Lake Manawa Clean-up

Last Sunday was Lake Manawa clean-up day. Steve and I attended for THOR. The turn-out was lower than previous years.

As normal, we concentrated on the river boat ramp/mountain bike trail area. We had a crew of about 7. The crew (plus 2 that left early) is shown in the photo. We picked up a truckload of trash.

Missouri River Flooding

Once again, the Missouri River is at or above flood stage through Omaha/Council Bluffs. That means that section of the trails at Lake Manawa are under water (see photo).

Manawa Clean Up

Manawa Clean up day is 1 May 2011.

Meet at shelter 6 at just before 1 pm. The clean up effort is expect to last approximately 2 hours. THe parks department will provide the trash bags.

Raffle and food to follow at 3pm.

Wear your THOR shirts if you have them!

Trail Conditions

Over the last couple days there have been trail condition updates on Facebook. Here's what has been reported:

Tranquility: Open
Swanson: Open
Lewis & Clark: Open
Lake Manawa: Open
Platte River: Too soft/muddy

Tread lightly. There may be soft spots in the trails. Rain is forecast for this evening - get your dirt fix in today!

Bring Your Kid Mountain Biking

Photos of the THOR Family Day are posted on Tom's photo site. Eventually some of them will find their way onto the THOR Web Site. Some touch-up will be done before posting (and e-mailing) to the web site.

A great time was had by all. Just awesome weather, fun on bicycles for kids of all ages, good food, and good company.

workdays at lake manawa trail sept 2, 7, 8

(Steve, Sorry I didn't get this posted a couple days ago. Dale)

Thursday, Sept 2 - mow and trim large portions of trail. 6 pm till dark.
Meet by red truck in parking lot.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Sept 7, 8 -- 6 pm till dark.
Will have shovels, blower, chainsaw, and trimmers. Come put them to work.
Meet by red truck in parking lot.

Bring work clothing, bug spray and your bike to ride to areas that need to be worked.

Thursday, Sept 9 - come and ride the trail and enjoy your work!

Steve D.

manawa work done - wed workday cancelled

Thanks to all who helped give manawa a hair cut and trim low branches. The crew, female and child included, put in 17 hours in two days to get our trails looking awesome.

No trailwork day needed Wednesday. Too muddy to ride now but Thursday should be about the right time!

Steve D.

manawa traildays Mon-Wed June 7-9

Manawa has taken the last couple of storms very well but its time for a hair cut. Please plan on attending at least one of the trail days below.

All times are from 6p.m. To 8p.m. THOR needs your help!

June 7 mowing the trails. Also trim them. I will be at the rangers station at 4:15 to pick up the mower and get started early if anyone else wants to help. The main group will start at 6p.m.

June 8 trim the trails, cut back any low branches

June 9 trim the trails, cut back any low branches

We have two trimmers that has your name on one of them. Come and put them to work.

Steve D.

today's manawa trailwork cancelled

Manawa work day tonight, May 12, 2010 Cancelled due to weather and muddy trails.

A BIG thank you to the two adults and a little boy that helped mow and remove the few branches across the trail.

Please make your plans to attend Adams Park trailday this weekend, 10:00-noon.

Steve D.

manawa traildays tu/wed may 11 and 12

May 11, 2010
Mowing the trails. 430p.m. till dark. Need at least one more person to help with the mower in case we get stuck and help put the machine away. This job takes most of the night. You don't have to work you can just ride around the trails and be on call if needed, or bring your fishing pole and fish in the river.
6 p.m. till 8p.m. come down and help trim the trails and move storm damage out of the way this will be a smaller group, meet in the parking lot.

May 12, 2010
Meet by the red truck in the parking lot at 6p.m. Trim what we couldn't get with the mower. Move flood damage objects out of the way in wood chooper and other needed areas. Bench the section before the camel humps. Done by 8 p.m. and ride.

Tools to bring. We have two trimmers (just need someone to run them). We will have two sets of lopper (just need someone to use them). Shovels bring yours. Rakes we have you covered. Also need someone to wear the backpack blower to blow wood chooper. Bring your bug spray. Like always THOR will provide gatorade.

Please plan to attend at least one of these days. THOR needs your help at Manawa.

TNR. May 13, 2010, enjoy YOUR hard work and ride the groomed trails.

Steve D.

Lake Manawa Clean-up Day

THOR members were among the over 400 folks that spend a couple hours of their Sunday to clean up Lake Manawa State Park. The THOR crew spend the time cleaning trash around the mountain bike trails.

Forgive me if I missed someone, but we did have our Trail leader Steve, former President Mike, member Mike, Webmaster Tom, and the Matheson family in attendance.

In the lower photo, THOR members take a look at the trash picked up in the mountain bike area.

Following transferring the trash to a dumpster, some lucky participants brought home prizes from the raffle. Weather turned raining just as the festivities were wrapping up. The rain and colder temperature dampened desires to ride a lap at Manawa.

6th Annual Lake Manawa Clean up Day

Are you tired of riding by the same piece of garbage on the bike trail? Now is your chance to pick it up along with any other trash along the trail and river.

When: Sunday, May 2, 2010, 1 p.m. till 3 p.m.
Meet: At shelter 6, will we be introduced to other by DNR staff (wear your thor shirts)
What to bring: gloves, and work clothes.

May want to bring your bike to ride the cleaned trails when we are finished. This event is a lake wide clean up with us focusing on the bike area. Lets see how many mountain bikers we can get to help out with this project. If you come late just meet at the river ramp and start filling the black trailor with trash, bags will be inside it. Help celebrate earth day by picking up trash on the bike trails at Lake Manawa. Hope to see your face Sunday.

Steve D.

party or work at manawa tues apr 13

Party, or work, down at Manawa this Tues. 4p.M till dark.

I have homemade goodies from the scouts at church to eat while you work.

Bring your shovels, and bikes and your own drinks if you prefer something other than gatorade. Just come and have fun, the river is waiting for you!

Steve D.

lake manawa trail days sun april 11 and tues the 13

Meet by red truck in parking lot at 4 pm and work till dark.

Bring showels, rakes, lopers and your bike to ride to sections that need to be worked on.

Lots to do so come and help out. Thor will provide drinks and maybe even pizza.

Steve D.

Mana-Swamp - 2010

Once again, the Missouri River is out of its banks and flooding the Lake Manawa mountain bike trails. When these photos, the word is that the river has crested or is cresting.

From the levee, it looks like post of the trail system is under water.

Parking Lot


East Sidewinder


Woodchopper


More photos will be posted on the web site later in the week.

Manawa Trails Good to Go

After 3 long evenings of trail work, the trail leaders pronounced the Lake Manawa trails Race Ready. There will be no need for a Thursday evening work session. Thursday Night Ride will not be disturbed by trail workers.

Thanks to everyone that came out to help whip the trail into shape. Several spend many hours working at other parks and helped at Manawa. We had several first timers. We welcome you and thank you for your help. Hope to see you again. We encourage you to join THOR. Some came to work 2 or all 3 evenings. Thanks for you dedication.

The trails were mowed and trimmed. Branches were lopped. Some mud pits were filled in. Log crossings were staked and checked for sturdiness.

Thanks again those that attended the work nights. Those that did not make it out, we hope you see to helping another day, We always need the help. It takes many volunteer hours to THOR maintain the trails.

good first day of work at manawa

Nice turnout Sunday afternoon for trailwork at Manawa. Steve, Tom, Todd, Angie, Andy, Martin, Paul, and Dale were sawing, moving limbs, lopping, weedwacking, fortifying ttfs for 16 work hours. Steve had put in 4 hrs earlier in the week with the DNR's rider. Thanks guys.

The top of the trail corridor has been raised so nothing should be on the helmet or face. No 2nd Chance still has a 2' diameter tree diagnally through the corridor causing one to duck. I good chunk of trail east of the parking lot was wacked.

Steve said there is still trimming that can be done Monday night around and near the parking lot after a rain. And there is more wacking needed for Tony's Playgound, the Landing, No 2nd Chance, either tonight or Tuesday night.

Steve will be at Manawa at 5 Monday night (tonight). If you can help for an hour or two, that would be greatly appreciated.

Upcoming Manawa Work Days

Manawa work days are has followed....Please plan on attending at least one day!
Large areas will already be cut before the 20th by the mower to cut down on the work loads.
Sept. 20, Sunday, 5 till dark, trim weeds back, cut any branches and remove them.
Sept. 21, Monday, 5 till dark, trim weeds back, cut any branches and remove them, start on any low/muddy areas.
Sept. 22, Tuesday, 6 till dark, finish any work.

Sept. 24, Thursday, 6 till dark, work on any areas that need it, and ride the course.

Drinks will be provided all days, met at the red truck in parking lot, bring your tools that your need for the days you plan on coming, don't have tools we have you covered just show up with the heart to work! Many riders in the past have brought their bikes to ride back to the sections that need to be worked and have saved time.

Please tell your friends and help get the word out!

Head Knocker at Manawa

Received from a Trail User,

Watch out for a low hanging limb in the black section of Manawa until further notice.

Trail leader notified.

Loading the BOB

Dale and Paul loaded up the BOB for trail work at Lake Manawa.