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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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....

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.