I have not been on the Military Ridge this spring, so can't comment specifically on the conditions there. But I have been on other unpaved trails -- including the UW Lakeshore Path every day since the snow melted -- and can say there is one additional source of rutting and generally poor trail conditions. Run-off.
There are gullies, low spots, potholes, and other erosional features on most unpaved trails that are caused by either melted snow or rain. Sometimes these are small uneven places, and sometimes there are huge cuts in the trail. Both parallel and perpendicular ruts are a problem, and they both exist. Potholes are also unpleasant and can be dangerous to a bicyclist who isn't expecting to hit one. Any of these features might be started by bicycle, pedestrian, or any other mode. But water definitely continues the degradation. In addition to being navigation hazards, these low spots then collect sand and other loose fill, which further becomes a slipping hazard. I was on the Glacial Drumlin trail this weekend, and the far western portion -- leading from the parking lot in Cottage Grove up the hill and eastward -- is full of loose sand in wide eroded areas. It is hazardous to ride with anything thinner than a medium mtb tire, and downright scary when returning and going downhill. Robbie Webber Transportation Policy Analyst 608-263-9984 (o) 608-225-0002 (c) [email protected] All opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer or any other group with which I am affiliated. On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 2:26 PM, Michael Lemberger via Bikies < [email protected]> wrote: > Snowmobiles did not cause any of the damage in question, nor was it caused > exclusively by bicyclists. The condition of the trail might be better > described as rutted and postholed, the former by bikes, the latter by > pedestrians. > > Here’s an example of what I’m referring to when I write “postholed” > (though in snow in this photo): > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/mababo/24314791136/ > > Trail users in Verona have, in the last couple of years, shown an > exceptional lack of consideration for the trail surface. There might be > something in the municipal water supply that causes this behavior, but it > could also be that the trail segments in question tend to be low and not > well drained, tending to stay wet for quite a while. > > The whole debate about whether to pave the section between PB and Verona > (and beyond?) centers on whether snowmobiles would then be allowed to use > the trail because it’s paved. My understanding is that they are not > generally allowed on pavement (the Badger north of Purcell would be one > example) because studded tracks and carbide-shod skis can easily pit and > gouge the pavement surface if there’s inadequate snow. Even so, they *are* > allowed to use the paved section east of PB to the snowmobile gate to > connect to a system of private trails, presumably because there isn’t > another good place to cross the 18/151 bypass. > > Whether or not we agree with the existence of snowmobiles, they are a > fellow user group that exists and they contribute at least as much as we do > through tax revenue and user fees. In addition to using the rail trails to > get places, they use them to connect to a large network of private trails. > Telling them to step off would be the moral equivalent of motorists telling > us to get off of "their" roads. > > The two most obvious solutions would be to pave the trail and allow > snowmobile access on that section, or to do some kind of community > education in the hope of keeping users off the trail when it’s soft. > > Michael Lemberger > Madison > > > > On Sat Apr 16 14:24:24 PDT 2016, Rob wrote: > > > I think it's worth pointing out that the Military Ridge State Trail is not > a bike trail. It's a multi-use trail that allows bikes and bicyclists. > > I don't think singling out certain types of trail users and casting blame > is a good way to address problems with the trail. Are the ruts we're > discussing even caused by the snowmobiles? Presumably the trail surface is > frozen when they're out. The ruts are probably from cyclists using the > trail when it's too wet -- maybe we are to blame for more damage than the > snowmobiles. > > And let's be realistic: cyclists are never going to ouster snowmobilers in > Wisconsin (though global warming may eventually do it anyway). Instead, we > should work to find a compromise that makes the trail accessible to the > largest number of people and activities possible. If that means more > regular trail grooming instead of paving out through Verona, great. If it > means we pave through Verona, and snowmobiling happens between Verona and > Mt. Horeb, great. I'm just happy this resource exists for everyone. > > I see a lot of comments on newsfeeds and articles saying that cyclists as > a group have no place in X location or on Y street. I'd love for this group > to learn from the vitriol that we, as cyclists, experience and try to avoid > doing the same to others. > > Best, Rob > > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > >
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