Late to the party but... O'Neil / Arroyo Trabuco now 100% fire road? :(

Discussion in 'Trail Conditions' started by Bonsainut, Sep 21, 2014.

  1. Bonsainut

    Bonsainut Was ich nicht weiß...

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    Haven't been on this trail in a few years, but just went yesterday, and was surprised to see that they have taken a bulldozer through the lower sections of this trail and it is now 100% fire road. The whole area down through the jungle used to be this nice flowy single track weaving through heavy cover and now it is flat and boring. When did they make the decision to "tame" the jungle? Was it after the big rains of 12/2010? Last time I rode it was 11/2010 and it was still single track at that point.
     
  2. scottywc

    scottywc New Member

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    I ride it Friday. They've been doing some work closer to oneil park, smoothing out tue trail.

    You're right, tue trail has been widened a bit but in my book it's still a fun local trail.
     
  3. WallyP

    WallyP New Member

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    Did they ever, or do they have plans to, build bridges over the water crossings?

    I stopped riding it a few years ago because I grew tired of the mess/damage it caused on my bike when I was too lazy to clean it after riding there. Haven't been there since.
     
  4. scottywc

    scottywc New Member

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    Not sure I understand the need for bridges over the water. All of the creek crossings are very rideable and fun. Adding a bridge would not add to the trail. Just my 2 cents.
     
  5. Bonsainut

    Bonsainut Was ich nicht weiß...

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    My point wasn't about whether it was still fun or not - it was about the fact that it went from flowy single track where you were brushing both elbows on 20' high bamboo-like shrubs and heavy darkness at noon on a sunny day to bulldozed fire road 10 feet wide with berms on either side and loose/sandy trail conditions. There is even a section now I'll call the "Sunken Road" (after the battle of Antietam) where they bulldozed through a field and the fire road is now at least 4' below grade with unbroken berms on both sides. This is supposed to be a big El Nino year... when the big rains come that section will be 4' or more of standing water. Clearly whoever does "trail maintenance" in O'Neil decided to turn a biking/hiking trail into truck trail. I was just curious who/when the decision was made?

    For those of you who never rode it before it was bulldozed, you missed out.
     
  6. biknpam

    biknpam Member

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    Have you ridden Arroyo Trabuco since the big rain storms we got several years ago? That whole bamboo tunnel/jungle got wiped out as did many portions of the creek due to rushing water etc (both the Tijeras and Arroyo trails suffered damage). It wasn't rideable for some time (and in fact, closed) and took alot of maintenance to get it rideable again (I think whoever was involved did a great job considering the damage). They made good improvements over on the Tijeras Creek side and unless they did something very recent on Trabuco, it was still fun and had lots of "flowy" stuff. Towards O'Neill Park there had been some grading but that was all the rocky, rutty stuff anyway so the grading is an improvement.

    Can you give mention exactly where the changes were made... how far out from the O'Neill gate on Arroyo (I assume the grading was only on the Arroyo Trabuco trail).
     
  7. nmeofun

    nmeofun Member

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    I rode it Friday. They've completely ruined the flowy jungle section from the south river crossing to the flat-lands leading to Oneil. They turned the entire trail into a 20 foot wide fire road w/ choking dust. I think it amounts to vandalism and destruction. Can't really call it a "trail" anymore. The trail was okay after the rains once the river crossings were worked out, but now they've destroyed the whole thing. It's a shame. That loop used to be a fun ride.
     
  8. nmeofun

    nmeofun Member

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    My riding buddy talked with some Oneil rangers who said they hadn't even seen the destruction. They told him the Fire Authority did it without seeking approval of the park service. They just "did it" cause they can. Vandals.
     
    herzalot likes this.

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