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It was a beautiful day for the skills clinic today – the temperature was in the mid-70’s with an occasional slight overcast. We had 7 riders, about typical for recent clinics.
The Basic Skills Clinic is always held the first Saturday of the month at Malibu Creek State Park.
You can see the photos in our October photo gallery.
Girlz Gone Riding & REI are excited to bring the Sisterhood of Shred to the local screen! This will be a limited and intimate showing at REI Woodland Hills September 15th at 7pm.
In the male-dominated world of jumping bikes, a community of women riders emerge. From all walks of life and different points around the globe, they empower each other to push their personal limits on and off their bikes. They have banded together they are The Sisterhood of Shred.
Soundtrack
Organized by Girlz Gone Riding http://www.girlzgoneriding.com/ in support of The Sapwi Bike Park http://sapwibikepark.com/ the suggested donation per person to see the movie is $15.00. You’re welcome to add more.
Winner of Seattle Transmedia & Independent film Festival. Winner Best Feature Documentary.
Port Orchard film festival: Winner Best Documentary
Registration is required: https://www.rei.com/event/the-sisterhood-of-shred-movie-night/woodland-hills/216318
Donate to the Sapwi Bike Park: http://sapwibikepark.com/sisterhood/
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the National Trails Act of 1968, we truly appreciate the vision of the legislators who understood the need to expand and coordinate a national system of outdoor recreational trail opportunities. The act was signed into law on October 2, 1968
Last week we finished the restoration of the Gabrielino National Recreation Trail in the Angeles National Forest, with help from MWBA, REI
These two Los Angeles Times stories are from May 20, 1970, announcing the designation, and from June 28, 1970, celebrating the designation “to attract hikers and horsemen.”
(more…)
Station Fire trail restoration has been a major focus of CORBA’s for the past nine years. On August 26, 2009, CORBA volunteers were headed out for routine volunteer trail maintenance in the Angeles National Forest. “As I approached our trail work site, I could see a plume of smoke coming from the Arroyo Seco canyon,” said Steve Messer, then a trail work volunteer and now President of CORBA. “We canceled the trail work and watched helplessly as the forest burned for six more weeks.”
Nine years later, almost to the day, mountain biking volunteers have completed restoration of the Gabrielino National Recreation Trail through the Arroyo Seco canyon. This popular section was one of the most heavily damaged by the El Niño rains that flash-flooded the ashen canyon after the Station Fire, taking with it huge sections of the trail and forest. With the extreme damage, this was to be our most ambitious project
With the area completely closed to the public for more than seven years following the fire, the trail was choked off. Hundreds of burned trees had fallen across the trail and several retaining walls had failed. When people began venturing into the area, in many places there was no trail, so people began using the stream bed.
February 2016 hike-through and assessment
In February 2016, Messer hiked the Arroyo Seco section of the Gabrielino Trail with Forest Service officials and others to do an assessment and begin plans to restore the trail. It was an arduous journey, climbing over and under downed trees and thick brush, scrambling across debris fields where there was once a trail, and precariously shimmying along what used to be the trail tread.
After lengthy environmental reviews, the restoration project began in earnest in late 2017. Six volunteer chainsaw operators worked for two days to get the trail corridor opened enough to begin tread work. Downed trees were a constant challenge, and several sections required extensive additional chainsawing through log-jams. It took dozens of bob trailer-runs to get tools in place. Volunteers faced round-trip rides or hikes of ten to twelve miles to get to and from the work site. Some sections of the trail were restored that had failed long before the Station Fire.
The Mount Wilson Bicycling Association (MWBA) led monthly volunteer work days on the trail from November to July. Several volunteer work days were sponsored by local bike shops including Incycle, Pasadena Cyclery, Golden Saddle Cyclery and Montrose Cyclery. There was so much enthusiasm for the project that a few days there were more volunteers than tools.
Generous grants from REI and Southern California Edison enabled CORBA to hire professional trail builders, Bellfree Contractors, to complete some of the more technical work. By far, the majority of the work was done by 102 dedicated volunteers on 283 volunteer days. The 1,900 volunteer hours equates to over $60,000 in value to the Forest Service.
The final work was completed this week with the trail restored to its original alignment. Trail Closed signs had been in place at either end of the canyon since 2009. The signs were taken down this week.
Graham took over the photography for Steve, who was out of town, again this month – Thanks! Despite some issues with his cameras, Graham got some great shots, as always.
The Basic Skills Clinic is always held the first Saturday of the month at Malibu Creek State Park.
You can see the photos in our August photo gallery.
Today, Saturday July 21, 2018, Eagle Scout candidate Nick Sercel from Troop 502 in La Canada installed three bench seats at the highly-popular Brown Mountain Saddle. Brown Mountain Saddle (it’s local name) is the high point of the Brown/Prieto loop, or a stopover on the Brown/Ken Burton loop, and is extremely popular stop.
There’s a definite need for something permant and safer to sit on! (April 2018)
In 2015, CORBA volunteers removed a downed tree from the Upper Brown Mountain fire road, not far above the saddle. The 20+ inch diameter tree was cut into 18 inch tall rounds, which we rolled down to the saddle. For the last three years those log rounds have been put to good use as a comfortable place to stop, take the weight off and enjoy the view. Now those log rounds are rotting, yet as recently as last month, people will find a piece that rotten wood to prop up and sit on.
To us, this demonstrated the demand for seating at the saddle, and how popular it would be. Informal polls confirmed the public support. CORBA submitted a proposal to the Forest Service for simple bench seating, which was approved a few weeks ago after a review by Forest Service staff. With the green light from the Forest Service, Nick Sercel contacted CORBA President Steve Messer to offer his services to construct and install the bench seats on CORBA’s behalf.
Nick was no stranger to CORBA. In 2010, CORBA helped coordinate the restoration of the Doc Larsen trail in Lakeview Terrace as a two-weekend eagle scout project with Nick’s older brother Chris Sercel, then a member of the St. Francis Knights high school mountain biking team. In fact, Chris’ project in 2010 was one of the early inspirations for NICA’s Teen Trail Corps program. Nick was there in 201o wielding a McLeod on the Doc Larsen
Hiking in the materials
trail. Chris reciprocated today helping haul wood, and dig holes. CORBA was happy and honored to help facilitate both their Eagle Scout projects (though a little saddened that Doc Larsen trail burned again last year in the Creek Fire and is closed once again).
Nick spent a few weeks of prep work, planning, scouting the site and comparing similar bench seating in other Forest Service locations. Last weekend, he held a volunteer work day at his family home, cutting, drilling, and assembling the bench seats. With Forest Sevice-supplied paint, the benches were pre-painted before being installed today.
Sixteen volunteers, Nick’s friends, family and fellow scouts, and CORBA/MWBA volunteers Erik Hillard (MWBA), and Mike and Robin McGuire got the job done today, Saturday, July 21, 2018. We met at Millard, had a safety briefing, then consolidated into a few vehicles and drove up the fire road from Millard as far we could. From there, the scouts hiked in carrying the pre-painted, drilled and cut, pressure-treated lumber for the bench seats, while Steve Messer and Erik hauled all the tools on Bob Trailers (made possible by the Robert Axle Project’s custom bob-trailer compatible through axles). Special recognition is deserved by Nick’s parents, who hauled up a cooler with lunch for everyone!
After an hour trek/ride to the site, we began digging. Three benches required six holes about 3′ deep through hardened, packed dirt. Minutes after we finished the first bench seat, a crew of locals who have ridden here for more than three decades immediately put the first seat to the test as they rested before their return descent. They were surprised and very appreciative! We expect these benches to see a lot of use. Two are placed to enjoy the view, while the third is placed by the trail sign where it sees afternoon shade.
Ready to install
Checking for height and level
Eagle Scout Candidate Nick Sercel (seated) and his crew admire the first bench seat completed
All three benches were installed by 1 pm, well ahead of our scheduled finish. A hearty lunch was served, in time for everyone to enjoy lunch while seated on the new benches!
The crew enjoys lunch on the benches they installed!
It was a highly successful day! Despite the 90 degree weather, we completed the project. We thank Nick’s friends and family, Troop 502 from La Canada for their efforts to make these much-needed seating a reality. And of course a special thanks and kudos go to Nick Sercel for orchestrating the project. Dozens of mountain bikers came through the saddle as we were working, and everyone was excited and appreciative of this simple improvement to a popular stopping point for hikers, bikers and equestrians.
Next time you do the Brown/Prieto loop (one of the most popular and accessible MTB rides in the Angeles National Forest), take a break, enjoy the view and the breeze, and give thanks to Nick Sercel, the Boy Scouts, CORBA and MWBA for continuing to support trails and mountain biking!
Erik (MWBA Trail Boss), Steve (Corba President) and Eagle Scout Candidate Nick Sercel
Two of the three bench seats installed
The third bench, shaded in the afternoons, or out of the wind.
More photos can be found at https://photos.corbamtb.com
The fundraising is going strong. $4,000 was raised during our fundraising kick-off event on June 14th. The Sapwi Bike Park committee has raised over $75,000. The park district’s prep work is nearly complete. A few more weeks and we will have water. Arrangements are being made to hire a contractor. The first area to be built is the pump track. We hope to have it completed by the end of September. Stay up to date at www.sapwibikepark.com and on Facebook.
Last month, we started building a new trail that would lead 1.3 miles from Westlake Village Community Park and YMCA up to the Saddle Pass Trail on the ridge above it. This past Saturday we had a larger work day and hoped to finish the trail, but rough terrain made for slow progress, and with only about 70 volunteers, half of what was hoped for, we didn’t make it to the top. But we did compete 0.4 miles of trail, doubling its length. There is a half mile left to connect to the Saddle Pass Trail.
The new trail work areas had a very steep cross-slope. That meant that we had to dig out a lot of dirt to create a trail with the standard 4′-wide tread. On top of that, the dirt was mixed with lots of rocks that made the digging difficult. But the volunteers persevered and we ended up with some sweet new trail!
Lunch was catered by Billy D’s BBQ in Newbury Park. There was lots for everybody!
Thanks to all the volunteers who came out! To see more photos, visit our photo gallery of the Spring trail work day.
The Conejo Valley’s first bike park is nearly a reality. Help us with our fund raising efforts. Get your tickets (link below) to join us for a progress update on the Sapwi Bike Park, our fundraising campaign kick-off, and viewing of movie “The Moment“. The event will be held at Giant Bicycles North American Headquarters in Newbury Park.
Ticket price of $15 includes admission to movie, light snacks, and a raffle ticket! Additional raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the venue; must be present to win.
Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sapwi-bike-park-movie-night-the-moment-tickets-45814979838
CHECK-IN & MINGLE: 6:00pm
PROGRAM START: 6:45pm
Q&A plus RAFFLE: Immediately following movie
Stay up to date on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SapwiBikePark/ or our website sapwibikepark.com
37 volunteers came out to start building the newest trail in the Conejo Valley on May 26th. We completed about 0.4 miles! When finished the trail will extend from the Westlake Village Community Park and YMCA up to the Saddle Pass Trail, a distance of 1.3 miles. Another trail, to be built after this one is complete, will return to the other side of the community park and will bring the total to 2.5 miles of new trail.
After trailwork on Saturday, we were treated to submarine sandwiches, soft drinks, chips, fruit, etc. by the COSCA rangers.
Thanks to all the volunteers who came out to help! To see more photos, visit our photo gallery of the bonus trailwork day.
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