SIUE Workday- Sat. Jan. 21st, 2012

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.

SIUE Workday 12-10-11 Pictorial

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

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

Greensfelder Workday- Saturday, Sept. 24th

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.

Fall Workday Season is Here!

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

2011 Winter/Spring Workday Schedule

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

Lost Valley Workday- Saturday, October 2nd

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.

Fall/Early Winter 2010 Workday Schedule

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

Summary of Spring 2010 Work

"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

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.

Creve Coeur Workday- Saturday, May 1st

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

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.