Anyone ridden LaCrosse recently?

[looper]

Heading to the inlaws in Lacrosse for the weekend. Wondering if the HPT trail is a mudbathand? tom

[DanL]

We were working on the trails last night (Thursday 6/12). We cleared out a lot of trees that were down, and the trails were muddy and slick but intact.

It's would be best to wait until Sunday, but the Blue trails might be good by Saturday late afternoon (if we don't get anymore rain).

If you want more up to date info... try posting a note on the new HPT website message board. Or check out the "Trail Conditions" at...
www.humanpoweredtrails.com (http://www.humanpoweredtrails.com)

[9GUY9]

I'm wondering the same thing, as I am heading there tomorrow. Is there alot of climbing on these trails? I'm trying to decide what bike to bring.

[Ala Carte]

. Is there alot of climbing on these trails? I'm trying to decide what bike to bring.

LaCrosse has some of the best climbs around. To get to the HPT trails, you climb about 600 ft on TNT trail. It's a brute, and the descent is super fast.

[widespot]

They just started a message board:

http://www.humanpoweredtrails.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=37

My dad said it did not rain there last night. But, they have been getting a lot lately.

This is from a week ago:

<table class="contentpaneopen"><tbody><tr><td class="contentheading" width="100%"> Too Much Rain! (June 6, 2008) (http://www.humanpoweredtrails.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=155:too-much-rain-june-6-2008&catid=47:trailconditions&Itemid=72) </td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%">
(http://www.humanpoweredtrails.com/index.php?view=article&catid=47%3Atrailconditions&id=155%3Atoo-much-rain-june-6-2008&format=pdf&option=com_content&Itemid=72) </td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%">
(http://www.humanpoweredtrails.com/index.php?view=article&catid=47%3Atrailconditions&id=155%3Atoo-much-rain-june-6-2008&tmpl=component&print=1&page=&option=com_content&Itemid=72) </td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%">
(http://www.humanpoweredtrails.com/index.php?option=com_mailto&tmpl=component&link=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5odW1hbnBvd2VyZWR0cmFpbHMuY29tL 2luZGV4LnBocD92aWV3PWFydGljbGUmaWQ9MTU1JTNBdG9vLW1 1Y2gtcmFpbi1qdW5lLTYtMjAwOCZvcHRpb249Y29tX2NvbnRlb nQmSXRlbWlkPTcy) </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table class="contentpaneopen"><tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" valign="top" width="70%"> Written by Dan Luebke </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" class="createdate" valign="top"> Friday, 06 June 2008 12:40 </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" valign="top"> With all the rain we have been getting (which is expected to continue), the trails are pretty soft right now. Please use your best judgment when deciding when to ride, or what trails to ride. The Green Prairie Loop trails are usually the driest, the Blue trails usually take about a day to dry and the Black trails stay wet the longest (usually 2 days) since they are further down in the valleys, see the most moisture and are less exposed to the sun and wind.

All the trails will usually dry up within a day or two, so please wait long enough to allow them to firm up following a heavy rain.
</td></tr></tbody></table>

[looper]

Wow, what a great weekend. Arrived in LaCrosse about noon on Sat. had some lunch and pieced together a good 3.5 hour almost all singletrack ride right from the inlaws. HPT was great, more tacky than muddy, a few downed trees and water flow carnadge, big thanks to the trail crew there for their work. Coming up the darkside climb, I had to help out a gnome in serious danger of being washed away by the next rainfall. For fathers day I got out early on the road bike southeast of town toward Coon valley. The Coulee region is amazing, beautiful climbs on super smooth farm roads, views to die for, cows, and did I mention the climbs. My legs are numb.

[soupboy]

If your legs are numb I know that is a place I should not ride!

Those roads provide the most excellent car driving canvas.

My legs are numb.

[looper]

The roads this morning would have been almost as much fun in a WRX!!!!! :banana:

[9GUY9]

I have to agree with looper. LaCrosse has some great trails. I went to LCrosse Sun the 15th. I parked at the Hixton rail parking lot, and rode the TNT trail to the top. People aren't kidding when they say it is a brutal climb. Its loose, rocky, and never seams to end. But once you make it the the top there is a nice sign congratulating you so it's suddenly all worth it:D. I then rode most of the HPT trails on the left side of the map. Great trails, fun riding, some tough obstacles, but they all have ride around's. Then it was back down the TNT trail:cool:, I ride like a little girl so my hands got tired from braking. but if your the lots o suspension=lots o speed type your golden.

I then got onto a house boat and spent the next week drinking on the Mississippi.

The following Sun I got off the boat and rode HPT again. This time I parked at the bottom of Bliss road and rode up the road. The road is closed to cars, but open to bikes and foot traffic. Once you start going up it you see why. Over half the outside lane is washed down the hill in some spots. I'm not sure riding up the road is any easier, you can ride the whole thing, but it is steep and just keeps going. This time I rode most of the trails on the rite side of the map. Again, awesome trails. Then back down the road, its fast, its a road.

My only advice to anyone planning to ride there, that has not been there before would be to bring a map, and bug spray (the skeeters were thick). And to relay the advice I recieved from one of the employs at Smith's bike shop when I asked for any advice on riding the trails "smile and enjoy the riding. When your done riding stop at the alpine in for a post ride beer, before heading down the hill".;)