Author: Deron

Trail Work

Turkeyday Pruning of Trails V and PC

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Merlin and I went out and worked up a good Thanksgiving day appetite by pruning Trail V (Vela / Candle) and Trail PC (Piena Cojera / Lame Leg). Now that all the low tree branches are cleared (at least to a height that you can theoretically ride under) and the wolverine vines cut way back, it seems that maybe a Blue Square IMBA rating is a bit too strong for this trail. Let’s call it a dark green or light blue now, eh?

And the GPS data for Trail V was also updated to better reflect the current track of the freshly pruned trail.

GPS, Hiking, MTBing, Outing, Trail Work

Prune your way to the slide

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Larry and I headed over to Etla San Pablo to meet up with Carl Silverberg (owner of MTB guide company www.MountainBikeOaxaca.com ) to help out with pruning back the rainy-season vegetation growth on some of the trails. Also, we wanted to look at a section of a trail that was washed away by a landslide so we could try and see what the options would be for getting the trail rerouted or repaired.  We ended up scouting around the slide area for a reroute but it’s looking (to me) that the area is too steep and wooded to get an alternate route punched in by going up and over the slide area back to the continuation of the trail to the east.  Head scratcher.  Ideas, anyone? My vote is for building a zip line across the ~ 7m gap of lost trail. 😉

Here is the GPS data map (as KML) for the day of pruning. Grab it for yourself using the Download link in the base of the map below. GPX format is here.

 

 

GPS, MTBing, Outing, Photos

Es tu nombre Raphael?

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I went out yesterday to re-examine the trail I found Sunday. It runs pretty much with the contour line between Trail M (Mechero / Burner) and Trail Ma (Martillada / Hammerblow) but I wanted to make sure my initial glee of discovery hadn’t cloud my assessment of the ridability of it. This trail Larry had told me about months ago when he rode it with Dr. Z. Yet, we could never seem to locate it. In fact, I’m still not sure this thing is the same one Larry and Dr. Z rode together months ago.

But, while out on my re-examination ride on Tuesday, I was fortunate to run into another rider I had met once before on the trail. If I have his name right and am spelling it correctly, his name is Rafael. Here is the only picture I have of him.

Mr. SecretSingletrack

Mr. SecretSingletrack

With our limited grasp of each other’s native languages (his grasp better than mine), we did our best to talk biking and trails. In that “conversation” Rafael said he could show me a trail up ahead coming off of Trail HFR, where we had crossed paths. I gladly agreed. My reward was the tightest, twistiest, most narrow, most vegetated yet rideable trail I’ve found here to date.

MUCHO MUCHO MUCHO GRACIAS, Rafael! It was a total blast and I can’t wait to do it again. Hopefully, once again chasing Rafael, as he is a fast rider who seems to share my taste for tight, twisty singletrack downhills.

Here is a map of the new (to me) trail Raphael showed me. I’m hoping to see him again and get the proper name of the trail. For now, its temporary name is Trail_CodeName-Rafael. On the map, it’s the red track. I’ve also include Trails HFR, M, and T to give perspective on where Rafael took me out in the woods to watch me fall on my head (only once, mind you!).

Oh, and since the multi tracks throw off the elevation profile, note that it’s about 1.1km long with an elevation drop of 183m. Tasty!

[ edited 2012-11-17 @ 00:05 to correct incorrect spelling of Rafael ]

GPS, MTBing, Outing

The (Re)discovery of a painfully obvious trail

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Stumbled across a new trail today.  Expect a new Trail Info page for it next week (after other projects get done).  I think this might be the trail Dr. Z showed Larry months ago, yet one we could never find again.  It runs pretty much along the contour line between lower Trail Ma and Trail M.

 

 

GPS, MTBing, Outing

Oaxaca Flume Trail

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For the first of the Weekly Thursday Rides, we headed over to San Pablo Etla to see if we could find some of the singletrack trails Carl Silverberg and his amigos have been building. Not only did we find some new singletrack (new to us, that is), I also got to meet Carl. He is a super nice guy who’s done a lot to bring attention to Oaxaca mountain biking AND to work with the communities here to create and maintain more mountain-bike-friendly singletrack. I’m hoping to get back over to Etla and ride with Senor Silverberg soon. We are also planning to get over there for some trail work as the rainy season has, of course, affected those trails, too.

Carl’s MTB-guide company is on the Web at www.MountainBikeOaxaca.com

Here is the track Larry and I took yesterday. Note that many of the “wiggles” are due to us scouting singletrack at various trail junctions. Looks like there are lots of riding options in the Land of Carl(os) S.

 

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