Quantcast

Question about public dirt jumps or skills parks in bad weather

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
840
113
Pittsburgh, PA
By public I mean dirt jumps or skills areas located in city or county parks, built by volunteers but official and approved by the land manager.

What happens at public dirt jumps when the weather gets bad such as extended rain, snow, wet ground (general late fall, winter, and early spring weather)? Is a sign with basic jump park rules including info such as 'Do not ride when wet' enough? Or are the jumps physically closed off somehow such as with chains across the trail or tarps on the lips? I understand that closing off jumps is something private areas can and probably should do, but is that something that public areas are or should be doing? If so then who decides when they are open or closed, since there is not officially any trail boss to report to being a public place, and park staff may not understand or care what conditions are good or bad?
 

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
we have some public dirt jumps at a public park. Somehow they have survived for over 15 years with ZERO signage.
They don't get shut down, ever. However, they are made with crushed red brick. This stuff sets up like cement and can be ridden on when wet. If it's really really wet or raining, the jumps don't get ridden. People stay home, I guess. ?

Unless you have a way to prevent people on the track/trail area, people will ride it. You'll need someone to lock them if the weather gets bad. Signs and quality dirt/well built trails are your best bet. Being public, you're allways going to have riders that don't get it....
 

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
in my experience, people usually don't literally jump muddy doubles, so it's just the occasional person riding through things that they can roll over. so, usually nothing worse happens than some ruts which aren't that hard to fix. it's annoying, but not a huge problem.
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
840
113
Pittsburgh, PA
Thanks for the input guys. I agree there will always be someone that rides the jumps when very wet if not physically prevented from doing so, even though probably not many people would even try to use them during that time. How much damage that would cause is unknown as the jump area is still fairly new.

The jumps at our skills park are made of clay and there are no gaps. There is an easy line that was built last year and an advanced line that was just completed recently. The easy line can be rolled by anyone including small children, but the advanced line has steep enough lips to keep most casual users away. Last winter (the first winter) the jumps were closed off and tarped to allow them to settle and keep them from getting damaged. The clay has become quite hard now, but will soften up slightly during extended periods of rain or over the winter. Drainage has been addressed as best as possible to keep things dry, but eventually the ground gets saturated.

Currently there is a group of volunteers who have the ability to chain off the jumps as they see fit. The main issue I see is that sometimes the jumps are closed even though the weather and ground is good, because conditions can change quickly and/or no one has been to the park recently to check on conditions. I want to say the jumps should just be open all of the time, but I can see how that would lead to lots of extra maintenance come spring. I don't like limiting access to trails unless it is truly necessary. I'm not sure what the right answer is, which is why I was asking here.
 

WaveDude

Chimp
Sep 7, 2001
77
0
TX
Around here, we'll have idiots out the day after a pouring rain jonesin' to ride and end up rutting up the place. Signs get ignored and torn down. Even if they stay off the takeoffs and landings they'll ride thru the flats in between and rut them up. And if someone does'nt fix the ruts-they harden up in place. I've heard all the excuses too: "It's a public place I can do what I want." "I drove over an hour to get here--I'm gonna ride no matter what." "Today is the only day I can ride." "I'll fix it before I leave."

And there are a few who will shave off and dig up as much mud and muck as needed to make it rideable--which makes the jumps smaller and ruins the drainage that was in place and keeps it wet even longer after the next rain.

Are you one of the few volunteers that busts azz all the time to maintain the jumps? If so, feel free to get rid of the chains. If not--don't complain.
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
840
113
Pittsburgh, PA
I agree with what you are saying, and while we haven't had any issues yet I could see it happening if there were no chains. I am a volunteer and have worked on the jumps a couple times, but usually spend my efforts working on the nearby freeride trail instead as I'm not all that into dirt jumping. I'm not really complaining about the current situation as I do see the need for it, and it has only affected me once or twice. But there is always lots of chatter and complaining on the facebook page whenever the jumps are not open. However most of those people do not work on the jumps either.