Tokai trails restoration

[Jewbacca]

My Roots. The proper one, not the one that follows the jeep track. That's Your Roots. 

 

I want the proper one with the launchy droppy entry off the jeep track. 

hahahaha I was just singing a Whitney song bro.....

 

I liked the one with the table top jump into the right hander, down the flow, big left into the angled droppy things that exited over a little wooden bridge..... that one?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

hahahaha I was just singing a Whitney song bro.....

 

I liked the one with the table top jump into the right hander, down the flow, big left into the angled droppy things that exited over a little wooden bridge..... that one?

Yup. 

 

Oh, and totally missed that! 

[dirtypot]

I liked the one with the table top jump into the right hander

 

The site of my first front wheel burp when I was a tubeless newbie. 

[Jewbacca]

Yup. 

Yeah.... once faerie garden and that trail reopen then I will feel like tokai is home....

 

I am probably the only one but I also miss the dodgy piece that ran below the jeep track (on the right if you're climbing) and popped you out in the quarry.... or you dropped in at the quarry, popped out on the jeep track, put in 3 big pedal strokes and then dropped into my roots....

[Eddy Gordo]

I scoped some foot paths thru there on Saturday. Can't we just use those and add to them?

[Jewbacca]

I scoped some foot paths thru there on Saturday. Can't we just use those and add to them?

hahahahaha Can't we just ride on the horse paths?......... 

[Dirt Tracker]

The AM trail suffered in parts from water damage. The ruts were knee deep in the area that is now full of rocks. These were placed there as a swift solution. It is now far more rideable than it was after the ruts formed. Also bear in mind that this trail is a pucker black diamond trail that has degraded as such trails always do.  Black trails need to be inspected by newcomers and ridden with care by returnees especially after a a long gap since last riding them.

 

I really like the rock revisions. Can't wait to go back and tackle them now I know the layout. Will be a good trail to stop and session. 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Yeah.... once faerie garden and that trail reopen then I will feel like tokai is home....

 

I am probably the only one but I also miss the dodgy piece that ran below the jeep track (on the right if you're climbing) and popped you out in the quarry.... or you dropped in at the quarry, popped out on the jeep track, put in 3 big pedal strokes and then dropped into my roots....

no, you're not the only one. But I'd go back up the JT to get some speed for that excellent entry

[Kenty]

Im not from that part of the country...and my next comment may seem stupid or non relevant...BUT ...IF those trails are still there ...would riding them again all the time not "flatten" them a bit instead of trying to muster up labour forces to actually manhandle the trails into shape??...Or rather a faster shape to ride....Its always tough to get people to come a do manual labour on something that does not give an absolute immediate return...so why not ride them again all the time and more frequent and surely slowly they will take the needed shape again...then again Im not a speedster on a trail I like the endurance part to a trail so ruts and boulders here n there is right up my ally or is that trail??..hehe

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Im not from that part of the country...and my next comment may seem stupid or non relevant...BUT ...IF those trails are still there ...would riding them again all the time not "flatten" them a bit instead of trying to muster up labour forces to actually manhandle the trails into shape??...Or rather a faster shape to ride....Its always tough to get people to come a do manual labour on something that does not give an absolute immediate return...so why not ride them again all the time and more frequent and surely slowly they will take the needed shape again...then again Im not a speedster on a trail I like the endurance part to a trail so ruts and boulders here n there is right up my ally or is that trail??..hehe

Short answer - -NOPE. 

 

Tokai is not like Tygerberm, in that it uses the natural rock and shape of the environment to provide a technical trail. Those bits that are eroded (the ruts) are DEEP, and swallow wheels. Those bits that need work are lined & littered with rock, so no. Riding them will not "smooth them out"

 

After the fire, the soil changed (exposure to heat, no more pine, water run-off etc) and now the material needs to be trucked in, whereas before we could get away with less imported material and more native. 

[Jewbacca]

Im not from that part of the country...and my next comment may seem stupid or non relevant...BUT ...IF those trails are still there ...would riding them again all the time not "flatten" them a bit instead of trying to muster up labour forces to actually manhandle the trails into shape??...Or rather a faster shape to ride....Its always tough to get people to come a do manual labour on something that does not give an absolute immediate return...so why not ride them again all the time and more frequent and surely slowly they will take the needed shape again...then again Im not a speedster on a trail I like the endurance part to a trail so ruts and boulders here n there is right up my ally or is that trail??..hehe

Yeah nah.... The ground is sandy and flakey, so the trails 'lose their shape' the more they get ridden without rain to bed them.

 

We also enjoy trails that make you think, but when a trail is built to be ridden fast and cannot be ridden fast, then something needs to be done.

[Alouette3]

 

Rather think about donating than build days. 

I don't agree with this, while yes we need donations and that money can be well used and is vital to opening up new trails, general maintenance can be done and has been done very effectively by build days in the past.

 

Myself and Porqui and a good number of others on this thread have been helping out with build days for years. The right group of guys moving through a  trail can get a lot of work done in a morning. It's the small things that all add up, clearing loose rocks that have landed up in the trails, clearing brush and branches, managing water run offs and filling in ruts. Small things that just prevent bigger problems with time.

 

It's stupid things like the tree that is lying across the river at the exit of the switchbacks that bug me, at one stage there were 2 of them, it's a quick job, heck I'd go and sort it out myself if I could, but the only work that can be done is by the build team and sanctioned build days... which don't happen. And yes I know its frustrating from TokaiMTB side that the turn out is often poor to the build days, but if work isn't being done because of funds and build days aren't happening because of turn out, permission needs to be given to a small will team that is willing to help and do something. I don't want to build a new trail or mess with peoples lines, I just want to keep awesome a gem that is Tokai and look after what we have.

 

 

*****Sorry rant over****

[Meezo]

Organise a ride will be keen to ride with you rant'ers especially he the ginger

[Duane_Bosch]

Rode the fairy garden yesterday. Fun and interesting bits. Wow it's dense in there. Still a hoot riding Tokai after all these years. Big ups to Mark and Deon for all their efforts.

 

Wasn't there a large amount of money set aside for trail work at Tokai? Any movement on this?

[Meezo]

Is the trail open? Will check it tomorrow

[Alouette3]

Was great to see the progress being made on Fairy Gardens! Thanks Deon, Marc and the gang