Lone Lake

[noise_is_life]

Riding off the maintained trails at Lone Lake Park (On Shady Oak Rd, North of 62) has of course been banned for a couple of years now.

I know there's not a ton of trail there, but it was one of the first places that I mountain biked and it is a fun detour off the South LRT.

Has anyone ever pursued if it would be possible to change that status?

[Rocky Mountain]

I attended the Minnetonka board meeting which involved input from the Mountain Biking community. This was about 3 years ago. There were about 10 bikers in the audience including "Eric" the bikeman who resides in Minnetonka and Bob Mueller. The board members had problems envisioning mountain bike trails on there newly planted grass. The whole project to remove the non-native plants and replant native grass cost $30,000. Now you know what would be involved.

I had ridden at Lone Lake Park many times before it was banned and the terrain in there is prime for mountain bike trails.

Now with Lebannon Hills in the mix, then this maybe a good example but this would be a very, very tough sale.

[SickBoy]

The jist I had heard was that the ratio of Minnetonka residents to non-Minnetonka residents there was like 10:1, and the city wasn't thrilled with the fact that the trail was garnering more interest from non-residents than residents....

[Trevize1138]

Originally posted by SickBoy
The jist I had heard was that the ratio of Minnetonka residents to non-Minnetonka residents there was like 10:1, and the city wasn't thrilled with the fact that the trail was garnering more interest from non-residents than residents....

Man ... do I hate the suburbanite attitude.

P.S. I don't mean you guys, of course ... I mean those other guys ... ;)

[KleinCrazy]

This might help.

The board members had problems envisioning mountain bike trails on there newly planted grass. The whole project to remove the non-native plants and replant native grass cost $30,000. Now you know what would be involved.

Battle Creek Regional Park wanted and let us build a singletrack climb rigth through the center of a hillside that they Replanted native.

Inver Grove Heights has been working with us expressly with the purpose of building our multiuse singletrack right through the middle of an almost 40 acre plot that they have disked, roundupped, and will be planing with Native grasses and Hord Woods.

Both of these parks departments saw it as a way for the public to actually enjoy the money that they were spending on the work.


These new examples might help with Minnetonka a little. I to enjoyed riding at Lone Lake when it was allowed. Though I always came out bloody from shoulder to wrist on both arms when the thorns grew over the trail late in the year.

[Trevize1138]

For some reason I didn't like Lone Lake that much. Yes, it was great singletrack and a great challenge, but I always felt like I was riding into dead ends or going off on parts of trail that disappeared into nothing.

I really like a trail that has continuity, and the lack of it at Lone Lake may have been due to a lack of planning (I'm totally guessing at its history here :crazy: )? I keep meaning to get back over to try Battle Creek because the last time I was there was some 4 or 5 years ago and I didn't like it for much the same reason: seemed mostly just a bunch of disjointed trails and I couldn't make out a decent "route" through it.

Is that weird? That's why I like Lebanon or the RB so much is because it feels more like there's an established route so you can bike for miles and miles continuously, rather than stopping and turning around or feeling like you've ridden several sections too many times because the trail keeps looping you back to some main spot.

[KleinCrazy]

Chris,

Drop me a line and I'll be happy to show you the best routes around Battle Creek. I live very close, you'll actually drive within 500 feet of my place on your way there.

Let me know
James

[Trevize1138]

Originally posted by KleinCrazy
Chris,

Drop me a line and I'll be happy to show you the best routes around Battle Creek. I live very close, you'll actually drive within 500 feet of my place on your way there.

Let me know
James

Definitely! I'll have to take you up on that. How's Sunday afternoon shaping up for you?

[KleinCrazy]

errr,

early sunday morning maybe. I am getting the house ready for a party Sunday night for the Vikings game in HDTV.

[SickBoy]

I think with the shining example of Lebanon Hills (and soon to be Harmon Park) it might be an easier sell to the City of Minnetonka to allow MORC in to reroute trails. Maybe we could even address the continuity issue if we were allowed to reroute the trail.

Let's just make sure to NOT show them the usage stats on Lebanon.

I think for the time being, we're screwed on Lone Lake though.