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
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
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
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
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.
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.
Creve Coeur Workday- Saturday, March 27th
What: Help continue construction that will extend the Bootlegger’s Run Trail along the hillsides overlooking the lake.
When: Saturday, March 27th From 9am - 1pm.
Where: Upper Creve Coeur Lake Park (Entrance off Dorsett Rd - Follow Signs to the meeting area at the North end of the park). (See GORC's Creve Coeur page 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
Signup and more information is available here.
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 Big Shark Bicycle Company with lunch and breakfast snacks provided by St. Louis County Parks. Afterwards, if it's dry, we'll ride the trail that was just built.
When: Saturday, March 27th From 9am - 1pm.
Where: Upper Creve Coeur Lake Park (Entrance off Dorsett Rd - Follow Signs to the meeting area at the North end of the park). (See GORC's Creve Coeur page 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
Signup and more information is available here.
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 Big Shark Bicycle Company with lunch and breakfast snacks provided by St. Louis County Parks. Afterwards, if it's dry, we'll ride the trail that was just built.
Matson Hill Workday- Saturday, March 20th
When: Saturday, March 20th, 2010. From 9:00~1:00.
What: We're having the 1st of four workdays this spring at Matson Hill Park, and everyone is invited. Mountain biker, 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 the “What to expect at a workday” post. Bring your bike or trail shoes if you want to try what you built after lunch.
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.
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.
What: We're having the 1st of four workdays this spring at Matson Hill Park, and everyone is invited. Mountain biker, 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 the “What to expect at a workday” post. Bring your bike or trail shoes if you want to try what you built after lunch.
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.
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.
Castlewood Workday- March 13th
On Saturday, March 13th we will be working 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 planned to begin restoring this trail to its former greatness. Please, come be a part of this great event that will help keep Cedar Bluff Trail useable for years to come.
Details: From 9:00 am till 1:00 pm on Saturday, March 13th. Meet at the Sherman Beach Trailhead off St. Paul Road in Sherman, MO. Parking may be limited, so carpool as much as possible.
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. RdTurn right onto Kiefer Creek Rd.
Turn left onto St. Paul Rd.
Follow St. Paul Rd to Sherman Beach Trailhead
For google maps directions, type 1582 st. paul rd, sherman, mo into the search box.
What to Bring: You’ll need gloves, eye protection, water, and warm, protective clothing.
RSVP: Lunch will be provided by Lone Wolf Coffee Company following the workday. Make sure you let us know if you are going to attend. That way we can make sure everyone gets some delicious grub following all the hard work.
What is Provided: GORC will supply trail building tools, safety instructions on the tool usage, and information on how to build and maintain trails.
Why: The Cedar Bluff Trail has been subject to abnormally high amounts of erosion over the last several years and is in need of 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!
Details: From 9:00 am till 1:00 pm on Saturday, March 13th. Meet at the Sherman Beach Trailhead off St. Paul Road in Sherman, MO. Parking may be limited, so carpool as much as possible.
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. RdTurn right onto Kiefer Creek Rd.
Turn left onto St. Paul Rd.
Follow St. Paul Rd to Sherman Beach Trailhead
For google maps directions, type 1582 st. paul rd, sherman, mo into the search box.
What to Bring: You’ll need gloves, eye protection, water, and warm, protective clothing.
RSVP: Lunch will be provided by Lone Wolf Coffee Company following the workday. Make sure you let us know if you are going to attend. That way we can make sure everyone gets some delicious grub following all the hard work.
What is Provided: GORC will supply trail building tools, safety instructions on the tool usage, and information on how to build and maintain trails.
Why: The Cedar Bluff Trail has been subject to abnormally high amounts of erosion over the last several years and is in need of 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!
SIUE Workday- Saturday, March 6th
When: Saturday, March 6th, 2010. From 9:00~1:00.
What: We are doing some much needed maintenance work at SIUE. The trails received very little TLC last year, so let's get them spruced up for Spring '10.
We will be doing a short re-route around the mudpit on Trail 1, as well.
Why: SIUE is a super popular trail system that gets a lot of use, and is all dirt, so it needs quite a bit of work to keep it truly sustainable.
More Info: Please RSVP via this thread where you can ask questions or find more details.
Directions: From the Highway 40/94 interchange, Take hwy 255 North past Interstate 270, to New Poag Road. Turn Right or East at the end of the exit ramp. Stay on New Poag Road until the first intersection with a 4 way stop sign. This will be University Drive. Turn Right onto University Drive. The road will immediately bend to the left, at the end of the bend on your right is a gravel road, turn onto the gravel road. Follow the rock road past the hedgerow on the left, the road will make a 90 Degree turn to the right and then back to the left, then it will dead end. The Northernmost Trailhead is located at the 90 degree corner of the woods near that dead end.
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.
GORC will provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, safety guidelines, and lunch. There will be giveaways as well. Bring your bike. There will be some sort of a ride afterwards, even if we cannot ride the trails due to conditions. There are miles and miles of bike paths in Madison County for your riding enjoyment if it is too muddy.
Sponsor: The Cyclery is sponsoring this workday and will be providing lunch from Blimpies, some great swag. Stop on by their shop after the workday and say hello. They are good people.
They're located at 2472 Troy Road, Edwardsville, IL 62025 and you can contact them at 618-692-0070, Store Hours: M-F 9-8, Sat 9-5, Sun 12-4.
What: We are doing some much needed maintenance work at SIUE. The trails received very little TLC last year, so let's get them spruced up for Spring '10.
We will be doing a short re-route around the mudpit on Trail 1, as well.
Why: SIUE is a super popular trail system that gets a lot of use, and is all dirt, so it needs quite a bit of work to keep it truly sustainable.
More Info: Please RSVP via this thread where you can ask questions or find more details.
Directions: From the Highway 40/94 interchange, Take hwy 255 North past Interstate 270, to New Poag Road. Turn Right or East at the end of the exit ramp. Stay on New Poag Road until the first intersection with a 4 way stop sign. This will be University Drive. Turn Right onto University Drive. The road will immediately bend to the left, at the end of the bend on your right is a gravel road, turn onto the gravel road. Follow the rock road past the hedgerow on the left, the road will make a 90 Degree turn to the right and then back to the left, then it will dead end. The Northernmost Trailhead is located at the 90 degree corner of the woods near that dead end.
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.
GORC will provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, safety guidelines, and lunch. There will be giveaways as well. Bring your bike. There will be some sort of a ride afterwards, even if we cannot ride the trails due to conditions. There are miles and miles of bike paths in Madison County for your riding enjoyment if it is too muddy.
Sponsor: The Cyclery is sponsoring this workday and will be providing lunch from Blimpies, some great swag. Stop on by their shop after the workday and say hello. They are good people.
They're located at 2472 Troy Road, Edwardsville, IL 62025 and you can contact them at 618-692-0070, Store Hours: M-F 9-8, Sat 9-5, Sun 12-4.
Greensfelder Workday - Feb. 27th, 9am - 1pm
Yellow line represents new trail reroute to eliminate fall line at the end of the DeClue trail. Blue is existing DeClue. Trail in Blue after Yellow line intersecton will be reclaimed back to forest. This will be about a .35-.45 mile piece of new singletrack built to IMBA standards.Date: Sat, Feb 27, 2010, 9am to 1pm
Location: Eureka, MO
Join GORC & St. Louis County Parks at Greensfelder Park on Sat, February 27th, 2010 from 9am to 1pm to help build new trail and re-route sections of existing trail at Greensfelder Park.
We will be re-routing a short steep section at the end of the Declue/Greenrock Trail where it ties into the Scenic Loop road.
Come out, work with us in the morning, we'll serve you a nice lunch, and then we'll bike or hike afterwards.
How to get there: You're headed for Greensfelder Park on Allenton Rd. behind Six Flags. You should park at the 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 afterward at the Mueckerman Shelter located at the corner of Allenton and Hencken road.
What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail.
What GORC & St. Louis County Parks provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, and safety guidelines.
Maplewood Bicycle is sponsoring this workday and will have coupons available after the workday. Check out their website for training classes related to bicyclists.Advance registration is required. Also, post on the messageboard if you are attending. Please contact Sue Kuhnert at 314-615-8822 or email skuhnert@stlouisco.com
Cancelled- SIUE Workday- Saturday, February 6th
Straight from Kirby:
I am canceling the workday. Even w/o the snow, the mud on the trails will make it very dangerous to get around with sharp tools. Please pass the word. We will reschedule when it is less dangerous and probably snowy. Watch for it.
I am canceling the workday. Even w/o the snow, the mud on the trails will make it very dangerous to get around with sharp tools. Please pass the word. We will reschedule when it is less dangerous and probably snowy. Watch for it.
Upcoming Events
Jan. 31st- Midwest Bike Expo in Collinsville, IL. GORC will have a booth there where you can find out more info about the latest projects, pick up some literature or maps, or buy some GORC merchandise.
Feb. 3rd- Regular monthly meeting at the Schlafly Tap Room.
Feb. 6th- The trails at SIUE have taken a real beating and need some attention.. We'll be rerouting a section near the asphalt on Trail #1 which has turned into a permanent mudpit, as well as fixing some of the other problem areas that have developed. More info and sign up for the workday.
Feb. 27th- Greensfelder Workday. We're continuing work on the switchbacks which will complete the DeClue extension and carry the trail all the way over to the Scenic Loop Road. Bryan has posted some pictures of the fun involved in getting the rocks down to the site posted on the GORC Facebook Page. We'll also work on getting other areas of the existing trails into riding shape. More details and signup as they become available.
Feb. 28th- The first of St. Charles County Parks Moonlight Ride series will be held at Broemmelsiek Park from 6-9pm. These are organized rides in parks that usually don't permit riding at night, and are always a good time.
2009- The Year in Review
Rip flipping burgers (not with the shovel)
Edwards Creek Trail- Greenville, MI
Taking a break on Georgia Pass- Colorado Trail
Ozark Trail- Trace Creek Section (before)
Here's a rundown of events from the year:
Bangert Island: 192 hours, including one workday. Added another 1.5 miles of trail. A lot of other work was put in by St. Charles County Parks with several reroutes, and cleaning up after the island flooded several times.
Broemmelsiek: 203 hours. A short connector trail was completed to provide better flow at the rear of the park. Several reroutes were also added to eliminate water issues.
Castlewood: 112 hours. A workday on National Trails Day in June did maintenance in the park.
Chubb: 166 hours, including 2 workdays. Maintenance along the river to provide a reroute around a washed out culvert. Began construction of a an alternate route around a fall-line section west of the picnic table.
Cliff Cave: 84 hours. First steps are being taken in getting the trails back into shape. Watch for workdays in the future.
Creve Coeur: 778 hours, including 3 workdays on Bootlegger's Run trail. This trail just opened last year, and there are already 3 miles of new singletrack,
right in the heart of the STL metro area. Lots more to come, including some interesting terrain near the bluffs.
Greensfelder: 929 hours, including 4 workdays. Mostly spent on completing the reroute of the DeClue extension, which is nearly finished save for completion of
2 switchbacks. GORC also designed a section of singletrack which completes the Eagle Valley loop behind the Visitor Center, and led crews on 3 other workdays organized by St. Louis County parks. Maintenance crews fixed several problem areas by armoring and rerouting the trail.
Indian Camp Creek: 497 hours, including 5 workdays devoted to continuation of new section of trail and reroutes of problem sections that were flooded or washed away.
Klondike: 170 hours, including 2 workdays. Completed Riptide, the last of the wooden structures at the park.
Lost Valley: 864 hours, including 4 workdays, and one additional workday. 2.75 miles of new singletrack replacing the collapsed bridge and bypassing an often muddy meadow area and some old doubletrack.
Matson Hill: 585 hours, including 3 workdays. Some reroutes to prepare the trail for heading back to the newest section of the park which will result in perhaps an additional 10 miles of singletrack! ~1.5 miles of new trail also built in that direction.
North Trace/Council Bluff: 408 hours over 4 outings. 2 were clearing the trail of deadfall, one after the incredible storms in May which closed nearly 80 miles of trail, some of which are still not open. Another was a reroute of a section in which the trail actually ran in a creek bed, and had been an irritant for years. Also cleared the trail in preparation for the Burning at the Bluff.
Quail Ridge: 94 hours. 1/8th mile trail section added below the dam with assistance from SCCP maintenance crew to move trail away from eroding creek edge. Several small reroutes to eliminate water issues.
SIUE: 130 hours of maintenance and bike patrol.
Midwest Mountain Bike Summit: this year it was in Grand Rapids, MI, and several GORC members made the trip to sample a different kind of riding experience than we have at home. Mike Dunston also led an armoring workshop which constructed a drop on the downhill course at a point where it crossed an XC trail.
Breckenridge Trip: The annual GORC trip headed west to Breckenridge, CO for some spectacular riding and great beer.
Bike Patrol: GORC's chapter of IMBA's National Mountain Bike Patrol provided support at a Take a Kid Mountain Biking day, the Burning at the Bluff race at Council Bluff Lake, and the Lost Valley Luau. This was all in addition to regular riding on many of the local trails to help trail users with any problems they might have, either mechanical or medical. Also led a series of guided rides in several St. Charles County Parks oriented for newer riders, and provided support for the Moonlight Ride series on various full moon nights, in parks which ordinarily don't allow riding at night.
Berryman Epic Race/Ride: some members participated in this 55 mile off-road epic through the Mark Twain National Forest.
Halloween Spooktacular/Volunteer Appreciation Party: provided food and
refreshments for these social events as a way of showing our appreciation for all of the help provided by volunteers throughout the year.
As always, we have big plans for area trails, and are always in need of help to implement them, so if you like what you see on your local trails, or even if you don't like it; GET INVOLVED! The trails that get built are the ones that reflect the interest of people who care enough to take the time to work on them. Please try to make it to a workday or two in 2010. See you on the trails!
Spring 2010 Workday Schedule
Clearing Corridor for new trail at Matson Hill
Spring 2010 Workdays
January 17th- North Trace Sawyer Run
February 6th- SIUE MaintenanceFebruary 27th- Greensfelder
March 13th- Castlewood
March 20th- Matson Hill
March 27th- Creve Coeur
April 10th- Greensfelder
April 24th- Castlewood
May 1st- Creve Coeur
May 15th- Matson Hill
May 22nd- Matson Hill
June 5th- Matson Hill
Matson Hill Workday- Sat. Dec. 19th
Craig at the new DeClue creek crossing completed at the Dec. 12th Greensfelder workday
When: Saturday, December 19th, 2009. From 9:00am-1:00pm. What: We're having the last workday of the year at Matson Hill Park, and everyone is invited.
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.
Directions: Please note that we are not parking at the main Matson Trailhead/parking lot.
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.
• You can also click this for a Google map link. Clicking the green bike will give you the “get directions” link.
What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail. It’s also a good idea to read through the article “What to expect at a workday”.
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 (menu still TBD, but rumored to be Bekin’s chicken chili).
Greensfelder Workday and Volunteer Appreciation Party
Saturday, December 12th from 9am-1pm we'll be working on rerouting the section around the creek crossing below the rock garden. This is a fall-line section that's unable to be maintained. After this, there will be only a few other sections on both DeClue and Dogwood which are fall-line, and should help extend the time that Greensfelder is rideable throughout the year. We're also going to be doing a short reroute on the DeClue extension, and if we have enough people, there are a lot of other little projects we can work on.
November/December Happenings
A little slow reporting things lately. Some items of note:
The Nov. 14th workday at Creve Coeur Park saw the completion of the latest segment of the Bootlegger's Run trail. There's now nearly 3 miles of singletrack there with more to come! The map has been updated to show all of the trail in the upper section of the park.
Mike Dunston, Craig and the St. Charles County crew have been busy continuing work on an extension at Indian Camp Creek, new trail at Matson, and some short reroutes at Bangert Island.
Wednesday, December 2nd at 7pm will have the regular monthly meeting at the Tap Room.
Friday, December 4th at 7pm is the last of St. Charles County Parks Moonlight Ride series for the year. This one is at Bangert Island. Meet at the Lewis & Clark Boathouse near Frontier Park, ride, and then have some post-ride refreshments at the Trailhead Brewery. More details are here.
Saturday,December 5th at 9am there will be the last workday of the season for Lost Valley. With a good turnout, we will be able to complete a new 1.5 mile section of singletrack that will replace the muddy stretch through the meadow along the fenceline. It wasn't too long ago that Lost Valley had almost no singletrack at all, and with the latest addition, it should put it up close to 5 miles, with the total length of the loop at around 11.5 miles. Please come out and help if you can. As usual, there will be food provided, and the weather looks good for a ride afterward. More info and sign-up is here.
Saturday, December 12th at 9am will be the start of a Greensfelder workday, followed by the GORC Volunteer Appreciation Party. We will be constructing a reroute around the fall-line section of the DeClue trail below the rock garden. We can use all of the help we can get here, since there's a lot of maintenance that can be done, as well as tweaking some sections of the DeClue extension. More details on the party as they become available.
Creve Coeur Workday- Saturday, Nov. 14th
Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park, Bootlegger’s Run Trail Extension
Help continue construction that will extend the Bootlegger’s Run Trail along the bluffs at the North end of the park and add about a mile of new trail.
When: Saturday, November 14th from 9am - 1pm (FREE LUNCH!) - 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)
(Sign up here and get more info and directions to 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 and Lunch from Big Shark Bicycle Company
Help continue construction that will extend the Bootlegger’s Run Trail along the bluffs at the North end of the park and add about a mile of new trail.
When: Saturday, November 14th from 9am - 1pm (FREE LUNCH!) - 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)
(Sign up here and get more info and directions to 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 and Lunch from Big Shark Bicycle Company
2009 Berryman Epic Pictorial
The second running of the Berryman Epic was a wet one. With the river out of its banks and the trails in less than great shape, riders got wet and muddy but the weekend's spirit remained high.
This year the promoters scored a Mueller's beer trailer from the Springfield, MO microbrewery. The BT Epic crew provided tons of prizes and very fairly pulled tickets from a Tour or Race bucket. The winner then pulled out another ticket to see what they won. Cool! - you could end up with Winter Mint Gu or a Garmin GPS unit, it was your call.
The stars were aligned, however, because both Scott Whitaker and Lisa Troehler won two of the three Redline 8-speed d440 29ers being raffled off. The raffle entries were sorted based on sizing so the odds were better for the bikes. Way to go GORC!
Here are some weekend photos from my camera. Unfortunately, I'm missing good photos of Kevin, Steph and myself due to some blurry images.
Here's a link to the race results and below is the list of Tour riders I found online:
First finishers of the Tour are in:
Gerald Hart 6.41.16
Nate Means 6.50.56
Lawrence Colvin 6.54.53
Clinton Chandler 7.13.39
Lonnie Kinkade 7.13.40
Scott Saunders 7.22.26
Jamie Roberts 7.46.27
Bill Turner 8.17.16
Matthew Soraghan 8.17.17
Cynthia Bradley 8.23.47
John LeBlanc 8.24.03
Lorinda Putter 8.24.33
Yuri Cook 8.24.34
James Mercer 8.24.35
Alan Corum 8.28.30
Lisa Longinotti 8.28.31
Jessica Kovarik 8.35.10
Dan Clinkinbeard 8.35.11
Donovan Evans 8.55.23
Jiri Doksansky 8.55.46
Joshua Carroll 8.57.08
Jim Davis 9.03.55
Jeff Mittler 9.03,56
Jeff Foes 9.06.20
As for GORC member racers here's some from the list:
Placement out of 110 finishers or so
12 Mike Barro - Momentum Cycles Racing 5.10.03 (2nd place SS!!!)
20 Larry Koester - GORC 5.30.35 (4th place SS ?!!?)
38 Bryan Adams - GORC 5.58.10
43 Brian Busken - Momentum Cycles Racing 6.01.15
64 Scott Peipert - Wild Trak Bikes 6.46.58
86 Rob Ballou - GORC 7.31.45
90 Kevin Bonney - Mesa Cycles 7.39.46
95 Wendy Davis - Trail Monster 7.49.12
114 Matt Hayes GORC DNF (ouch!)
PS - getting a cabin is the only way to go!
This year the promoters scored a Mueller's beer trailer from the Springfield, MO microbrewery. The BT Epic crew provided tons of prizes and very fairly pulled tickets from a Tour or Race bucket. The winner then pulled out another ticket to see what they won. Cool! - you could end up with Winter Mint Gu or a Garmin GPS unit, it was your call.
The stars were aligned, however, because both Scott Whitaker and Lisa Troehler won two of the three Redline 8-speed d440 29ers being raffled off. The raffle entries were sorted based on sizing so the odds were better for the bikes. Way to go GORC!
Here are some weekend photos from my camera. Unfortunately, I'm missing good photos of Kevin, Steph and myself due to some blurry images.
Here's a link to the race results and below is the list of Tour riders I found online:
First finishers of the Tour are in:
Gerald Hart 6.41.16
Nate Means 6.50.56
Lawrence Colvin 6.54.53
Clinton Chandler 7.13.39
Lonnie Kinkade 7.13.40
Scott Saunders 7.22.26
Jamie Roberts 7.46.27
Bill Turner 8.17.16
Matthew Soraghan 8.17.17
Cynthia Bradley 8.23.47
John LeBlanc 8.24.03
Lorinda Putter 8.24.33
Yuri Cook 8.24.34
James Mercer 8.24.35
Alan Corum 8.28.30
Lisa Longinotti 8.28.31
Jessica Kovarik 8.35.10
Dan Clinkinbeard 8.35.11
Donovan Evans 8.55.23
Jiri Doksansky 8.55.46
Joshua Carroll 8.57.08
Jim Davis 9.03.55
Jeff Mittler 9.03,56
Jeff Foes 9.06.20
As for GORC member racers here's some from the list:
Placement out of 110 finishers or so
12 Mike Barro - Momentum Cycles Racing 5.10.03 (2nd place SS!!!)
20 Larry Koester - GORC 5.30.35 (4th place SS ?!!?)
38 Bryan Adams - GORC 5.58.10
43 Brian Busken - Momentum Cycles Racing 6.01.15
64 Scott Peipert - Wild Trak Bikes 6.46.58
86 Rob Ballou - GORC 7.31.45
90 Kevin Bonney - Mesa Cycles 7.39.46
95 Wendy Davis - Trail Monster 7.49.12
114 Matt Hayes GORC DNF (ouch!)
PS - getting a cabin is the only way to go!
Saturday Tour Day
The river at Bass River Resort was out of its banks and only the taller full-size trucks could brave the waters towing tandem trailers to bring Tour riders to the other side. The water was waist-deep at the low-water bridge crossing.
The river at Bass River Resort was out of its banks and only the taller full-size trucks could brave the waters towing tandem trailers to bring Tour riders to the other side. The water was waist-deep at the low-water bridge crossing.
Joshua Carroll (finished) and Scott Whitaker (rode approx. 28mi) ready for 56 miles of wet fun.
Shot of the Tour riders getting the lowdown.
Lisa (rode about 45mi) crossing the bridge at Brazil creek
Jim Davis (finished) crossing the Brazil CreekSunday Race
Racers crossing the river using a tandem trailer and some palettes to stay dry. One rider tried to pass everyone and ended upside down in the river. Wet and foolish at the same time. Ouch.
Scooter checking in at Berryman.
Bryan Adams getting some refills...
Larry Koester on his rigid 29er SS. He did very well on his first Berryman Epic.Hats off to the promoters - Springfield Bike Co. - for clearing the trail of deadfall and posting 300+ trail arrows. I don't think anyone got lost.
Get ready for next year.
Get ready for next year.
The Berryman Epic - Tour & Race - Oct. 25 - This Weekend
The forecast, unfortunately, has been accurate - it has been raining all day today, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009. But, the Berryman Epic is upon us and we must be optimistic. This weekend over 100+ mountain bikers from across Missouri and maybe beyond will ride or compete in the Berryman Epic Tour & Race.
Fifty-five miles of singletrack and gravel road awaits us in the middle of the Missouri Ozarks. Hosted by Bass River Resort off Highway 8, mountain bikers will ride for the better part of 6+ hours across some of the state's best Ozark region trails including the Berryman Trail (a 25 miles loop!), almost the entire Courtois section of the Ozark Trail, and some local fireroad/gravel roads.
The Berryman Epic is in its second year and has a substantial cash prize purse and swag offering. While it has been raining this week off and on, racers and tour riders alike look forward to this fall epic. What better way to enjoy the Ozark Trail than to make a weekend of it where all the deadfall has been removed and the trail has been copiously marked?
The race/tour fell on an Ozark Trail Association mega-workday weekend and this year the same has proven true. Be sure to say hi to the great volunteers of the OTA as they camp out in conjunction with the Berryman Epic Tour/Racers at the Bass River Resort. GORC fully supports the multi-use trail efforts of the OTA and commend them for increasing the trail mileage of the Ozark Trail.
Fifty-five miles of singletrack and gravel road awaits us in the middle of the Missouri Ozarks. Hosted by Bass River Resort off Highway 8, mountain bikers will ride for the better part of 6+ hours across some of the state's best Ozark region trails including the Berryman Trail (a 25 miles loop!), almost the entire Courtois section of the Ozark Trail, and some local fireroad/gravel roads.
The Berryman Epic is in its second year and has a substantial cash prize purse and swag offering. While it has been raining this week off and on, racers and tour riders alike look forward to this fall epic. What better way to enjoy the Ozark Trail than to make a weekend of it where all the deadfall has been removed and the trail has been copiously marked?
The race/tour fell on an Ozark Trail Association mega-workday weekend and this year the same has proven true. Be sure to say hi to the great volunteers of the OTA as they camp out in conjunction with the Berryman Epic Tour/Racers at the Bass River Resort. GORC fully supports the multi-use trail efforts of the OTA and commend them for increasing the trail mileage of the Ozark Trail.
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