Anyone been up here yet in 2005?

[Fiveohhh]

Anyone been up here yet this year? Wanted to try and ride it next weekend and was hoping not to make the trip up to find its too muddy.

[Danimal]

Where is up here?

[Fiveohhh]

Since this is the Milaca trail forum why don't we roll with that:D

[BridgeR]

I haven't been up there yet, but this trail seems to be wet most of the time. Sure most of it is rideable right now... with the exception of the bog monster... that's almost always wet.

[Panman]

I have a report that the trail is still very muddy and horses have walked on part of the trial. They caused a lot of damang. :hit: So let the trail dry for a while.

[Fiveohhh]

Thanks for the update Ryan, was gonna drive up this weekend and check it out, but guess I'll hit up ER instead.

[chumley]

Perfect conditions considering we were not allowing the possibility of rain (or snow) to stop us (we didn't want to make a mess). I counted seven times when the trail was wet almost always with a clear choice for making it through with relative sloppiness. It's Milaca after all.

Horse damage was evident especially in the soft peaty stuff, now hard as rock. Those beasts must have come through when it was really really wet and soft. Some of the eight inch deep holes from hoves are bouncy bouncy fun fun fun. Not. The fecal remains from the monsters were ... very real and fresh. Can't they ask the horse to move off the trail at least?

It looked like the trail has had riders for a few days worth of fresh tracks. Worth the ride to get there. We three set out @ 11am and rode for two hours. No one remembered an odometer. It's probably best.

Mesa, Moab and a Specialized on loan. Props to Joel J for the wheels, at least your bike was having fun.

[Panman]

Thanks for the update. I heard about the horse damage but haven't been there yet. We're also going to loose some of sky hill if you havn't heard. Oh well, we'll keep rollin'.

[gordanfreeman]

i was at milaca last (memorial) weekend. one huge mud pit. if it wasnt already tracked to all hell (including horse tracks) i might have felt guilty riding it. i guess not all of it was muddy but when it was... well at one point my disc breaks got water on them while going thro what i thought was going to be a 2-3" deep puddle.

i think the most fun i had tho was after our ride we tooled around on the fun box that was set up on the basketball court in the park accross from the trail enterance. i biffed a couple times but it was sweet anyways :crazy:

[PWAXON]

I was thinking about going up there this weekend. Has anyone been there recently? are the conditions any better?

[TrailPatrol]

I rode for about an hour at Milaca on Friday, while they replaced my back window at the glass shop across from the high school. (long story) I rode the green trails and some of the red, figuring that five miles would give them the hour they needed to fix my van. The trails I rode were in excellent shape, no mud, but no dry sand, either. Deer flies were getting bad at about noon, but otherwise I had a great ride!

Ride safe,
:banana:
Hans

[DMonkey]

A group of us heading up on Sat.

Is everything open and it good shape?

Looking forward to getting up there, I have not been up there since last season.

Some side notes:
What's up with Blast's site, it's no longer up.
Anyone read BikeMN.com's review of Milaca - that guy is missing the point (did a search to find into on the status of the trail).

[PWAXON]

I was up there last Saturday and the Green loop is in good shape but Bog Monster and the Northwood’s trail is so overgrown and Mosquito infested it took all the fun out of it. That is one trail it might be a good idea to let motocross riders use to open it up a bit.

[Panman]

...but Bog Monster and the Northwood’s trail is so overgrown and Mosquito infested it took all the fun out of it. That is one trail it might be a good idea to let motocross riders use to open it up a bit.
We have some intresting plans for that section but I don't want to give away details yet. Lets just say you'll be riding high all the way through that part. ;)

[PWAXON]

That would be cool. When it is in good shape Milaca is probably my favorite trail.

[J2]

Rode Milaca today; met up with a group of other MORC riders. Apparently a few bridges are out, limiting access to bog monster. Also, as of now there are 3-4 downed trees, one of which completely blocks the trail, forcing you to turn around. I wish I knew more about the trail names and such, so that I could give more detail on which bridges are out/trails are blocked...

Later,
Joel

[DMonkey]

OK - we went up there last Sat.

There were maybe 3 or 4 trees down, one that was not passable - you could back track and ride double track past it (that I fully accept, not such a big deal, could of happened on Fri for all I know) - but both bridges were not in for bog monster.
Two people from our group tried to get access to Bog-M via the back road and found it very over grown and not rideable.

Is Blast no more?? (because their site is down and no other info)
With it being so dry lately you would think at least the bridges would be in for Bog Monster and people riding thru there to keep it clear & in shape.

With Bog Monster this is my favorite trail with in 2 hrs of the TC (Red Wing Memorial being 2nd) - w/o it, it's not worth the drive. Still a good trail - but there are many others to ride.

I promote this trail to who ever I talk to about riding in the TC area.. It has the most diverse environments of any trail w/in 2 hrs of Mpls (Bog, Rock, Pine, Regular woods, open field, etc)..

Anyway, does anyone know the story for this trail now?

[Panman]

Two people from our group tried to get access to Bog-M via the back road and found it very over grown and not rideable.
The Bog Monster is still closed I believe. There was some major beaver damage last year and I thought it was still there.
Is Blast no more?? (because their site is down and no other info)
Blast is still alive, although quiet. We're working on a new site but I havn't have a lot of time to set it up. The site should be online, I just tested it.
Anyway, does anyone know the story for this trail now?
I'm not the main person for that trail but I'll try to find out the situation for you.

[Panman]

This from Kevin:
The BLAST typically clears trails at Milaca in mid July after trails dry out. A work day is being planned for early August to clear the main poritions of trail. The Sky Hill area is being impacted by a new housing development and will need to have significant rerouting of trails in that area. Rerouting will occur next spring.

[DMonkey]

Ryan,
Thanks for the update.. Bummer about the new house developement in Sky hill.. Also a bummer they do open Bog Monster until Mid-July.. With it being so dry - might be a benifit to open it early.

As for the Blast site - I tried more than a few times on one or two days (Thursday/Fri), it always timed out.

Thanks again,

This from Kevin:

[wookiebear]

Went up to Milaca yesterday. We found our way into the bog monster via a pretty ricketty bridge and were greeted with a very overgrown trail. Barely rideable.
Major warning about a log pile heading into the pine tree section. It is currently home to THOUSANDS OF BEE's.... beware. We were lucky as only one of the riders got stung.
Also, the bridge heading over one of the open portions of water is completely missing so we got a bit wet getting out of it.
Along with the previously mentioned down tree's and the level of overgrowth, this trail is just not worth the drive.

[zefuldar@comcast.net]

Just rode Milaca Sunday 8/28/05. It is in the BEST SHAPE I have seen
it this year.

Bog Monster is rideable--although pretty overgrown. There is a stream
I had to wade across about 80 feet from the exit, but other than that,
it is totally rideable.

Everyone needs to get out there and ride it, while it is dry. Is is
getting very overgrown in places, esp. Bog Monster.

--thaedeus