RR: Sweetwater/Rock House

Rode with Nate today. I had planned on riding another nearby secret trail, but he convinced me to do this one instead.

The Rock House climb was a monster, but I made it to the top and back.





























Total Distance: 11.66 miles
Total Time: 2:22:40
Ascent: 2143 feet
Average Speed: 4.9 mph
Top Speed: 28.9 mph
Bike: Intense Spider XVP
Map:

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TR: Black Mountain Trail Work

[Editor's note: The summary below was taken from the SDMBA website.]

On Saturday, February 21, eighteen SDMBA volunteers opened a new stretch of single-track at Black Mountain Open Space Park. The new connector links Miner’s Ridge Loop Trail to the north with the Nighthawk trail system to the south. Although the trail technically existed before this volunteer event, its sightlines, signage, and tread were inadequate for mountain biking.

The new connector trail has been a long time in coming. Aerial photos showed the trail existed when the arsenic mine was active. After the mine closed, the mountain reclaimed the trail. In 2002, Ranger John Barone and I discussed cutting a new trail near the site of the old trail. After John left Black Mountain Park, Ranger Tom Miller (with support from city trail manager Rick Thompson) continued to push for the construction of the new trail. Tom managed to bypass some of the bureaucracy of building a new trail by showing that the old trail had once existed and aligning the new connector over the old one. In 2007, Tom led a group that re-cut the connector, but final approval to complete construction (widen, mark, build the puncheon bridge, etc.) and officially open it didn’t come until earlier this year. Our group of 18 volunteers completed that construction.

For the seventh year in a row, Black Mountain Bicycles donated swag – including a rear derailleur and hydration pack – to raffle off to volunteers after trail work concluded around 12:30pm. Everyone went home with something.

Thanks go to all of our volunteers for helping to open yet another trail in Black Mountain Park (our second in the past 3 years) – now go ride it! (A map to the new Connector Trail can be found on the second page of the event announcement.) Special thanks to Rich, Gardner, Everett, Michael, John, Kim, Tom, and Evan for being trail bosses and Sr. Ranger Ed Christensen for providing tools, logistics, materials, and support.

I was on Evan's trail crew, and had a great time doing work and chatting with Ranger Ed on the way back down the mountain. I've ridden this connector trail dozens of times, and have some ambivalence about the work that was done, but appreciate that a local ride of mine is getting some love.

Several pictures, including a couple of me, are available here.