Jan 27th - LCF Trailwork on Car Wreck in Aliso

I just got an email from Laguna Canyon Foundation looking for volunteers to help with trail maintenance this Saturday 8AM-noon, working on Car Wreck in Aliso. They mentioned that their online sign-up for the event had accidentally been closed, so just to reach out directly to RSVP. I don't want to post the cell number on the forum, so just send me a private message if you're interested and I'll give you their contact info to RSVP.

The site actually looks to me like it's working, so you can always try registering for it that way. Here is the link for the event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trail-...d-canyons-wilderness-park-tickets-38559348048

The description of the work they plan to do is pretty generic, so I don't think there's any cause for alarm, but I think it would be great if any of us that can make it participate and help out (and be there to put in our two cents). That said, I'll be at my son's basketball game, so I won't be able to go.

 

They are probably going to smooth out the new P-line that everyone is taking to avoid the drop...

 

Maybe they can remove that old car at the bottom and create a giant berm'ed exit that avoids insta hikers

 

I am afraid to do trail work with the lead shovel-dog of the organization. The three times I have, he instructed me to do things to the trail that I didn't think ought to be done. I am also horrified that he may in fact be seeking to dumb down the trail. I cannot reason with him, and my opinion does not matter. Fortunately, my opinion does seem to matter with the president of LCF. I will send her an e-mail tonight reminding her of their promise to let us know what's going on, and to avoid "fixing" trails in ways that really means neutering them.

Here's a sign I'd like to see more often:

 

The email also mentions working on Camarillo on Thursday....


This Thursday we will be back out on Camarillo Canyon trail, continuing the work we’ve been doing at the top of the singletrack portion of the trail. We’ve staged a bunch of dirt and rock and now it’s time to install it, so we could really use your help! See details below.

 

Yikes!

I rode it two weeks ago and it needs nothing. It's appropriately challenging. There are no braking bumps. The brush is cut back enough. There are no rain ruts. Fingers crossed they don't simplify it.

Here's my brother scouting a section:

 

'Tis the season... Thanks, Matt, Chris and the rest of you trail hands for keeping em honest.

 

I joined in with the LCF crew this morning to watch first hand what dastardly deeds were going to be committed upon Car Wreck. I advocated for leaving all of the challenge. I was a broken record on the topic. For the most part, we just cleared existing drains and cut back some brush. But then, we got to the drop. Crap. Someone cut an alternate route to avoid the drop. To be fair, the drop used to be rollable. Now it's undercut and about 3'. It cannot be rolled. You either huck it or walk it. Thus, the ride around that was created. So the problem with the ride around is it will eventually erode the vegetation it cuts through and make a mess of that whole section.

So what does our LCF leader want to do? He says one line or the other needs to be eliminated. If the ride around is eliminated, then material needs to be brought in to make the drop rollable (at least a portion of it). Fortunately, he says he needs to consult with rangers, OC Parks and others.

Here's the ride around. It's now the hike around too, since the drop is about picnic table height.



So what does Mike do in the interim? He suggests we build two rock cairns on the right side of the subsequent rock garden to reinforce drainage and to push the traffic to the left (the only reasonably rideable line anyway). It was at this point that I just scratched my bald head in wonder.

Here's one, and you can see another in the distance.

 

Agreed....that is a fun challenging, yet completely rideable section.

 

Just got done with Camarillo. If they did anything, I couldn't tell. All the fun stuff was intact.

 

Yeah we just did it too, trails was in great shape! I do believe one or two stones on the first right turn got removed