[mealsonwheels]

Some trails including Sycamore Canyon in Santee and Oak Canyon are significantly overgrown and I'd like to get a few guys to clear some brush, but I'm looking for a gas powered hedgetrimmer or two. Does anyone have one we could use or know of one we could borrow?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[ncrider]

just hack through it with a shuvel.

 

[Orvan]

Hey Ryan, could you trim that one place you took me and I Brian to? We got shut down on Sun due to overgrowth.... bah!
Let's ride next weekend!!!

 

[mealsonwheels]

just hack through it with a shuvel.

I spent 2-3 hours hacking at it with clippers and trimmers last weekend, but it took forever. When the mustard plants are above your head a shovel would take way longer than hedge trimmers. With hedge trimmers a group of guys could probably knock out one trail in a day.

 

[mealsonwheels]

Hey Ryan, could you trim that one place you took me and I Brian to? We got shut down on Sun due to overgrowth.... bah!
Let's ride next weekend!!!

The last time I went there was with you!!! I haven't been there in forever. My bike is torn apart right now, and it probably won't be rebuilt until right before the Utah trip with Steve. I sold the Jr T and I'm switching to a Fox 36. I'll let you know when it's done. I can't wait to ride more regularly again. You'll have to show me the Nascar track?

 

[ET_SoCal]

... With hedge trimmers...

You end up with trail spears in the late summer.

 

[mealsonwheels]

You end up with trail spears in the late summer.

That depends on what you are cutting and how. Check out San Juan Trail. Trailworkers out there were using hedgetrimmers 3 weeks ago and the trail came out great.

 

[Gimper4JC]

NICE! Looking forward to getting the weeds off the trail.



The hedge trimmers, SJT, yes it was looking good

 

[EBasil]

Ryan,
Are you working WITH the Rangers' approval, and they're oka y with gas-powered tools? That's surprising.

If you're just being a "good citizen", I'll skip over the very large potential pitfalls if that Ranger takes the wrong view of your enthusiasm but will strongly suggest you go without gas-powered tools of any kind.

There are a lot of places that need trimming, for sure, but there will be a lot of blow-back if we go about it in the wrong manner. Hook up with the Rangers, and such work makes you and all MTB riders into rockstars (even the slacker mofos that never volunteer any time). Do it unauthorized, and it can be worse for the rest of us than if you did nothing at all.

 

[mealsonwheels]

Ryan,
Are you working WITH the Rangers' approval, and they're oka y with gas-powered tools? That's surprising.

If you're just being a "good citizen", I'll skip over the very large potential pitfalls if that Ranger takes the wrong view of your enthusiasm but will strongly suggest you go without gas-powered tools of any kind.

There are a lot of places that need trimming, for sure, but there will be a lot of blow-back if we go about it in the wrong manner. Hook up with the Rangers, and such work makes you and all MTB riders into rockstars (even the slacker mofos that never volunteer any time). Do it unauthorized, and it can be worse for the rest of us than if you did nothing at all.

In Sycamore Canyon (outside of Goodan Ranch) I'm not aware of any governing body. I don't believe there is any ranger patrol out there, in fact I thought we were trespassing on military property.

As far as Oak Canyon goes I believe it is supposed to be added to MTRP soon, but as far as I know this is currently outside of the boundaries of the MTRP. If the land has been acquired I'd gladly request permission prior to trail maintenance. I just didn't think any was needed for these two trails. Let me know if you have more info.

BTW, a large trail maintenance crew in Cleveland National Forest's San Juan Trail were equipped with gas powered trimmers. It was such a large and organized trail maintenance crew that I assumed it was approved by CNF. Obviously a city park may have different restrictions.

 

[EBasil]

Yeah, I've used a gas-powered, two-line trimmer in Los Padres Nat'l Forest, but even that "official state agency work" had to jump through hoops for approval. It's a fire thing, even when stuff is lush.

I don't know one way or the other whether Oak Cyn etc is or isn't part of MTRP, but think you should figure that out before you go somewhere with power tools... As for the Marines, just scream "allah akbar, muthafo..." well, that may be enough.

 

[mealsonwheels]

The mtrp park boundaries terminate at the 52 according to the park website. So everything north of there is good to go. Maybe a battery powered trimmer is a better option, or not even posting here at all seems to be the best option.

All in all it sounds like too many hoops to jump through for me. I'd prefer to ride than deal with the beauracracy of seeking the government's permission to help out. I know you've done a lot of work with Penasquitos, and I appreciate it but I don't have the patience. I just wanted to spend an afternoon improving the trails a little, but it sounds like way more hassle than it's worth.

 

[HarryCallahan]

As for the Marines, just scream "allah akbar, muthafo..." well, that may be enough.

Yeah, that ought to work.

I remember when there was a big offroad motorized scene off Miramar road, east of 805. This was back in the 70's. The Navy dealt with that by sending out the Marine MPs. If they got you and your ride, you walked home, then had to go appear in person before the base CO and ask for it back. It defiinitely discouraged riding out there.

 

[ET_SoCal]

... As for the Marines, just scream "allah akbar, muthafo..."

That's is quite funny...

... I just wanted to spend an afternoon improving the trails a little, but it sounds like way more hassle than it's worth.

That's what a few of us do in our local trails, just grab our mclouds, shovels & such. CORBA rarely visit's our neck-of-the-woods.
Unless it's a heavily used area w/ lot's of people & riders; Just do it; the state employees don't have the time to chase people out of the area, plus usually there's one ranger to 10,000k sq miles or something - Like he/she is gonna be in the area your in at the same time? Like EBasil said - Fire is the one big concern.

 

[BullittX]

Please contact wendy@sdmba.com for current info regarding Sycamore Canyon/Goodan Ranch.

mark@sdmba.com

 

[EBasil]

I just wanted to spend an afternoon improving the trails a little, but it sounds like way more hassle than it's worth.

Extremely admirable, and often times it's really easy to navigate the bureaucracy...just call the Ranger and go chat. I imagine, that with all the "range war" mentality, PQ might be the "worst" to deal at (but we have an MTC crew that are approved for work, like MTRP has an SDMBA trailcrew). The Ranger at Goodan/Sycamore is pretty cool: I bet if you called or rode by his trailer down there, you'd be able to assess whether it's "not worth it" or whether you're "good to go" in few minutes.

Hell he rides a Quad all around up there. He may ask if your gas trimmer has a tuned pipe...

 

[mealsonwheels]

The Ranger at Goodan/Sycamore is pretty cool: I bet if you called or rode by his trailer down there, you'd be able to assess whether it's "not worth it" or whether you're "good to go" in few minutes.

Hell he rides a Quad all around up there. He may ask if your gas trimmer has a tuned pipe...

Yeah, he is cool, and seems friendly to riders.

I was using the shovel on a trail last night and it went pretty quickly. I like the look of that mcleod tool ET.

 

[ET_SoCal]

...mcleod tool...

Always swinging over my head w/ tools...

 

[Discodncr]

What weeds? I didn't see any weeds.

 

[EBasil]

What weeds? I didn't see any weeds.

That photo is either grainy or there are a lot of ticks...

 

[Gimper4JC]

OK, Were on! I spoke to the ranger. He said do whatever you want below the Ranch. I asked if we could use power tools? He said sure as long as you wear safety equip. Goggles, proper clothing, etc. I also asked what about a tractor? Once again, "No problem!" As long as I wear a hard hat.

Ok, so this is the plan;

I have made arrangements with some excavating friends of mine and we will be out there this whole weekend. We will start building from the Santee end. I have also spoke to Brian Lopes and Hans Rey, they said they would be happy to come down and show us a thing or two on the new 4 man section we have planned. And, some Canadian friends of mine are down from the North Shore and said they would love to assist with the "North Shore" section. See pics below for what we have so far, started last weekend. This will be all in Phase I. Stay tuned for Phase II.

New route for Martha's

new entrance to the canyon from Noble

If have you have not figured it out,.... Im kidding!:nuts:

However, the ranger did say we could trim the weeds with hand tools.

 

[bfranke]

dork

 

[Gimper4JC]

dork

Ahhh com-on, it was funny!
:eviltongu

 

[EBasil]

Hey, the cat's out of the bag! Tell us where the Secret Ladder Trails of Sycamore Canyon are!

 

[Gimper4JC]

here's whats next.