Archives : 2011 : February

Mountain Bikers: Avoid Muddy Trails

These ruts will still be there in summer.

Every year in Central Oregon the weather turns warm enough to ride long before some of our singletrack trails have recovered from their wintertime hibernation. Unseasonably warm temperatures this year have made early-season mountain biking in Central Oregon especially attractive — if you know where to go.
Problem is, some eager mountain bikers are hitting trails that have not yet dried out from winter’s snow and rain. And riding on muddy trails — particularly those in the Phil’s Trail area west of Bend — causes lasting damage that then requires an army of volunteers to repair.
Woody Starr, president of the Central Oregon Trail Alliance, says that riding on muddy trails results in widening the singletrack. Mountain bikers who ride around mud puddles ultimately widen the trail, while those who ride through mud sections cause deep ruts that can firm up later and make for unpleasant riding for future users.
“It’s a little frustrating from the perspective of volunteer resources,” says Starr. “We’re trying to be wise with how our trails are maintained.”
Starr goes on to say that if volunteer time is used for repairing ruts and areas of the singletrack that have been widened, fewer volunteers will be available for trail maintenance and trail building.
“We have plenty of other stuff to do,” he says.
Currently in some areas in the Phil’s Trail network, the once narrow singletrack has been widened to 10 feet on sections of the trail up to 30 feet long, notes Starr.
“The more people who go around, the wider the mud puddle gets,” Starr explains.
Fortunately for local mountain bikers, abundant winter riding options exist in Central Oregon. Mountain bike areas such as Horse Ridge east of Bend, Smith Rock near Terrebonne, Maston near Redmond and Peterson Ridge near Sisters all tend to dry out earlier in the season than trails in the Phil’s area. These trails are all recommended winter and springtime riding in Central Oregon.
“If you only have an hour and you must go on singletrack out on Phil’s, go right through the mud,” Starr says in a lesser-of-two-evils tone. “Don’t go around and widen the trail.
“There are plenty of dirt roads out there,” he continues. “It’s not the same as singletrack, but you’re on your mountain bike. Singletrack is a privilege. Treat it like one.”
— Heather Clark