School Creek Trail Maintenance Day

[troy]

School Creek Trail Maintenance Day

Saturday November 23
All important details at:
http://SchoolCreek.org/


(old, original discussion below)

I have to admit, I've ridden thousands of miles of trails over the last several years, yet I've not done a single day of trail maintenance. I always let myself off the hook because I live so far away from these riding areas. I'm grateful for the local riding clubs that keep the trails cleared. I've been riding in AR or CO many times where it's obvious SOMEBODY spent many days with a chainsaw clearing fallen trees out of the way.

Each time I ride at School Creek, it seems the low-hanging branch problem is worse. Many of you went home this past Sunday with bloody lips, noses, necks, etc. It's a riding area in need of some love and not a lot of local support to maintain it.

I called the US Army Corps of Engineers regarding the School Creek ORV area. I asked about the legality and protocols surrounding user groups performing trail maintenance. They told me that they are letting the maintenance go because they plan to shut it down end of 2012. JUST KIDDING!

Actually, a nice lady named Misty with the Corp called me back and seemed pleased that somebody cared about School Creek. She explained that the easiest path was to coordinate with SCORVA, a user-group already "authorized" to do trail maintenance at School Creek.

I found this website for SCORVA, but it pops ads and probably has not been udpated in a very long time:

S.C.O.R.V.A.
School Creek Off Road Vehicle Association
http://www.angelfire.com/ks2/scorva/

Misty gave me the name and number of Kim Jackson, the lady who runs SCORVA. Kim was glad to take my call and explained that she had hip surgery so has not been riding much at all this year, and last year the riding area was pretty much closed most of the season due to flooding. Therefore, SCORVA has not done much maintenance in the last 2 years. She also explained that most of her crew are Fort Riley soldiers who get moved or deployed so it's hard to keep a consistent group of motivated folks.

I had a nice, long conversation with Kim. She told me before the flooding and her hip surgery, she "practically lived out there". (I think Kim is the lady who yells at you if she catches you bending any of the rules. Some of us have met her. She has a personal passion to keep the riding area open and safe. Kim was unloading her bike when a quad did a donut right in front of her truck and threw a rock--breaking out her headlight.) Kim explained that she even has a setup on her forks that lets her mount her chainsaw on the bike.

From what I gathered, there are not really any strict rules regarding clearing trails and nobody is going to get in trouble for using a chain saw and limb lopper to clear low-hanging branches. She explained that when cutting back pine trees, you should cut the branch all the way flush with the parent branch or trunk--do not leave death sticks poking out on pine trees! Technically, we are supposed to let the Corps know when we do trail maintenance. Kim and I agreed to work together gathering support for an organized trail maintenance day sometime this winter. She will handle letting the powers-that-be know our plans. A sunny, low-wind, above 35 degree winter day would be perfect for a day of clearing branches with friends and a little riding. We'll bring a huge pot of chili and a camp stove, etc.

It seems some School Creek fans are found on the kansasoffroad.com forum, too. Maybe we can rally some support for a real work day to clear the trails.
http://www.kansasoffroad.com/cgi/yabb2/ ... 1160846492

If we do this, it would be helpful for those of you with quads to bring them to carry tools, water jugs, etc. Maybe we could get official permission to have side-by-sides on that day for the maintenance. I know some of you have those kind of utility vehicles. (Side by sides are not normally allowed at School Creek.)

I don't know how much one person could really get done in 4 hours or so, but I know 10 to 20 folks with tools could do a lot in a half day. I know it's over 2 hours away, but are you interested in helping to keep this great, KS riding area open and safe? Post up here or let me know privately. If enough folks are willing to help, we'll keep our eyes on the forecast to coordinate a day that works for most folks. I'm thinking sometime Jan, Feb, or March.

Troy Wolf
RideForum.NET
troy@troywolf.com
913.669.0958

[kendall_smith]

I'm in. I've always wanted to get a deal like this going, but never had any clue how to go about it. I used to live out that way and would have done some trail maintenance, but I always had that little nagging voice in my head that made me wonder if someone would have a problem with it.

Now that you've cleared that question up, I say we get on it. School Creek has a lot of trails that would be fun to link together if they were just passable without bushwhacking.

I've got a chainsaw, handsaws, hatchets, etc. that I'd be willing to bring out. I wish I had a four wheeler for stuff like this, but that would be hard to justify since I could have another bike for what that would cost!

[troy]

I'm in. ... I've got a chainsaw, handsaws, hatchets, etc. that I'd be willing to bring out. I wish I had a four wheeler for stuff like this, but that would be hard to justify since I could have another bike for what that would cost!

Cool, Kendall! At least the way I envision this working, it won't be necessary to have any quads, but it would be convenient. The amount of stuff needing trimmed back and the relatively small overall size of the riding area, I think this would be mostly an on-foot endeavor. I would just use the quad to run people, water, and tools out to staging points, then it's on foot from there. I'm sure I can figure out how to carry my saw and a small gas tank on the bike.

What I'm hoping for, though, is some good cooperation from the other trail users including the quad riders. They can provide the quads to carry stuff. ...OR, time for a TrailTail!
http://www.trailtail.com/wordpress/

[Rick]

Count me in. I'll bring some quad friends too.

Rick

[Savage]

Ah yes, that's the site. I remember checking out their forum a few years ago. I always thought it was a good idea and sounded like a fun thing to do this time of year. Chainsaws, cutting limbs, putting around on 4WD quads, bonfire, what's not to like about that?

But the good thing about having all the limbs low is it slows down all the idiots who don't give a second thought about anyone coming around the bend.

[MacWildcat]

Keep us posted, I'm in.

[Bob Morgan]

I'd help.
It might be fun to bring along a hand held GPS and make a bit of a map. Maybe some flags for particular obstacles and fun places. Just thinking out loud.

[g1shadow]

Keep us posted I will do my best to be there . I have access to a atv and saws. Wish there was a way to stop the parking lot show offs.

[troy]

Time to revive this thread. Some of us rode School Creek this past Saturday, and we spent a lot of time dodging branches.

[kendall_smith]

I'm in. I've always wanted to get a deal like this going, but never had any clue how to go about it.

Who is this carefree guy who is ready to drop everything to go do some trail maintenance? Oh wait, that's me before I decided to take on this life-draining process known as selling my house!

In all seriousness, if and when my schedule gets back to something slightly resembling normal and I can get away on a weekend to so something not house/moving/downsizing related, I'd be in for sure.

I will say that this would be a project best taken on after Mother Nature does her thing and kills off some of the vegetation (ie- late fall/early winter). I can tell you from my recent journeys into the woods to squeeze in some mountain bike riding that they are as thick as I've ever seen them and that would make for a lot of extra work. That being said, if everyone else decides that they don't want to wait that long, I'd be in at an earlier time if it works out for me.

[Rick]

I said before that I would be in and I'll say it again. Just need a catalyst (Troy) to get things started. Agree with Kendall that it would be better this fall. My two cents? We need to incorporate it with a ride, not just a work day. You know, couple hours of riding, couple hours of work, couple hours of....

[Stu]

I said before that I would be in and I'll say it again. Just need a catalyst (Troy) to get things started. Agree with Kendall that it would be better this fall. My two cents? We need to incorporate it with a ride, not just a work day. You know, couple hours of riding, couple hours of work, couple hours of....

1+

Stu

[Savage]

I'm up for it this Fall, we would need a couple quads and chainsaws to make it easier.

[xr-nut]

We're in. Met the "project manager" for school creek orv today, at the park. Her name is Kim Jackson. Pretty cool gal. She rides a 250 xcw. Im sure we could track her down and get it so that we could get my ranger in there also. I have two saws, and two boys.

[troy]

I started this thread over a year ago. The need has not gone away.

I'm working on a plan now and need ALL (well most) of you to help if this is going to happen. I'm working on a mind map now to organize the pieces.

Click here to view the School Creek Trail Maintenance Day mind map.

As you'll see, I'm trying to identify:

• What is needed
• Who can help -- identify all the riding clubs, websites, organizations
• Who can sponsor
• What items could be sponsored
• How to promote the event
• What tools do we need

We could go small or try to go really big, and I think going really big is the way to make an impact at School Creek--it's a big area and 90% of the trails need tree trimming. So I'm thinking of having professional signs made advertising the maintenance day that would be posted at the School Creek parking lot entrance at least a month in advance. This would be in hopes of attracting more of the real School Creek riders that we might miss through other promotion efforts.

I'd love to find a sponsor who would cover the costs for a custom event T-shirt that everyone participating would get as a gift and to remember the day. (Need a graphic artist to step up and design the T-Shirt, etc.)

I want to identify everything we need and the costs to supply them, then seek sponsorship from every motorcycle dealer whose customers probably enjoy School Creek. I want to put those sponsors on the T-shirts and the promotional materials. We will develop a flyer that will be distributed to all the dealers.

Can we find a BBQ caterer with a mobile setup that could camp out at School Creek to feed the work crew that day? Can we get this sponsored?

I need to call the Corp seeking permission for UTV's that day to move people, drinks, chainsaws, gas, etc. to the various areas where people are working. (Those larger vehicles are not normally allowed at School Creek.)

Please look at the mind map and reply to tell me the missing pieces (LOTS of missing pieces). Let me know your REALISTIC ideas for making this a big, successful event. I will define "success" as having cleared the overhanging branches from all or most of the School Creek trails with nobody getting hurt in the process.

A couple folks suggested making it a combination work and ride day, but personally, I think there is too much work to be done, and I'd rather not mix pleasure riding on the trails while folks are out there with chainsaws and possibly kids walking around helping. In fact, I'd like to get an official date set and work with the Corp to officially close the area that day except for those working the trail maintenance. (I will only attempt that if we get a proven momentum behind the effort--that is, if we feel confident that we will have 50+ people show up to clear trails. (That is a lofty goal, but we'll need that kind of crowd if we want to clear those trails in a day.) So how about making a weekend out of it. Sat is maintenance, Sun is RIDING!

[HanesAnizer]

The Forward Motion group just had a harescramble out there on 10/20. I wonder if they did any trail maintenance beforehand. Even if they did, I'm sure there is still much to be done. If this gets scheduled, I'll do my best to be there and help.

[troy]

The Forward Motion group just had a harescramble out there on 10/20. I wonder if they did any trail maintenance beforehand. Even if they did, I'm sure there is still much to be done. If this gets scheduled, I'll do my best to be there and help.

Yes--the Forward Motion group. That is another target audience for this effort. Thank you for reminding me. I know folks on here race that series. I personally don't have any known connections to the movers and shakers in that organization. Surely someone here knows how to find out if Forward Motion did any trail maintenance to prep for the hare scramble. I need a contact in that group anyway to help with this effort.

[HanesAnizer]

I don't really have any connections there either, but here is their forum -
http://www.fmhsc.com/phpbb3/phpBB3/index.php

The guy that I think runs it is Dan Johnson, user name IamDanJohnson.

[Savage]

Yes that's him. Email him, he will reply.

[troy]

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23?

IMMEDIATE feedback requested.

I communicated with Dan Johnson of FMHSC and Kim Jackson of SCORVA. Dan advises us to set a date and let them know. He thinks as many as 10 folks from their race community could come help. Kim was pleased to know we have this interest--they've struggled to find people to help with trail maintenance. She also says "set a date and let me know".

In this thread, some have asked about getting permission from the Corps to use side-by-side UTVs for the maintenance day. Kim says "no". Motorcycles, ATVs, and foot will serve just fine. (Kim Jackson represents S.C.O.R.V.A. and has authority from the Corps to manage trail maintenance at School Creek.)

The primary problem are the cedar tree branches overtaking the trails. Our job will be to cut all branches that interfere with the trail all the way back to the trunk--do not leave a death stick poking out from the trunk. Then throw the branch as far back off the trail as you can. If it is a tiny tree growing close to the trail, remove the entire tree. STRAIGHTFORWARD STUFF! The smaller stuff can be cut with heavy-duty limb loppers, but chainsaws will be preferred I'm sure.

I was originally thinking of making a big event with lots of promotion, but....how many folks would tentatively commit to helping in a couple weeks?
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23?

Between the various communities, if we can get 10+ folks to show up, we'll have at least a serious impact on the trails. How many chainsaws do we have? I think 2 man teams would work great where you take turns running the chainsaw while the other throws the branches off the trail.

If at least a handful of people commit, I'll blast this message out to every riding club and list I know about.