Best $2K spent on a short trail

[Frankly]

OK I have a quarter mile wooded loop in Upstate NY with only two sections of about 8' elevation gain/loss. I cut it last year with a Bobcat and chainsaw. Right now it is half muddy clay, it has been raining for three weeks. But ultimately, come July, it should be dried out.

Say I have a $2000 budget. A Bobcat or small backhoe costs about $500/day to rent. It's wooded so I probably can't get a dump truck to dump any significant fill. What is the best way to spend $2000 on improving this trail and making it more exciting and fun to ride? I don't want Northshore style wooden ramps or anything death defying but I would like to find some moderate air or something to jazz things up.

I'd prefer using earth rather then wood but I've never really moved any earth around and don't know how much/long it would take to do something modest like a 4' hammerhead?

I don't really see how to push enough dirt with the Bobcat to build up a berm.

I don't want to rent a real bulldozer but maybe a good operator and small dozer would be more efficient for what? I don't even know what it should cost?

Ideally for MTB, also for XC skiing and snowshoeing.

Here's some pix to illustrate the lay of the land.

 

[Josh Matta]

why did you clear it with it with a bob cat at first?

no one clear backyard MTB trails with machinery...for good reason...

 

[Frankly]

Well... you're right, it was déclassé. I had a more rustic primitive trail for years prior but 1/3 of the length is lined with blackberries and I needed to clear them out or I'd be perpetually bloodied. I wanted 5-6 feet wide of clearance.

And operating a Bobcat is a helluvalot of fun. Never run one on "nice" landscaping but damn if I didn't get into it.

I guess I could have sprayed Round Up on em? ;-p

 

[Tom K.]

If you're serious about learning about mtb trail building techniques, I think IMBA offers classes/clinics on exactly that topic.

 

[Frankly]

I know, but it's not exactly a normal bike trail. Must be repugnant for the pure hearted. Sorry to assault your eyeballs.

 

[scott43]

I dunno..if I had access to a bobcat, I might do the same thing!! Way less work!!! Try building a table-top with hand shovels...

 

[Josh Matta]

If your goal was mud pit you have accomplished it.

you could have easily cut back the berries bushes far enough it would be a couple year before they were in the way.

now I say the best 2k spent is to get some pavers and plant some grass along the side.

 

[Frankly]

Josh, let's ignore each other, goodbye

 

[Josh Matta]

you do not like the idea of pavers and grass seed?

 

[Frankly]

Hardly spent any money in the end, threw some dirt and gravel down where needed, cut some drainage with a shovel, made some easy berms and small jumps, mowed it and rode it. Mostly just me and my shovel. Quarter mile, ride it clockwise and then counter, it has enough turns and even some climbs to keep it interesting. Maybe I can build up the berms next season.... I have a couple spots where I could put some optional hammerheads with straight run ins and outs to build later on, like when I'm 60.

It was pretty disheartening after the wettest Spring in years, plus a storm that knocked over three 50'-plus trees. But now it drains and drys up quickly, and while April and May could still be dicey depending on precipitation, I think it's good for most of the year. Clearing and cleaning things up also reduced the number of bugs to a livable level.

Not that it is so technical that I'm wiping out on it but it is nice and wide enough that if I did tumble I won't be impaling myself (like I saw one guy do, once and forever).

Now it's also an airgun range and Nordic loop so thoughts of biathlon are percolating.... I even spread stone over the target and shooting bench areas, spread chips from downed trees at the entrance, cleaned up the range from the photo from last Fall below.

 

[Monique]

Very cool! My proposal to build a pump track in our (nowhere near big enough) back yard have thus far been rejected.

 

[Frankly]

Very cool! My proposal to build a pump track in our (nowhere near big enough) back yard have thus far been rejected.

I've watched a lot of pump track building videos but getting rid of the water seems to be the hardest part... unless you buy a lot of dirt. I would love to to as well, I could probably fit it inside the trail loop.

 

[Monique]

I've watched a lot of pump track building videos but getting rid of the water seems to be the hardest part... unless you buy a lot of dirt. I would love to to as well, I could probably fit it inside the trail loop.

I mean, let's be honest. I'd start it, get distracted, and end up with a giant mud pit so that our dogs would never be clean again.

My husband is right to veto =/

 

[Frankly]

Spent the trail budget on a new bike. Nothing fancy but it's the first mid-fat I've ridden and I love it, lots of fun, to me I'm floating while rolling faster. (Base model Specialized Fuse 6 Fattie) (Supported my local small town bike shop.)

Only thing is now I'm thinking about lights.... hmmm

It's more gnarly around the corner, sheer cliffs, giant roots, huge wooden ramps, etc.

 

[crgildart]

I built a couple BMX tracks in my days with birms., whoopdedoos, and pit jumps (dig pit and pile the dirt in front of it for the jump). No doubt a bobcat would have helped pushing piles of dirt, but ten 8-15 year old kids with shovels gets it done in a week or so..