Update on Bridge Retrieval for Dec 4

The December 4 workday is ON.  Doug and his "crew" (Nathan and Jack) were doing some rock work on Sunday and helped cut in the trail for the bridge beam carrying.  The footer for the bridge beams will be reinforced this weekend and that should put everything in place for December 4.  Clayton and his friends put the small bridge back over Rattling Creek downstream a ways where it landed.  This will serve as a perfect temporary detour until the big bridge is completed.  We're not sure if we'll finish on December 4.  The detour is off of Doc Smith trail -- look for the orange ribbons.  Rick and Jill cleared a path from Doc Smith to the bridge, and Clayton cut a path from the bridge almost to Rattling Creek.  Rick and Jill finished the connection.  It's a good temporary go-around. Thanks Clayton for doing this.  The trail is mostly rideable.  We're concerned though if there's a downpour some of it will be underwater.   For December 4, we're not quite at twenty folks on the list of folks helping that have confirmed with Rick/Jill, but feel confident we'll have enough because many have said they'd help.  Please, if you plan on coming, let us know.  rebjsw@epix.net  

Rattling Creek Named IMBA Epic - Now Let's Retrieve a Bridge

Little ole' Rattling Creek has its 10 minutes of fame - an IMBA Epic.  Heck, even Keith is mentioned in the article - so that means he's famous too!   IMBA talks about the trails being a labor of love, and they truly were for many years.  You can read the entire press release here. 

NOW:

Since everyone loves these trails so much, please help us bring the bridges back.  

DECEMBER 4 - 10:00 am - meeting at the Rattling Creek end of Doc Smith Trail.  BRIDGE RETRIEVAL DAY.  

Thanks to a couple locals (Doug, Clayton) and a fellow SAMBA rider (Kory), the effort to retrieve the bridges is alive and well and planned for December 4.  We need manpower to make this happen.   Below is what was discussed to get the beams back in place.    Be prepared to get wet feet -- bring a change of clothes.  And of course bring your bike to ride the "Epic" trail system afterwards. Please let us know if you can make it: rebjsw@epix.net We need a head count to make sure this can happen.

We discussed a possible method using sets of straps as hand holds allowing one person on each side of a strap to lift or drag the beams out of the creek and back up to a location on the far side of the creek along the original trail. We are looking into how to fashion sets of straps or ropes with hand holds to allow many people lift or drag a beam.

 Doug had also mentioned how they use small diameter logs under the ferry boats when they move them out of the water and onto the shore for winter. We thought that we may be able to work something like that out to help us drag the beams back up the makeshift trail I cut some weeks ago. If nothing else, placing short sections of logs under the beam while trying to move it will allow it to slide over the ground and not get hung up on everything. The distance the beams need to be moved is short enough that we feel this method of lifting or dragging with straps or ropes may be able to be used.