BRMBA Digging

North Umpqua River Trail

2011-11-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

This past summer of riding was fantastic, the highlight had to be the North Umpqua River Trail. Our foursome spent three days and two nights on the trail, unsupported, with all our camping gear on our backs.

Starting at Kelsey Valley campground on the edge of the wilderness boundary, we trekked 75 miles following the river (mostly) the whole way. After a good first tumble, I stopped to document the scenery in the sub-alpine wonderland.

The NUT is pure interval training the whole way, up and down for 75 brutal miles. Some of it flowed lazily, other sections include some precarious steeps. Imagine looking down two hundred feet to the river, seeing shadows of 35 pound chinook slithering in the transparent waters.

Riding just for one day is no longer enough, three in a row with plenty of time to fly fish is about right.

I know of a trail...

2011-05-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

A trail has been presenting itself over the winter. It winds from around 3000 ft above sea level to around 1200 ft, and is making its way down. Cranking through largest Doug firs in the area, the rider is blessed by loamy coastal organic. The flow is building it. Carving is mandatory. This is mountain biking in its most primitive form, the way it was born.

There is no map. No directions could possibly

communicate which direction to go. Game trails

are easier to follow, yet this earthen roller coaster

beckons. One day perhaps you will understand.

The Best trail on Earth has yet to be discovered.

Big Things are happening.

2011-04-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

Just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean we have been slacking on the build season. Doubles is being primped right now, there is a working teeter into a roller coaster, and Halo is going to get a re-build.

We ran the BRMBA raffle last night, gave away some sweet frames and put some money in the BRMBA account, Yeah! It was a small gathering, but we had some good times, and showed some cool local footage and photo work. We are fighting to get a new entrance to the trails, might need to get some grant writers on the project.

Rebuilding Grannies Doubles

2009-11-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

Grannies Doubles is most likely the least ridden trail in the Blackrock Trail System. This line of jumps, most of them made without wood structures, is the most technical section of trail BRMBA has. The style is a blend of Dirt Jump, pump track and tubed berms. Mac and Myself decided to start the build season off with some life support on the tired old features. Mainly, tearing out as much wood as possible, and sinking the trail into the ground for increased longevity. The first rebuild was an old hip jump that needed some boost, with a landing to match.

The second major rebuild is a completely Different setup than what was originally in place. What used to be a real bland jump over a small stump is now going to be a step-down double into a step-up kicker jump. The new line is just about ready to shape and compact with a flat shovel.

Gonna have a race

2009-04-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

so we have been building a racecourse for about a year now and the date will soon be upon us. this race is gonna have a wicked ladder in it.

2008-12-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

I just entered the last phase of recovery from a broken shoulder blade. Injuries suck, there is now easy way around it. The worst part is the couch time. Sitting inside the house watching bike videos I have seen a hundred times. I notice every time I get injured I start driving faster. I should be out in the woods this time of year, pushing dirt around like a shit beetle.

This blog which I have just created is going to be used to share with the rest of the world what I do every winter. I build mountain bike trails. More specifically; aggressive, fast, flowing, technical trails with big jumps and raised wooden structures. The berm in the right picture was the old road gap berm that I tore down and reconstructed this last fall. All of the wood was torn out and it is made of all dirt now.