12-27-2022 Trails Update – Trails Open with Caution

Thanks to riders and snowshoers out clearing the trails after the Friday storm, North Branch trails are mostly clear of debris and riding pretty well considering the ups and downs we’ve recently experienced. Main trails (the river path, BOB, and Pileated) are rideable, but a bit choppy due to frozen footprints. Hermit is fine up or down, Snipe is climbing tough, but actually riding better than last week. @kip_roberts got first tracks down and it all rode ok with due caution. Roll Call up and down are good, improving with laps, Downy and Sapsucker are choppy with frost heaving and blown out, refrozen drainage crossings, but ok. The bottom of Sapsucker has a solidly frozen parallel rut that’ll grab you and Tanager is ok other than some frozen tracks and punchy berms and sketchy stream crossings. The Connector Trail from Hubbard is fine other than a large uprooted tree at the bottom of the steep hill. Check out our conditions page for the latest: https://bikemamba.org/conditions/

 

Now through midday Thursday seem to be the best bet for solid riding (barring the 1-3” of snow predicted for Wednesday morning). After that, the frost and frozen ground will become less supportive, thawed, and we’ll likely close again.

 

Ride with caution and beware of all the variability that has come to the trail system with a massive amount of rain, undermining, and then arctic refreeze with fresh snow and wind thrown in.

 

Enjoy!