Mosterds to Rhodes Mem Closed

[kandui]

Mentioned the new sign at Mostert's Mill to the Head Ranger at our meeting this morning and he knows nothing about it.

He told me there is another "Friends of...." starting up in the area and they are bitching about the cyclists. Most likely it was them who put the sign there.

Is it an official San Parks sign? Send me a pic to ride@tablemountainbikers.co.za and I will investigate. CapeLandy, you might get to use your spanner after all.

[MockTurtle]

kandui, if there was ever a person that deserved the label "keep on walking" it has to be you. Persistence in seeing this through is amazing !

can you believe it - was my first mtb ride up table mountain this morning (with hairy et al) and thoroughly enjoyed it. the views alone make the climb worth it. being able to ride there is such a privilege. and i shall definitely be back.

so yeah, kandui your efforts are much appreciated!

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Mentioned the new sign at Mostert's Mill to the Head Ranger at our meeting this morning and he knows nothing about it.

He told me there is another "Friends of...." starting up in the area and they are bitching about the cyclists. Most likely it was them who put the sign there.

Is it an official San Parks sign? Send me a pic to ride@tablemountainbikers.co.za and I will investigate. CapeLandy, you might get to use your spanner after all.

 

Sweet!

 

Still, the forced removal of legitimate signs & barriers is a concern...

[New Landy new life]

Will be there tomorrow PM again - will take a snap.

looked very much official type sign with plenty details and the kudu head/horns

 

Just got back with the proof

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee420/Landy1973/IMG-20120314-00015.jpg

 

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee420/Landy1973/IMG-20120314-00016.jpg

Edited March 14, 2012 by CapeLandy

[kandui]

Thanks for the pic. Looks like your heart rate was up when you held the camera .

The sign certainly looks official, but the placement and height of the sign looks a bit odd.San Parks signage is usually on a taller post. I will ask Jannie du Plessis to investigate and get back to you.

 

I had a good meeting regarding the trail map and route signage and we are aiming to have everything in place by mid May. There is also a pretty good chance we will get large trail overview boards placed at the main entrances (Rhodes Memorial, Mount Pleasant, Kloof Nek). Don't know the cost of those, but I hope PPA will pick up the tab. Anyone know a good signage company who want to sponsor those and get their names linked to a good cause?

 

At the meeting J d P asked me yesterday whether I had any suggestions on how one could stop illegal riding on Lions Head/Signal Hill. I told him that would never happen.

There is no way San Parks will ever get a handle on that. So rather than try and stop it, I offered him the following ideas:

 

1. Open a part of the trail on a test basis and see how walkers, runners and cyclists co-exist.

2. Open trails for cycling on alternate days (Mo,Wed,Fri and Sunday)

3. Allow riding on Signal Hill from a certain time onwards

4. Allow riding on certain trails, but only from one direction

5. When TMB becomes a proper club, give members exclusivity to ride certain trails. Members have number boards to identify them and as part of the deal, we police the trails and encourage other riders to join the club so they become legal riders too. We take responsibility for the privilege and make sure we keep it. Part of TMB Membership fees can get paid over to San Parks as a goodwill gesture (think long-term here) or set aside to fund trail maintenance by professionals. San Parks can add to their coffers by fining any rider caught on the trails without a TMB board, an incentive for them them to patrol more actively.

 

I got the impression that he liked what he heard and I have a feeling the door to riding on Signal Hill has opened a crack.

Edited March 15, 2012 by kandui

[New Landy new life]

Cool, thanks.

Heart rate is going up and times to block house also going up

Getting older is a btch.

I remeber doing dead man's hill (or whatever the official name is) on a cignal ozark which I bought in 1989 in 3rd gear.

Now I'm down to first and the Merida bike is much lighter.

[Hairy]

Cool, thanks.

Heart rate is going up and times to block house also going up

Getting older is a btch.

I remeber doing dead man's hill (or whatever the official name is) on a cignal ozark which I bought in 1989 in 3rd gear.

Now I'm down to first and the Merida bike is much lighter.

 

I went up there at that "hill" the other day and kept it in the lowest gearing (riding my SS) I had all the way up ... tough little climb with those step ups making for interesting riding ... anyway it is a bit of a beaaatch

[zerocalves]

Yep, just after Turnstile.

 

Tried to pull the sign out but was planted too deep, need to bring a 13mm spanner

I came down that way yesterday, did not see a sign at the top

[zerocalves]

Relax, was just a joke

ja - relax

[New Landy new life]

I went up there at that "hill" the other day and kept it in the lowest gearing (riding my SS) I had all the way up ... tough little climb with those step ups making for interesting riding ... anyway it is a bit of a beaaatch

 

The hill I was referring is much further up from the sign - just below first beakon before block house

[Hairy]

The hill I was referring is much further up from the sign - just below first beakon before block house

 

We ended up just below the block house and then off to the cable car road, deadmans tree down to Deer Park, Coffee in Town and work.

[New Landy new life]

We ended up just below the block house and then off to the cable car road, deadmans tree down to Deer Park, Coffee in Town and work.

 

What a cool route to wek

[Hairy]

What a cool route to wek

 

Just wish I could do it every day, but alas time constraints, sleep and my legs do not allow

[walkerr]

A big thanks for your efforts kandui. Haven't got to MTB on table mountain yet, but I do hope too. It's superb that you're taking such effort to improve this for all of us.

[kandui]

Happy to do it.

[kandui]

Here's an update on the sign at Mostert's Mill: It's an official TMNP sign and is binding. It was put up as a response to guys riding here and this bit not being an official cycling trail. I know that riding will carry on and so do TMNP. If you read the EMP (Environmental Management Plan) of 2002, there are mechanisms in place to request a trail be opened for cycling. So this is not necessarily a closed book. If anyone would like to read the EMP (it's not too long and pretty straightforward, let me know and I will email you a copy. Interesting bit in the EMP is that it talks about exploring the possibility of creating a trail from Signal Hill to Cape Point and I think that it's time to refer back to this idea as it had been "officially" put forward and is not a new idea.