Spring is in the air and we're all itching to hit the trails. Most of our riding areas are still waking up from their winter slumber and are not ready for riding yet. While we wait to ride, there are a few things we can spend our time doing instead: VOLUNTEER. If the mud isn’t too bad, head to your local trails with a handsaw, loppers, or rake to prep them for the season. BETA trail work days are slated to kick off in May; stay tuned for more info.
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It's that time of year again -- MUD SEASON 😱 All biking trails in BETA land are too soft to ride responsibly at this time. All biking areas are currently considered "Red -- Do Not Ride". Stay tuned for detailed trail condition reports in the coming weeks which will be shared on our website and on social media. Love your trails, protect your trails -- please be patient and give them time to harden before visiting. Hiking or riding soft or muddy trails can quickly lead to lasting damage. Mud season damage (like that pictured below) is preventable, but we need YOUR help. Riding season is around the corner. Hold strong -- you got this! This is the perfect time of year to dust off the stationary setup, ride on a gravel road or the Rail Trail, and tune up your bike so it is in prime condition when the trails are finally ready to visit. Thanks y'all! We are looking forward to seeing you on trail when the time is right. Read on for examples and more info on what mud season damage can be so troublesome. A berm at East Branch Community Trails (EBCT) whose smooth surface was recently scarred by a set of bike tires. In order to restore this berm to its proper smooth status, the BETA trail crew or local volunteers will spend dedicated time fixing it this Spring. If they were not held up fixing preventable damage like that pictured above, the trail crew and volunteers would have spent that time working on other projects (like the as-yet-unnamed enduro-style trail being built at EBCT). If you've visited EBCT, you know there are lots of beautiful, skillfully-formed berms -- how many of them will need help this Spring because of mud season damage? The answer to that question depends on how many people misjudge or ignore the trail conditions and visit before the trails are ready. Please do you part in protecting the trails by waiting until the tread has hardened before hiking or riding this season. Another scene of damage at EBCT. While this image is less striking than the sliced-through berm above, it shows how even minor wet spots (already a headache for the staff and volunteers who care for the trails) are made worse by mud season damage.
Ruts left in the mud will be preserved unless they are fixed before the tread hardens. Those ruts will hold water on the trail for longer than normal, making this small wet spot bigger and more serious with time. If the trail crew or volunteers don't have the resources to fix these ruts before the tread hardens, this wet spot will grow into a bigger and bigger headache with time. If damage like this crops up all over BETA land, our major projects will be delayed. Love your trails, protect your trails -- please be patient and help support our work by waiting for the tread to harden before visiting trails this Spring. Thank you! You got this! Mud season has arrived in the Adirondacks. We want to ride bikes as much as anyone, but this is the season to be patient and avoid single track trails until they have dried and hardened. Our trails are wet, muddy, and still covered with snow and ice in many places.
Spring is a very sensitive time for trails. Riding or hiking on wet and muddy trails can cause lasting damage very quickly. If you are leaving ruts in the trail surface, the soil is definitely too soft to be riding on. Call it a day and wait for better conditions -- they will be here soon and we'll keep you updated with new condition reports. Ride dirt trails, not mud trails -- help us keep them in great shape for you and others to enjoy! Winter is coming whether you're hoping and praying for its speedy arrival or dreading the snow to your very core. Nighttime temps are dropping. As we approach the time of year when trails are at their most vulnerable (scroll for a video from IMBA that explains why freeze/thaw makes trails vulnerable), please pay attention to and respect trail reports and temporary closures. Use your powerful noggin to make the best choices you can about when and where to ride. A wise man once said you've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run. If you're leaving ruts in the trail it's probably time to walk away, at least. Running is optional. Responsible trail use involves being mindful of our environmental impact and helping to maintain the quality of the trails for all users. Thank you! Autumnal showers are well-upon us. Due to the hard work of many, many volunteers, staff, and contractors with incredible knowledge and skill along with a stint of pretty dry weather, our trails have been rideable for a long, long time -- thanks everyone for making that happen.
Trails are in generally good condition right now across our region but rain was heavy in a few localized spots so if you're leaving ruts in the mud, it's time to turn back. In most places though you'll find hero dirt and great riding, particularly this weekend with dry weather returning! Systems to avoid for the next day or so: Fowler's Crossing (esp. Oseetah View Loop), and Dewey Mtn. Systems that tend to fair the best after rain (but still note if you're leaving ruts): Hardy Road, East Branch Community Trails, and Three Sisters. We got a bit of rain, so you know what that means: give the trails a bit of time to dry out before visiting.
If you're leaving ruts in the mud because the soils are too soft, it's time to turn back. Please protect our trails by respecting what they can handle. It's green lights across the BETA trails at this point. Of course you should always ride in control and be prepared for changeable conditions ... but get out and ride!
This will end regular updates but we'll post here if conditions change and trails have to close for any reason. More greens every week!
WILMINGTON is generally looking great. Flume Trails and Upper PMD have both improved since last week. Keep your wits about you on Upper PMD as it still has some trouble spots. LAKE PLACID has a lot going on, huh? 🤠 Craig Wood is looking great EXCEPT for Green and Gold Jacket which are CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE. Backslope Trail Builders has been hard at work getting these jump trails tuned up for the season. Please respect that work and leave them in peace. 🤠 Scotts Cobble is yellow in part because Peduzzi Trails is doing maintenance at the intersection of Cobblewood Connector and Air & Stone. Keep an eye out for trail closure signs -- there is heavy equipment out and about. It is still advised to enter Scotts Cobble via the Jackrabbit. 🤠 Lussi and Loggers are unbothered and ready to ride 😎 KEENE, ETOWN, and SARANAC LAKE are all green all day (...for now)! Check out Dewey, which has finally graduated from red to green this week -- pay special attention to the brand new (and not *quite* finished) trail connections between Operation and Backgammon/Alternate-Backgammon. Staff and volunteers dug new tread there on Saturday. These reroutes are designed to help make Dewey easier to navigate + make the trails flow together a bit better. Have an awesome weekend! See you on the trails 😎 Thanks to the hard work of BETA staff, trail adopters and volunteers, all networks are shaping up beautifully. It's still Spring - you should still expect to come across occasional wet spots and perpetually troublesome soft sections, especially after the rain we've gotten this week. And although the trails are riding well, there is plenty of work to be done. If you want to get in on the chance to give back to our trails, join us THIS WEEKEND at Dewey (Saturday, May 18th, 9am) or Hardy Road (Sunday, May 19th, 9am). SIGN ME UP!
Please remember, this report is just a snapshot and conditions can change. Please let us know if you come across a trail that's not ready for traffic due to soft soils, down trees, or other hazards. Gentle reminder to please reconsider your ride if you're leaving ruts. No one wants to turn back early, but no one wants to damage trails, either. Lake Placid ➡️ All of Scotts Cobble (including Blue Ribbon and Cobblewood Connector) is CLOSED -- not only are the trails wet (including a significant amount of ice, somehow???), but BETA staff and @peduzzitrails are working together in an effort to harden the network. The Jack Rabbit entrance off of River Road is the recommended access point to Craig Wood while Cobblewood Connector is closed. Craig Wood is still a bit wet, but mostly rideable EXCEPT for Green Jacket and Gold Jacket. Our friends at @backslopetrails have been doing Spring maintenance on those trails to keep them in tip-top shape. Please avoid Green and Gold Jacket so Back Slope can focus on their work 🤝 Lussi and Loggers are good to go. Wilmington ➡️ Gulo Gulo, Bear Claw, and other Flume Trails are dicey -- turn back if necessary. Upper PMD is still completely closed. Hardy Road and Three Sisters have the green light. Saranac Lake ➡️ Dewey is still too wet and needs more sunshine to dry out. Pisgah and Fowler's Crossing are good to go. Keene and Etown ➡️ All trails are good to go 🤩 Things are SHAPING UP in BETA's backyard! Thanks to the work and intel from our dedicated volunteers and staff, we know that Dewey Mountain and Craigwood still need more time to dry out. We're stoked to share that all other trail systems currently have the green light for riding.
Please remember that we're only bringing you a snapshot of our latest info -- let us know if you visit a trail and it doesn't actually seem ready for traffic (we're on the lookout for that since we're expecting rain this weekend). Gentle reminder to please reconsider your ride if you're leaving ruts. No one wants to turn back early, but no one wants to damage trails, either. Green lights top to bottom are coming, trust! Have a great weekend, everyone 🤠 #RideWithGratitude |