Spent Thursday morning hiking the east ridge of Black Mountain with Sr Ranger Ed, Ranger Carey, and Rod Simmons.

We scouted the partially cut connector down from Night Hawk into the valley between it and Little Black Mountain. It looks to need the same sort of bench cut that was done on Lillac. Fortunately, not the crazy steep stuff, just a good side slope to negotiate.

The more fun part was walking the line for the new and realistic sloped (5-6% grade) from the valley up to Little Black Mountain. Right now it is that heinous, straight up the mountain @25+% fire "road". The new trail will be to the north of it and rather than peak out at the top, it will intersect with the lower saddle to the north. In addition, there will be two full single track loops that run the north part of east ridge and the south. I cannot tell you how jazzed I am. We are looking at anywhere between 3-5 miles of new single track, all of it done in the same style as Lilac, and all of it done with the blessing of the city.

Duh, WINNING!!!

Even the south view trail that leads out to an overlook above the PQ Stater Brothers shopping square is included. Ultimately there will be two new trail heads put in on the east, Carmel Mountain Road side. One in a future park next to PQ Elementary and another one on Cuca St.

Here are a couple of views from the proposed trail locations. Can't beat them.







Right now it is still in the planning stages but once we get the alignment set up, the goal is to get a brushing crew in there to start on the corridors. That way when we get rain next season (dang, missed the chance today), we can get volunteer hand crews in there to get some of it done. Just think, the Black Mountain that you know today will have humanely ridable trails EVERYWHERE. Even the OH SHIT trail from the Arch has a plan. Just have to wait on the development to be finished. It is going to be a good building year. Clean those shovels and sharpen your mattox. I want to make your body ache! You have 6-7 months to get in shape.

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The world does not revolve around you but your actions impact us all!

Blackmountainboy- thinking about giving Lilac some love in da morning for a couple of hours since it looks like rain is a coming again


Nice write up and great info. Finally .........

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You never know what tomorrow will bring so go ride your EBike today or walk your pooch
Fear the Yeti
"Go ride your bike today, don't let the old man in.."

Mike

There might be a few workers out the tomorrow. Some bumps need fixing. they are the sort of things you couldn't see when you build the trail, but once it's settled then they started showing up. It'll be very easy to fix them.
I will not be there as I will be on my way out to the desert to visit my mom for Mother's Day. She had knee replacement surgery so she could use the support.

_________________
The world does not revolve around you but your actions impact us all!

Probably be at glider port around 8. Hopefully traffic won't be too bad

_________________
You never know what tomorrow will bring so go ride your EBike today or walk your pooch
Fear the Yeti
"Go ride your bike today, don't let the old man in.."

Mike

Nice job Matt and Rod!

Tecolote trail plan got passed by CAC last month too. So it will go to park & Rec and then city council and we should be building new trail there too.

Getting up on the mountain in areas I haven't been to in some time (it's a bear to get there right now) and sighting the trail alignments . . . oh yeah. The eastridge is going to be the destination, mark my words. Come on rainy season!

i have done east ridge once, that was enough lol

As it is now, it is a challenge for the most season rider. The plan is to make you eat your words when complete.

Everything north of Little Black Mountain will be new single track. 90% of the existing fire road will be rehabilitated in favor of the new contour single track around the ridge rather than down the middle of it. Think of two loops converging just north of LBM in the saddle. From there you can loop to the north and back or to the south and out to the view point looking over CMR shopping center. Even the approach (now that steep fire road) will be redone in a 5-6% slope contour trail. Think of the new Lilac trail as a climb.

I will see if I can find the maps. If not, I will make them up, post them, and hope you believe me.

_________________
The world does not revolve around you but your actions impact us all!