suburbanization, and Houston, we have a problem.

Tick-borne diseases are often very hard to diagnose. They frequently mimic nonspecific summer flu or viral symptoms, such as general lack of energy, fatigue, headache, fevers, chills, body aches, dry cough, nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms, among many other vague symptoms. If you experience any of these symptoms, with or without a rash, and with or without a confirmed tick bite, during warmer months (can occur any time of year, but typically March through November), go see your doctor. Doctors are becoming more aware of tick-borne diseases and can treat you and test for these diseases. Basic lab tests which are returned very quickly will indicate specific abnormalities consistent with some tick-borne diseases. Specific immunological tests for most of these diseases are available, though are often inaccurate and take some time to get results. If your doctor is really suspicious for a tick-borne disease, you should start antibiotics immediately.

The main tick-borne diseases to be aware of in this area include (in order of prevalence), with referral websites to CDC links for more information:

Ehrlichiosis (and anaplasmosis), also called the “spotless spotted fevers”—transmitted by 2-3 tick species, is the most common tick-borne disease found in this area. This disease is much like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), and manifests with high grade fevers, and the above symptoms. The fevers in Ehrlichiosis are often in the 102-104 degrees Fahrenheit range. Twenty percent of adults may have a fine diffuse rash (meaning 80% DON’T have a rash), and up to 40% of children may have the rash. The incubation period for Ehrlichiosis is 3 days to 3 weeks, with a median incubation period of about 7 days. Ticks that transmit Ehrlichiosis typically need to be attached (feeding on you) 24-48 hours to transmit this disease. Untreated, Ehrlichiosis carries a 5% mortality rate, while 30-40% of patients will require hospitalization, so if you ride/work/run/walk on trails around here, see a doctor if you have any of the above symptoms. For more information go to http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/ehrlichiosis/ and http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/anaplasmosis/faq.html

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is very similar to Ehrlichiosis in signs and symptoms. The name is a misnomer, as >85% of the cases are from states east of the Rocky Mountains. We do see some around the KC metro area, though far less than Ehrlichiosis. It is also called “black measles” due to the black pimple/crater-like formations often seen. Typically also high grade fevers, >102 degrees Fahrenheit. RMSF is transmitted by various tick species. The incubation period, from time of tick attachment to disease manifestation is 2 days to 2 weeks. The ticks that transmit this disease only need to be attached (feeding on you) for 6 hours for disease transmission to occur. Mortality is 3-5% treated, 20-30% untreated, so don’t mess around with this one either.
For more information go to http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/rocky ... r/faq.html

Lyme disease, as it is traditionally known, does not exist around here. There is a very close cousin to Lyme disease in the Midwest. True Lyme does exist just north of us, in the Wisconsin/Minnesota/Michigan area, as well as the northeastern US, and extreme western US. We do have Lyme-like disease around here. It is Southeastern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI), as coined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). It has some of the symptoms of Lyme disease, but appears to be more self-limited and less severe in its presentation. Patients who apparently have STARI may present with a rash similar to the typical “Bulls-eye” rash seen in traditional Lyme disease. This is a newly discovered disease, but with appropriate treatment, there is no evidence of the long-term ramifications of true Lyme disease. Additionally, there are several websites and clinics dedicated to “Chronic” Lyme disease. In New England, these may be more appropriate, but in our geographic region, true Lyme disease does not exist, and thus there is no “Chronic” Lyme disease in this area. We are still learning a lot about STARI though.
For more information go to http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/stari/ and
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/index.htm

There are a plethora of other tick-borne diseases, though the above are the main ones you may encounter in this area. If you travel much, either nationally or internationally, or spend much time hiking or camping, you will need to be aware of many other tick-borne diseases. Many of these diseases are specific to a certain region or environment. Make sure your doctor knows where you have been on recent trips if you have any unexplained symptoms and may have been exposed to any tick-borne diseases. And remember, travel exposure may not be in the traditional sense. Over 29 foreign tick species have been brought into the United States on imported reptiles legally brought into this country. These ticks may transmit a multitude of diseases not normally found nor expected in this area.

What can you do to reduce ticks and transmission of tick-borne diseases??

Do not let these facts scare you away from the outdoors—more of us should participate in and enjoy outdoor activities. Take preventive measures to decrease the chance of disease transmission. Wear light colored clothing, as it is easier to see ticks and remove them before they attach and begin to feed. Check yourself frequently and remove any moving or attached ticks immediately (see below for removal methods for attached ticks). Use a mirror to check those hard to see/reach places, or recruit someone to do this for you. Monitor for the above signs and symptoms if you notice an attached tick, and note the time of exposure/attachment of the tick and removal of the tick, and onset of symptoms. There is absolutely no need to simply start antibiotics for a uncomplicated tick bite (unless you are pregnant—if so, see your doctor right away). Go to your doctor as soon as you experience any of the above symptoms and give them a good history and timeline of events. I am personally not a huge fan of chemicals, though insect sprays containing near or equal to 100% DEET are good deterrents for ticks. Any less than 33% regular DEET will not deter ticks. Do not use high conentrations of DEET on children. A product called Permanone, or other permethrin containing tickicide is great for killing ticks. However, it is a skin irritant and is NOT to be used on, nor allowed to contact, skin, nor use for children. It will remain on clothing or fabrics through several washings at high enough concentrations to kill ticks. The fancy-dancy outdoor places like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops, as well as the internet, sell permethrin permeated clothing (www.exofficio.com; http://www.insectshield.com/AboutUs/BrandPartners.aspx, www.insectrepellentwear.com, and www.orvis.com) are a few.

Most tick-borne diseases are easily treated with oral antibiotics, and rarely ever need intravenous antibiotics. If you find a doctor wanting to start you on intravenous antibiotics, and you are aware of this, and not physically in the Intensive Care Unit, find another doctor. There are a few fraudulent “Lyme docs” out there. Most patients do very well with oral treatment, with early recognition. The key, however, is early recognition and treatment of these diseases.

How do I remove ticks once they’re on me??

For free ranging/non-attached ticks, simply pick them off and discard them (i.e., throw them out the window when going 60 MPH—they may bother somebody else, but not you), place them in a bottle with a lid, and dispose of them in the recycle bin, put them in a bottle of alcohol for morbid collection purposes, etc.

For larvae (seed ticks—less than 1mm in size), get some duct tape, and place on your skin where the ticks are (there can be hundreds or thousands of these) and simply peel them off. Another method is to scrape them off with a credit card/bank card, drivers license, etc. These ticks are TINY and have even tinier mouth parts, which only go into your skin a few microns.

For larger ticks (nymphs—the equivalent of juvenile delinquents, or adult ticks), follow the recommendations on the next page. Fancy tick removal tools exist, again, at the same stores mentioned above, but plain old tweezers work just as well, and cost way less. Keep one in your bike bag, or vehicle.

Safe tick removal method:

Gently grasp the tick close to the skin with fine forceps and gently and steadily retract backwards. This will reduce the chance of the tick to leave mouth parts in your skin, and will minimize disease transmission. Clean the area afterwards with alcohol and/or hydrogen peroxide, then cover and keep clean. Observe the area for any signs of infection, and if any redness occurs more than a few days after the tick removal/bite, see your doctor. You can get a local infection, as ticks do not use alcohol wipes to clean the area before they bite. If you get a local redness within a few days at the bite site, that itches a lot, it is a local reaction to the tick proteins they secrete to thin your blood and stay on. It should resolve within a few days. If not, see your doctor.
Also see: http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tick_removal.html

DO NOT USE methods such as hot matches, Vaseline, alcohol, etc., and do not “snatch” the tick off. Use gentle steady traction straight out, in line with the ticks mouth parts. Place the tick in a bottle of alcohol, and label it with the date and time of removal and where it was found in case tick identification is needed for disease confirmation.

For questions regarding ticks and for tick identification, feel free to contact me via email. While I can not give you direct medical advice, I can help your physician identify ticks, and can help point you in the right direction for a physician if you do not already have one, or a local infectious disease specialist if needed, for more intensive review.

drgacummins(AT)gmail(DoT)com

Greensfelder Figure 9 Epic

2010-05-02T17:20:00.006-05:00

Ok, so it's not a Figure 9, and it's not exactly an epic-- yet. Give us some more time on that part. Nevertheless, you can now get in a ride right in your own backyard that until recently, would have had you driving a fairly long way.

There's less than a week until the Greensfelder Challenge Race on May 8th, when we'll finally get to showcase the hard work that's gone into reroutes, maintenance, and brand new trail on the Dogwood, DeClue, and Eagle Valley trails. If that's not enough, all of the proceeds from the race are generously being donated to GORC!

GORC is having a big party at the race, and you're invited. Even if you don't want to race, come on out and ride the trails, and see what's new. Not interested in doing loops on the race course? You can get in a ride of ~18 miles (of which 1.25 is doubletrack and pavement) that makes use of all of the singletrack GORC has built, and doesn't include the same trail in the same direction. You can get the map here.

The short overview is:
- Begin at the Roundhouse main parking lot
- Dogwood
- DeClue CCW
- Deer Run down to Eagle Valley
- Left on Eagle Valley to new singletrack- up to Visitor Center
- Left on bridle path to Scenic Loop
- Scenic Loop back to DeClue
- Declue and Dogwood in the opposite direction that you did earlier.

We had hoped to include the singletrack on Eagle Valley in the race course, but it's not quite ready for prime time. The lower leg up the first switchback will require some dismounts at several swampy spots, but we're hoping to fix them in the near future. The upper leg is in great shape.

There are big plans for more trails at Greensfelder, so come out on race day, and ride, have some fun, and see how you can get involved. The more people we have at workdays, the faster we can get new trail built!

Creve Coeur Workday- Saturday, May 1st

2010-04-28T21:50:00.001-05:00

Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park, Bootlegger’s Run Trail Extension
What: Help continue trail construction that will extend the Bootlegger’s Run Trail along the hillsides overlooking the lake.

When: Saturday, May 1st From 9am - 1pm (FREE LUNCH!) – if dry - Bike or Hike After !

Where: Upper Creve Coeur Lake Park (Entrance off Dorsett Rd - Follow Signs to the meeting area at the North end of the park).

What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail.

GORC & St. Louis County Parks provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, and safety guidelines.

Please contact Sue Kuhnert at 314-615-8822 or email skuhnert@stlouisco.com if you plan to attend.

Volunteers will be rewarded with give-a-ways from Alpine Shop and lunch and breakfast snacks will be provided by St. Louis County Parks.

Update (4-28): It's Wednesday, and there are only 2 people signed up to attend on the message board. If you can spare the time, please come out and help.

Castlewood Workday- Saturday, April 24th

2010-04-22T09:14:00.000-05:00

Alright everyone, LISTEN UP!!!
On Saturday, April 24th we will continue the work on one of our favorite but most neglected trails. The Cedar Bluff Trail at Castlewood is in dire need of our helping hands. An 1800+ foot re-route has been started to begin restoring this trail to its former greatness. The initial workday last month set a great foundation but we need to get this re- route done! With a good number of volunteers, we can see this re- route gets completed and opened up. Lone Wolf Coffee Company will be providing an excellent lunch for all volunteers.

Details? From 9:00 am till 1:00 pm on Saturday, April 24th. Meet at the Sherman Beach Trailhead off St. Paul Road in Sherman, MO.

Directions? Sherman Beach Trailhead is located off St. Paul Road in Sherman, MO. From Big Bend Rd. and 141 take the following:
Big Bend Rd. west to New Ballwin Rd.
Take a left onto New Ballwin Rd.
Turn right onto Kiefer Creek Rd.
Turn left onto St. Paul Rd.
Follow St. Paul Rd to Sherman Beach Trailhead on the left

What to Bring? You’ll need gloves, eye protection, water, and protective clothing (there are ticks).

RSVP? Lunch will be provided by Lone Wolf Coffee Company following the workday. Make sure you let us know if you will be attending by posting on this thread.

What is Provided? GORC will supply trail building tools, safety instructions on the tool usage, instructions on how to build and maintain trails, and Lone Wolf Coffee Company will be providing a great lunch.

Why? Cedar Bluff Trail has been subject to abnormally high amounts of erosion over the last several years and its time it gets a little attention. This re-route will provide a more sustainable, enjoyable piece of trail.

After the Workday? Chow down on the great lunch provided and then, trail conditions permitting, ride!

Lone Wolf Coffee Company: www.lonewolfcoffeecompany.com

More Greensfelder Fun

2010-04-12T23:18:00.005-05:00

Craig working on armoring

Finished Section

We spent this past Saturday finishing off the addition of a brand new 3/4 mile section of the DeClue trail (thanks Americorps!), armoring some muddy problem spots, and deberming a long stretch of trail. Most of this was done in preparation for the Greensfelder Challenge Race on May 8th. All of the proceeds from this race will go to GORC.

Everyone involved in the race should be very grateful that we were able to talk Matt out of running the course the way he had originally planned. He kept saying that if he could ride it 32x16 fixed on his rigid 29er that everyone else ought to be able to ride it as well, but cooler heads prevailed, and the majority of the climbing is now on gravel rather than Rockwoods boulder-field. The course is pretty much part of the standard GORC rides out there anyway.

Mr. Seamonkey has reconstituted himself (except for his back which was not properly hydrated apparently), and created a blog dedicated to the race for your enjoyment and enlightenment. Please be sure and answer the poll questions, and provide any feedback you might have. We always like to know what people are thinking!

April 10th, Greensfelder Workday

2010-04-04T21:37:00.001-05:00

Greensfelder Workday
April 10th, 2010, 9am to 1pm
Trail Construction

Date: Sat, April 10th, 2010, 9am to 1pm (FREE LUNCH!) – Bike or Hike After!

Location: Greensfelder Park, St. Louis County

What: Help build new trail and do maintenance at Greensfelder Park in preparation for the May 8th Federation of Dirt Greensfelder Challenge. We will be adding 0.7 of a mile of singletrack to the Declue Trail and armoring several drainages.

Where: Greensfelder Park, Allenton Rd. behind Six Flags (Park at Tower Lot)

Take Interstate 44 to the Allenton/Six Flags Exit 261. Go north on Allenton Rd, past the Six Flags entrance. Allenton Rd. bisects Greensfelder Park. Lunch will be afterwards at the Mueckerman Shelter located at the corner of Allenton and Hencken road.
(See www.gorctrails.com for directions and details of the park)
What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail.

Advance registration is required for Saturday. Please contact Sue Kuhnert at 314-615-8822 or email skuhnert@stlouisco.com

GORC & St. Louis County Parks provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, and safety guidelines.

Gateway Off-Road Cyclists (GORC)

2012 Midwest Bike Swap this Weekend

Sunday, January 29, 2012 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

SIUE Workday- Sat. Jan. 21st, 2012

Separated at Birth?

Ride Report: Franklin County Foothills

Ride Report: 2012 Joe Dirt Gravel Ride

Ride Report: 2012 Berryman Social Ride

How Bike Wheels Are Made

2011- The Year in Review

Winter Alt Riding: Gravel Grinders

Ride in Peace, Bob Taylor

Trail Tools: Spartacus (Revisited)

Happy Holidays from GORC

SIUE Workday 12-10-11 Pictorial

Rock Hollow Workday: A Few Images

Black Friday Gravel Rally - Rolla-Style

Update 1: In Dev: GORC 3.0

GORC Gives Back at Cranksgiving 2011

2011 Volunteer Appreciation Party

Berryman (Trail) Epic

Brown County Breakdown, Yeehaw Edition

Cranksgiving 2011 - Let's Make It A GORC GIVES BACK Event

A Busy Month

This Tagged along for my ride on the Berryman

img: Horsepower

Binder Lake

Greensfelder Deadfall Cleared

Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day - Saturday, Oct. 1st

Building Community . . . and Trails (Def Trails!)

Greensfelder Workday- Saturday, Sept. 24th

Green Rock at Greensfelder to Receive Generous Makeover

Trail Love, GORC Style

Fall Workday Season is Here!

2X10 Babble

Recycle Your Tubes, Tires and Bike

Great Upcoming Mountain Bike Events

Last Ride: All Epic - Garcia Park, Jaracita, South Boundary

Winded on Winsor; The non-shuttle Ride

Rest Day - Tent Rocks For Matt n Lisa

Rio Grande Del Rancho and the Green Chili Beer

Down the South Boundary

Horse Thief and Killer Dinner

Rift Valley Trail - Taos, NM

Dale Ball Trails - Santa Fe, NM

GORC Train En Route to Taos... Via Santa Fe

Taos Invasion Looms As GORC Forges Its Final Plan

GORC Headed to Taos Next Thursday Night

Muddy area at SIUE

Matson Map Update

Lumberjack 100

Spring 2011 Workday Schedule Completed

2011 Greensfelder Challenge: A Fundraiser Benefiting GORC

GORC Trailbuilding Statistics

Field Test-- Fanno Bull Saw

Indian Camp Creek Workday- Saturday, March 26th 9am-1pm

Ride Report: On the Middle Fork in the Middle of March

Wet-Weather Adventure I: When Ya Gotta Go, Ya Gotta Go: Taking a Dump on the Trail

Matson Hill Workday- Saturday, March 12th

Forest City Trail

First Chance to Enter Raffle for GT Peace 9r

Greensfelder Workday- Saturday, Feb. 26th 9am-1pm

Coming Up... Jan/Feb

Be Prepared

Neither Snow nor Rain....

2011 Winter/Spring Workday Schedule

December Meeting at TAP ROOM

Poll Question - Integration or Not? Read On...

Rock Hollow Workday-- Saturday, November 20th 9am-1pm

Cranksgiving 2010: A Pictorial

Cliff Cave Map

GORC Water Bottles

Cliff Cave Workday/Appreciation Party-- Saturday, Oct. 30th

Of Berryman and Men

2010 Brown County Break Down - Pictorial

Annual GORC Appreciation Party

St. Louis County Parks Trail Hotline

BERRYMAN Epic-alness

BURNIN!

Lost Valley Workday- Saturday, October 2nd

Sunday, January 29, 2012
10:00 am to 3:00 pm