Greensfelder County Park

Newest Downed Trees Removed

2011-10-23T21:29:00.002-05:00

All trees on the 'race' loop have been removed. The trails are in terrific shape. Get out there before the cold, wetness comes a-stompin'

October First Sunday Ride Had Large Turnout

2011-10-03T08:31:00.003-05:00

It's great to see so many new faces out at Greensfelder. GORC's ongoing First Sunday ride at Greensfelder spearheaded by Steve Smith continues to gain momentum. At least 15-20 riders showed at high noon to ride almost 12 miles of singletrack.

It's a no-drop ride format and we stop 3-4 times during the ride to allow everyone to regroup. First Sunday is a great way to meet new bike friends, meet some people from GORC and generally have a grand ol' time.

You don't even have to be a member of GORC to join us on the ride, but we hope you'll reconsider after having a blast on the ride :-).

First GF Workday Fall 2011 in Books

2011-09-26T07:30:00.002-05:00

Dozens of volunteers worked the dirt of Northern Green Rock inside Greensfelder this past Saturday. The trail is being rerouted off private property and back onto Greensfelder property. The new reroute will be sustainable in design and offer both technical hillside features and flowy dirt singletrack.

I don't have any spy photos available yet so you won't be able to see or handiwork unless you trek into the deep recesses of the park. At least two more workdays will be required to potentially open this piece up. With your help, we could speed the process up.

Hope to see you at the next workday November 12th. In the meantime head to a workday at one of your other favorite spots to ride. Keep tabs on the homepage.

The Park Is Solidly Ripping

2011-09-13T22:05:00.003-05:00

The weather has been exceptionally dry this year so do what you know you should be doing: Ride Greensfelder!

All the downed trees have been removed and the trails are riding nicely.

See you out there.

Trees over Trail Removed

2011-09-01T21:32:00.002-05:00

All significant logs across the trails (except one on Dogwood) have been removed. Now you don't have to hop over massive trees, well, except one.

Trails are Dialed

2011-08-30T21:54:00.002-05:00

The Dogwood and Declue trails are dry, dusty and fast. There are a few trees down but some are hoppable while others do need the chop saw. If you thought Greensfelder was always a janked-up mess of horse ruts then you owe it to yourself to head out there over Labor Day weekend. It's all good.

A Good Summer So Far

2011-08-21T20:23:00.003-05:00

Well, yes, the blog doesn't get as much love as it should but that's because we are always riding and thinking about the trails. This summer has been a great one so far and the Greensfelder trails have been exceptionally great thus far.

The singletrack tread is as buff as ever considering its multi-use status and the fact that the rains have been few and far between have also helped keep the tread less choppy. We're still on the look out for the person(s) removing trail rocks and features that are natural to the hillsides of Greensfelder. You wouldn't dig holes over at Creve Coeur because it was too 'tame', would you? Same holds for sanitizing a natural surface trail in West St. Louis county - let nature be.

See you on the trails and at a fall workday.

Greensfelder Challenge Recap and Gallery

2011-05-15T21:08:00.002-05:00

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.

Course Marked. Shred On!

2011-05-05T07:47:00.006-05:00

With only a few days before the race this Saturday be sure to get on out there if you haven't yet. The trails are fast and as 'buff' as Greensfelder gets!

This is the last post before the big day so here's a recap.

+Beer on hand from Schlafly
+BBQ by Jeff Rippelmeyer (remember the awesome BBQ from last year? Yup, again!!!!)
+7.4 mile course
+Rigid forks are stupid but fun out there
+EQUESTRIANS always have the right of way - even on race day! Please remember this. Be nice.
+The rocks are rocky
+The dirt is flowy
+The creeks are wet
+The hills still continue to hurt
+Bring money
+Bring your fun-time personality
+A few people will be on the course to guide/offer aid
+Start/Finish at the VISITOR's Center (this is, if you're counting, the third lot from 6 Flags)
+The first rocky descent is scary when fast. Stay on the bike to continue having fun.
+The second rocky descent (Deer Run section) is faster and maybe scarier. Again, stay upright.
+To get some amazing BBQ finish your race quickly.
+Notice how much better this park has become in four years with our constant tinkering/construction
+Think how much more fantastic it will be every year thereafter. With your help!
+See you soon.

Course is dialed

2011-05-04T08:46:00.000-05:00

The course has been prepped and the rains have ceased. The course is ready to ride today and is drying nicely.

Some of us plan to ride some laps around 5:30 meeting at the visitor's center.

See you soon!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Next weekend!!!

2011-04-29T09:58:00.001-05:00

It's running up on us fast like a state trooper on 44!!

Let us know if you can help volunteer on the message board. We can use the help to make sure this thing goes off majorly supremo.

The trails will probably be ready to roll around Sunday. Reports are stating it's drying nicely but whole stretches are still too muddy to ride.

Let's hope for no rain this weekend!!!!!

More to follow.

Ten Days till the GF Race

2011-04-27T16:51:00.002-05:00

Only ten days left and Mother Nature is making sure she keeps you on your toes. No training off-road till race day! Just kidding, I'm sure the rain will stop soon enough...

We're hoping to get some good food at the event and crossing our fingers for great weather.

Looking Like A Wet Week

2011-04-25T07:52:00.002-05:00

It's looking pretty solid that Greensfelder will be but a passing daydream in many rider's heads this week as the rain continues to wetten the area. You can always ride the trainer, right? I thought so.

I wouldn't either.

Course is Rippin'

2011-04-18T07:46:00.006-05:00

I finally got to ride the course in its full glory and it will be terrific. The new addition of singletrack will NOT let you recover as you make your way to the bottom of Eagle Valley. When you turn left up the gravel you will soon realize this isn't the highway speed slalom down EV like last year.

No, it's a mild sap-sucking gravel ascent to a 3/4 mile singletrack climb that is both beautiful and soul-crushing. It will appear to be innocent enough but after two or three laps it will begin to show its true face.

Don't fall off the edge, ok?

The course is in fine shape. All reports of equestrian damage are exaggerated and are probably coming from the riders who visit Greensfelder just to train for this race.

It seems to be as fast as last year.

please use your energy to remove fallen limbs, trees, rollercoaster riders from 6 Flags and move them off the trail. Leave roots alone. They are ALIVE, they add soul!

But let's not make it that fast!!!!!!

There are enough EASY parks to ride in St. Louis. Please DO NOT REMOVE THE PIECES OF AWESOME THAT MAKE UP THIS PARK'S SOUL.

Someone appears to have been grinding a chainsaw, saw, chainring, ginzu knife on this classic 15+ year old feature on the trail approaching the monkey heads (ahem, and THOSE have been stolen in the past year).

It looks like someone want a notch to run their tires past so they can go faster and win all the while hoping that all the rest of the racers will magically not know what to do with said notch. Probably ride around it?

Again, course is rippin' but PLEASE don't rip the course. This is a 'technical' park for the people. Leave it and Chubb alone. That's the purpose of Creve Couer, Bangert, etc.

Get out there and ride!

2011 Course Improvements

2011-04-12T09:22:00.001-05:00

We've been busy since the 2010 race working on improvements to the course, as well as other trails in the park. Here's what you'll see that's different from last year, in order, assuming you're riding the course route counterclockwise:

- rerouted/reworked three turns as you descend the big hill going down into the valley on the backside of DeClue.
- did our best to repair the damage from someone pulling out rocks on the monkey head section.
- finished the two switchbacks on DeClue on the north side of the hill below the radio tower.
- designed and built a new section of trail after you cross the Scenic Loop road, which will eventually take you all the way to the bottom and the junction with the Eagle Valley trail. We had hoped to have this open for the race, but a low turnout at the last workday prevented us from finishing everything. We still hope to have it usable though.
- armored wet spots on the singletrack (southwestern) section of Eagle Valley. We weren't able to use this last year because of these muddy spots.
- continued maintenance of Dogwood, and DeClue to try to keep them in top shape.

The start/finish has been moved to the Visitors Center, and with all of the improvements, the course will be mostly singletrack, except for the doubletrack path from the start to the radio tower, and the 0.25 mile section of Eagle Valley as you turn left after descending Deer Run.

Remember to build your trail karma by helping out at GORC workdays.
Have fun, and good luck!

Map Up!

2011-04-10T20:29:00.000-05:00

The 2011 Greensfelder Challenge map is up.

Greensfelder Challenge 2011

2011-04-05T07:30:00.001-05:00

Once again this blog has shifted focus from general information to detailed information about the fundraising race for GORC.

It's coming in just over a month. Look for updates soon.

Workday Success

2011-03-08T15:07:00.006-06:00

Thanks to the 60 or so volunteers that came out today. We built a half mile of really nice trail. We actually did way more than I expected. I really appreciate everyone that came out and volunteered their time. Now we just need some dry weather so we can ride our mountain bikes.

There are a few spots that will need armoring which we will take care of April 9th. Until then, get out and walk or ride the new trail to start packing it in.

Check out the workday gallery.

Workday this Sunday

2011-02-21T14:34:00.001-06:00

The new reroute of Deer Run and Greenrock is flagged in and ready to be built. This is the first 1/3 of a new 1.5 - 2 mile trail that will drop from the Scenic Loop road to the Eagle Valley doubletrack below.

It will be grand.

More details on the homepage.

Time to Respect the Thaw

2011-02-17T09:40:00.002-06:00

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 you can avoid the high-maintenance issue of repairing damaged trails.

http://gorctrails.blogspot.com/2007/12/thaw.html

It's not a long read. Greensfelder is particularly vulnerable due to the potential equestrian usage. If you are an equestrian we ask that you forward this article to your friends and organizations so we may all enjoy terrific trails this summer.

More Snow on the Trails

2011-02-07T10:37:00.004-06:00

Did I mention that St. Louis appears to be having a snowier winter than in the past 10 years? There's still snow on the trails.

You can attempt to ride them but PLEASE respect the freeze/thaw cycle. If you see that the trail is turning to mush or is wet then head back to the trailhead.

By doing so you will ensure that this coming year will be even better for Greensfelder. GORC has so much planned for this park it's slightly mind blowing.

Over and out.

Don't forget the Greensfelder Challenge race is coming in May. Stay tuned for more detailed as this website shift into "challenge" mode.

Snow Currently on the Trails

2011-01-16T22:48:00.002-06:00

The trails were half-covered in snow but the sunshine is working hard to thaw it out. The bottom leg of the Eagle Valley singletrack is headed towards swamptown but the rest of the race loop for the most part is doing fine.

Be respectful of the freeze/thaw cycle as the ground is showing signs of tread damage in spots. The thawing heaves the ground and is particularly damaging when horses and bikes ride muddy, thawed singletrack.

First 2011 Workday Coming late February

2011-01-05T16:33:00.000-06:00

Greensfelder Workday - Trail Construction

Date: Sat, February 26th, 2010, 9am to 1pm (FREE LUNCH!) – Bike or Hike After!

Location: Greenfelder Park, St. Louis County

What: Our attention changes focus to developing new trail as we push North inside the park. We will be re-routing the Green Rock & Deer Run trails by combining them into a new, single trail. They will drop down from the Scenic road and ultimately connect with the Eagle Valley trail. This trail will be 1.5-2 miles of brand spanking new singletrack. Phase 1 of this project will be 0.5 mile hopefully completed before the Greensfelder Challenge MTB Race.

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 below if you intend on coming for lunch count. If you post here there is no need to contact St. Louis County.

November 6th Greensfelder Workday Pictorial

2010-11-07T23:14:00.005-06:00

This workday focused on some much needed trail maintenance on DeClue in preparation for the winter months. Nearly all of the hillside climbing from the creek to the rollercoaster ridge was debermed and three climbing turns were adjusted or rebuilt to prevent future erosion problems.

Volunteers deberming and rebuilding a climbing turn on DeClue

The finished switchback (first one going clockwise on DeClue) just below the tower parking lot. Looks mighty impressive.

No, seriously, there is some major work involved when building a switchback

Glenn using the fun shredder while Matt smooths caveman style with the flat head of the pulaski.

New Trail Design In Progress

2010-10-19T22:18:00.003-05:00

GORC is entering a new phase at Greensfelder and hopes to connect the DeClue trail to the Eagle Valley singletrack segment via a brand new trail on the north-facing hillside across from the internal paved road within the park. This will extend the singletrack portion of the "Greensfelder Challenge" loop and may prove to be the new race course IF weather and trail conditions permit.

At the previous workday, GORC trail armored three critical drainage areas on the Eagle Valley singletrack portion. The trail now rides much smoother and features three less permanent bog sections. The Eagle Valley singletrack may be perhaps the LONGEST sustained climb or descent in the St. Louis region - but this is unofficial. GPS will prove the truth in the coming months.

MonkeyHead Damage at DeClue Fixed

2010-10-07T22:41:00.002-05:00

About a week ago someone defaced the DeClue on the infamous "Monkeyheads" section. They removed 14 of the large rocks to groom the descent. GORC assessed the situation and sent out a crack team to repair the damage as best they could. In the end they felt the trail was repaired in a satisfactory condition by deeply embedding the removed rocks. They should weather in nicely.

Without further delay, here's some important info you should keep handy...
+++++

With last year's trail vandalism at the Chubb and now with the painful extraction of some monkeyheads at Greensfelder we at GORC felt it was high time to post the St. Louis County Parks Trail Hotline - 314-615-8911. Now we can all help police our favorite trails.

This hotline is for St. Louis County parks only. Parks include West Tyson (Chubb), Cliff Cave, Creve Coeur, Greensfelder and ALL of St. Louis County's parks.

If you encounter somebody destroying trail first-hand be sure to get involved by calling the hotline at 314-615-8911. Approach the individual if you feel comfortable and respectfully explain that he or she is wrecking the trail through their grooming actions.

Never start a confrontation and remember they probably think they are IMPROVING the trail. However, no matter the situation, always let the county parks staff know that this is occurring so they can better protect their valuable trails.

Trail Workday, Sept. 25th, 9am - 1pm

2010-09-23T20:39:00.001-05:00

We're going to do some maintenance work on the Eagle Valley singletrack, and try to complete one of the two switchbacks on the DeClue extension. Don't know where the singletrack is on Eagle Valley? Come and help out this Saturday, and you can find out.

If we can get the trail in good enough shape this fall, we can start working on a connector from the current end of the DeClue singletrack at Scenic Loop Rd. down to the junction with Eagle Valley on the valley floor. This will complete a loop of somewhere around 9 miles that is ~ 99% singletrack, and ridable in both directions.

There will be fewer St. Louis County Parks volunteers than usual at this workday, so we really need a good turnout from GORC volunteers.

Greensfelder Mentioned in STL Today

2010-07-19T22:48:00.002-05:00

The park got a mention in the STL Today website for a great place to ride mountain bikes. The trails are in terrific shape right now, get out there!

Here's the link --> http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/fitness/article_91de8027-89db-5921-916c-0cee7685d420.html

Blog Focus Redirecting

2010-06-25T19:59:00.001-05:00

The Greensfelder Challenge blog will now be rejigged as an informational digital kiosk containing news, updates and general information about Greensfelder County Park.

Since GORC will be working on its trail system annually it seems only fitting that we maintain a current "progress report" on the status of the park and its trails.

Look for future reports here in the future.

GF Challenge Poll Results

2010-06-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

The results of our two polls concerning the Greensfelder Challenge are now in.

77% of responders were happy to see the course utilize more of the park's trails. Hardly anyone disagreed with the course design. Great news.

54% of you would donate money if we ever asked concerning a specific goal or task.

60% of you would help in a future fundraiser. This is also great news.

We thank you whole-heartedly for making this a great event.

Brief Sunday Night Image Captures

2010-05-09T21:24:00.007-05:00

Time is short and I'm tired but here is a brief sampling of images floating the internet. This is not the recap, look for that soon. This Greensfelder blog will morph over time into a dedicated all_Greensfelder_all_day information kiosk. But that will come later.

For now, peruse, enjoy.

I've linked to some galleries on the web. They can be found at the bottom of this post.

The picture that sums up the entire race, Josh and Val post-race. We hope everyone had a great time and thank all the people that had kind words for the club, the race and the park.

The GORC crew finally getting some down time from the race. Once tapped, the keg was at maximum flow rate the duration of its very, very important mission.

Matt and Lisa taking a break from retail. We had a great time talking to everyone.

Lisa operating the fluid GORC booth. We had a great turnout and sold almost all our clothing.

Didn't have a picture of Jeff manning his custom-built bbq pit. But you get the idea. Send me some of the owner-operator in action. I'm hungry now just looking for images that attempt to capture the magnitude and flavor of his BBQ.

Bryan Adams, our fearless president, organized the race with DRJ and raced the SS class. I didn't have an image available yet.

Tandem Tank testing the limits of their fork on this course. It held together as I did not hear an explosion in the woods.

Mapmaker Ron in the SS class.

Marathon Larry on the Superfly SS.

Eric Pirtle and Chris Ploch pushing hard through the turns.

Other Galleries 'Out There'

http://www.reprehensible.net/~knoppj/GFelder/

http://s293.photobucket.com/albums/mm67/gsuter/2010%20Greensfelder/

http://stlbiking.smugmug.com/Sports/Cycling/Greensfelder-Mt-Bike-Race/12118130_vhgzQ#861353127_6cumk

http://www.drj-racing.com/files/GF2010_Pics/

The Course is Marked, GO RIDE IT!!!

2010-04-12T07:59:00.007-05:00

We got out and marked the course yesterday.
Starting from the Tower Parking Lot there
are yellow ribbons marking gates at every
intersection as shown above. If you don't see the
yellow ribbon after an intersecting trail, you're
probably on your way to being in the Screaming Eagle
cue. Ignore any blue ribbon you see out there.
Only follow the yellow ribbon gates.

We did make a small change based on how good the
trail conditions were. We will use more of the Declue
Extension even though the switchbacks are not
complete. There is one log that I will remove before
the race.

It will be a big advantage to go pre-ride the course
if you haven't been out there in awhile. Also, there are
several new sections that could use tires on them.

I had word of a 40'ish lap time and just a little over
8 miles by a local expert. That sounds like a solid
time to me.