Fox Peak Trail Work Weekend – Rescheduled for 6/15-17

After getting out and having a look up high today, we’ve decided to postpone the Fox Peak Trail Work Weekend for a couple of weeks.  Between the weather over the weekend and the cooler temps the last 1-2 weeks, the snow wasn’t melting off as fast as we’d hoped.  Our goal is to get in there as soon as possible after it does melt so that we can take advantage of the remaining soil moisture for maximizing the effectiveness of the work.

Instead of trudging through the remaining snow and fighting the elements, we decided that we would be better off waiting for a couple of weeks.  So, the weekend has been rescheduled for June 15-17.  All other details are still the same. We’ll head in to Tornak Hut on Friday evening and come out on Sunday afternoon.  If you’re interested in attending, shoot us an email at wrbikecoalition@gmail.com

Cheers!!!

Trail Work Weekend, Sheep, & Trail Updates

Trail Work Weekend (June 1-3) – Fox Peak

 Come join us for a weekend of trail work over National Trails Day (June 2).  We’ll be spending the weekend based out of Tornak Hut and working on rerouting the one nasty part of the Fox Peak ride route (Adams Gulch Loop Tr.).  If you’re familiar with the route, we’ll be working on the portion where the trail comes into an open field and turns into a nasty, rutted, skid-a-bike descent through the entire field.

The Plan:

We’ll head up to the Tornak Hut on Friday evening.  Gear/food/supplies will be shuttled in to the Hut. We will ride in from the Baker Creek parking area.

There is room in the yurt for @ 12 people.  Everyone else will need to bring a tent.

On Saturday, we’ll ride mountain bikes to the work site.  We’ll use the Rokon to shuttle in tools, gear, etc.

On Sunday, we’ll hopefully finish up and leave by early afternoon.

Cost:

$20 per person for the weekend.  WRBC will cover the rest.

Food/Beverages:

WRBC will be providing food.  We’ll probably do burgers/brats, pasta, or Mexi for dinners on Friday & Saturday.  Saturday & Sunday breakfasts we’ll have yogurt, fruit, bacon, eggs, hash browns, coffee.  There’ll be sandwich fixins’ for lunch.

We’ll have a keg of PBR, Bud, or similar……

If you need something to eat other than that, you’ll need to bring it yourself.  If your beverage of choice is something other than the highest quality low grade American Beer, you’ll need to bring that too.

What to Bring:

You’ll need to bring a sleeping bag (and tent, if you’re not in the hut), sunscreen, bug dope, riding gear (for the ride in and out), work boots, work clothes, work gloves, down jacket, rain jacket, and casual clothes for lounging in the hut.

The weather forecast is wide open, so plan on conditions from rain/snow, to sunny & warm.  We’ll hope for the latter!

We’re going to cap this at @ 25 people.  If you’re interested, send an email to wrbikecoalition@gmail.com.  Clear your calendars and spend a super fun weekend helping us make Fox Peak an even better route than it already is!  What better way to celebrate National Trails Day than spending a weekend up high in the Smoky Mts. repairing one of our signature backcountry routes!!!

The Sheep are Coming!!!!

We’re expecting the sheep to move into Bullion Gulch sometime this week.  Signs have been placed on the ground and updates have been posted on the trails website (trailink.org).  They’ll likely be in the Bullion drainage for a couple of weeks before moving up and over into Deer Creek, then Greenhorn, and then on up the valley throughout the summer.

As the sheep become more common in our valley throughout the summer, it’s always a good to have a little reminder on the best way to interact with them and, more importantly, their Guard Dogs if you encounter them on the trails.  The following video from the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission gives some good tips on best practices:

Trail Updates

After a Spring season that has been as dry as July normally is, we finally got some rain and snow over the weekend.  In fact, the snow level was flirting with the valley floor at times.  We got out yesterday and found very good trail conditions on most aspects.  The exceptions tended to be shady, north-facing slopes at mid-elevations and higher.  Places with the darkest soils that tend to hold moisture the longest are a little “greasy” right now, so be aware of that and maybe stay clear of higher elevation rides for a few days.  With cooler temps in the forecast, this moisture will hopefully keep us riding “perfect dirt” conditions for a while.

Also, we got out and cut out the downed trees out on Eve’s Gulch near Forbidden Fruit, did some additional work on the new “contour” access trail from Eve’s to Forbidden Fruit, and also did some raking and rock removal on the upper 1/3 of Forbidden Fruit.  So, maybe you should go check that out?  Your call…..

Happy Memorial Day to everyone and “Thank You” to all of our service men and women for their sacrifices!!

Give some input to help shape the future of trails in the Wood River Valley….

Quigley Annexation Public Comment Meeting                                                             Wood River Middle School Room #860 @ 5:30 pm

Tonight @ The City of Hailey will take public comment on the development proposal to annex Quigley canyon into the City of Hailey. The meeting will start @ 5:30 in Room #860 at the Middle School.

There have been many claims, allegations, and comments tossed around on both sides about the feasibility and effects of some components of this annexation proposal.  One part of the proposal that has not been talked about very much is in our opinion one of the most important, and that is Recreation. If Quigley Canyon is annexed into the City of Hailey, the development would include an incredible recreational plan that represents a significant opportunity for Hailey and for the Wood River Valley as a whole. Amenities such as 13 km of nordic trails, 10+ miles of single track, soccer fields, a bike park, a tubing hill, all protected into perpetuity, paid for largely by the developer and built during the initial phase of development.

If the land is not annexed into the City of Hailey, it could be developed through Blaine County, and would most likely result in a very different outcome. Homes would be much more spread out (think “Ranchettes, or “McMansions”). There would be little or no recreational component to the development and the existing nordic trails in Quigley would possibly no longer exist.

Either way you look at it, the land will be developed. It’s private land owned by a developer who wants to develop it. The issue is how to shape that development in order to maximize its benefits to the community as a whole. From a recreation standpoint, having the property annexed into the City of Hailey represents a significant recreational opportunity that should not be undervalued.

The City of Hailey has a moment of opportunity to demonstrate and secure its commitment to community-based recreation and a quality lifestyle. It is a commitment to securing four season recreational amenities adjacent to town and directly adjacent to our high school. It symbolizes our commitment to offering and encouraging healthy well-rounded education and extracurricular activities for our children. It is also a commitment that does not go unnoticed by businesses and/or individuals considering relocating to the Wood River Valley.

Please come to the public meeting this evening and  voice your opinion!

Sun Valley Company Trail Development Plan Presentation

Representatives from Sun Valley Co. are hosting a meeting at the River Run Lodge this Thursday, starting at 5:30 pm.  They will be presenting to the public their trail development plan that they have submitted to the Ketchum Ranger District and the BLM.

Join us at River Run to learn more about the details of their proposal.  From all of the wildly misinformed “beer talk” versions of what is happening that are out there, it will be a great opportunity for people to have some factual information and learn about what is really happening.

Hope to see you there!

Pedal Driven & a brief weekend Trail Update

Pedal Driven

Thanks to everyone who came out Wednesday night for the screening of Pedal Driven at the Community Library as part of their Bike Week festivities in celebration of May as National Bike Month.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day outside, so we expected no one to show up, but were pleasantly surprised to have around 20 people in attendance.  It was a great opportunity to have informal interaction on a broad range of questions about cycling issues here in our valley.

In watching the film again, it was great to pick up on some of the themes and messages in the film.  One of those messages really rings true for cyclists throughout the nation and that is that we, especially the mountain bikers, absolutely have to be the better user group.  Although we are the fastest growing and are now virtually the largest user group, we are still the relative “new kid” user group in the forest.  If there is ever a user conflict or a complaint about a cyclist, it is automatically the cyclists fault, period.  If anyone ever complains about a cyclist, or is ever aggravated by a cyclist for any reason whatsoever (no matter how wrong they may be), it is ALWAYS the cyclists fault.

Some rules for the trail, and especially the Wood River Trail (a.k.a. – bike path):

• Always slow down when encountering other users
• Once you think you’ve slowed down, slow down some more!
• Say “Hello” or “Thank you” if someone gives you the right of way
• Always yield to uphill traffic
• On a bike, always yield to everyone.
• Always slow down when encountering other users
• Don’t skid!  Those who skid (and especially the ones that think of it as a proper cornering technique) don’t know how to ride well.
• Don’t ride on the sidewalk.  Regardless of what any local municipality might tell you, this is a horrible idea.  It’s an accident waiting to happen.  Ride in the street or in a bike lane and behave as you would if you were in a car.  While we do have rights as cyclists, we aren’t necessarily “special” or entitled to act like a jerk.
• Always try to see yourself from the other person’s perspective.  Specifically consider how your behavior may be interpreted, not how good you think you look!
• Always slow down when encountering other users (Did we say this already?  When you go by a hiker on the trail, you should be going 5 mph or less, preferably less)

Sound preachy?  Sorry, deal with it.  Why?  Because there are entirely too many cyclists out there giving themselves and the rest of us a bad rap.  A great example is a rider that we saw racing themselves on the Croy Trail system a couple of weeks ago.  Fully “kitted up” and hammering, but wearing no helmet.  Little too cool for that, eh?  In reality, even another super avid cyclist sees you and thinks “what an idiot”.  Now, imagine what non-cyclists were thinking….

Don’t mean to be a downer on your Friday, but collectively, we as cyclists sometimes need a good slap to the back of the head to realize that we’re not helping ourselves by doing some of the things that we do.  Every one example of bad behavior negates 5-10 examples of good behavior.  We have nothing to gain and everything to lose by not just being a better user.

Trail Updates 5/18/12

Now, on to the more fun stuff!  Basically, all trails in the Ketchum Ranger District and BLM are technically open.  Up in the SNRA, most stuff is still closed.  The Ketchum Ranger District is asking people to use good judgment and turn around when you encounter snow and/or mud.  Right now we’re finding the snow line @ 9K ft. on sunny slopes and @ 7,500 ft. on more northerly slopes.  Keeping that in mind will help you plan your adventure with the highest likelihood of not encountering snow or mud.  The bottom line is that most stuff up high still has a good bit of snow and mud.  After all, it is only mid-May!

Have a great weekend!!!

Trail Work Updates & Such…..

….just wrote a whole blog entry that disappeared right as we were finishing it up. Awesome!!!!

So, rather than take another two hours doing that, here’s the skinny:

Trail work 5/10 & 5/14

Awesome work done by the over 50 volunteers who came out for these two sessions.  We completed a great reroute on the Adams Gulch Connector Trail and also built a short new ‘contouring’ connector from Eve’s Gulch that comes into the top of the Forbidden Fruit trail.  Thanks to Ketchum Ranger District and to all of the volunteers who came out!

Trail Updates 5/15/12

Most everything in the front country is now open (with the exception of upper Baldy which will open 7/1/12, and one small little section on the western end of Shadyside).  What that means is that the spring trail monitoring program is winding down and the responsibility now shifts to You, the user.  Most mid and upper elevation trails still have plenty of snow and mud.  Please be responsible and turn around when you get to a snowy and/or muddy section.  ”Pushing through” causes damage to the trail and can leave a significant scar that makes your user group look bad.  A great example of this can be found on Imperial Trail where a certain user left 6″ deep tracks on the trail that will undoubtedly cause damage to the trail and also have a negative effect on the experience of other users.  Don’t be that guy (or girl)!!  Do the right thing, turn around, be patient, and think about the big picture.  It’s only May and you have all summer to ride…

community library bike week

The Community Library is hosting events for the next three evenings in celebration of May being National Bike Month.  WRBC will be showing a movie tomorrow evening (Wed 5/16) at 6 p.m.  We’ll start out by talking briefly about WRBC and then show the movie.  If you have any questions about local trail projects, or would like more information about WRBC, this is a great opportunity to find out more!  The movie is free and so is the Fat Tire, so come join us to watch a great bikeumentary about a MTB success story over in Oregon!

National Bike to Work Day – Friday 5/18/12

Come visit the WRBC and the BCRD at Bullion on the path in Hailey between 6:30-9:30am!

Quigley canyon Annexation Hearing

The City of Hailey will make it’s irreversible decision on whether to annex part of Quigley Canyon on Monday 5/21/12.  There have been many claims and allegations tossed around on both sides about the feasibility and effects of some components of this annexation proposal.

One part of the proposal that has not been talked about very much is in our opinion one of the most important, and that is recreation.  If Quigley Canyon is annexed into the City of Hailey, the development would include an incredible recreational plan that represents a significant opportunity for Hailey and for the Wood River Valley as a whole.  Amenities such as 13 km of nordic trails, 10+ miles of single track, soccer fields, a bike park, a tubing hill, all protected into perpetuity, paid for largely by the developer and built during the initial phase of development.

If the land is not annexed into the City of Hailey, it could be developed through Blaine County, and would most likely result in a very different outcome.  Homes would be much more spread out (think “Ranchettes, or “McMansions”).  There would be little or no recreational component to the development and the existing nordic trails in Quigley would possibly no longer exist.

Either way you look at it, the land will be developed.  It’s private land owned by a developer who wants to develop it.  The issue is how to shape that development in order to maximize its benefits to the community as a whole. From a recreation standpoint, having the property annexed into the City of Hailey represents a significant recreational opportunity that should not be undervalued.

The City of Hailey has a moment of opportunity to demonstrate and secure its commitment to community-based recreation and a quality lifestyle.  It is a commitment to securing four season recreational amenities adjacent to town and directly adjacent to our high school.  It symbolizes our commitment to offering and encouraging healthy well-rounded education and extracurricular activities for our children.  It is also a commitment that does not go unnoticed by businesses and/or individuals considering relocating to the Wood River Valley.

Please come to the meeting with Hailey City Council on 5/21/12 to voice your opinion!

The Sheep are Comin’

For better or worse, it’s that time of year and the sheep are heading north to our neck of the woods.  We’re expecting to see the first bands arrive in the Croy drainage sometime in the next 1-2 weeks.

Whether you live here or are visiting, here’s a great video from the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission that highlights how to recreate and interact with sheep if you encounter them on the trails.

Trail updates will be posted later this afternoon.

Trail Updates, Quigley Recreation meeting, Trail Work Day tomorrow (5/10) & more….

Trail Updates 5/9/12

Trail updates for your mid-week include all of the Cow Creek trails being opened, as well as some out-n-back options on the rest of the trails in the Greeenhorn drainage.  Additionally, the inner Adams Gulch loop is open, as well as all of Harpers.  For the full picture with all the gritty details, check out BCRD’s trail page, TraiLink.org

Quigley Recreation Open House – Wed 5/9/12 @ 6 pm

There will be a recreation-focused Open House this evening at 6 pm, at the Community Campus in Room #301. David Hennessy of Quigley Green will be on hand to offer more information on the recreation plan.  There is a jpeg below of the whole plan, which for recreation includes:

• Bike path extensions and connectivity with adjacent neighborhoods and institutions like the Community Campus and High School.
• Planned single track additions around canyon
• Approximately 13km of Nordic terrain with key trailhead and winter park at existing location.
• Summer Bike Park destination complete with skills parks, multi level flow terrain, event terrain, skills features etc.
• pocket parks
• Added multi use active playing field space (soccer, baseball, lacrosse).

Thanks for coming to learn more about the existing plan and provide input.

Adams Gulch Trail Work Days - Thu 5/10/12 & MOn 5/14/12

Adams Gulch is one of our most popular trailheads. The Adams Gulch Connector (north toward Hulen Meadows) is the one trail leaving that trailhead that is in bad shape. It currently goes right up the drainage and is severely eroded and rutted. We’ll be working with the Ketchum Ranger District to install a small reroute and do some rock “armoring” of the trail tread in a couple of spots, including a short descent-line section that should be a lot of fun.  We’ll leave the trailhead @ 5 p.m.  Please bring water, wear gloves & boots, and leave Fido at home (swinging sharp tools with dogs around is a bad combination!).  We’ll have food & drinks afterward.

Hope to see you out there!!

Pedal Driven – Community Library – Wed 5/16/12 @ 6 pm

We’ll be giving a short presentation about WRBC, the new trails website, answering any questions, and then showing the bike-umentary, “Pedal Driven”.  The movie and the Fat Tire are free (donations welcome!)  See the trailer here: