MORC trails in Duluth area?

[mtsemotuk]

Is there any possibility that MORC will be creating/maintaining some trails in the Duluth area? The current trails seem to be limited in number and most are riddled with roots and rocks.

[TrailPatrol]

Uh, Duluth is in the northeastern part of the state. The guy you need to talk to is the Northern Minnesota IMBA Rep, the driving force behind MORC in the NE part of the state, as well as founder of the Arrowhead MTB Patrol...(drum roll please)... Kurt Lange. Just leave a note for him in the "Northeastern Minnesota Trails" forum on this website, and watch for an answer. Kurt has been working for over a decade to improve the trails in that part of the state.

Ride safe,
:banana:
Hans

[Buck]

what?!?!?! Trails riddled with rocks and roots are what makes them fun. If you want smooth get a road bike. :eyeroll: I think the trails, like up in hartley, rock and I ride them with a DH bike. :D I think what MORC up here should work towards is getting Chester bowl open up to to bikes legallily.(I know that it was/is a pretty big debate) I was just running down there and to say that we as bikers do damage to those trails is a joke. The trail maintenance by hikers is laughable at best. Maybe we as Mtbikers could ride one side while the other side is open to hikers only??? maybe that was tried, but it seems to me one side would be ideal for hiking and one side I know is awesome for riding.

L8R
Buck

[gopherhockey]

There is talk of having our first MORC "chapter" form up in Duluth, so I have no doubt there is great things in store for that area very soon.. I'd bet Kurt has a lot to say on what might be in the works for that area. I would think it could be one of the best destinations for bikers in the state.

[TrailPatrol]

John,
Wie gehts? (Our webmaster is slightly out of town.)

Is there any chance of moving this whole thread over to NorthEASTERN Minnesota Trails, where Duluth is actually located? :crazy2: I know I'm being a bit anal here, but if somebody was looking for Duluth info, would they really look in Bemidji???

Unless it was Sven and Ole!

You betcha!
:banana:
Hans

[mtnbykr]

thanks hans, for the introduction, i'll be appearing here all week.....

where to start-

mtsemotuk-
it just seems like our trails are limited. come ride w/ the locals and we'll show you some trails. as far as the roots/rocks, this is a complete different soil type than the twin cities. we also enjoy the roots and rocks. the pokegama trail [http://www.coggs.com (http://www.coggs.com/)] is a smoother trail but still has plenty of roots. the race course at spirit mtn is smoother than most but the non-race trails are rougher. depends on where you ride, i guess.

buck-
the locals tried to get the chester creek trails open to bikes [east=bikes/multi-use, west=no bikes]. mtbers sent in emails to the parks and rec director and the verdict was that the trail wasn't up to imba specs for "transportation" [most riders said they used the trail to get from 1 part of town to another...]. the cod lawyers didn't want any legal hassles w/ the trail also.

any other questions??

kurt lange

[Buck]

Hi Mr. Lange,
I'm in Duluth for school, I sure hope I didn't come across as trying to flame or anything. So can you clarify the issue a little better to me. I guess I was told it was ridable, the reason being there are NO signs posted at the trails heads, and if there are, they are not city approved signs which means they are there illegally. I haven't ridden it since sept. when I came up here for school(didn't know it was an issuse then!!!) simply b/c the fact that a guy let his dog off the leash(against city ordinance also) as I was riding by and he started yelling, I thought I was going to get bit or run the thing over. And he got up in my face, and all that, threatened to call the cops, I was just like sorry I didn't know it was closed got off my bike and hiked off the trail by the bridge. But before this he had to yell at me and then retrace my steps to try and find any skid marks, thankfully I didn't leave any!!!(Us DHers don't use brakes:p ) Strange things up here with all the trails, down near Rochester we can ride pretty much anywhere with no user conflict. Different place I guess
Thanks
L8R
Buck

[mtnbykr]

adam,

call me kurt, mr lange was my dad :)

i "fought" w/ the city for almost a year to keep one side open for bike use. i was at a meeting w/ the parks and rec director and a room full of citizens and was told, " by the way, we're not allowing bikes on the chester trail, sorry we didn't tell your earlier in private...."

the signs keep "disappearing" from the entrances to the trail, dunno who does this. if it's the locals, they're only making themselves look bad. if you see a "no bikes" sign up on a trail in a city park, it's legal. someone started that rumor reagrding the illegal sign when they first went up and it keeps floating around.

this chester trail has been a pima ever since the mtbers helped w/ trail maintainence and within 2 weeks the city closed it down. long story i won't/can't get into here....

i think i've seen you riding in hartley. you ride a red bighit??

kl

[Buck]

Hi Kurt,

I see so really the whole thing is a bunch of BS politics just like everything else. :eyeroll: . Nope I ride a Bighit Expert which is Silver you are talking about some of the guys from ski hut that have the comps those are red. Yeah I was just running down there and saw fresh bike tracks...:eyeroll: ...so much for ever getting it back. Anyway my history for riding in Duluth revolves around Minor Threat. A DH/FR movie filmed by Burtography Productions (www.burtographyproductions.com), there is a teaser some where on the website. I'm the kid with the silvery looking full face. Anyway thanks for filling me in, maybe I'll see ya on the trails. I have some other questions for you, I'll send you a PM with my e-mail address.
Thanks for all the info.
L8R
Buck