Montgomery Bell Trail Conditions Here - everyone post!

[whamonkey]

Trail is in good shape this morning after the rain (as always) but as has been stated, watch out for those wet roots and rocks. Hit one wrong and it feels like someone kicked you rear tire out.

[HJay]

Rode my version of the Full Monty yesterday. Many trees and limbs down. Cat Track is unrideable due to down trees - too numerous to describe locations. There's a large tree top lying on the end of Back Blue (few hundred back from intersection of Yellow/Red). Two trees on on the plateau after Tommy's Revenge in the corners just before the start of the Moguls.

[Cotharyus]

Top out of a huge tulip poplar still blocking the entire switchback section at the end of Back Blue. Rabbit Run, Storm Track and White Pine are passable, I threw a bunch of smaller trash off them, but getting very grown in. I may take a set of hand clippers up there next time I ride if someone doesn't beat me to it.

[mbsp eric]

Yesterday park maintenance assisted me and we cleared the tree on back blue and made progress on cat track. We cleared 3 out of 4 sections impacted by 1 downed tree. The section that is not yet completed is still difficult to pass.

[homer]

Thank you, sir, for your service. It is indeed appreciated.

[HJay]

Thanks for the clearing the trees. Sorry to report there's some new ones down. The first huge tree after the bridge on Tommy's Revenge was uprooted leaving a large hole. It's top is blocking the trail at the Tommy's sign.

There's also a large tree just before the tree top that was cleared on Black Blue. It's in a bad location - at the exit of a downhill turn and it's hard to see at the entrance of the turn.

[spieg]

Rode all blue, all white. All cleared except:

- In addition to the giant mess already on Cat Track (thanks for the orange tape ranger-dudes! caught my attention) there's another fairly large tree down closer to the other end blocking the trail. Chain saw again unless a path is cut around. Cat Track is a mess (cleared 2 other smaller obstructions).
- As mentioned by HJay on Back Blue almost to the Yellow/Green intersection going CW. Very large chain saw only. Started a ramp but it'll need more work.
- I think there was one more but I can't seem to remember where. I was off the bike quite a bit cleaning up.

[spieg]

- Large tree top across the run-up to Tommy's Revenge just at the sign. Have to lift bike over. Chain saw only. Root ball/hole for this tree is on the uphill past the bridge (marker 33).
- Very Large tree down at the beginning of Yellow just across the creek before you start toward Heartbreak Hill. This tree starts on the near side of the creek and the tree top is blocking the trail just as you come out of the creek. Can't go through and it's a bush-whack to go around.
- Smaller tree after Heartbreak Hill at marker 42 or so.
- Park Service had cut a bunch of downed limbs into smaller pieces at Crook Tree Cut but not cleared so I cleared a path.
- Back Blue is clear except the previously mentioned large tree near the Yellow/Green/Red intersection; added some more logs to the ramp. Cleared a section around marker 28 (maybe?) but it'll need more attention for slappers, etc.
- Cleared enough silk to make king-sized sheets.

So both ends of the Green/Yellow in/out is blocked to some degree.

[rodney humes]

There are two trees across Red going west to east, both are the duck your head type, The first one is around the first 0.25 mile, the 2nd one is between storm track and white pine

[mbsp eric]

Park Maintenance finished clearing tree on Cat track on Wednesday.

Today I cleared:
3 trees on Red headed left from trail head.
Tree top at Tommy's Revenge sign clear.
Note: root ball still requires tread work.
Cleared another tree on Back Blue.
Also found another tree down on green between "E" and "F". Tree appears to have been dropped by electric dept contract crew. The tree is cut in several pieces. I was unable to move pieces by myself.

Eric

[homer]

Thank you, sir. We appreciate your service. You are the best!

[spieg]

Thanks for clearing so much! Must've ridden just after Ranger Eric went through...

Still obstructed:
- top of Cat Track (other end from previous)
- just past Crook Tree 2 down (1 large, 1 small). Somewhat rideable.
- Gigantor tree at Yellow/Creek entrance
- smaller tree on other side of Heartbreak Hill

I only rode race loop plus Cat Track.

[spieg]

A few more obstructions for the record:

- Haynie Branch not far from the Humpback Bridge before the first creek crossing. Large tree.
- Back Blue around marker 28. Medium tree.
- Lonesome Blue near marker 30 near the creek. Not a large tree but laying length-wise down the trail.

[mbsp eric]

Cleared trees on Cat Track, partially cleared Gigantor at Yellow/creek entrance, Haynie Branch, Back Blue, and Lonesome Blue.

Eric

[homer]

Thank you, sir!

[homer]

Got there today and only one car in the lot. Trail was good! Slick creek beds and lots of face-slappers. Looks like I was the first one through on the yellows. Spiders galore.

[spieg]

Couple new ones:

- Haynie Branch about halfway. Large tree downhill towards the creek obstructs the trail in 2 places, both un-rideable. It's across the creek and up the hill from Snake Bottom trail.
- Cat Track! Exactly where Ranger Eric cleared the 2nd tree (at the top/east end not the taped stuff) another tree fell right on top! I cleared a hike-a-bike path but that's best I could do.

[HJay]

To add - there are several trees down on Green.

Two on the plateau after Tommy's in the corners before dropping down to the creek have been there awhile. A large one just after the triangle bridge (can ride around it) and one a bit further, near the main entrance of the park (can hop over but it's angled). On the short Green loop before Charlotte's, there are three trees - a huge pine just after the little bridge, a smaller one shortly after that and a small, raised one on the steep climb at the loops extreme point (would be easy to rollover but one's going very slow at that point).

There are several small ones on Yellow, Chain Reaction and Zoom Flume, which can be hopped over.

Midway through Back Blue there's a raised, angle one that can be hopped with skill. Near the top of the hill before the flat bridge.

[mbsp eric]

Update:

Trees cleared from Back blue, Haynie Branch, Cat Track, and green.

Eric

[gmb_industries]

My key civic contribution was clearing spiders off of the trails at Monkey Bell.

Rode Lonesome Blue, Back Blue, the Green Trail and most of the Yellow trail and out.

Still a tree down on Back Blue in the gully near the log problem.

Few trees here are there. Lots of small things down due to the rain.


Trails are almost perfect, but need riding. No mud whatsoever, but I picked my route specifically to be on what I thought were the driest parts of the trail. The recent rains have "lifted" the organic matter on the trail and it seems the trails are pretty slow and need riding to tamp that down.

Still a few parts of the tree down on the exit from yellow by the creek where i broke my ankle.

There were three cars on the lot when I got there and one belonged to a woman who was finishing her trail run. This means there may have been only me and one other rider on the trails we I took off.

Great trails.

[mbsp eric]

Trees cleared on back blue, and finished clearing gigantor at yellow entrance.

Eric

[homer]

Anybody remember the dates of the fire and tornado?

[QuestionMark]

I found photos taken April 2011 that appear to be tornado damage. And, fire pics April 2010.

Mark

[homer]

BING, BING, BING!!!!

Thanks, Mark! I feel much better!

My recollection was that the fire was between the flood and the tornader. Fire must have been just before. I did a flood renovation in Bellevue, with proposal dated May 19. I just remember it being a year of carnage.

[spieg]

Rode Wed 12-21... trail was pretty soft where it was not covered by leaves but overall fine.

- Large tree down on Haynie Branch near the 'house' foundation
- Medium tree down on Cat Track not far from the western end of the loop

[homer]

Trail was great this afternoon. Gavin got to maiden voyage his new squish. All around good time, except for being spent from no riding.

Haynie Branch was clear. There's a small tree down across Expressway just before the hump-back bridge (coming down from Perimeter Red). We were able to break it down enough to get over.

Noticed two new corner berms that were a real nice improvement. One on Perimeter Red at the hole just past the Haynie bridge and the other on Main Street at the switchback near the Haynie crossing. Thanks, guys!

[HJay]

There's a large tree down on Red 50-100 yards before the exit of Storm Track and the entrance of White Pine. It's raised off the trail and must be climbed over.

[cannonf600]

Rode the Winter TT race course backwards today which is almost every trail in the park. 1 tree down on the moguls close to the humpback bridge; the rest of the course was in great shape.

[HJay]

Don't know if anyone still reads this thread but a large tree over both the uphill and downhill midway through Storm Track, a smaller tree a few hundred yards into White Pine, a tree that partially blocks the Red trail between Rabbit Run exit and Storm Track entrance. New paths are being started to get around trees midway through Cat Track and Back Blue (at start of sweeping left turn before uphill leading to the bridge). A large tree and a leaning tree halfway on the Moguls. A cedar lying chest high on Green between the two big dips (between 37 and 38).

[HJay]

Large tree just past first creek crossing (from trapezoid bridge on Red) on Haynie Branch. Essentially makes the trail unrideable since it's very difficult to climb over with a bike. A large fell and scattered into several pieces on Possum Trot near its entrance.

[homer]

Are you saying that the tree is on Hayne Branch trail, on the Perimeter Red end creek crossing? Just clarifying.

[HJay]

Yes, just after the creek where you take a tight left and drop a foot into the creek bed.

[homer]

Ranger Eric, did you see this? I don't know if I can get it tomorrow.

[spieg]

Also large multi-branch tree down across Back Blue trail around marker 28. Several 6" plus limbs.

[spieg]

- Halfway through Storm Track near marker 22. Large tree across both the up and down sides. Some smaller trees also.
- Possum Trot just up from the east end at marker 14. You can see the 2 large tree sections looking uphill from red. Might be able to roll them downhill (I couldn't).
- Previously mentioned just after first creek crossing from west end/humpback bridge end of Haynie Branch near marker 26. Four 12"+ trunks across trail. No good way around. I went over but it's some work.
- Green at the Moguls before the bridge down past marker 40. Someone told us about this in the parking lot so we took the 'Return' trail and never saw it so don't know how bad it is.

[homer]

Hey spieg, where do you find these markers?!!! I think that I have seen, maybe, two in the years I've been riding out there!!! You da man!

[spieg]

I've got a pdf copy of the trail map. Same as the one at the trail head. They're marked on there so I just look at it try to find the nearest marker. Don't think my memory is good enough to remember the ones on the trees!

http://tnstateparks.com/assets/pdf/a...-trail-map.pdf

[HJay]

Another tree down on Back Blue shortly after the series of three dips.

[mbsp eric]

Tree on Storm track cleared.
Tree on Haynie Branch cleared.

Eric

[HJay]

Huge tree on opposite end of Haynie Branch from where Eric cleared the last one. It's right at the start.

[mbsp eric]

New tree at haynie branch y bridge side clear.
Tree on back blue clear.

Eric

[HJay]

Fallen tree, raised off the ground, a third of the way in Rabbit Run from parking lot side.

[homer]

Thanks so much, Ranger Eric! You still da man!

[Robert]

Just wondering if anyone has ridden here lately and what the trail is like? Thanks

[Cotharyus]

Last time I was out there was Memorial day. Trail was good, but starting to grow in from the sides, like always this time of year. I was thinking about going out again soon.

[HJay]

Ride-able (with skill) trees down on Rabbit Run and White Pine. Huge trees down near trapezoid bridge, on switchback descent on Back Blue and start of Possum - paths have developed around them.

Very overgrown in spots; easy to pick up ticks.

[mbsp eric]

Trees on rabbit run, white pine and red near trapezoid bridge all clear.

[HJay]

Unfortunately, another, large tree down half way through White Pine. Must have come down shortly after the others were cleared. Also, one a little past the intersection near the end of Yellow (the section with the two big dips as you head down to creek).

[HJay]

Tree down on Expressway near entrance/exit of Peanut. Rideable with advanced skills but a walk for most.

[mbsp eric]

Trees cleared on:
Back blue, cat track, expressway, lonesome blue, possum trot.

Eric