OldschoolMaico

I'm in! When and where?

I wanted to bring the trail section up for discussion. Instead I got lots of answers to questions nobody asked. I'll give this one more try. I NEVER said- That I am a noob (post #66) I was afraid of getting hurt (post #66) I wanted to re-route it to make it easier (#71) I found the trail too much for my liking (#72) That I want every trail passable by all (#72) I DID say- That there are some "great" challenging sections on the trail (#63) That it's a "challenging, fun filled trail" (#63) That I'd be willing to put in the time and effort to address what changes would be done. I'm not one to say something needs to be done, then expect someone else do it (#65) One poster who has spent some time observing the section (jbw, post #64) agreed with me by saying "But I agree the potential fall is a bit worrisome." Another, (daijones, #73) said it's "not dangerous". I didn't think to ask, but I wonder if dai spent any time looking over the details of the section that I described. I met dai on the trail about a week ago and we discuss the trail in general. His recommendation to get the signs installed at both ends is a good one, and can't happen soon enough. He described to me an ambitious novice who he encountered struggling on the trail, and came across the novice again on his return trip; he had not traveled far and was still struggling. Perfect example of what I want to keep from happening. Maybe I'll make myself understood this time: IF I/we can a. decrease the potential for the trail section becoming impassable b. decrease the potential hazard in the process c. maintain the SAME challenge of the section/trail THEN we have improved the trail. The posts that suggested how to improve the section are, IMO, welcome and productive. I realize there are other trails in other areas of Pine Valley and Corral Canyon that run above ledges and cliffs, and I admit I don't know much about how long to expect a trail will last, but I thought that making trails safer and last longer was worth discussion. Still do.

Yep, the very same. Momentum is the key, but A- If that section becomes impassable, the whole new trail = FAIL. B- IMO the risk of a fall and the resulting injury in such a remote area is an avoidable hazard. I'd hate to hear about a rider who suffered a catastrophic injury on a trail we worked to build. Trail design = serious injury = new trail closure = FAIL. By routing around it, both issues can be avoided. I'll be happy to volunteer to fix it.

A little birdie told me about riding the completed trail today with a ride buddy along....wholy shamolie! There's some great no-momentum turn-hard and wheel-spin up loose rock-strewn steep hill climbs in several places, but one section of the trail traverses silt-covered sloping slabs of granite that proved immpassable short of dragging the bikes up from where they stopped sliding down and pushing/forcing/pulling them up the slippery slope onto stable ground. There's a 8 foot diameter, tromped-down and scraped off patch of terrain below the section where it appears MANY have had suffered the same misfortune. Did I mention losing one's balance on the south side of this section will result in an eight-foot fall into granite boulders? Fun's fun, but I think a little more thought (and a lot less hazard) could have gone into this part of the trail. Maybe the impending rain will wash away all the loose silt covering the steeply sloping rock and provide something that resembles traction, or maybe it will further create an impass, which would be a real disapointment as the vast majority of our collective efforts produced a challenging, fun-filled trail. Time will tell....

I'm supposed to be in Colorado elk hunting early NOV, but if that falls through, you got yourself a driver.

Yes Sir, please post date, time, location and point of contact for the Cleveland National Forest meeting. If I'm not out of town, I would welcome the opportunity.

I realize I'm catching the game late in the 4th quarter so forgive my ignorance, but I'd like to know please if the matter of litigation for the forest service, the threat of sueing the agencies responsible for the area for not enforcing the one way designation, is this matter that has been determined by a lawyer for the forest service, or for SDAR, or is it only an assumption by a ranger, or SDAR member, or someone else that doesn't know what the legal facts are? Being told "you'll just need to accept it" doesn't seem to me to be a course of action that will result in any improvement in the status quo. IMHO the rangers are no more required to enforce the one-way designation any more than they are required to enforce speed limits on the trails. I think working together to find solutions before one of us is paralyzed or killed is well worth the effort.

OK, I got it. Exposure to litigation is what's driving the park's decisions. Metal Twister's got a good idea there. Maybe include on the signs that pic of the broke-in-half KTM, and some pics of bashed-up riders at the side of the trail. Anything to get riders thinking and riding defensively.

I think you're missing the point. It's not so much about ENFORCEMENT. More to the point, it's about COMPLIANCE. Let's apply some logic; currently, there is NO guidance regarding trail direction. More or less, 50% are going one way, 50% the other. This is the maximum possible odds of a collision. If we apply directional guidance (one-way signs), and assume 9 out of 10 riders comply with directional guidance, and 1 out of 10 don't, then out of 100 riders we now have 90 riders all going in the same direction instead of only 50. Don't you think that would improve an existing PROVEN DANGEROUS situation?? If not, why not? Anyone who drives knows what will happen when you drive down a one-way street the wrong way. Of course, there will be the occasional knucklehead going the wrong way, but IMHO there will be far, far fewer collisions if we mark trails one-way. And that increased safety would make one-way trails worth the time and effort required.

It may be too late to bring this up, but if there's dense sage brush anywhere on the new trail, recommend cutting the trail to twist and turn a lot, keeping the speed down even for knuckleheads that want to ride in a hurry. RE; head-ons- This is a constant AVOIDABLE hazard riding CC. The time I was at CC before the trail building, a guy I met in the parking lot had his foot broken from a head-on leaving the CC area. He'll be in a cast for weeks. There's a close encounter at least once every time I ride CC. I've been lucky only to have bumped footpegs, and another time had to ride over an edge and fall into the brush to avoid the crash. Is is going to take a fatality, maybe someone's child, to finally correct a chronic problem?? One-way trail signs seems to me to be the best solution for a proven-to-be-dangerous riding area. One of the problems remaining is that all of the trails can't be one-way, but it will be a HUGE step towards a much safer riding area.

So...how did the trail blazing go? What still needs to be done?

Do we just show up at the CC parking lot at 0930 FRI? I'd like to put the word out to the guys I ride with. Thanks! EDIT- Oops, I see that's SAT, not FRI....

Glad all you computer geeks can sort all this out. Sucks being the old dog that can't learn new tricks. Guess I'll have to find them myself, but thanks for the offer anyway.

Are you the same Eric who was on the ride to Otay Mountain and Tecate Peak the other day? I'm the guy on the little DR200. Glad to see you finally decided to post something. Post away and then ride. That's my motto. Yep, that'd be me. Are you any closer to getting your new ride? Looking forward to seeing those trails you were talking about. Eric PS Ride-Orange, how can I get a copy of that GPS loop off of the Mex trail you mentioned?

Hi guys, I'm Eric in Santee (OldschoolMaico). Fairly new to off-road as I bought my first modern bike about a year and a half ago, after 6 years of vintage MX, and that after years and years of what was back in the day "modern motocross" (1970'/80's). Been riding the SoCal mountains (Pine Valley/Corral Canyon, McCain, Silverwood, Lagunas, etc), Baja and the desert some, and the occasional dual-sport ride. I'm a building contractor who got married and moved away from my client base, so hit me up if you've got a kitchen/bath remodel, room addition or just want some advise from a guy who's been at it 30+ years. My cel number is 760 802 8600. Eric