Trail Conditions - Theodore Wirth

[Mk3Rider]

Its warm outside, the sun is getting hot, and the trail is getting soft. Saw a set of pug tracks out there from earlier in the day and it looks like he struggled a bit... Saw a set of skinny tracks that went in and didn't make it too far. Saw some fresh skinny tracks hit the luce line and basically stop after about 25 yards. Saw a pug rider after dark that was doing ok. No mud showing yet on the trail.

Hopefully someone will go out and stomp after the snow coming Friday and after the next warm day on Sunday. It takes about 1 hr 15 min from the par 3 lot, to the trail head, a complete lap of the north loop, and back to the par 3 lot.

[guest_s]

5427

This area is one of the areas I am worried about. I had no troubles riding a Pugs out there on the North Loop. It didn't cause a deeper rut (or not any different than riding otherwise) so I would say get in the riding while you can. Some areas are slushy. I actually think snowshoeing and Fat Biking on them packing them in more while they are melting like this will compact the snow more. Skinny tires (yes Shawn I am going to say it) will really have a tough time out there and they will cause deep rutting.

I will be keeping a close eye on the trails and if areas start to get exposed we will need to close them up, likely until spring thaw is over.

[guest_s]

Certainly good snowshoe conditions. All bikes will be a struggle out there until it gets packed in some. The best part is, this recent snow will add a little more life to the winter riding season......YAY!

[Nate Hanssen]

Certainly a challange out there...

Fatbikes with little to no psi can sure get somewhere.

Needs a few laps of snow shoes and will be prime!!

[Rendgrish]

The first half of the trail wasn't too bad last night- someone made it through on a fat tired bike. The second half was a lot looser, bit more packing is needed.

[DMonkey]

5 of us (Tom, Dan, Brenda, & Meg's) stomped the North Loop last night (Wednesday) - the trail was in far better shape than I was expecting.
Could be done easily on a fat bike, maybe a pretty wide regular tire (like a good 2.4/2.5) might have a trouble on parts, but it could be done (but might do a little damage).

We saw Jimmay's shovel, nice placement and easy to see - will def help when we start to get another warm-up.

We'll have to get on the S Loop one of these times as well, be nice to get that back.

[Nate Hanssen]

MONEY!!!!!
Nice work and many thanks to those that have been out shoe'ing after the last snow. Just got back from riding my Pug out there and it is getting awesome. A few more fatbike laps and it'll be ready for any tire. Still might be a little soft for 2.2's

[Ol Dirty Biker]

Packed, wide, rut-less, a little bumpy in spots.

[ratpatrol]

rode theo's north loop for the first time and enjoyed it very much! The south loop looked like it had one track in the soft snow so i didn't even try it.But the north loop was in excellent riding condition, can't wait to get over there again
GOOD JOB theo crew

[Mk3Rider]

Trail looked like it was soft during the day, but was firming up nicely for my 4:30pm ride. Trail is fast and going to get faster w/ this cold air moving in. Hopefully everyone is planning on riding it tomorrow before it snows again Thursday. If you see a shovel in the woods, give the trail surface a scoop of snow so we can prolong our riding.

[jlesser]

Great for any tire!!! Pump them tires up and haul ass!

[Rendgrish]

Rode last night- trail was in great shape, very fast. Little icy in a few spots (typical spots on the south side, facing the sun), but nothing too slick. Hurry up and get some riding in before we get another 2' of snow!

[Pain Cave Spelunker]

Snow was hard packed but rutted at spots from skinnies riding during the warmer parts of the day yesterday. Trail is still good to go.

[Nate Hanssen]

Couldn't help but laugh how tilled the trail has become in some areas. What a great ride this morining. Only makes me a better rider...

**NOTE** trail becoming soft fast!!!

Two laps on the Pug and was only getting better with each lap. 100% Totally ride able, just messed up in some areas. Stay out of the ruts and realize there is still quirte a bit of base trail there.

Handful of fat tire laps and it'll be smooth as silk. Just keep an eye on the temp..

[Don Youngdahl]

Hit Theo at 10:00 AM Saturday. 1 inch of fresh snow on hard frozen crust to nicely help fill in the mild rutting. Two old men laid down the first tracks on one of the last days of good winter riding. Where was everybody?

[Pandl]

Where was everybody?
Waking up. It was great out there at 1:00 pm too!!

Perfect conditions for any bike.

[Mk3Rider]

Anything will work out there, this is probably the last chance to ride in the snow.

2.1 small block 8 and no issues w/ traction today.

[goatgirl]

What a great day sunshine, packed snow and friendly people. 3 laps about the same time as dirt. Bonus, I cleared the rock climb each lap ;) See you after the freeze/thaw.

[zimmul]

If you got out yesterday consider yourself lucky. We checked out the trails today and there is a lot of melting. We made it about 1/3 of a mile before we called it quits. No traction on skinnys at all. With the weather coming this week it's not going to get any better either.

I just cried a little...

[guest_s]

Closed for spring thaw

Everything is melting and we are quickly losing snow cover. South facing hillsides have already lost their cover and the forecast doesn't show any freezing in the near future. This is it folks.....see you when the trail is nice and dry and we are all on our summer bikes.....YAY!!

[bigwheel]

Shawn J says it's open until it rains (tonight). Hopefully he will add some details. Meanwhile get your ride in!

[jitterjepp]

What Bob said. There are two trees down. One is in the north loop near the end. It's right after you cross the luce before the jump. The other is in the south loop after you go down the square cement blocks.

If it rains we'll have to close it. The radar is telling me it's raining now but I don't see it out the window. Maybe we'll get lucky.

[Ol Dirty Biker]

It's been raining for a few hours.

[jitterjepp]

The gates are closed. We will open them when the rain stops and it's had some time to dry out.

Hope you got a ride in last night because it's going to be at least a few days.

[jitterjepp]

I'm guessing that the trail probably won't be able to be opened until Tuesday at the earliest. When I opened it the last time it was tacky. Then it rained that night and few other nights/days since then. The trail is saturated again. It's going to be a bit before we can open it.

We will update the trail conditions when we open it.

[jitterjepp]

The south loop is NOT open. Do not ride it.

The north loop is open.

If I find people are riding the south loop I will no longer micro manage the trail. Instead both loops will be closed.

[guest_s]

You want speed and good traction? This is it! Looks like south loop is still closed.....but the north loop is primo right now! Go Ride!

[jitterjepp]

We opened the south loop tonight. Both loops are now open.

[jitterjepp]

It rained. The trail is wet. Blah blah blah..... Getting really sick of this rain.

We open the gates again when the trail is ready.

[jitterjepp]

Opening the north loop right now.

[jitterjepp]

All open and tacky.

[jitterjepp]

It rained. The trail has standing water in places and I very greasy in other areas.

[mara]

The trail is very wet and therefore closed to riding.

[Greendog]

The trail is still too wet to ride. There is still standing water in many spots.

[jitterjepp]

It rained again last night and it's raining again right now. It's likely the trail won't open until the weekend.

[mturoamer]

Gates were closed as of 4pm Sunday. Such a pretty day, too bad.

[jitterjepp]

The trail was checked by greendog today and it's still a bit soft and leaving tire tracks. It will be open tomorrow around noon. We'll post up when the gates are open.

[jitterjepp]

The trail is nice and tacky!

[GirlFriday]

Nobody's posted in a few days but it's darn near perfect here! :D

[mara]

The morning's rain has things pretty wet. More rain is supposedly on the way, making the weekend not look very promising.

[mara]

It will be far too wet to ride this weekend. Please make other plans.

We'll be checking the trail regularly when the rain stops and will update as things change.

[KleinCrazy]

Keep hearing on the TV that there have been reports of a possible tornado touchdown in Theo Wirth Park, and Video of tree damage just east and north of the park on Plymouth.

Safe to say no Monday Ride tomorrow and the trail will be in need of some TLC before it will open.

Please stay safe out there everyone.

[wfolive]

There was definitely a touchdown in the park, but from what I can tell it centered around Eloise Butler, with some additional damage along Wirth Parkway to the west of Wirth Lake. I didn't go any further north than that, but from the storm track it seems unlikely it hit Wirth north of 55. Some huge, healthy trees went down, either ripped up by the roots or snapped off 20 feet in the air. Wirth Parkway between 55 and 394 is blocked by many huge trees in several areas - I'd be surprised if it's cleared by tomorrow.

[GVJim]

Most of the tree damage in the immediate area was focussed on the Eloise Butler garden area and the intersection of Glenwood and Wirth. Do a Drive-by and you'll be amazed at how much damage there was... Most of the trees that fell north of 55 were on the east edge of the golf course. Bike lanes along Wirth are still covered tonight with trees from the pond south of Glenwood up to Wirth Lake -- but the roads are open. Changes the view of the lake for sure!

[mara]

Trail is open and full of tacky goodness. Ride!

There are a few remaining muddy areas. Please ride through rather than around the mud to help keep our singletrack narrow and fun.

[mara]

The north loop is in beautiful shape, full of tacky goodness and swoopy turns.

The south loop is NOT ready to ride and will remain closed.

Please respect the south loop closure -- the more people ride and damage this section, the longer it will take to dry in the future and our trail crew efforts will be focused on fixing trail rather than opening new trail.

[Nate Hanssen]

Sweet riding goodness. North loop is hella sweet. Nice work on the trail!! Get some before the rain hits....

[Greendog]

It's raining again. :cryin: Please give the trail at lease 24 hrs to dry.

[Greendog]

Gates are closed. It's currently raining and the trail is saturated.

[mara]

The north loop is beautiful -- ride it before the next round of rain.

The south loop remains closed. PLEASE respect this closure -- a small problem has gotten huge because a few people couldn't stay off the trail when it was wet. We are working to fix the problem, but the repairs need a chance to settle in and dry out.

Huge thanks to the hordes of riders who supress the urge to ride dirt in wet conditions and keep our trails healthy. It really makes a difference.

Good to see all the people enjoying the trail on a beautiful evening.

[papawheelie]

Fun stuff!

[bozart]

North and South loops are both open. Dry and sandy in some spots. The Theo crew has done an excellent job fixing all the damage the poachers and storm, Thanks for all the hard work!

[drnomadz]

Everything is dry, except the one low spot on the south loop.

[TheCannonWhale]

Its raining, and the trails will be wet. Please stay off till they dry :nono:

[jitterjepp]

The trail got a lot of rain the last couple days. We'll be checking it if/when the weather clears up this week. The Golden Valley gate that wasn't unlocked last week really means the trail is closed now. Sorry about the confusion - wont happen again - but respect the gate until we open it after the trail dries out.

[Greendog]

The trail was still damp with several muddy spots. It may be ready tomorrow afternoon if it doesn't rain.

[Greendog]

We received more rain this morning. The trail will need another 12 - 24 hrs to dry out :embarass:

[stoneage]

Checked today at 1. There were greasy small spots, but generally tacky. No sense opening though, as the rain is coming in yet again. Every damp spot could be mitigated with a outflow channel. It's just trapped and can't run off.

[[idioteque]]

The gate is chained up with the Police Order signage...

[mara]

Yes, the trail is still very closed. This is not news. I think I saw an ark floating by my second story window.

Please stay off the trail even after the storms have passed to give the tread time to solidify and dry out.

[mara]

The way the trail looks now,I would recommend making alternate riding plans for the weekend. The trail has been subjected to five inches of rain in the last two weeks, half of that in the last couple days. It isn't going to be dry or rideable any time soon.

[mara]

Theo is still significantly wet with many, many muddy sections, oozy sections, and puddles. It will *not* open for Saturday riding.

We will be checking the trail Saturday later afternoon, but anticipate that the earliest it could open is Sunday morning.

I know everyone wants to ride, but there are several other metro options so please give Theo a chance to firm up and plan your weekend rides elsewhere.

Updates will be posted as soon as there are any changes in trail conditions.

[jitterjepp]

The trail is open. Rain is on the way so get it while you can.

[hydroponic]

Worth is open and in good shape! Tacky and fast with just a few slippery spots. Get out there before the rain!

P.S. My new Trance X is supa dope! :crazy2:

[Dave S RN]

No standing water. A few greasy spots. Air down, tread lightly, enjoy.

[jitterjepp]

The trail is nice and tacky.

We will be doing trail work out there tomorrow (Wednesday) so you might join us to help finish the new section or we'll see out there riding by...wondering when the new section will be done... :D Make it a trail work night instead of a ride night.

Here is the link to the information for Wednesday trail work.

http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/showthread.php?39544-Theo-trailwork-5pm-Wednesday-June-29

[emerrill86]

Rode the trail today before work. Bone dry. Today was the perfect day to ride. Checked out the new section of trail. Should be pretty bomb when that is complete.

[JohnnyG]

Rode both loops Friday afternoon and there was some rutting in a few spots but mainly dry throughout the entire trail. This morning's rain may have firmed up some of the loose spots. May need some sun to dry out the rest.

[Greendog]

Received quite a bit of rain this morning. Please give it a little time to dry.

[Kingbozo]

Numerous puddles and wet spots. Gates should have probably been closed today. Hopefully it will be good tomorrow.

[tidol]

Went riding this morning and the trail has dried up a lot since yesterday. Only a few slick spots left. Better ride it before the next batch of rain comes in.

[Greendog]

Its raining now. :embarass: Please give the trail some time to dry berfore riding.

[Greendog]

Very heavy rain today. :embarass: Please don't ride. It will probably take a day or two to dry out.

[jitterjepp]

As you know we've been getting a ton of rain. I wouldn't make any plans to ride on Saturday. We might be able to open it on Sunday.

We will update the trail condition after we check it on Sunday.

[Greendog]

The gates are closed. As Shawn said it probably won't be dry enough to ride until Sunday at the earliest. :hit:

[Greendog]

Stil too wet to ride. There were fish swimming across the Luce Line. Probably won't open till Monday afternoon.

[Greendog]

Check the trail at about 6:00 and there were still to many wet spots. Must have receive quite bit of rain at lunch time today. We will check the trail again at trail work tomorrow night.

[jitterjepp]

The trail still has standing water. It got rain again yesterday and hasn't dried yet.

Do yourself a favor and go enjoy one of the fine beaches Minnesota has to offer and cool off from this epic heat.

[David G. Simpson]

Is it open yet? Thursday=Dirtday!

[jitterjepp]

It seems someone beat me to the gates. Its open. There is a surprise waitimg for riders! Have fun with it. Seeif you can navigate the new skinny.

[JayBee]

Too wet in my opinion, but I don't have a key to close the gates.

[Greendog]

We received quite a bit of rain yesterday. Please allow the trail some time to dry out.

[RacerBoy]

It has had enough time to dry, right? The question is are the gates closed???

Someone said a new section of trail was opened at Theo. Is this true?

[DMonkey]

95% of the trail is pretty good, but there are some real wet spots from the 2 times it rained on Saturday..

& yes the new section is now open - when the rest of the trail is:

Some examples of mud spots:

http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af13/DirkDuane/Theo%20Mud%2007_25_11/011.jpg

http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af13/DirkDuane/Theo%20Mud%2007_25_11/010.jpg

http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af13/DirkDuane/Theo%20Mud%2007_25_11/008.jpg

http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af13/DirkDuane/Theo%20Mud%2007_25_11/007.jpg


http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af13/DirkDuane/Theo%20Mud%2007_25_11/006.jpg

[werts]

just a few moist spots.

the new tech section is awesome!

[mara]

Please stay off the trail today. Even though many spots on the trail are good to go, there are enough wet spots to cause significant damage.

The trail crew will now be spending time repairing rather than creating trail.

Please pass the word to your non-MORCey friends. We're getting to the very bad position of having to close the gates every time it rains (and therefore keep the trail closed longer than it should be.) Theo is an essentially flat trail. Where other places can rebench and repair trail tread, once we have erosion our only recourses are gravel or armoring.

[Greendog]

Get out and ride while you can.

[jitterjepp]

Tacky, dry, mud holes from people yhat wanted that one ride more than the 1 - 2 miles of trail we were going to flag tomorrow.

[Greendog]

Weather station says over 1/2" of rain this morning, :banghead: and it looks like there is more on the way. Please give the trail time to dry out. With as saturated as the ground is it will take at least a day or two. :cryin:

[Greendog]

Gates are closed. By the looks of the trail, it will be a day or two until the trail is open again. :cryin: Please don't ride.

[Greendog]

Gates are open. Enjoy it while you can. There are still a few soft spots , thanks to those privileged few who ride the trail while it is wet. Please do not go off the trail to avoid the soft spots.

[Specialeded]

Fast...real fast. Get some.

[jitterjepp]

Theo is getting rain and more is on the way. The gates are closed. Looks like its time to drag out the road bikes.

The trail will likely be checked after we get off work tomorrow evening or around 6pm.

[Greendog]

I have been told the the gates are open. Thanks Steef.

Be careful if you ride. There were a lot of branches and limbs on the trail from the last storm. We were able to clean some of the trail but did not cover the whole trail. Please report if there is anything blocking the trail that needs to be removed. There are also a few new armor spots to be aware of.

Enjoy:crazy2:

[Kingbozo]

Over all in good shape. BIG tree down across the trail on the southbound part of the south loop. One muddy patch a little farther along fairly close to the qualifier.

[JohnnyG]

Like silly putty the north loop is elastic and smooth with a surprise sandy beach hidden in a switchback or two. Big tree still requires a dismount and hop over on the south loop. :crazy2:

[Greendog]

Received nearly 1/2 inch of rain over night. Please give the trail a day to dry out.

[widespot]

Nice and dry tonight.

[chris kowalzek]

Dry and fast, get out and ride!!

[Greendog]

We are receiving a lot of rain right know. Pleased give the trail a day to dry out.

[steef]

Trails are now open.

[gordanfreeman]

Tacky in a few low spots otherwise pretty dry and fast!

[GodOfMildew]

Most of the trail was a mix of damp and tacky 2 hours ago, not leaving tread marks in most places. There were 5-8 puddles in common places; by the pond, in the last section near the recent armor, just after the expert section, etc. The expert section was more damp and slippery than the rest.

[drnomadz]

Tacky to dry in a lot of areas. One puddle that will be dried out soon.

[Whatsmymantra?]

The trail is dusty dry and cracking in many places. There is a fine silt that covers most of the trail and it is slippery especially as the trail underneath is rock hard, tires don't have any bite.

[GodOfMildew]

Finished my last lap at 7:15. I'd say it was 50% dusty, 45% tacky and 5% damp at that point. The mist was only hitting the trail in a couple spots. It started misting a little harding as I was hanging out in the parking lot so it'll probably be a little worse now, but still ridable tomarrow if we don't get more.

[Chug]

Tacky, to dry, to dusty this morning. I live close and my yard is bone dry after yesterday, the rain never mad it to the trails. Although the rocks and wood and damp and slippery.

[Nate Hanssen]

Out this morning. Trail in great shape!!! Rock gardens a lil damp, should be dry by now. Great work trail crew, THANKS!!

[Wiley100]

bone dry, the rain missed it this morning.

[Kingbozo]

Dry to the point of being dusty. Very fast. Very fun.

[JayBee]

Dry and dusty even with the recent rain.

[Mk3Rider]

Tacky to dry, not a whole lot of folks out riding tonight. Trail is in great condition!!! Thanks trail crew!!!

[widespot]

Trail is in great condition.

[JohnnyG]

Dry and dusty. Lots of roots poking through the tread wanted to snag my pedals but they failed to pull me down. Lost the light at 7:15 :shocked:

[mtlee]

Dry and leaf-strewn; more rocks sticking out in the early section of the North intermediate course than I recall.

[jaimcc]

Rode Thursday evening and was pleasantly surprised. No mud, only a couple of soft spots and while the leaves were damp and somewhat slippery, conditions were great. Good to see the dust knocked down. Get out and ride!

[rigtenzin]

Extra dry and dusty, but you probably knew that. Thoroughly dry leaves have covered most of the trail making traction a bit treacherous in places.

I was following a guy who lost traction in a corner and may have dislocated his shoulder. We were near the trail head and he walked out, but certainly needed medical attention right away. My point is to be careful of the leaves, especially with the dry conditions.

[Mk3Rider]

Tacky and fast, be mindful of the damp leaves in the corners.

[GodOfMildew]

Very dry, nearly leaf-free. Looks like it'll start freezing later this week, better get your riding in now.

[werts]

got out this morning. nice and tacky, skinny tire friendly. its suppose to warm up this afternoon though. so make that judgement call, if ya get out there and its sloppy but the gate are open. dont ride!

[Greendog]

Gates are closed. :cryin:

With the expected warmer weather tomorrow the trail could get sloppy. Please be patient with the freeze/thaw period we are in. If the warm weather continues we may be able to open the gates later this week since the ground is so dry.

[Greendog]

Tacky to dry. Ride while you can.

[Ol Dirty Biker]

I'm calling it closed. Both the S. loop and Luce Line gates are locked closed.

[Greendog]

Sorry. Someone has been messing with the gates. :banghead: We will try to get someone out thre to open the gates as soon as someone is availible.

[mtb_guy]

Theo is open and you should go ride! :)

[GodOfMildew]

I guess tacky is close enough. It was definitely frozen under the small layer of powder at 7:00 tonight. It should be fine for riding until we get more snow or it warms up significantly.

Be careful on the wood structures, the mustache ride was a little sketchy.

[Mk3Rider]

Light snow on top of frozen ground, keep away warm weather so we can continue to ride. More snow would help too!

[jlesser]

trails in great shape!

[Mk3Rider]

Its 37F outside now and the sun is shining. Got a ride in out there around 10am, starting to get soft on the south facing surfaces. Probably muddy by now.

[JRHeadhunter]

Firm snow and dry were trail is exposed. great riding as of 4:30 Sunday

[mara]

The trail is closed for a couple days until spring turns back into winter. :cryin:

[jitterjepp]

The trail is open. There isnt any snow on it though. There isnt a dry / tacky choice in the dropdown.

[werts]

few spots of black ice out there, so pay attention. otherwise fast and fun. get it while the gettings good.

[stoneage]

As good as it gets for Christmas Eve. One icy off camber corner in the NW section.

[Johnh]

Was out there late on the 25th. Totally dry except for a few narrow bands of ice as described below. Was able to ride very aggressively. The ice is on a 5 foot long corner about 2/3 of the way through. I tried to break it up with a stick. Quasi successful. At least it is more obvious now.

Doesn't get better than this.

[adam.r]

I was out there around 4PM. It was starting to get a little soft in some of the corners, but in all the trail was firm and dry. No snow to speak of.

[knobbies]

Just went for night ride tonight. Awesome conditions. No snow. No ice.

[TheCannonWhale]

There are some fairly bad mud spots out on the trail due to ice and snow patches melting. There is a particuliarly bad one at the entrance to the second to last section. Outside the mud, the trails are great.

[egoo]

Made first tracks at noon. Must be new years. Crunchy ice in spots but I had no traction issues with the fatty.

[knobbies]

Hard packed snow at 1:00. I have fat front tire but my skinny back never slipped. Some ice was starting to form where tree tops drip melting snow onto to trail.

[Greendog]

The trails are closed.

There were already bare, soft spots on the exposed south facing sections this afternoon. With highs in the forties for the next few days, it's going to get sloppy out there.

Please be patient until winter returns.

[mara]

Winter has returned and the trails are back to frozen goodness.

Thanks to SuperTom and his flamethrower for getting the gates open so quickly.

[GodOfMildew]

While I agree with mara that there are large portions of the trail that are dry, I think it's important to note that there are a lot of large ice patches. I hit the ground almost as many times as I ever have in one day.

[Ol Dirty Biker]

Frozen dirt with intermittent ice patches. Bring studs and/or be ready to deploy outriggers.

[knobbies]

No ice today. All snow covered.

[GodOfMildew]

Rode a lap on a 2.5 today and made it with minimal sliding but anything smaller would have been trouble. Someone had tried on skinnies and ended up walking the hills and chewing some corners. Seems like conditions are perfect for fat bikes, and the trail would benefit from a few more fat-laps.

[Jessica]

Four of us stomped a lap with the snowshoes tonight. Based on what I saw out there, I feel that I would have no problem with 2.whatevers but I like a bit of a challenge.

Seriously, it was probably a bit shallow for snowshoes. If the ambition is there, I will be switching out the flat homebrews for some fun tires and see what I can do tomorrow.

[Rendgrish]

Made it out last night on fat tires, trail felt a bit slick, but just enough to liven it up. Should be good to ride on anything, just drop a couple psi.

[Nate Hanssen]

Hella sweet!!! Get some before the temp rises. :banana:

[Mk3Rider]

Did a few laps w/ a couple other folks tonight on some fatties. Should be perfect once that wet snow freezes up tonight.

[Greendog]

With the warm weather expected in the next few days please don't ride when the trail is soft. We will be inspecting the trail today to determine urther action.

[Greendog]

Gates are close. Too many soft and bare spots. Strange winter we are having.

[knobbies]

Still closed.

[knobbies]

OPEN!!!!
You'll need spiky rollers.

[Greendog]

Gates are closed. :cryin: Please stay off the trail during this freeze/thaw period.

[Pain Cave Spelunker]

I road the Luce Line from Plymouth to Theo yesterday and noticed the gates were still closed as of 5pm yesterday.

[Pain Cave Spelunker]

Still closed

[Pain Cave Spelunker]

Drove by Theo yesterday around 5pm. Gates are still locked.

[mara]

Theo is closed and will likely remain that way until the end of spring thaw.

Wet, gloppy snow on top of a bunch of rain is insulating the mud on the trail and keeping it unrideable even when temperatures dip below freezing.

To those who know better than the trail crew and ride around the closures, we ask you to PLEASE reconsider your actions this spring. We're lobbying for a bunch of new trail. When our land manager sees a bunch of tire tracks riding around a "trail closed" gate, it does not help our cause.

We want to build new trail in the spring, not spend months fixing erosion and ruts. Thanks to everyone who rides elsewhere and spreads the word.

[mara]

Theo is closed and will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

Snow and ice linger on the trail and frost is still in the ground. Poaching a ride before it is open and dry will damage the trail, delay new trail construction, and possibly result in a hefty fine.

Please respect the closure, spread the word, and help us prepare for a great riding and trail building season.</SPAN>

[mara]

Theo is closed and will likely remain closed at least through the weekend. We had too much squish before the rains started and now much of the trail is a muddy mess.

Please help spread the word to bikey friends and acquaintances not in the know.

[Greendog]

We did a full trail inspection tonight and decided to leave it closed for a few more days, especially with the high chance of rain tomorrow. There is also a tree that still needs to be removed. If the rain holds off there is a good chance we can open it tomorrow evening.

[Nickel]

Posting for Steef --


It is still too soft to open

[Wheels]

Hold tight everyone, it won't be long now. This is one of the disadvantages of so many winter users - it simply takes a bit longer for the packed snow to melt and drain.

[jitterjepp]

From 250 miles away in the beautiful town of Clearbrook, MN I hear the trail is open.

Steef called me and said he is opening the gates right now.

From what I gather this is his second trip there today.

Be sure and think him for his dedication the next time you see him.

I am assuming the conditions are sweet and tacky.

[Greendog]

With last night's rain, please wait for the trail to dry out before riding. :cryin: The trail is still soft from the spring thaw and with today's cooler temps and lack of sun it will probably be Saturday before it's ready to ride.

[reim0039]

Gates are open. The trail is in great shape.

[fatbaldpop1]

Nearing dry. Conditions great and lots of riders having good time. Good call on delaying opening for day or two IMO.

[Greendog]

With last night rain please give the trail some time to dry out. Spring maintenance has not been done yet and it may take longer to dry than normal. It should be good by tomorrow.

[Greendog]

Tacky goodness.

[mara]

Please give the trail a day or so to dry out after the rain stops. Staying off now will lead to faster drying times after future rains.

[Greendog]

According to reports, the trail is good to go.

[Matt]

Trail was great today at 2pm. Get out there before the rain hits!

[Greendog]

Please give the trails time to dry before trying to ride. With the current forecast it will probably be a few days before the trails are ready to ride again. If the rain continues we may have to close the gates for a few days.:embarass:

[jitterjepp]

Opening gates now.

[GodOfMildew]

Minneapolis got about a 1/2 inch of rain overnight, with more in the forcast today. It looks like it'll be a good week for road riding.

[scotthue]

The trail still has some standing water and wet spots so no riding tonight, but it we don't get any more rain tonight, the trail should be fine by tomorrow.

[Greendog]

Please don't ride. We have received quite a bit of rain in the past few days and there was still standing water on the trail yesterday. There is rain in the forecast for the next few days so it will probably be a while before it is ready to ride. I geuss the April showers are here. We will probably close the gates if we can find a volunteer to do it.

[Susannah]

Trails are wet, as posted by Theo dirt bosses. Please stay off the trails until the rain stops and the trail has had a chance to dry out.

Thank you!

[ryno lite]

Gates are up and trail is closed.

[Greendog]

The gates are still closed. The trail was inspected again today and judged to still be to soft.

[jitterjepp]

We got more rain today. I would plan on road and paved trail riding tomorrow.

[GodOfMildew]

Checked the trail tonight and it's still wet with patches of damp. If it's nice tomarrow there's a chance it could be ready by late afternoon, but someone will have to check/open the gates if it's okay.

[woodside]

Trail remains closed as of 7:45pm on 04/23. Trail still looks a bit too damp from outside the gate. It's drying up, though. Hopefully 4/24, eh?

[scotthue]

The trail is drying up nicely and is tacky for the most part. Should be fine for riding. A few corners are a still damp so just take care when cornering.

[jitterjepp]

The gates are open.

[Nate Hanssen]

pretty much perfect.

[Greendog]

Please give the trail at least a day to dry out.

[egoo]

Tacktastic! Keep off the brakes and fly!

[GodOfMildew]

While most of it is infact tackytastic, there are a few wet corners and damp spots towards the end of north loop, watch out for them.

[Ol Dirty Biker]

It rained.

[mara]

I needed a snorkel on my way home from MPRB HQ tonight and the rain shows no sign of ending any time soon.

Please plan on giving the trail a couple days to dry after the rains end.

We'll post an update after trailwork tomorrow.

[mara]

Updating that the trail is still wet and should not be ridden. It received almost one and a half inches of rain and will need time to dry out.

We’ll update the prognosis after trailwork, but please do not try riding today. If we get the predicted rain again tonight, the trail may not be ready until sometime this weekend.

Thanks for being patient and taking care of the trail. It will thank you by drying as quickly as possible in the future.

[mara]

The trail is closed and will likely be closed through the weekend. Please give things a chance to dry out.

Riding the trail now will cause damage that will affect drying times for the rest of the season. Thanks in advance for being patient.

[Wheels]

According to Mara the trail is currently closed, but I just wanted to address some of the posts questioning our practices (they're usually deleted as off-subject).

Here's the deal - it's spring, it rains heavy - we close the trail. It's unusual for the trails to be open this early in the year for that matter - so we should all feel fortunate that we're getting as much trail time as we are right now.

Secondly, we don't have the time or resources to close the gates every time the trail is too wet to ride - you're supposed to police yourself and others. If bikes are coming out covered in mud - it's pretty obvious it's too wet and you shouldn't have been on the trail. It's easy enough to exit the trails if you come upon a point that's too wet to pass, there are many points where you can get onto the ski trail and work your way back to the pavement.

This trail system is a privilege, not a right - so quit acting like there's an "us vs. them" situation here. It's all of ours, and we need to take care of it. There is a small, dedicated group of people working to maintain the trails - and they can always use help. If there are spots that are continually getting wet, they should be corduroyed (hardened with 3"-4" logs), or repaired/rerouted so the trail can stay open - but this takes labor, labor you could supply on a work night - get involved. If they were corduroyed, the trail would be open more often during the wet season. Simple as that.

So quit complaining about how you didn't know it was closed, or someone didn't close the gate - etc, etc - and get out and help work on the trails.

Quit hassling those who are doing the work, because you couldn't play.

[jitterjepp]

We've been getting hit pretty hard with rain again here in Minneapolis. The trail will likely be closed until Monday at the earliest. We will post again when the trail is ready to be opened.

[jitterjepp]

The trails is soaking wet. It rained again last night. The trail won't be open until Tuesday night at the very earliest providing it doesn't rain again. We will post when the trail is open.

[Greendog]

Trail is drying nicely, but it is still too soft to ride. Should be ready tomorrow afternoon if it doesn't rain more.

[jitterjepp]

It's raining again in Minneapolis right now. I think it will still be a day or two before the trail can be opened. It looks like good weather from Wednesday through the next 8 days though. Hopefully it will dry out by Thursday.

[Greendog]

Checked the trail at trail work tonight and it was still to soft to ride. We will have some one check it again tomorrow.

[jitterjepp]

Ride on.

[techy101]

Absolutely wonderful!

[ryank25]

Awesome riding, very fast, mostly dry with some tacky. Please be careful because at the beginning of the trail there is a pipe and some sort of cast iron item sticking up from the ground. Wirth used to be a dump so I'm sure it's items left over from it's former days. I've informed the correct people.