TMTC - Ozona

[Tony Eeds]

Anyone want ride free for the better part of a year?

Well, it is official, TMTC now owns the Ozona property, 3200+ acres of West Texas just northwest of Pandale. We are going to start building trails as soon as it cools off a bit.

If you are interested in being part of the team, post up and I will put you on the contact list.

We anticipate working half days and riding in trails half days when we are there.

You have to be a member of TMTC to participate. Join up and be part of the team laying out a couple of 60 mile enduro loops.

 

[Grady]

I would like to help, but it figures out to 8 hrs 37 minutes drive, dang, I don't go to Muenster much due to the 1.5 hr drive! :think:

Glad to see more riding areas though. What is the terrrain like? rocky or ?

 

[mojonito]

i'd love to help.

 

[lust450]

count me in!!!!!!!

 

[Proxy]

I would like to help, but it figures out to 8 hrs 37 minutes drive, dang, I don't go to Muenster much due to the 1.5 hr drive! :think:

Glad to see more riding areas though. What is the terrrain like? rocky or ?

Looks rocky to me:
http://www.texasoffroad.net/galleries/members/oora

I have some trailmarking/blazing experience so I'd also love to help, but a 5.5 hour drive might limit me to 1 or 2 weekends, if that.

 

[imgoin]

When do we start?

 

[imgoin]

I almost forgot, are there many rattlesnakes?

 

[Tony Eeds]

First up ... thanks for all the interest! It is sincerely appreciated. If we don't build a foundation for our sport, who will?

Second up ... The park is about 6 1/2 hours from my house and I am on the east side of Dallas near White Rock Lake.

Directions ... just an FYI
I30 West to I20 on the west side of FTW
I20 West to Cisco
206 South to US67 (just south of Coleman)
US67 South to San Angelo
US277 South to I10 (at Sonora)
I10 wst to Ozona and on to the park.

The terrain is rocky with a series of flat mesa surrounding a valley that forms the center of the park.

We anticipate building out two now and as many as four 60+/- enduro style one way loops. These WILL NOT be shared trails and they will be marked as one way. We will likely have crossings of ATV and Wheeler routes in places, but the park is large enough that we can get lost. Our goal is to use natural obstacles to passively police usage of the trails to keep from having our trails hogged out for other vehicles. The rules of the park designating usage will be enforced once the park is open to the public. Additionally, our intent is to create a route system that utilizes the terrain to limit long straight speed runs so the trails don't get whooped out by braking whoops.

As far as terrain, it is the Chihuahuan desert and as such is primarily rocky in nature. The series of mesa surround the valley average 300 foot in elevation rise from the valley floor and there are plentiful opportunities for challenging routes up and down the mesa walls. We will be limited in places by the 10 foot high cap rock guarding the tops of the mesa. Much of the valley will simply be flagged and then ridden in, while the routes up the face of the mesa will have to be walked and hand cut. Cedar is plentiful and we will be stockpiling the results of our efforts for future campfires.

Schedule ... We are getting ready to write the final use statement and complete the planning documents and plans. Once those are approved, we are good to go on actual work. I would anticipate a fall start with the bulk of the real effort being during the cooler winter months. I am tied up with three big dual sport rides, one of which I have to create the route charts and GPS tracks for (AMA/TRH Terlingua Dual Sport Ride ... ya’ll come!!), so I am fairly busy until mid November. The first two weeks of January are wiped out with a ride through mainland Mexico, Baja and the southwestern US, so real effort will start following those adventures. The park is not scheduled to be open until at least summer next year and it may be a soft opening with a real opening in the fall. We have a lot of time right now, but will need to get serious soon. I will post up dates for an exploratory run out there so everyone can get familiar with the terrain. I would anticipate that being in late September.

TMTC ... as I mentioned everyone has to be a member, so get your apps completed and drop them in the snail mail.

 

[JMD]

It's a long drive, so I wouldn't go often, but I'd like to help anyway. Count me in.

 

[IBGoinAJ]

Same here. count me in.

 

[Proxy]

Excellent information. Definitely keep us posted.

I'm sure some of us interested may need to schedule 1 or 2 vacation days to be able to put some time in on the trails.

 

[Tony Eeds]

Our goal is to get the plan written in the next few weeks.

Following approval, we will have a green light.

I will keep everyone in the loop.

I sincerely appreciate everyone's interest.