GORC News

Another Lifetimer!

2012-01-30T20:30:00.000-06:00

A big thanks to Frank Schuman for supporting GORC in a big way. He's our newest lifetime member and we appreciate all his kind words.

First 2012 Lifetimer

2012-01-26T20:29:00.000-06:00

GORC would like to thank Karen Einig for renewing her membership at the Lifetime level. We thank you for the support in 2012!

Ozark Trail Trivia Night

2012-01-23T21:09:00.000-06:00

You can help the Ozark Trail Association and have a great time the same night. Click the image to gather the details!

GPS Tutorial Online

2012-01-23T21:04:00.000-06:00

The web admin has written a GPS tutorial since the GORC site now has some GPS tracks available concerning the new gravel routes section.

The tutorial is a guide to help you get started downloading GPS tracks and converting them to the CRS format needed by Garmin devices. This format allows the devices to read the file and recreate the track data on the various screens, including the helpful breadcrumb/topo overlay depending on your model.

Beam me up Scotty...

New Gravel Routes Posted

2012-01-22T20:36:00.004-06:00

Three new gravel routes have been added to our new gravel-based routes section. You can find them on our Trails page. Scroll down for the sub-sections. A GPS tutorial has been included to help you get started.

Three New Ride Reports on the blog

2012-01-17T00:30:00.001-06:00

Whoa, three ride reports all at once - this could be a record. One on the Berryman Social Ride, another on the Joe Dirt ride and finally an exploration travelogue by cross bike featuring bonus GPS track.

See you over on the blog.

New Site Feature! Gravelcentric Rides and Routes

2012-01-12T21:25:00.001-06:00

We have created a new trail section to help riders acquire area information regarding gravel-based rides - you know - when Mother Nature won't let you ride singletrack without rutting it up. Gravel rides are a great way to stay in shape even when the freeze/thaw cycle is hitting the trails hard or the weather is just generally wet.

Want that sense of adventure? Explore some gravel roads on your mountain or 'cross bike. Want to keep your training on schedule? Gravel! Need to crush your Facebook Friends' spirits as they read about your outdoor exploits? Gravel!

Anyway, shall we get started?

Poll Results: Majority in Favor of Helping Berryman!!

2012-01-12T20:37:00.002-06:00

The poll question:

Would You Participate in a GORC-Sponsored Ozark Trail Maintenance Program?

Forty-five people responded and the results are in...

Yes - 37 (82%)
No - 0 (0%)
Too Far - 8 (17%)
OT members take care of the trails - 0 (0%)

This is great news because GORC has renewed its commitment to maintain a section of the Ozark Trail. We were taking care of the North Trace section over the past 5+ years but have an agreement with the Ozark Trail Association to maintain the Eastern side of the Berryman Trail.

While the details have not been finalized, we are hoping to establish a fall social work weekend event. The idea is to have a Saturday workday on our adopted stretch of the Berryman, camp out and BBQ/socialize, at one of the Berryman campgrounds and have a casual group ride of the Berryman trail Sunday morning.

Stay tuned to the GORC site for additional information about our adoption of half the Berryman and tentative, forthcoming workdays down on the Berryman.

Updated Creve Coeur Map Available

2012-01-12T20:24:00.005-06:00

An updated map of Creve Coeur Memorial Lake Park is now available on our Trails section. The new map shows the completion of the Bootlegger's Run addition.

Thanks to Ron - our map guru - for the map update. A couple more are on their way in the coming weeks, stay tuned.

2011 Workday Raffle Winner Announced!

2012-01-12T20:19:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Steve Ludwig for winning the 2011 Bike Raffle donated by Ballwin Cycles. Steve volunteered many hours to our parks this past year and is a most deserving winner. Ride on, Steve!

Read more on the raffle page.

New 2011 Lifetime Members

2012-01-03T23:19:00.003-06:00

A big thanks from GORC to

Mike Heiy,
Jim Krewet
Andrew Crow
and
Erle Broughton

for contributing at least $200.00 to GORC at the Lifetime Membeship level. Your donations will allow GORC to continue funding a host of trail projects including Matson, Greensfelder, Lost Valley, Cliff Cave and SIUE in 2012. Our web site is also slated to be redeveloped this year and we appreciate the funding.

Again, a big thank you to all our supporters!

GORC 2011: The Year in Review

2012-01-03T21:21:00.002-06:00

Ron Istvan put together our annual Year in Review write-up detailing what GORC volunteers did for the St. Louis mountain biking community.

You can read the full report on our blog.

Gravel Riding

2012-01-02T22:12:00.001-06:00

Gravel in yer head over at the blog...
or, why getting another bike can be justified (again).

GORC Monthly Meeting this Wednesday 7 pm, Tap Room

2012-01-02T21:56:00.001-06:00

GORC Monthly Meeting happens this Wednesday at the Tap Room @ 7pm. We talk trail days, trip reports, social events, advocacy and everything in-between. Come on by and if that doesn't sell ya, maybe the beer will...

Matt

Bob Taylor

2011-12-24T16:08:00.000-06:00

We lost one of our own - Bob Taylor passed away this past week. Please take a moment to read and share your thoughts on the blog. We will all miss Bob.

Tribute

Membership Renewal Reminder

2011-12-19T20:49:00.001-06:00

Please remember to renew your 2012 GORC membership. Your membership helps continue funding our multiple trail building projects, guarantee our insurance requirements (for trail work). Your individual membership has a direct impact on GORC volunteer reporting to county officials and other agencies - memberships represent our 'voice' in the community, otherwise we are just a bunch of like-minded people without a formal presence.

Please take the time to renew your membership here. Please note that all memberships received after October 1, 2011 count toward the 2012 membership season.

We hope everyone has a terrific Christmas/holiday season and be sure to post to the messageboard any rides that are happening or any post-ride stories.

SIUE Write Up on Blog

2011-12-12T08:29:00.000-06:00

We have some photos up from the SIUE workday this past weekend on the blog.

The next workday is Saturday at Creve Coeur.

New Poll: Ozark Trail Maintenance

2011-12-04T16:13:00.001-06:00

New poll at the bottom of the page asks if you would be interested in establishing a twice yearly maintenance program on a section of the Ozark Trail. For example, the eastern side of Berryman, Middlefork, North or South Trace, etc. Poll is at the bottom of this page.

Poll Results: GPS Tracks

2011-12-04T16:00:00.001-06:00

Here's the results from 78 responses:
It would be nice if the website Trails section offered...

Downloadable GPS Tracks of the trails - 41 (52%)
Topo Maps of the Trails - 35 (44%)
I don't think we really need all that stuff - 14 (17%)
I don't have a GPS unit - 14 (17%)

Maybe we will begin offering GPS tracks with the next version of our site....

Blog Update: Gravel Ride Report

2011-11-26T16:09:00.001-06:00

Here's a quick ride report on the blog.

Cliff Cave, Creve Coeur Updated Maps Available

2011-11-09T20:55:00.000-06:00

New maps for Cliff Cave and Creve Coeur have been added. With our frequent workdays it is hard to keep the maps updated. Let's keep the map maker busy!

Get the maps on our trail pages now.

New Poll Regarding Trail Data

2011-11-02T22:09:00.003-05:00

Our new poll (scroll to the bottom of this slider) asks if you would like to see our Trails section offer more downloads, specifically GPS tracks and topo trail maps.

Answer away! We await the results and may act on them.

New Blog Post From Newest Blogger

2011-10-23T21:30:00.004-05:00

STL's own Mitch de la MashOr has contributed his first post to our (hopefully) increasingly interesting, substantially entertaining Blog. While I didn't get to participate in the BTE, I heard it was a super fun epic ride/race.

RFT Winner of Best Blog That Probably Relates to Mountain Bikers and Stuff (not really... really).

Berryman Map Revision

2011-10-04T22:34:00.002-05:00

A new Berryman map is now available indicating the new trail reroutes performed by the Ozark Trail Association. View the Berryman map.

2011 National Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day Massive Turnout

2011-10-03T21:50:00.002-05:00

Wow, what a day! With fantastic fall weather and a incredible turnout of kids - 120+, TAKMTB Day was phenomenal! All the kids had a great time, GORC stationed many of the 7 different bike challenges on the skills course and all the sponsors offered great schwag, advice and tune-ups.

GORC has a Picasa gallery up at the 2011 National Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day at Broemmesliek Park in St. Charles county.

Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day - Saturday, Oct. 1st

2011-09-28T07:07:00.000-05:00

Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day
Saturday October 1, 2011
10:00am til 2:00pm
Broemmelsiek Park, O Fallon, Mo

Gateway Off Road Cyclists ( GORC ) with St Charles County Parks invites children (8-14) and parents to celebrate International Mountain Bike Association ( IMBA ) sponsored “National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day”. Free bicycle/helmet safety inspection, instructions on riding techniques, a skills practice area, and guided trail rides tailored to different age groups and skill levels. Participants should bring a bike and an approved helmet. Limited Number of Demo Bikes/ Helmets from local bike shops will be available.

When: Saturday, October 1, 2011 ( 10am – 2pm )
Where: Broemmelsiek Park in St Charles County

So come out and bring a kid with you for some good, clean fun in the dirt. Bring plenty of water and an adventurous spirit.

Schedule of Events
10am – 11am Registration
10am – 11:30am Helmet Fit / Bike Safety Inspection
10am – Noon Skills Building Area available
11am – 1pm Trail Etiquette and Guided Trail Rides
1pm – 2pm Drinks, Snacks - Prize Drawings
Advanced Registration is recommended, but not required.
For More Information or to register:
Call St Charles County Parks at 636-949-7535

Directions To Broemmelsiek Park   
From US 40/61 Bear Right (North)onto Ramp Winghaven Blvd 
Bear Left (North-West) onto Local road 
Turn Left (south-West) onto Mo-DD 
Keep straight on Mo-DD for 3.9 miles 
Turn Right (West) onto Schwede Rd 
Go approx. ½ mile, Parking for Park is on the left side of road.  

From Bryan Road / Winghaven Blvd in Ofallon, Mo. (Bryan Road/Winghaven Blvd changes to Hwy Mo-DD after crossing US-61) 
Keep straight on Mo-DD for 3.9 miles 
Turn Right (West) onto Schwede Rd Go approx. ½ mile, Parking for Park is on the left side of road.

New Poll - Burning It Up

2011-09-27T23:43:00.001-05:00

A quick, painless poll; are you going to the Burnin' at the Bluff this year? Scroll down.

Poll Results: Where Would You Like to See More Trails?

2011-09-27T23:40:00.001-05:00

This has been the largest poll group ever, 209 of you responded to the poll, "Where would you like to see more trails?" and you answered with these results:

Lincoln County- Cuivre River --> 44 (21%)
Clarksville - Hannibal Area - Calumet Creek --> 10 (4%)
STL City - UMSL Campus wooded area --> 57 (27%)
St Charles - Skills Area / Urban Park --> 80 (38%)
Illinois - Pere Marquette --> 42 (20%)
Illinois - Carlyle Lake Area --> 22 (10%)

A skills area is desired by far, though, many of you are longing for a trail network on the UMSL campus. Only the Calumet Creek is moving forward. The other locations are not in the works at this time as they were simply fantasy scenarios. Who knows what the future brings, however.

New Blog Posting

2011-09-13T22:01:00.002-05:00

Someday you will trust that the blog is updated at least once a week, however, here's a friendly reminder if you don't travel down blog avenue very often: it's updated.

See what's happening on 1515 Blog Street...

First Workday of the Fall Season - Rock Hollow

2011-09-12T20:31:00.002-05:00

The first workday of the Fall season is coming right up, eight days away, on Saturday, Sept. 17th, at Rock Hollow. We will make another creek crossing, moving rocks and working our skills.

When:  Saturday, September 17, 2011 from 9:00-1:00.

Directions to Ridge Meadows Elementary School, 777 Ridge Rd.:

From I-44, take 109 north about 3 miles to Old State Rd. Go right about 3 miles to Ridge Rd. and take a right to the school.

From I-64, take Clarkson Rd. south about 4 miles to Manchester. Go right, west, about half a mile to Old State Rd. Take a left, south, about a mile to Ridge Rd, take a left, south, to the school.

Hope to see a good crowd. If you have any questions, post them on our messageboard.

This will be a GORC only workday with no other volunteers. If you have never been to a workday this will be a good start to see what it is like to build trail in a rocky area.

New Poll - Where Should More Trails Go?

2011-08-21T22:47:00.002-05:00

Answer our new poll regarding where some new trails should go. The options offered are only concepts and ideas - there aren't any active plans to build trail at any site except possibly the Hannibal / Calumet Natural Area.

We look forward to your input.

Poll Results - Meetings Attended

2011-08-21T22:42:00.002-05:00

Eighteen responded and it appears we are an all or nothing crowd. Five said they attend only one meeting per year but six said they go at least 6 or more times per year. The rest fell somewhere in between.

Watch for a new poll.

Blog Bomb

2011-08-21T14:41:00.004-05:00

The Taos blog updates came to halt on vacation from lack of wanting to sit in from of a computer on vacation.

So...

The rest of the trip is up in three new posts. There are killer images out there on other cameras but I won't have them till next month or so.

Look for a Taos GORC vacation picasa gallery sometime this fall.

So... B l o g over to it.

Oh Look, Blog Got Updated

2011-08-14T08:27:00.001-05:00

It sure did, all about vacation currently.

BlogBombastic

Blog Post

2011-08-11T23:18:00.000-05:00

Figured I'd better let you know since the blog can be sporadic.....

BlogTronic

2011-08-08T21:08:00.001-05:00

Keep tabs on the GORC vacationers as we finalize our trip preparations this week. Lisa and Matt are headed out early to scout the region (again).

Blogenstein

GORC Headed to Taos Next Thursday Night

2011-08-07T20:21:00.002-05:00

Look for brief recaps, photos and more scattered on our blog and facebook page while we are away. We'll be back the following weekend.

New Lifetimer

2011-08-04T22:11:00.001-05:00

Craig Severson is our newest GORC lifetime member. We appreciate the significant contribution and look forward to building quality trail with the donation.

Taos Bound - Soon....

2011-08-02T21:36:00.001-05:00

The GORC crew is getting ready to head out to Taos, NM in less than two weeks. Be sure to keep posted to the blog and our Facebook page to check out our out-of-state antics.

Poll Results - Brown County

2011-07-27T01:01:00.002-05:00

Thanks all 67 of you who voted. Here are the results:

23 been there, done that
27 have not made it there
11 want to go road trip together
20 read about it somewhere

It really is a fun place only 4 hours away.

Revised Matson Hill Map

2011-07-17T19:08:00.005-05:00

A revised map of Matson Hill has been posted displaying the new small IMBA reroute near the parking lot.

Broemmelsiek Trails

2011-07-17T19:04:00.002-05:00

The trails at Broemmelsiek County Park in St. Charles are dialed in after the race this weekend. All the trail foliage has been trimmed and the course is as buff as it has ever been.

If you've never made the trek, check it out. It's in primo shape right now.

New Poll - Fun Question

2011-07-05T09:50:00.002-05:00

Answer the short question at the bottom of the page (you may need to scroll down). Sure, it's about a trail out of state but it's good to travel sometimes, you know?

Poll Results - North Trace Maintenance

2011-07-05T09:39:00.002-05:00

So....

We posed the often though about question that bounces in the back of our heads: Do GORC members see a benefit in maintaining a section of the Ozark Trail or is it not on their radar slash worth the effort.

Fifty of you responded and it was almost a complete tie, however, three of the four options are in the similar vein of "no."

--21 say "yes"
--5 say "no"
--18 say "too far"
--6 say "not interested"

This all sort of makes sense because we've always struggled to assemble a work crew for our twice yearly (mostly once a year) obligation to keep the North Trace in good shape per our agreement when we adopted that piece of the Ozark Trail from the Ozark Trail Association. The usual suspects typically do an out-n-back ride clearing the corridor and working on the tread in the really bad spots.

We've posed the poll question to get a feel for what others think about maintaining the trail that's over an hour and a half out of St. Louis. Thank you for answering it.

Look for a new poll soon.

GORC Updates

2011-06-20T21:55:00.003-05:00

The web guy has been busy this summer with long working hours so the website is a bit slow in its updates. However, the club is moving right along and will be gearing up for the fall workday season soon enough.

The IMBA Trail Care Crew posted a short article on their IMBA blog basically reviewing our club. We are flattered to say the least! It is refreshing to hear how the organization is doing from folks outside our circle of influence.

The Greensfelder maps have been updated to accurately reflect the new mileage and are now available for download.

Though the Lost Valley race got rained out for the second time, here's hoping with double-crossed fingers that the Broemmelsiek Challenge goes off without a hitch.

Finally, I bet we'll start hearing about the Firecracker Trifecta / Epic soon enough on the message board. It takes place on July 4th in past years. That's good training before the GORC invasion of TAOS, NEW MEXICO.

Can't hardly wait.

ICCP and SIUE Maps Updated

2011-06-07T06:21:00.001-05:00

You can find minor updates to the Indian Camp Creek and SIUE trail maps on their respective pages under the Trails tab.

Greensfelder Challenge Recap and Gallery

2011-05-15T21:05:00.005-05:00

Well, it's finally up. I managed to write up a short, accurate(?) piece on the Greensfelder Challenge on our blog and post up a few photos from Lisa's camera. If you have links to any other online galleries, shoot them to seamonkey on the message board.

Description Updates for Bangert, LV and SIUE

2011-05-15T19:19:00.001-05:00

Just like the title says, head on over to the Trails section to read updated mileage and description info for Bangert, Lost Valley and SIUE.

New Lifetimer

2011-05-15T18:18:00.001-05:00

Jim Krewet signed up at the lifetimer level at the Greensfelder Challenge. Super thanks to a fast single speeder!

How Many Bikes Poll Results

2011-05-15T10:10:00.000-05:00

Wow, 356 answered - it must have been a fun poll! The majority of readers on the GORC site have two or three bikes representing 53% of the total pollers. Thirty-six you respondents only have one bike and I'm assuming it's a mountain bike :)

The numbers quickly drop off with owners of 6 or more bikes and nobody that answered says they are rich, though anyone with 14 or more bikes probably would be if they didn't buy 14 bikes - or they like dumpster diving and restoring the oldies.

Be sure to answer our new poll at the bottom of this scroller.

Final tally:

Bikes / Number of Respondents
1 - 36
2 - 96
3 - 97
4 - 49
5 - 26
6 - 18
7 - 12
8 - 6
10 - 6
11 - 2
12 - 4
13 - 2
14 - 2
nobody is rich

Greensfelder Blog Updated, Get Ready for the Big Day

2011-05-05T07:59:00.001-05:00

The last Greensfelder pre-race post is up on our GF Blog.

Greensfelder Race This Saturday: On-Trail Monthly Meeting A Rolling Success!

2011-05-05T07:37:00.001-05:00

If you missed the on-site trail "meeting" last night at Greensfelder you missed out on some good group riding. We marked the course with arrows - or should I say Bryan marked the course and we all watched since there was only one staple gun. The trail is looking great and is riding fast.

The newest trail addition that connects Scenic Loop Road to the "drop-in" of Deer Run to the Eagle Valley gravel trail is far smoother than I would have expected. Not to say it's really all that bump-free… your vision will blur on the way down but it's a sweet new addition that eliminates the dreaded boring asphalt.

And the course adjustment this year takes you up the Eagle Valley SINGLETRACK. It's a long steady climb just like you were out on the Middlefork. It's almost a mile long of sweetness.

Now I need all your help; Everyone close your eyes and mentally move any rain clouds north or south of the St. Louis county area. With Jeff Rippelmeyer doing the legendary BBQ cookery with his own HOME-MADE custom pit-on-a-trailer and GORC offering two Schlafly selections we are all in for a day of great racing and celebrating. This is our big fundraiser of the year and will fund our boring but necessary nemesis - INSURANCE!

Without insurance there are no trail workdays, simple as that. Additionally we have materials needed for Greensfelder, Matson Hill, Lost Valley and other upcoming trails. Your donations will help us get the trails built and opened up for use.

I can't wait for the big day. See you all on Saturday.

May Monthly Meeting - Canceled

2011-05-02T16:15:00.000-05:00

The monthly meeting which would have been on Wednesday, May 4th has been canceled so that we may work on the trails in preparation for Saturday's Greensfelder Challenge race. If you want to help, you can volunteer here. See you at the Tap Room in June.

Help Wanted- Greensfelder Challenge May 7th

2011-05-02T08:51:00.003-05:00

The Greensfelder Challenge is this weekend, May 7th. If the forecast comes true, we should have some good drying going on and be able to go ahead as planned.

We need some volunteers to help with the race:

1. A couple shifts of 1 to 2 people to work a road crossing on the Scenic Loop. There were 3 crossings last year, so this will be much easier.

2. A couple people to man a table during the registration. The UFD has printed shirts that will be available to those that race for a small donation to GORC.

3. We need 3-4 people to help with the kids race. Mountain Bike Patrollers would be nice, but anyone is welcome.

That should do it for the most part. We'll be marking the course probably on Thursday and then tearing down afterwards. Help with that is always welcome. I will post details on when.

PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT THIS EVENT BY VOLUNTEERING, RACING OR JUST HANGING ABOUT. GORC received over $1000 from this event last year. We don't get many chances to get cold hard cash for insurance/tool/administrative costs, so it's important that this be a success.

Thanks and let's hope for good trail karma and sunny days to make this happen.

More info and sign-up is here.

Three New Lifers!

2011-04-22T08:55:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Jon Anderhalter, Ross Blanton and Matt Hayes for signing up as GORC lifetime members at the $200.00 level. This money will be put to good use as we have tons of new trails in store.

Greensfelder blog post

2011-04-18T08:22:00.001-05:00

New GF Race post

save the blog link as it reverts back to the Greensfelder information blog the rest of the year.
greensfelder.blogspot.com

Greensfelder Workday photo gallery up

2011-04-10T21:03:00.003-05:00

Greensfelder workday gallery posted. Photos here.

Added more pictures today from Eagle Valley and other parts of the trail.

Maplewood Bicycle - Buy A Bike and They'll Donate some Proceeds to GORC

2011-04-10T20:52:00.004-05:00

Maplewood Bicycle is offering a sweet deal to GORC and a great deal for you if you are in the market for a new bike.

They are offering their full-suspension Mountain Bikes $100 off retail. They will then donate $100 to GORC!

This offer includes the amazing Trek Gary Fisher HiFi Series:
• HiFi Pro
• HiFi Deluxe
• HiFi Plus

For more information head over to their website or stop on by. They are offering this promotion until the end of April.

Greensfelder Challenge 2011

2011-04-10T20:33:00.001-05:00

The Greensfelder Challenge blog is up and running with the new map and new course description.

Greensfelder Blog.

GORC Meeting Wednesday April 6th, 7pm

2011-04-05T07:23:00.001-05:00

Our monthly meeting will be held at the Schlafly Tap Room downtown this Wednesday at 7pm.
Topics include past workdays, upcoming workdays, the Greensfelder Challenge, probably vacation, trips, rides, etc.

Come on down. See you there.

Greensfelder Workday, this Saturday 4/9/11

2011-04-05T07:16:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,

This is our last workday to prepare the singletrack at Greensfelder for the May Greensfelder Challenge race. It's only a month away. We hope to see you there because we have several maintenance projects we need to complete.

Greensfelder Workday - Trail Construction

Date: Sat, April 9th, 2010, 9am to 1pm (FREE LUNCH!) - Bike or Hike After!

Location: Greenfelder Park, St. Louis County

What: We will be armoring and finishing up the new trail constructed on 2/26. It is time to get it fixed up and ready for use. We might also take on a few other projects given a good attendance by skilled GORC folks.

Where: Greensfelder Park, Allenton Rd. behind Six Flags (Park at Tower Lot)

Take Interstate 44 to the Allenton/Six Flags Exit 261. Go north on Allenton Rd, past the Six Flags entrance. Allenton Rd. bisects Greensfelder Park. Lunch will be afterwards at the Mueckerman Shelter located at the corner of Allenton and Hencken road.
(See www.gorctrails.com for directions and details of the park)

What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail.

GORC & St. Louis County Parks provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, and safety guidelines.

Please post to our message board if you are coming.

New Poll

2011-03-28T01:23:00.000-05:00

Poll below, give it a whirl.

The Big Switch: Part I

2011-03-28T01:19:00.002-05:00

This weekend I finished the enormous task of switching our gallery photos over to Picasa web albums. This will free our web resources up and allows for a much better viewing experience. Each gallery has a map associated with the photo locations.

It's a work in progress so let me know if you come across mis-linked pages or items; I tried to check them all but it got real late tonight.

This is the first part of a much larger project I'm working on throughout 2011. More details to follow.

Gallery Link

Indian Camp Creek Workday- Saturday, March 26th 9am-1pm

2011-03-22T09:01:00.000-05:00

When: Saturday, March 26th, from 9:00 til 1:00.

Where: Indian Camp Creek Park. It's approx 7 miles North of I-70 on 40/61. (Turn left on Dietrich Rd roughly .6 miles after passing W.) The Google Map link (click this for link, then click the Green bike) will take you to the Park. Follow the road around to the back of the Park, and look for signage that will direct you to Saturday's meeting location. (This'll have to do until Google updates their map from early 2006. )

What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail. Please read through pilznr’s “What to expect at a workday” post. It will also give you some hints on how to prepare for a workday.

Please RSVP via ONE of the following (to make sure we bring enough food):
The St. Charles County Park's (SCCP) office [636-949-7535],
through the WebTrac registration system on the parks website, or on this thread.

GORC & St. Charles County Parks will provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, safety guidelines, and lunch.

NOTICE: In case of bad weather, please call the St. Charles County Parks (SCCP's) Trail Hotline (636-949-7475, option #2). SCCP's will only leave a message about the workday if it's canceled.

We've got ~ 40 Scouts and their parents coming out, so we could use some experienced workers. There's a reroute, plus a couple armoring projects on the list of things to do, so we've got something for everyone.

Lunch will be provided by Off The Front, so thank one of the team riders the next time you see them on the trails.

Don't forget this is another chance to enter the 2011 GORC Workday Season Raffle for a GT Peace 9r!

Interactive Map

2011-03-21T00:13:00.003-05:00

Researched and found a workaround to view all placemarks at once on the large interactive Google Map of our local rides.

Previously, the map had grown so large you couldn't see all the trails and placemarks at once on the screen and had to cycle between to pages - annoying to say the least. I'm glad the internet had found a workaround to this Google Map display glitch.

Ride Report: Middle Fork

2011-03-20T23:40:00.002-05:00

It's been offering tasty singletrack down in the Mark Twain National Forest all month long. Some photos.

If you've never been, read up on it, search for some Garmin GPS maps and head out. It's beautiful and not technical. The 'hard' part is the length which you can govern by simply turning around at the several gravel road crossings.

Muddy Riding Poll Results

2011-03-20T23:20:00.001-05:00

The results are in on last month's poll:

How muddy do you think is too muddy to ride?

If you leave any tracks at all: 28 (18%)
If your tires are filling up with mud and your bike frame is getting muddy: 72 (47%)
If you have to walk around numerous "wet" spots: 28 (18%)
Never too muddy as that is part of mountain biking: 17 (11%)
The park sign will tell me if it is too muddy: 7 (4%)

152 total votes

The majority of voters think like GORC - if you are leaving a deep waffle print all down the trail then it's just too wet and the trail will be damaged.

Riding muddy trail because it's part of your personal fun factor adds unnecessary trail damage and impacts all future trail users: bikers, hikers and you.

Thanks to all those who voted. Look for a new poll soon.

Two little galleries up

2011-03-17T22:01:00.005-05:00

Two quick galleries up: Breck '09, Salida '10 - I forgot the galleries were never uploaded. They're biased from my camera but it's all I had for now.

Galleries...

New Lifetimer

2011-03-08T16:01:00.002-06:00

Scott Peipert aka Scooter is our newest lifetime member. All right!

Greensfelder Gallery Posted

2011-03-08T15:13:00.001-06:00

Twenty photos showing what GORC does best - build trail. Check it out.

Matson Hill Workday This Saturday March 12th - 9-1pm

2011-03-06T18:28:00.001-06:00

When: Saturday, March 12th , 2011, from 9:00~1:00.

What: We’re having the first workday in St. Charles County Parks for the Spring 2011 season at Matson Hill Park.

Where: From the Highway 40/94 interchange,
• Take Highway 94 South for 7.4 miles to F (turn right on F).
• Stay on F for 3 miles, then turn left on Stub Road. Follow Stub Road for ~.5 miles to gate, and follow directions from there. Or,
• Click this for a Google map link. Clicking the green bike will give you the “get directions” link. (For some reason, the last instruction just has you turning left off of F, without naming the road. That's Stub Road.)

What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail. Please read through pilznr’s “What to expect at a workday” post, available via this link; http://gorctrails.com/board/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3711. It will also give you some hints on how to prepare for a workday.

Why: To continue the new trail expansion on the Hayes Property. We’ll continue the trail that will eventually lead to the back portion of the park. This is Phase Two of a multi phase project, eventually utilizing 400+ acres of new Park property.

The pic shows the next phase to be completed, in green, the eight switchback climb, in orange, and the proposed leg that goes up to Duke Road, in red. This will add ~ 3 miles of trail to the 4.9 that's currently out there, but doesn't include the western portion of the property.

Please RSVP via ONE of the following (to make sure we bring enough food):

The St. Charles County Park's (SCCP) office [636-949-7535],
through the WebTrac registration system on the parks website, http://parks.sccmo.org/parks/
or on this thread.

GORC & St. Charles County Parks will provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building, safety guidelines, and lunch.

NOTICE: In case of bad weather, please call the St. Charles County Parks (SCCP's) Trail Hotline (636-949-7475, option #2). SCCP's will only leave a message about the workday if it's cancelled.

New - Forest City Trail Map Posted

2011-03-05T15:00:00.001-06:00

Bet you didn't know this trail system existed! Built within the past year or so, it features 7.5 miles of singletrack loop located right outside St. James, MO. Next time you are traveling with your bike, check it out. Route 66 Bicycles was the primary volunteer pool for this trail system.Check it out and plan a trip.

Interactive Trail Maps - III

2011-03-04T14:58:00.000-06:00

I updated the interactive map. I'm building it in Google Earth after Google Maps did a very, very bad thing. Hopefully Google Earth will let me 'undo' and edit items far easier.

Forest City and a 35 mile Madison County Trail loop have been added.

More Interactive Trail Map Updates II

2011-02-21T12:54:00.002-06:00

Additional paved trails and parks added to interactive map:
Wildood Greenway / Hwy 109 paved trail corridor / Sherman Beach / Grants Trail / Queeny Park / Chesterfield Levee Trail / Valley Park to Simpson Park Levee Trail.

New Poll - In the theme of the season

2011-02-18T08:45:00.001-06:00

This poll has been on the backburner for a while so I figured now is the time. Scroll to the bottom and let us know your opinion.

More Interactive Trail Map Updates

2011-02-18T08:27:00.005-06:00

Regarding the Google Maps post below, additionally added paths for wet weather/thaw season riding:

--Chesterfield Levee
--Creve Coeur bike path
--Other updates

Please note that the colored map lines are approximations and are not directly aligned with the route. They are hand-drawn and not to scale.

We also have a map usage policy in place that asks that any map you wish to republish on your site still retain the GORC copyright and logo.

Google Trails Map - Large Update and More Wet Weather Options

2011-02-17T12:14:00.003-06:00

I have updated the GORC Google-based Trails map. The interactive map now shows additional wet weather riding options including Columbia Bottoms, St. Louis Riverfront Trail, Chain of Rocks, Madison County and Great River Road paved trails. The icon descriptions and mileage are updated.

The best experience with the map is to view it within Google Maps here.

The Thaw and You: A Guide to Keeping Awesome Trails Awesome

2011-02-17T09:45:00.005-06:00

OK, I have to confess, this image is from the Internet somewhere, I'm not sure. It's not a Missouri trail. However, I'm using it to grab your attention.

Between the tire tracks, equestrian hooves and hiking boots this trail might as well drown itself in the Mississippi and call it a day. The photo exaggerates the point of why 'not' to ride on wet trails.

Now that I have your attention...

Our snowy winter has ensured that The Thaw will be pronounced this year. Please take a moment to read how this impacts our trail systems and how we can all avoid the high-maintenance issue of repairing damaged trails that were used while they were wet. The rule of thumb is if you are leaving tire waffle prints consistently on the trail then the tread is just too wet to prevent sustained damage.

The Thaw by Sam Mitchell

It's not a long read and feel free to relink this article on your facebook and twitter accounts.

2011 Maps Posted

2011-02-06T17:35:00.003-06:00

All of our maps have been updated and revised as needed for the 2011 season. You can find the maps on their respective Trail pages. Look for possible new maps of outlying regions in the coming months. Maybe.

2011 Bike Swap Recap

2011-02-06T15:40:00.005-06:00

The GORC booth did quite well at the 2011 Bike Swap. Numerous members sold new and used bike items at blowout prices. I personally sold everything except for a brand new unused Thomson Masterpiece seatpost (weird!). GORC signed up 10 or so new or renewing memberships including a new lifetime member Jason Zoll. This bike swap was a huge success doubling in size from last year's 800 to well over 1,500 people.

You need to check it out next year if you've never been. It keeps getting larger and better.

Bike Park / Pump Track Poll Results

2011-02-06T15:27:00.001-06:00

The two polls this past month asking riders if a pump track/skills park would be utilized in St. Charles county were the most popular ever with an average of a 130 or so pollers.

Results:

St. Charles County Parks is considering developing a bike park with pump track near O'Fallon. How does this sound to you?
I would donate my time to build it - 84 (58%)
I would use it frequently - 58 (40%)
I would use it occasionally - 47 (32%)
It's too far from my house - 17 (11%)
This does not personally interest me - 10 (6%)

Total pollers: 144

How often would you visit a Mountain Bike Skills Park in O'fallon, MO?

Once a week - 37 (30%)
Two or more times a month - 43 (35%)
Three or four times per year - 32 (26%)
Never, does not interest me - 9 (7%)

Total Pollers: 121

As you can clearly see, mountain bikers support a skills park and pump track being developed in St. Charles county. Most would donate their time to help build and maintain it and it appears that locals close to the park would frequent it at least twice a month.

Thanks goes out to the poll recipients. This is invaluable data that can be presented to land managers and governing bodies to show support and willingness to assist in a skills park development.

The Polls Are Running Hot

2011-01-16T22:55:00.002-06:00

Best polls ever in terms of participation! Keep up the good work and let St. Charles County know your thoughts on the bike park concept in O'Fallon. Attach your comments to this post.

SIUE Workday Recap

2011-01-16T22:14:00.003-06:00

Thank you to all the folks that came out today and played in the snow. We got all of our tasks accomplished in record time. Big announcement took place at the workday. If you weren't there you missed it! See you all next season, as this was the only SIUE workday of this season. Tiny Gallery.

SIUE Workday- Sat. January 15th 9am-1pm

2011-01-13T14:13:00.002-06:00

When: Saturday, Jan. 15th, 2011 from 9:00~1:00.

What: Doing some minor reroutes to avoid some "wet" and "badly eroded" pieces of trail.

Where: Take hwy 255 North past Interstate 270, to New Poag Road. Turn Right or East at the end of the exit ramp. Stay on New Poag Road until the first intersection with a 4 way stop sign. This will be University Drive. Turn Right onto University Drive. The road will immediately bend to the left, at the end of the bend on your right is a gravel road, turn onto the gravel road. Follow the rock road past the hedgerow on the left, the road will make a 90 Degree turn to the right and then back to the left, then it will dead end. The Northernmost Trailhead is located at the 90 degree corner of the woods near that dead end.

What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail. It’s also a good idea to read through pilznr’s “What to expect at a workday” post, available via this link; http://gorctrails.com/board/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3711

Why: To keep this gem of a trail system usable for years to come.

GORC will provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building and safety guidelines.

Sign-up and more info are available here.

Yet Another Lifetimer!

2011-01-10T18:17:00.001-06:00

We thank Steve Reid for joining the elite GORC ranks as a full-blooded lifetime member.
Thank you for the contribution, Steve.

New Poll - St. Charles Bike Park / Pump Track Explained

2011-01-09T11:15:00.002-06:00

St. Charles County is considering an addition to the Youth Activity Park (open to all ages!). One of the items being discussed is a Mountain Bike Skills Park. This would feature a pump track, some progressive Jumps (Beginner up to Expert), some Technical Trail Features (balance beams/log rides, teeter-totters, drops, etc...) and possibly some short singletrack skills courses.

Please answer the two polls at the bottom of the screen.

Big Shark Donates $1,000 to the Club

2011-01-06T09:07:00.005-06:00

A massive thanks goes out to Big Shark Bicycles for donating $1,000 to the club. The money will assist in funding upcoming trail workdays and continue the ongoing operations of the club. We appreciate the support from the bicycle community and look forward to seeing everyone out on the trail.

If you haven't already, check out Big Shark. Their showroom on Delmar is top-notch and they have a great service department.

Three More Lifetimers

2011-01-05T16:21:00.002-06:00

Christine Ford and Tom Erb have joined the elite GORC ranks as lifetime members of the club. We thank them very much and appreciate the gesture.

At last night's meeting Scott Nelson wrote a lifetime check. Thank you!

2011 Winter/Spring Workday Schedule

2010-12-24T12:12:00.000-06:00

1/15 - SIUE
2/26 - Greensfelder
3/12 - Matson Hill
3/26 - Indian Camp Creek
4/9 - Greensfelder
4/23 - Matson Hill
5/14 - Castlewood
5/21 - Cliff Cave
6/4 - Indian Camp Creek

Two New Lifetimers

2010-12-02T19:27:00.001-06:00

Thanks to the two newest lifetime members, Greg Ott and David & Katherine Krajcovic. We appreciate their support and look forward to seeing everyone on the trails.

Poll Results - Longest Ride

2010-11-26T09:30:00.000-06:00

Fifty-six votes total.

Most rider's longest rides averaged between 20 and 30 miles. Twenty-three respondents said they ridden over 50 miles, 9 being over 100 miles! If you plan on winning a 24 hour mountain bike race then riding over 100 miles is probably expected, too.

Look for a new poll below

All about Cranksgiving

2010-11-13T21:57:00.000-06:00

New blog post, see we keep it coming...

September Poll Results

2010-11-11T20:59:00.002-06:00

Forty-six responses:

23 responders believe the park systems in general lack good trail signage.
32 of you say the trails could benefit from "you-are-here" indicators at intersections.
Just 7 think the trails are adequately signed and thankfully
0 of you consider maps a waste of time.

This is good information to pass along to the park system land managers. Thank you for your participation.

Look for a new poll below.

SIUE Trail Workday - Saturday, Nov. 13th, 2010, from 9:00~1:00

2010-11-08T12:00:00.000-06:00

When: Saturday, Nov. 13th, 2010, from 9:00~1:00.

What: Doing some more much needed maintenance on the entire trail system.

Where:
Take hwy 255 North past Interstate 270, to New Poag Road. Turn Right or East at the end of the exit ramp. Stay on New Poag Road until the first intersection with a 4 way stop sign. This will be University Drive. Turn Right onto University Drive. The road will immediately bend to the left, at the end of the bend on your right is a gravel road, turn onto the gravel road. Follow the rock road past the hedgerow on the left, the road will make a 90 Degree turn to the right and then back to the left, then it will dead end. The Northernmost Trailhead is located at the 90 degree corner of the woods near that dead end.

What to bring: Gloves, Sturdy shoes, eye protection, and something to drink on the trail. It’s also a good idea to read through pilznr’s “What to expect at a workday” post, available via this link;

Why: To keep this gem of a trail system usable for years to come.

Please Respond here to this post indicating that you are coming and how many friends you are bringing, so we can get an accurate lunch count

GORC will provide: Trail building tools, instructions on trail building and safety guidelines.

Lunch is being provided by our friends at The Cyclery,

http://thecyclerys.com/

Please go by and say thank you as they have been a huge supporter of the SIUE workdays over the past 6 years.

REI is supplying some give away goodies, don't worry I think we gave away all the REI Nalgene bottles, so we have a new crop of give away's.

www.rei.com

They will also have a crew of folks working on the trail that day, so make sure you say "Howdy".

Greensfelder Workday recap

2010-11-07T23:31:00.007-06:00

First of all, looking at the above photo you can clearly see that this weekend was a crushing success. GORC finished the labor intensive switchback project that was started over a year ago.

Several volunteers set and lay stone for hours while three other crews worked on the other side of the ridge repairing erosion damage on all three of the climbing turns that get you up to the rollercoaster ridge section of the DeClue (going clockwise, this is the long climb after the monkeyheads.)

The flavor of the trail was taken into consideration with a new climbing turn that is now only 10% instead of the old 22% dirt channel that continued to get deeper after every rain. The second climbing turn was widened in place, smoothed out and a berm cut in where dirt was available. Lastly the third turn was slightly extended to facilitate better flow and control while maintaining your speed. All should handle the water much more effectively than in the past.

Check out the GORC handiwork for yourself and consider coming out to our workdays. If you like what you see in the woods then just think how much more can get accomplished with more pulaskis in the dirt.

Gallery Yourself

Read what el presidente had to say about the weekend at the bottom of this forum thread

Cliff Cave Map Now Available

2010-11-06T14:45:00.002-05:00

Well now, check this out, the new never-before-released CLIFF CAVE trail map has made its debut. All of our trail pages now sport maps. Never feel lost again with this trusty map in your pocket. Download it now. Tell your friends - no more missing map!

Cliff Cave Photo Gallery

2010-11-01T20:36:00.001-05:00

View some pics from the Cliff Cave workday and Volunteer Appreciation Party and then choose the desired album. New albums are now hosted on Google Picasa to free up our server space.

Greensfelder Workday This Saturday 11/6/10

2010-10-31T21:52:00.002-05:00

Greensfelder Workday
This Saturday

Attention members! As always, we need a strong showing of GORC volunteers to lead the other volunteer groups that show up. St. Louis County has scheduled a large gathering of volunteers and we need as many GORC participants as possible.

When: Saturday, November 6, 2010

Where: Greensfelder Park, St. Louis County

Directions: Take Interstate 44 to the Allenton/Six Flags Exit 261. Go north on Allenton Rd, past the Six Flags entrance. Allenton Rd. bisects Greensfelder Park. Lunch will be afterwards at the Muckerman Shelter located at the corner of Allenton and Hencken road.

Details: We will meet at Greensfelder Park, Allenton Rd. behind Six Flags (Park at Tower Lot). Start time is 9:00am and will work until 12:30 or so. Lunch and bike or hike after.

What to bring:  Sturdy shoes, gloves, eye protection and something to drink.

Lunch will be provided by St. Louis County Parks.

What we are doing: Maintenance at Greensfelder Park in preparation for the long hard winter. We will start construction of a large switchback on the Declue Extension and will be doing other maintenance projects on the Declue trail.

What's Up at GORC HQ

2010-10-31T21:42:00.003-05:00

Quick Hits:

1. Cliff Cave workday was a great success. Over a half-mile of trail was built eliminating 200 feet of fall line. The Appreciation Party couldn't have had better weather and the pavilion by the river is a nice addition to Cliff Cave.

2. The GORC meeting is at 7pm this Wednesday at The Tap Room.

3. A Greensfelder workday is this Saturday. See above!

4. Speaking of Cliff Cave, a new forthcoming trail map is being rendered by map guru Pilzner. Look for its debut in the very near future.

5. Lastly, the club has a new email newsletter called Trailhead hitting your inboxes. It will be sent out prior to workdays and major events.

Cliff Cave Workday/Appreciation Party-- Sat. October 30th

2010-10-25T10:22:00.000-05:00

When: Saturday October 30th
Where: Cliff Cave Park

Directions: From I-255 take Telegraph Rd. south 1.7 miles to Cliff Cave Rd.
Turn left onto Cliff Cave Rd. and continue 1 mile into park.

Details: We will meet at the pavilion. Start time is 9:00am and will work until 12:30 or so.

What to bring: Sturdy shoes, gloves, eye protection and something to drink. For a more detailed description, it's a good idea to read Pilznr's post at http://gorctrails.com/board/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3711

Please contact Sue Bell if you plan to attend.
314-615-8822 or e-mail sbell@stlouiscounty.com

Lunch will be provided by St. Louis County Parks, so please let Sue know if you are coming so she can plan for food.

Those that attend the workday will be rewarded with an opportunity to win an attendance prize provided by:
South County Cyclery and Olde Towne Fenton Cyclery, as well as Crusoe's Restaurant!

What we're doing: Cliff Cave Park has 2 trails Spring Valley and Bluff Trail.
We will be concentrating first on the Bluff Trail, we have 1/2 mile of new trail to build. This will eliminate several unsustainable sections and provide for a fun ride in both directions.
We also have several short re routes flagged on the Spring Valley loop. These will eliminate a couple short, non draining spots.
If attendance provides, we will put these in as well, so everyone come out and help!!

After the workday will be GORCs annual Appreciation Party!!!
Will have a ride, mother nature permitting.
More info on the message board.