Trail Conditions Today

[socrates]

Any Idea how wet Leb is today?

[jcm44]

i hope it isn't wet. i wanted to finally leave work early and go for a ride.

[SPR]

I need to know if the trails are okay to ride today (Friday) after last evenings rain. I was plannig to ride after work today. Anyone with this info please post ASAP.
Thanks

[gopherhockey]

I haven't been there, but I live just a half mile away. We got dumped on pretty hard in a short time last night late evening. I believe it was about .70" of rain that came down.

The trails were pretty dry to begin with, and they usually dry up pretty good after a shorter harder rain. I would think by Friday afternoon/evening things would be ok for sure.

You can always give it a shot - ride slow if things are muddy.. then report back to us ;)

[socrates]

Originally posted by gopherhockey
I haven't been there, but I live just a half mile away. We got dumped on pretty hard in a short time last night late evening. I believe it was about .70" of rain that came down.

The trails were pretty dry to begin with, and they usually dry up pretty good after a shorter harder rain. I would think by Friday afternoon/evening things would be ok for sure.

You can always give it a shot - ride slow if things are muddy.. then report back to us ;)

Yeah I was fortunate enough that my chain didn't break (left the wrench in my other bike bag grrr) until I was on my 2nd lap but I still had enough time to get out of there before the rains (maybe 15-20 mins)...but the trail was extremely dry...you could tell there was a shower or two during the day but even the areas that normally pool were dry so I'd guess it'll be dry by this afternoon (at least I hope so...cause I don't wanna make a trip for nothing)

[jcm44]

I was so happy last night. I started out from mpls and it was raining hard and i kept praying that leb was far enough south that it wasn't raining. I got there, got in a good hour, and before I left the lot it was pouring. By the time I made it to Target, it had stopped.

[gopherhockey]

Just got back from the trail - its bone dry... get out and RIDE!

[jcm44]

tomorrow morning for sure. since the tour is over i can finally get out and do some riding myself.

[SPR]

Originally posted by gopherhockey
Just got back from the trail - its bone dry... get out and RIDE!

John that was you at Leb yesterday. I saw your van as I was leaving for home. Sorry to have missed you on the trail, I could have shown off my battle scars. I tried the V log bridge crossing and came off the other end real hard and got some nasty trail rash :hit: (good reason for shaved legs ). I was okay and didn't let this spoil the ride and continued doing 3 more laps. The trails were excellent despite the rain.
Thinking back you may have blown by me in the log crossing area of the XX loop.
Happy trails and catch you next time.

[gopherhockey]

Originally posted by SPR

Thinking back you may have blown by me in the log crossing area of the XX loop.

I dunno, I blow by so many people it is hard for me to remember... (haha) ;)

Say - how does one get me to ride wet trails? How about pour rain on me right while I'm entering the XX loop.

At first it was kind of fun and refreshing... but by the time I got to the first bridge it was like riding on muddy pavement - very slippery!

It was nice to see the rain running throught he bottom of the berm and off the trail like we designed it though - it was kinda cool to ride up and around that area.

I think I took 12oz. of Leb dirt home with me at least though. I can see how this can really hurt trails - even with such a small amount of rain. That dirt had to come from somewhere.

I also learned that disc brakes stop working too well in the rain.

Anyway, it was still raining when I left, so no doubt it is damp to wet out there for the rest of the day. Sunday should be ok though as long as we don't get more rain.

And hey - yell at me next time you see me and we'll do a few laps together... if anyone wants to know who I am, just look for the yellow bike patrol plate on a black Santa Cruz.

[socrates]

OK...I'm going to rant for a sec

WTF Guys!!!!!!

I headed to Leb these eve around 6:30...as I was driving east on 42 I said to myself "looks like a passing rain cloud...hope it's east of Leb"...as I got onto 35E north it started to rain...the further north I went the harder it rained....got to Leb...saw 2 things...(rain had stopped) guys packing up going home and guys hitting the trail...parking lot was soaked so I asked some of the guys going home "How's the trail" response was "SOAK! It's really wet out there" so I left....but WFT Why do people still ride?????? If you needed to ride really bad (like I did) River Bottoms (yes not challenging but it's still a ride) is really dry....even the places that never dry out are dried out!

John next time you wanna stake out the parking lot just let me know....I'm sure we can get Dakota to let us borrow a gun or two

[gopherhockey]

Originally posted by socrates
John next time you wanna stake out the parking lot just let me know....I'm sure we can get Dakota to let us borrow a gun or two

I think a lot of it is selfishness on the parts of some riders. They are there to ride, they have little or no regard for anything else. Then some just flat out don't know what they are doing... and some probably enjoy those conditions (those that didn't get enough of that kind of thing out of their systems before they matured)

Next spring is going to be really difficult - thats really when the damage is going to be done. For sure come April we're going to have to all take turns protecting "our" trail from these folks. It wasn't easy this spring, and nobody was itching for XX at that time.

It may come down to having Dakota post a decent no riding on wet trails sign, then starting to ticket people for them to get the hint. Once we get the Dakota County Bike Patrol going, we'll probably be able to police that kind of thing more officially.

It breaks my heart that so many fellow mountain bikers have so little regard for anything but themselves.

Makes up for it having a good core group like all of you guys that use your heads, help out from time to time, and still ride and enjoy the trails.

[socrates]

Originally posted by gopherhockey
It breaks my heart that so many fellow mountain bikers have so little regard for anything but themselves.


Don't get me wrong there were people who were out on the trail when it started to rain and decided to leave (at least they were leaving...I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say it was because of the rain) but as I was arriving I saw a good deal of guys getting ready to ride or riding up the climbout-now I'm sure these are the same guys who don't belong to IMBA, MORC or at the very least stop and think about what they are doing when they are out there in conditions like that....it took me 30 secs to ask someone who had just gotten off the trail to determine the trail conditions and not ride....isn't rocket science but again these are the same who's who don't know they don't know (and apparently can't read/understand your sign "Don't Ride Wet")......grrrrrrrrrrr

[manual63]

Dave and I did ride the trail the next day and there didn't seem to be any ruts from fools riding on a wet trail. Hopefully they don't ruin the trail for us cool guys.....right Dave.....

[socrates]

Originally posted by manual63
Dave and I did ride the trail the next day and there didn't seem to be any ruts from fools riding on a wet trail. Hopefully they don't ruin the trail for us cool guys.....right Dave.....

Well I rode the trail....you pretty much flew through it after the first lap :-)

and yes everyone...PLEASE DON'T RUIN IT FOR US COOL GUYS!

[SPR]

John I missed you again today. I arrived at Leb about 3:30ish and saw your van but couldn't find you on the trails.
You're scaring me John because your van was in the same place as I saw it last Friday. I know you must have gone home during the week. The redemption is that when I finished riding you, or at least the van were gone.
:D :banana: :D

[socrates]

Hey what's with the kids/guys riding the X loop by-pass backwards to get to the X loop (With out even a Helmet???) Saw a kid/guy (18ish) doing this yesterday...told him it was riding the trail backwards...he didn't care....I guess he needed to get to the X & XX loop quicker and didn't wanna waste the time going through the intermed-loop....

1) What an idiot
2) Hope I see this guy coming at me the wrong way again...."Ramming Speed!!!"

[gopherhockey]

Originally posted by socrates
Hey what's with the kids/guys riding the X loop by-pass backwards to get to the X loop (With out even a Helmet???) Saw a kid/guy (18ish) doing this yesterday...told him it was riding the trail backwards...he didn't care....I guess he needed to get to the X & XX loop quicker and didn't wanna waste the time going through the intermed-loop....

1) What an idiot
2) Hope I see this guy coming at me the wrong way again...."Ramming Speed!!!"

These guys are idiots. They don't know what this type of thing can do to our hopes of new trails. I hope I catch someone doing this someday.... it is not only stupid, but dangerous.

I have some new wrong way, do not enter etc. signs that we got from Dakota - we'll put them up them as soon as we can find some posts to put them on. I wonder if some people just see the map at the trailhead (that, by mistake, has no directional arrows) and think they can cut over there that way.

[gopherhockey]

Originally posted by SPR
John I missed you again today. I arrived at Leb about 3:30ish and saw your van but couldn't find you on the trails.
You're scaring me John because your van was in the same place as I saw it last Friday. I know you must have gone home during the week. The redemption is that when I finished riding you, or at least the van were gone.
:D :banana: :D

I snuck out around 2pm for a ride Friday afternoon. Thought maybe I'd have the trail more to myself than I would if I rode past 5... boy was I wrong. It was like family day on the trail or something. Many groups of riders (beginners mostly) trying to tackle the X and XX loop riding above their heads.

I didn't mind seeing them having a good time... just that I skipped out of work only to get stuck behind dozens of slow riders. :fool:

To help ya find me next time - my usual route (16 miles) - once around with 2 XX loops, then once around again with one xx loop. Warmup trail pre and post ride.

Me and Tompten had a few beers after the second lap, so maybe thats where I was... ;)

[SPR]

boy was I wrong. It was like family day on the trail or something. Many groups of riders (beginners mostly) trying to tackle the X and XX loop riding above their heads.
I had the trail pretty much to myself except for a group of 3 younger guys and a younger girl. I talked to them a couple different times about the XX trail. They were curious on how long it took to build and I explained what we had done. Anyhow they were real excited about the trail and telling me what they liked the best. But the poor girl was having a hard time, first a broken chain then an untrue rim and at one point I came up behind and she was falling all over the trail. Got to give her credit for trying though.

[socrates]

Originally posted by gopherhockey
These guys are idiots. They don't know what this type of thing can do to our hopes of new trails. I hope I catch someone doing this someday.... it is not only stupid, but dangerous.

I have some new wrong way, do not enter etc. signs that we got from Dakota - we'll put them up them as soon as we can find some posts to put them on. I wonder if some people just see the map at the trailhead (that, by mistake, has no directional arrows) and think they can cut over there that way.

There's 2 places I'd but the signs for sure...the EXIT to the beginner loop and the exit to the X loop by-pass

[socrates]

Originally posted by gopherhockey
I snuck out around 2pm for a ride Friday afternoon. Thought maybe I'd have the trail more to myself than I would if I rode past 5... boy was I wrong. It was like family day on the trail or something. Many groups of riders (beginners mostly) trying to tackle the X and XX loop riding above their heads.

I didn't mind seeing them having a good time... just that I skipped out of work only to get stuck behind dozens of slow riders. :fool:

To help ya find me next time - my usual route (16 miles) - once around with 2 XX loops, then once around again with one xx loop. Warmup trail pre and post ride.

Me and Tompten had a few beers after the second lap, so maybe thats where I was... ;)

LOL...it was the exact opposite Friday evening...I had the entire trail to myself around 5...well not exactly I did see lots of cars in the lot and hear alot of people on the trail but never saw anyone

[mtnbykr]

Many groups of riders (beginners mostly) trying to tackle the X and XX loop riding above their heads.

if you can use color-coded signs like on the ski trails -easiest/difficult/more difficult- i don't think you'd have this happening as much. a map in the parking lot kiosk w/ the descriptions of the trails and their "ratings" would be nice too.

k

[gopherhockey]

Originally posted by mtnbykr
Many groups of riders (beginners mostly) trying to tackle the X and XX loop riding above their heads.

if you can use color-coded signs like on the ski trails -easiest/difficult/more difficult- i don't think you'd have this happening as much. a map in the parking lot kiosk w/ the descriptions of the trails and their "ratings" would be nice too.

k

We actually do have both... I think people probably hear all about it and want to give it a try anyway.

We even put a special warning sign up before the XX loop - I think for the most part it has helped, as I have seen many sit at that point in the trail discussing the situation, then taking the X loop out.

[socrates]

Originally posted by gopherhockey
I have seen many sit at that point in the trail discussing the situation, then taking the X loop out.

I agree...and I too think this has helped...again this morning (10am ish) parking lot wasn't packed but busy with lots of families & kids...passed 2 people during my ride and 2 more at the entrance to the XX loop discussing if they should try it...never saw anyone on the XX loop and I was there for an hour just rid'n XX loop (it was sweet John....keep it this way for me would ya...love having the XX loop all to myself)...seems like the families are staying to the beginner/intermed trails

[noise_is_life]

I think having that big log pile at the entrance helps too, I know it gave me a little pause the first time I got there, even though it isn't really that challenging, it looks impressive.

[SPR]

Originally posted by socrates
...never saw anyone on the XX loop and I was there for an hour just rid'n XX loop ....
You weren't by chance just cutting through the woods to stay on the XX trail now were you!?! :fool: JK

[socrates]

Originally posted by SPR
You weren't by chance just cutting through the woods to stay on the XX trail now were you!?! :fool: JK

Please with all the bXtch'n I've been doing on here about stuff like that you should know better than ask that....X->XX->X->XX->X->XX etc hense my assumption that everyone else was going beginner->intermediate->X By-Pass etc

[socrates]

Originally posted by SPR
JK

Opps...just caught the JK.....

:D

[manual63]

Since it hasn't rained in awhile, the trail has some sandy spots and I have the knee scabs to prove it. I suggest clipping out and putting a leg out on some of those sandy corners. I slid out twice last Tuesday by sliding in turns.

[manual63]

It looked like rain in the south. Anyone know how Leb is right now for the group ride tonight?

[socrates]

Originally posted by manual63
It looked like rain in the south. Anyone know how Leb is right now for the group ride tonight?

Looking at the metro radar I see a small but heavy cell did move through NE Scott County and NW Dakota County...Leb looks to be on the edge (but it looks like it passed really quickly so I'm willing to bet the trail is ok to ride)

[manual63]

Me too......I have my bike on the back of my car as we speak.

[gopherhockey]

It looks like most of the county got sprinkled on, but not enough to cause problems.

Its pretty dry here just 1/2 mile north.