Sarah Olsen tests the newly respaced rollers, taking to the air.
This weekend’s trail work at Gateway Green took a leap forward this week as volunteers answered the call to action. Continuing the work began last weekend, (by Chris Rotivik and myself) we continued our focus on the remodel of the Toe Line Trail. For those unfamiliar, the Toe Line runs along the hillside and features a number of pump track style rollers.
It’s almost like a pump track trail, except the rollers cease a short way in before picking back up at the other end of the trail. The downside is that the rollers were spaced so that jumping them was nearly impossible. To navigate the section, riders were just pumping and pedaling the way through them as they didn’t quite flow.
The Ditch Witch lets us move a lot of material and quickly. I’ve become very fond of this machine.
Knowing it could be a heck of a lot more fun, I came up with a plan: re-space the rollers to improve and enhance the riding experience, and make it inline with other renown pump tracks and flow trails. While continuing to be ridable by riders of all ages and skill levels, the rollers would be spaced in a manner that allows for progression and creative interpretation.
We moved the landing on this set of rollers a few times until it was perfect.
As we only have the Ditch Witch available to us and on site for a few more weekends, revamping this line was high on my priority list. Chris and I had a solid start last weekend, but to get it where we wanted it to be in our timeline, (and because we sure as hell aren’t getting paid) I put out the call via email and on Facebook.
The response and energy from the riders that turned up was amazing.
Our work crew of volunteers. #NWTrailAlliance
Shout outs: Thanks to all the volunteers that came out it was a very productive day. The revamped lined continues to become longer, as we added additional rollers and features, but more importantly, we were able to finish the first section. Not only were we able to flow check it, but we ended the day with a mini-session of the new line.
Testing the flow is a crucial element of the work.
One more dig session like this one and we should be able to extend the pump track flow all the way to the jump filled skills zone. Ideally it would continue to the other side of the park. We’ll see if we’re able to manage it within this build season, but as these are uncompensated build efforts — this work happens as we can squeeze it into busy lives — connecting it to the skills zone is like adding over 1/4 mile of jumps and pumps and radness and I’m stoked.
Posing with Gabe
Thanks Joel Armstrong for coming out. If you don’t know Joel, if you ride bikes in the area you likely know his work – Joel has been leading trail work on the Timberline to Town Trail for sometime, (in addition to work at the Ski Bowl MTB Park) and if you like riding that trail, you have Joe to thank.
Adding rock to the soil hardens it quickly and keeps things ridable when wet.
It was also great having Nick out – Nick Lerma has taken the reins on work at the Ventura Park Pump Track and has put a crap ton of hours into grooming it. You just have to point to a section and before you know it, Nick will take a crew and make it, test it, refine it and ride it until its rad.
Thanks to my partner Inga for coming out and helping with photos for Bermstyle. When I’m leading trail work, my entire mind revolves around trail design, the ride experience and I can’t think of anything else.
Pump it or jump it — hopefully, when we’re done this is the most fun (and long) pump track/ flow line around.
Thanks to Ben Morgan for coming out and bringing liquid refreshments from Oakshire Brewing .
Big thanks to Chris and Susan Rotivik. They did the setup and break down, and kept volunteers fed. Chris continues to be my tech support with the Ditchwitch and I would be up the creek without him. (or still out there working on a fix)
Testing and first tracks is part of the fun.
If things work out, we’ll be continuing the work again next weekend. If you’re interested in joining us, we’ll announce the time for the meetup Tuesday at the NW Trail Alliance meeting at VeloCult.
<UPDATE 3/19/17>
We had a great meeting a few days ago where we met with the GG project manager at Portland Parks to discuss the upcoming grant and upcoming build sessions leading up to our April 7th Big Dig.
#NWTrailAlliance #GatewayGreen #PortlandParks #BermstyleBuilt
NEXT: Linda’s Line
