May 9 trail day

Followed a pre-flagged route from the parking area at the base of Moose Mountain Road [just to the right of the gate when looking up the hill].  Work included clearing of deadfall [chainsaw and mattock], removal of roots and root [pruners and mattock], removal and scattering of duff [rake and mattock].  Ground conditions were generally good, with some frozen sections and some snow patches.  The deadfall has been cut and/or cleared 40-50% of the way to the intersection with Hot Laps.  Roots and duff have been cleared to within 100m of the deadfall clearing.

Next steps – Continue clearing deadfall, followed by clearing of roots and duff.  Tread width is ~12″, cleared trail width is 6'-10'.

SilentJ said:

If you guys need help burning 2-stroke, just post up when you'll be out there and I can likely put in a day a week in the evenings.

Muchas gracias!  We'll be taking you up on that offer for sure…

Crosscheck said:

Spent a couple of hours yesterday clearing deadfall and alders from the Lower Pnuema line. It looks like the chain saw fairy cut all the big stuff already (Thank You!) so all I needed was my loppers and a pair of gloves. My guess is there is about 400m of line left to clear before reaching the intersection with Hot Laps. The dirt work, however, hasn't progressed much beyond opening day.

The chain saw fairy also cleared the first couple hundred meters from sulphur springs/hot laps downward, so there's really only a short bit in the middle that still needs to be cut.

yes thank you to the chainsaw fairy who cut a huge amount of trail.  i alway thought that fairys were hotter than that, though…  i finished cutting and clearing the line today so there is a rudimentary line from the parking lot to hot laps/elbow valley trail.  there is more trail than you think.  it took me 6 hours today to finish.

tomorrow i will try to finish the upper line, about 300-400 m to go (then we'll have a complete line).  i might even start on some beginner ttf's if i can haul.

fyi- crosscheck, i have done about 100m since the trail day.  it may not look like much but it seemed like a lot of work.

yes, the lower section is a lot of work.  i find that the hoes work well. they don't go to deep but they pull the gr off.

sorry about the double post… i didn't see it on the forum when i checked so i wrote it again… .

It is a momentous day…  pneuma has a continuous line from parking lot to alpine meadow!

now there is a just a ton of ground work to do and some finishing touches… tell your friends, take initiative and be at the trail day on June 14.

good question… i'll confer with cro-mag about using some of hotlaps as 2-way.  some sections i would definitely change from the hot laps route due to the steepness of grade and speed of oncoming traffic.  What i suggest is using the first few hundred metres (approximately) because it is the only good section to use and then branch off and reconnect at the bottom of the new sulpher springs re-route near pneuma.

right now i just want to do the groundwork and pretend there is a perfect, seamless line that is all pneuma… hot laps does not need to be the climb right now if that is controversial.  another option is a little longer but still pleasant is to turn left on elbow valley and climb up sulpher springs to pneuma that way.

Post edited 5:56 pm – June 15, 2009 by Crosscheck
Post edited 1:39 am – June 16, 2009 by Crosscheck

The dirt work on Upper Pnuema has pased Race of Spades and is on its way to Special K. My back hurts today after only 4 hours of swinging the mattock, removing stumps, raking the trail, and pulling roots. I must be getting old

Cleared some blow down from Lower Pneuma tonight. It really is a lot of fun to ride this trail down. We really should organize a trail day to get the last section of dirt work done.

On another note, I rode Hot laps up for the first time. It was easier than I expected. I think it will only need minor adjustments (if any) to make it a two way trail.

July 11: removed all the willow stumps from the top 3rd of Lower Pnuema. Started working on the middle but I ran out of energy. One more good push and we'll be able to call Lower Pnuema stump free

Hey, what I do need is a brush cutter to knock the vegetation back from the tread. If you know where I can borrow one please send me a message. Thanks.