Ride report - Atlanta C loop 5/14 - big old Mud hole! and Trail Maintenace Issue?

[KTM Mike]

I managed to get out for a ride Saturday with a friend on a 525 EXC. We rode the Atlatna C loop.

It has been quite a while since I rode that loop as there is a nasty set up whoops on the section that runs north of county rode 624. Evidently it has been groomed since the last time I rode there - while certainly some whoops, not to bad at all!

There is a nasty mud hole on the trail north of 624 as well - maybe 6 or 7 miles from that parking area on 624 near M-33. We tried to find a way around it, - nothing doing. I went first, taking what appeared to be the best line, on the left (as you are riding the loop clockwise). That was a mistake!

Fortunately, I had decided it best to walk the bike through, with me standing up on the dry (but narrow) edge. About half way through the hole, the front end suddenly dropped down DEEP into the muck - water up to the top of the front tire. As the water was not as deep near the back of the bike, no water got up to the air box - it was darn close though. Had I pressed on, it certainly would have! I ended up picking the bike up onto the edge and walking it out on the edge. BJ on the 525 hit the exact same spot - same result of course - so we dragged that big beast out of the muck. (boy I like how comparatively light my 250 is!) At least I avoided a repeat of my Gladwin experience a few years ago!

Of course AFTER the ride I spoke with a local guy (Joel - some of you know him) who is the one that evidently dug that deep spot with the back of his Berg earlier in the week! Another rider he was with found the right side to be much easier going. So, if you ride that loop, stay right! (heading clockwise on the loop).

After that BJ and I had a great time. Traction was great - light occasional mist or rain, a few minutes of sun shine even.

We came across two guys doing some trail maintenance as well. It sounds like we may be seeing the Atlanta trails maintained much wider this summer.

Evidently (there is a bunch of he said she said garbage surrounding this - so take it all accordingly), the Bulldog chapter was supposed to be maintaining them wider (50"), but really had not been. The DNR officer responsible was not inspecting their work, was just signing off on it. Result was trails that seemed (generally) tighter than 50" - keeping quad traffic more limited in some areas. A change in DNR personnel, Bulldog saying they were a MC club, not quad club...bla bla bla...result is them no longer maintaining it.

While I certainly prefer to see it narrower, if Bulldog was obligated to do 50", they should - so I understand the DNR not being happy. My impression is the CCC has gotten a unoffical group together to help maintain it to DNR specs or at least closer to it. I sure wish we could keep it tighter though. It does sound like they will be addressing that C loop mud hole, or at least assessing it, (the guys working the trail were logging GPS coordinates for trouble spots for later follow up) along with two similar trouble spots up on the A loop. My concern is the DNR does the sort of garbage they did with Gladwin and close it down. In those 3 spots there is a definite need for culverts or decking - one of which is a spot where a small stream is flowing through and the water back up creates a deep hole.

Anyone with suggestions for how we might avoid a repeat of Gladwin here? Perhaps the CCC is already on top of it? How about we push for some bike only trail here while the topic is on the table with the DNR?

 

[2TrakR]

Your rendition of the maintenance saga is pretty close and there certainly is a lot of different perceptions. End result is the same.
Part of the issue was the trail was supposed to be 40" and was paperworked into a 50" trail - didn't go through the process, somebody just typed it in and it was missed in the review. Several years ago.

There is discussion of doing the paperwork/process to get at least the north half re-designated at 40".
There is a crew out there getting the trail into shape, as you found out. When I rode it last fall I didn't see much that would need done to make it a legit 50" trail; a couple short sections that would need some creative re-route or chainsaw action but not much.

The Gladwin fiasco was facilitated by the local Unit's desire to rid themselves of the evil ORV. Atlanta doesn't have similar prejudices and those marshy areas should be addressed in a civilized manner by the Department (ie grant money allocated for decking or what not). Culverts are best to be avoided as they require engineering permits and YEARS of paperwork.

Where was the mud? I can't recall anything that seemed like it'd go deep last I was riding up there, except for that one cut-off on the top loop that is really tight in the pines (which is also an area that needs serious chainsaw action to be 50").

 

[KTM Mike]

Ironically a good bit of the A loop (the northern most loop), partic. on the west side, is quite wide already. The east side is much tighter. B is the same way, wider on west, tighter on east. I would prefer to see the tight stuff stay that way.

There are 3 mud holes of note on the Atlanta system One on the C loop, the other two on A. The one on C, is on the section of trail that is north of county road 624 where it runs parallel to 624, 5 or 6 miles from the area where Elk Horn event is staged each year (maybe less than that distance actually - I didnt pay much attention to mileage). In summer it dries up pretty well usually, such you would not really take note unless you were there in spring.

The other two mud holes on A are on the east side. ONe is a few miles north of where the "b" trail intersect with A on the east side, deep in the woods - pretty ripped up and deep in spots. Again, when dry and water levels low, not much of an issue. But when water high, watch out - some deep spots! The second one (if you continue up A counterclockwise), is up near that "checkerboard" area of route, near the norht east corner of A. there is a open wet area -lots of grass and some open water on your left, or west side of the trail, that comes up against the trail itself, with a small stream overflowing out of the the wet area across the trail. I have seen a few trucks stuck right there actually! It is dug out pretty deep there. It would be more of a bridge than simple decking. Or it might be as simple as removing the jumble of logs and trees to the right or east side to allow the water to flow out easier and not accumulate so deep across the trail. Late summer it dries up considerably into a easy crossing, but this time of year it is deep.

Did those directions make any sense at all?

 

[2TrakR]

There are 3 mud holes of note on the Atlanta system- The second one (if you continue up A counterclockwise), is up near that "checkerboard" area of route

Oh yeah, I remember that one. Always looks "real bad" even in summer. I've never found it to be deep unless I run an edge like everyone else (center = shallow). That's on the same crick/wetland area as the car wash where they run the Dual Sport route through.
The other two spots don't ring any bells, but it's very true things look mighty different at various times of the year.
We could do a deck on the edge of this crick one; problem is that it's also ORV Route and we'd need to accomodate the big vehicles. That means engineering studies, big bucks and many years of wait. Eww.

 

[KTM Mike]

Oh yeah, I remember that one. Always looks "real bad" even in summer. I've never found it to be deep unless I run an edge like everyone else (center = shallow). .......

........We could do a deck on the edge of this crick one; problem is that it's also ORV Route and we'd need to accomodate the big vehicles. That means engineering studies, big bucks and many years of wait. Eww.

I thought about that center line - except this big ole log sticking up in the middle convinced me to head to the edges!

Thats what I was afraid of actually on that crick one - that route does see some large vehicle traffic - some of them the ones I have seen stuck right there! I had my Jeep out to it Saturday night in fact - wisely decided it was time to turn around! So is that how we end up with a Gladwin scenario then? I hope not! :bang:

 

[Trailridin]

I know that section of trail well on the A loop (Section 8 T32N, R3E). The ponded area is actually a beaver dam of the small stream there that flows into Upper Tomahawk Lake. For years the beavers have been hard at work and the pond and dam have gotten larger. I remember a few years back that someone had cleared the dam, because I remember being able to ride through it high and dry. Is there currently a way around there? I didn't know if you could even complete the A loop anymore, as you would need a lifevest and snorkel to get through it. :yikes: I wonder if we could just get permission to trap them out of there and clear the dam?

The other sections are definitely seasonal mudholes. The one on the C loop I believe is west of the Rush Lake Road crossing (Section 8 T31N, R3E). I recall being able to get up and ride along the shoulder of county road 624 to avoid it.

 

[KTM Mike]

Trailridin - yep thats the one. I cant say I ever noticed it appearing to be from beavers though. The "waters edge" is essentially right at the west edge of the ORV route - and it appears it has always flowed over that small embankment there and over the ORV route. Due to vehicle traffic it has all been dug out deeper and deeper each year, eventually filling up with water until it flows out the other side. I have wondered if in the past there was a culvert there. In many ways it looks like they could simply dump in a bunch of gravel (after all the hole that is there is man made), allow the water to run over it, eliminate the deep hole and be done with it..but no way would the DNR do that! Doing that would not impact the water level of the back waters there as it is the dirt embankment that controls that anyhow. On the east side of this though is where water is now backing up from a jumble of trees and brush...maybe that is where the beavers were. I say some dynamite would do the trick! Right now it is barely passible if you pick your way along the east edge.

Riding counter clock wise on the A loop down in section 18, or maybe far west edge of 17 (not to far before the B loop cut off joins in) is where that 3rd hole is. I have not seen it yet this spring - but my guess is it is totally impassable right now. That one should be more basic decking type work though - easy for me to say having never done such!

 

[INCA]

Beavers are controlled by the three S system.