Want to ride Calvin Crest? Sun, Nov 22

Discussed with Craig and Calvin Crest mtb trail will not be open to the public till next year. We want the first time, self guided ride to be a great experience. Hence, the mtb webpage, signage, and kiosk must be in place before the public opening.

But we will have a ride or two by appointment before then. This Sunday, Nov 22, is one such appointment. This also happens to be coupled with trailwork. Bring your McLeod or we'll have one for you to use. Ride after we work.

Seems most (99.5% according to IMBA) prefer to ride on these beautiful Fall days rather than do trailwork. I would rather just ride too, but then there would be less trail coming online. We can only ride when the ground is frozen. Let's do trailwork in these cooler temps AND ride.

We start work at noon and ride after that.

Questions? ask here or send me an email: tpmbt at cox dot net.

Will have a carpool leaving Bike Masters at 11.

To wet your appetite, I took some pics while touching up a couple spots last Sunday. This sequence is of the Tower Bluff descent we built a couple weeks ago. About 70' of drop with 5 switchbacks. Very fortunate to find these plateaus because much of the bluff is 35%+ grade straight down to the river bottom.

This is at the edge of the bluff. Need some benching but it is rideable. Maybe lack of benching is a ttf? 8-)

Benched a deer trail to drop down on a plateau. A boy scout fall line trail is to the right of the orange coffee can bottom.

First switchback. Able to incorporate natural grade for a wall ride. Chris saw this line.

Skipped to third switchback. After first ride, reworked to direct riders wide left to more easily make the sharp descending right turn.

Fourth switchback is a nice lefthand sweeper.

Here is another view of the fourth and fifth switchbacks from up the hill.

Same view from still higher up the hill.

Fifth switchback. Built in stall before right turn for grade reversal to shed water off the trail.

This follows part of a deer trail and finally exits on the river bottom.

On the river bottom is the Meadow Trail. Reminds me of an abandoned roadway that is slowly returning to nature.

If you want to experience this before the public opening next year, come work and ride with us this Sunday.

Trail Observation - Caution Note

Below is a report about events that took place at Lake Manawa recently. We are posting this for situational awareness purposes. With the transition of day light to nite time riding these shortening days Please Exercise Caution at our parks both in the trails and at the trail heads.

"This is an automated trail report. Please DO NOT click REPLY or REPLY ALL to this e-mail.
We received a report regarding
Lake Manawa

Where work is needed
Safety IssueMy coworker sent me the following message regarding a visit to Lake Manawa on 11/09/09. I appologize for his writing.
"I went out to Manawa yesterday to do a little mountain biking and when I got there some weirdos just got out of the trails. 3 older guys no helmets and crappy mtb's. They put the bikes in the back of their pickup, then a DNR officer arrived and parked right behind them. I guess there were reports of someone shooting a gun out there and the cop asked if he could search there vehicle. A few minutes later a real police officer drove up and the DNR officer found a handgun on the guy.My girlfriend and i proceeded out on the trails when we saw 3 real odd people walking on the trail and the last person in the group was carrying a handgun."
I thought somebody should know.
- Kevin"

I was a part of a small group ride last night at Lake Manawa and didn't have a single problem except we were running out of batteries and couldn't keep riding through out the nite. It is in SWEET condition right now.

Calvin Crest update

First let me state that Calvin Crest is currently CLOSED to the public. It was reported some bikers were out poaching the trails. Please respect their property and don't ride there when it's closed.

When Calvin Crest is opened to the public, it will be announced on the THOR blog.

Friday, Paul and I went out and cleared two fallen trees, added more orange marking tape and raked sections of trail in order to see it better.


Saturday, I spent several hours tweeking the phase 2 layout and raking more trail.

Sunday, Brian, Chris, Dave, and myself spent a couple hours building six switchbacks to get down a 70' bluff. Then Todd, his wife and daughter, found us as we blazed the trail back to the entrance of phase 2 loop. At the bottom of the bluff, we hooked into the Meadow Trail that finishes the loop. Phase 2 added another mile, so about 4.25 total. Approximately 30 hrs over the three days.

Because of the small number of volunteers, we were exhausted and blistered from the pace and actually surprised to finish phase 2. (After riding it, it still needs a couple tweeks.) We then went out for a well deserved buffet.

We came back to ride a lap before hunters go out - to taste the fruit of our labors. As Chris attempted the rooted climb, he fell and twisted his ankle badly. He would find out later that night he actually broke his ankle in two places. The first casualty and the trail isn't even open to the public yet.

Meeting with IMBA

MONDAY, NOV. 9
6PM
OLD CHICAGO, 78TH & CASS

Ryan Schutz (IMBA's Regional Director) will be visiting on November 9 & 10 to do a "Scoping Visit". He'll be here to get a lay of the land, and facilitate us through the process of creating what we hope will be a master plan of our green space/trail system. With your help, we... can identify our existing green spaces, parks, greenways, preserves, etc and also identify the gaps and potential connectors.

On Nov. 9th, he would like to meet with the THOR advisory board members and those interested in playing a role in learning more about organizational building.

trailwork at calvin crest sat and sun nov 7&8

Time to put some sweat equity into local trail construction. With IMBA's green space review next Monday and Tuesday (open to all members), THOR has been given authorization to construct singletrack this Saturday and Sunday at Calvin Crest in Fremont.

Saturday and Sunday, Nov 7&8
09:00-15:00 Trailwork the first half or so, then ride. Bow hunters are on the property so we are limited to this time window.
Directions to Calvin Crest

There is about 3/4 of a mile to build.
1) Cut and clear branches out of the trail corridor. Hand Saws, Loppers
2) Clear vegetation, bench and compact tread. Rakes, McLeods

The soil is like Platte River State Park - loose and easy to shape. From my perspective, trail construction opportunities don't get any better than this.

We have some tools, mostly need people willing to give their time and energy.

Email Dale tpmbt at cox dot net to carpool or rsvp.

For those available Friday, Paul and I are going out there if you're interested.

excellent day at calvin crest

GPS photo from Tim: 3 miles (3.25 via computer) and 500' climbing. That number feels high.

Chris, Paul, Bryan, Dave, Tim, Craig, myself, and Ginger went to work finishing up the last few ttfs so that the entire lap would be rideable. Amazingly, we finished as planned at 3. Craig fed us excellent lasagna, green beans, garlic toast, and iced chocolate cake for dessert. We then strapped on the helmets and rode! Sweet! Non compacted dirt and difficulty made a couple ttfs so difficult no one cleared everything the first time, but Tim cleared his second lap. Several then did a counterclockwise lap which is more aerobically and technically challenging because of short, steep climbs. No one cleared the entire lap. A fun-paced-lap takes about 30 minutes.

With no tread worn in and intermitent markings, every one took their turn leading and getting off trail. 8-) Need some more marking, a little raking, and she will be ready for prime time! Details for the public grand opening to be announced.

Paul took some nice pics here.

calvin crest work and ride

Trailday Sunday, Oct 18
Work: Noon - 3
Pizza: 3
Ride: 3:30 - ?
Where: http://www.calvincrest.org/Maps__Directions.php
Drive to end of road and park past building.
The more people to work, the sooner we eat and ride bikes.
A crew carpooling, caravaning from Bike Masters, 129th and Fort. We leave at 11:00.
RSVP or Questions: tpmbtatcoxdotnet

Tools: chainsaw, mcleods, shovels, bikes


After almost two years of surveying, laying out, and building trail, Calvin Crest is one workday away from phase 1 being finished! I went out Friday and walked the trail to get some pics of what needs to be done. I enjoyed the walk immensely and can't wait for VIRGIN RIDE!

Need to bench trail through this ravine - 60'

Need chainsaw operator and crew to remove tree suspended over trail.


Hard climb over roots out of creek bottom. Needs 50' of benching.

Widen trough so rideable or pushable through back-to-back steep ravines.

The trail turns right almost 180. Need to clear branches and shape a berm.


Here are a few other pics to wet your appetite:

Ride along the Platte with the obligatory 100' bluff to ride up or down.

Suspension bridge with lots of verticle movement.

Lots of cedars to smell and limit the mowing.