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[RC] trail work day in St Louis Nov 12th - Jackie CaudillI was one of the fortunate attendees at the most recent Trails class and learned the value of meeting other trail users in a social setting. Please note this particular sentence:<<To date, we have not had many equestrian users participate in trail building. >>If anyone is able to go to this(I realize it is short notice) the opportunity is worth even more than rerouting trail-you will be able to develop cordial relationships with other trail users and make it more likely that horses won't be excluded from some possible multi-use trails. The work itself is fun, not too physically demanding & you will have a great sense of accomplishment immediately afterwards and then again every time you ride the section you worked on! Jackie Subject: Nov 12th trail workday at Greensfelder (St. Louis County) - please forward to other interested parties Dear Fellow Trail User, My name is Matt Hayes and I'm a member of the Gateway Off-Road Cyclists (GORC) in St. Louis, Missouri. We are currently working with the St. Louis County Parks to reroute and greatly improve the Dogwood trail at Greensfelder County Park located behind Six Flags in western St. Louis County. This project began last fall with the creation of a new trail that loops behind the Muckerman and Dogwood shelters. If you have ridden it then you have witnessed the handiwork of GORC. This fall we are finishing what we began last year. The reason St. Louis County Parks has given us permission to alter the Dogwood trail is to reroute heavily eroded trail sections that were unsustainable because of water and repeated use. The new reroute will improve the flow and length of the trail. The Dogwood trail will remain multi-use for bikers, equestrians and hikers. Even better, the trail will now be resistant to erosion and heavy use - it will be sustainable. However, no trail can withstand the abuse of riding it when the trail surface conditions are wet and muddy. At our last work day, Saturday October 29th, attendance was at an all-time high with 59 volunteers, thanks in part to St. Louis County's volunteer pool. Many were high school students and this was the first time they had ever built trail. We are currently seeking out equestrian and hiking organizations and their respective members who are interested in creating and maintaining multi-use trails. To date, we have not had many equestrian users participate in trail building. It is my personal goal to reach out to your organization with the hope that you will join St. Louis County Parks and the Gateway Off-Road Cyclists in the building of this great new trail at Greensfelder County Park and on future trail construction projects. A large portion of the new Dogwood reroute still needs to be built and we are looking for additional support to ensure that the trail is completed at our next - and last - fall work day, Saturday, November 12th at Greensfelder County Park. St. Louis County Parks has graciously reserved the Dogwood shelter for the event. The shelter can be found on Hencken Road (down from the Muckerman Shelter on Six Flags/Allenton Road). Our workdays start at 8:30am and last until about 1pm. Lunch and work tools are provided. You need not have ever built singletrack trail before. A trail workday typically consists of a brief safety talk about trail tools and their uses, establishing work groups and building trail and having lunch! We are always meeting new people and it is a fun and rewarding time. It is also a great way to increase your organization's volunteer hours! GORC has built many trails in the St. Louis area but has not promoted itself very well in the past. I'm looking to change that because I feel that forming like-minded alliances will foster additional trail building and maintenance opportunities. You can find out more about GORC at <A HREF="http://www.gorctrails.com/";>www.gorctrails.com</A> or St. Louis County Parks at <A HREF="http://www.stlouisco.com/parks";> http://www.stlouisco.com/parks</A> . Additional information about the Greensfelder workday event can be found at <A HREF="http://www.stlouisco.com/parks/volunteer/trail-crew-1.html";>http://www.stlouisco.com/parks/volunteer/trail-crew-1.html</A> I look forward to hearing from you in the near future to discuss trail building opportunities. I would appreciate any assistance in the distribution of this letter to your members or other interested parties. Thank you for your time, Matt HayesGateway Off-Road Cyclists<A HREF="http://www.gorctrails.com/";>www.gorctrails.com</A> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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