OUTDOOR Forum at canaaninstitute.org

[Mike_L]

The Shindagin Hollow Association of Trailbuilders will be holding its
first organized trail work day of the season this Sunday, May 3rd.
Come join us in our efforts to improve the mountain bike trail system
in Shindagin Hollow State Forest. Volunteering for trail work helps
ensure that the trails you enjoy now will be there for years to come.
Last year our dedicated volunteers logged over 300 hours of trail
improvement efforts, including armoring of muddy trails, removal of
downed trees and branches, re-routing damaged trails, and general
maintenance activities. We need your help to keep these trails fun and
free, so mark your calendar, meet some new friends, and enjoy a day in
the dirt!

Save the Dates!
May 3
June 7
July 5
August 2
September 6
October 4

All events are the first Sunday of each month. Parking for each event
will be on Braley Hill Rd at the new gravel parking lot. Start time is
10am, and generally we work until 2pm. Work is typically followed by a
group ride or BBQ, or both.

Rain date would be the following Sunday. Please dress appropriately
for outdoor conditions. It is recommended to bring your own gloves and
water. If you have trail tools, please feel free to bring them, though
we typically have extras available (metal rake, mcleods, wheelbarrows,
shovel, saws, etc)

Check for updates at http://www.cycle-cny.com or join our e-mail list
by contacting shindagin.hollow@gmail.com. Updates and event details
will be posted the week before the scheduled work day.

Our Association is currently the steward for the Shindagin Hollow
Adopt-a-Natural-Resource (AANR) agreement with the NYS DEC land
managers. The goal of the Shindagin Hollow Trails Committee is to work
with local authorities and organizations to improve existing trail
conditions and increase recreational opportunities for the public. We
plan to accomplish this through sound trail maintenance techniques,
public and professional education, and working with IMBA and the local
mountain bike community.

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_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

Yesterday, Sunday June 14, 2009 a Shindagin Trail maintenance crew went out and did some work on the IMBA trail and the Creek trails, B4 and B6 respectively. I had never been involved in organized trail maintenance before and with some gentle reminders from Jed Sheckler I showed up. Peter Blenkiron also joined us. There I met for the first time Mike, Adam and Steve. David Golay was there also and is working at Swan Cycles.

We hiked up B4 to try and use some gravel to remove some wet spots on the trail. The conditions were so wet that Mike deemed the gravel to be ineffective. Peter and I had placed some stones in the mud thinking that riding over rocks is preferable to creating muddy ruts. There is obviously a feng shui that I yet don’t possess. So all the rocks that Peter and I put in the trail were removed. Steve then showed up as we were working our way back down towards the bottom of B4 and over to B6. Steve did have an idea of which rocks were suitable so I helped him carry the chosen stones to the area he wanted to repair. This took quite a while and my dog decided that it was more fun to be with the guys using the chain saw and the other two dogs helping with maintenance. I said goodbye to Steve and headed down to find Juno.

There the group was working on a new structure destined to be a Youtube highlight.

If you ride at Shindagin I highly recommend that you check out http://www.cycle-cny.com/

These guys have done a great job out there and have made a difference in how Shindagin is ridden.

I plan to do more trail work out there with the group and hopefully some of the folks on this list-serv will come out and have some fun. Think about the number of hours you ride out there and then consider how important 2 to 4 hours a month of trail work would be for everyone’s enjoyment.

Please contact David or others from Cycle- CNY for the next trail maintenance day. The schedule says July 5, Aug 2, Sep 6 and Oct 4. Sometimes the dates are changed so please contact someone just before the date.

You can also email shindagin.hollow@gmail.com

Cheers,

Don
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

Thanks for the report Don. Yesterday was my first time out doing trail work as well and I plan to make it the first of many. While I don't feel like I was able to make a big physical impact yesterday because of the recent heavy rains, I learned a lot about the sheer amount of work it has taken to get the trails in the shape they are in today (as in excellent - the best I have seen them in 10 years of riding here), as well as the bureacratic system that goes on behind the scenes.

I think it's important to note that the work being done there is official and is part of the Adopt a Natural Resource program (http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/2568.html). There are standards for trail building techniques being followed, and all new trails or re-routes must be officially approved. Volunteers are covered by the state's liability and workers' compensation protection. I also learned that the DEC which manages the state forest system does essentially NO trail maintenance. The trail system that we have at Shindagin Hollow in particular is due entirely to the hard work of volunteers. Even the trail markers are placed by volunteers. Seven years ago we almost lost Shindagin completely to logging and heavy (illegal) ATV use. Today it is the gem of mountain biking in upstate New York.

So, I look forward to perhaps seeing some of you out at the next trail day, and at the very least, next time you are riding out there, please take the time to recognize the hundreds of hours of sweat that have gone into those trails rolling beneath your tires.

See you on the trails.

Jed
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

Shindagin Hollow Trail Day! April 25th

Hello everyone!

We have a great project started to kick off the season. A small group
of us did some initial prep work for the new entrance trail to B1. The
Caroline Town highway department dropped off gravel filler for us to
use, and we have a large supply of flat rocks to use as pavers. We are
planning to do some raised tread trail construction for the first 50'
followed by minimal raking and clearing.

We've got a handful of tools to share, but additional wheelbarrows,
metal rakes, and shovels will most likely be needed.

Location: Braley Hill Rd in the town of Caroline.
Parking: Located at the first parking lot on the left (New DEC lot)
Time: 10AM - 2PM

There will be a grill on hand for pre/post work eats and plan to go
for a ride afterwards, weather permitting!

Thanks and hope to see you there!

Cycle CNY Gang ...
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_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

2011

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The Cycle-CNY Shindagin Hollow Association of Trailbuilders is pleased to announce the renewal of our AANR agreement with the DEC. This volunteer stewardship agreement allows our Cycle-CNY community a direct line to managing the trail system in Shindagin Hollow. Since 2006, our group has helped organize and lead nearly 1800 hours of volunteer trail building and maintenance activities in Shindagin Hollow, including the marking of the trail system, the development of a map, the creation of trail B4 (IMBA), hundreds of rock armoring jobs, and generally helping to keep the trails at Shindagin Hollow in kick ass form. We’re proud of the work we’ve all accomplished as part of this, and appreciative of everyone’s efforts and support. We have gained significant credibility with the land managers and laid a permanent foundation for enjoying the trails at Shindagin Hollow for years to come.

Looks like Sunday, May 15th will be our first organized trail work day of the season. 10am start at the Brearley Hill Rd main parking lot. Come join the fun! More details on the 2011 Shindagin Hollow trail work schedule will be posted on Cycle-CNY soon.

Link to the full announcement and the 2011 version of the Cycle CNY Shindagin Hollow trail map - http://www.cycle-cnyforums.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=8

Enjoy!

-Nate-
_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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[Mike_L]

Save the Date!
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30th
10am start

This past spring we worked on armoring the new B1 entrance trail near the main parking lot. Our worked turned out awesome, but we still have another 100’ of muddy trail to cover with flat rocks. No gravel this time, just placement of flat rocks that are currently staged at the trailhead. Anyone who can bring a wheelbarrow would be greatly appreciated. Let’s finish this project!

For those who want to help but don’t want to haul rocks, we also plan to send a small work crew up to the B3 camping area to clean up trash.

Key tools for this project include metal rakes, mcleods, and wheelbarrows. A shovel or two might be helpful for some minor drainage improvements too.

Parking will be at the main gravel parking lot on Brearley/Braley Hill Rd. Start time is 10am, and generally we work until 1 or 2pm.

Please dress appropriately for outdoor conditions. It is recommended to bring your own gloves and water. If you have trail tools, please feel free to bring them, though we typically have extras available (metal rake, mcleods, wheelbarrows, shovel, saws, etc).

Check for updates at http://www.cycle-cny.com or join our e-mail list by contacting shindagin.hollow@gmail.com, or become a fan of Shindagin Hollow State Forest on Facebook.

Our Association is currently the steward for the Shindagin Hollow Adopt-a-Natural-Resource (AANR) agreement with the NYS DEC land managers. The goal of the Shindagin Hollow Association of Trailbuilders is to work with local authorities and organizations to improve existing trail conditions and increase recreational opportunities for the public. Since 2006, our crew has logged over 1,800 hours of trail improvement efforts, including armoring of muddy trails, re-routing damaged trails, removal of downed trees and branches, building new singletrack, training trail workers, and coordinating a new parking lot. We need your help to keep these trails fun and free, so mark your calendar, meet some new friends, and enjoy a day in the dirt!

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_________________
Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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