PORC

[Deluxe]

Frozen and cold. Poorly planned but well-executed ride last night. Trails can be ridden with or without studs. Just watch the speeds on downhills. Tire ruts are frozen and ice is concealed by powdery snow, but it's staring to get packed down a bit for tires to grip.

[Deluxe]

Still frozen. Shit riding hardtail or ss with or without studs. Best bet is actually full suspension geared. Weekend may warm things up.

[Deluxe]

North Ridge Bypass tonight: trees and branches down on the trail everywhere (not a good place for derailleurs) and a nice set of what appear to be mountain lion tracks on the climb up - about the size of a big fist. Ride in pairs - if it is a mountain lion, you don't have to outrun it -- just your wingman. If I can upload cell phone pics tomorrow, maybe someone who knows more about this stuff can give a positive i.d.

[Deluxe]

So I've been drawing some heat for being a steward and not posting ride reports. So I guess I'll continue this thread...

Two big trees with multiple limbs down on the Hemlock trail below the pool. Pool area is otherwise clear with the exception of a few smaller logs you can hop.

Lots of garbage stuff (old pines and vines) down on North Ridge Bypass. Lots of spoke grabbers on North Ridge itself. One big one down almost immediately as you climb up Ridge from the Spillway lot.

Koto Buki is clear but sloppy.

I don't know status of Climb from rink up North Ridge, or West Ridge opposite Koto Buki, or Kummer/Golf course/Back 9 or mulch pile areas. Any info is appreciated. Big trees should be cleared this weekend to keep the flow.

Otherwise, trails look typical for NP this time of year: perma-frost punctuated by slop.

[Gregg3333]

The trails by the golf course were clear when I was up there about two days ago.

[Deluxe]

Awesome Gregg - thanks for the scouting report - that'll help us save some time. See you out there.

[gearhead313]

North Ridge Bypass tonight: trees and branches down on the trail everywhere (not a good place for derailleurs) and a nice set of what appear to be mountain lion tracks on the climb up - about the size of a big fist. Ride in pairs - if it is a mountain lion, you don't have to outrun it -- just your wingman. If I can upload cell phone pics tomorrow, maybe someone who knows more about this stuff can give a positive i.d.

i've always wanted a pet mountain lion!


Seriously though, that would be pretty wild to see while riding through.

[Deluxe]

Dude you have to see this pics. I suppose I don't have clearance to upload but I will leave them with Scholl at the West View shop. Apparently some guy he knows hunted these things in Montana. He may be able to figure it out. Check it mon - the entire stride from lead to trailing paw was the length of my bike - 67 inches. If it's not a cat, it's one bad ace hounddog. And it left a real big and esepcially hairy turd nearby too...which means it could also be Spurk or Biber.

[Intense1]

An adult mtn lion track is about 4 inches long and looks like this. Claws are retractable and usually aren't seen in the print unless they are running.

They primarily eat deer, as many as one per week, and can have a range as large as 175 miles. Last year there was allegedly one videotaped north of Sarver and another was "allegedly" photographed near Saxonburg last week. Well within 175 miles from NP.

[pratt]

I took this photo in Frick last spring

[pghmtb]

[Deluxe]

Small children...or ride with someone slower than you! My buddy always asks why the chamois butter I let him borrow smells like bacon lard. Seriously, the southern side of North Park is so well-traversed that if it was a mountain lion, someone would have had to seen it. Still bringing the photos into Scholl's budddy though. Dog, cat or pervert in the woods, they are still impressive size.

[pghmtb]

All joking aside, the chances of it being a mountain lion are extremely slim. Someone else stated that an animal print in mud is much larger. This is very true and even more so than I thought. After I read that, I happen to notice the prints my dogs were making in the mud and they look huge compared to their actual paws. They dobes are just around 60 lbs (11 months old). They have a huge stride when they run.



You never know though. Some joker could be keeping one as a pet and had it get loose or something.

[Deluxe]

Those are real handsome critters ye got there. Do I know you? I remember talking with some dude about his 2 dobermans recently, but I can't remember where or when.

MANDY:
A balm? What are you giving him a balm for? It might bite him.
WISE MAN #3:
What?
MANDY:
That's a dangerous animal. Quick! Throw it in the trough.
WISE MAN #1:
No, it isn't.
MANDY:
Yes, it is. It's great, big mmm...
WISE MAN #3:
No, no, no. It is an ointment.
MANDY:
Aww, there is an animal called a balm,...or did I dream it?

[pghmtb]

Those are real handsome critters ye got there. Do I know you? I remember talking with some dude about his 2 dobermans recently, but I can't remember where or when.

Don't think it was me. Although, I do talk about them a lot.

[Deluxe]

Feet pics are at Scholl's in Warrendale. He thinks its just a big coyote. I will take his word for it since he hunts quite a bit and the only thing I have ever shot at was a chipmunk and some pop up targets at Ft. Dix. Mountain lion warning is thus cancelled. Don Schmitt will take all the signs down....haha.

[Deluxe]

Don Schmitt and I got a bit of a jump on the North Ridge work day #2 and cleared the 2 large trees blocking the Hemlock Trail (a/k/a Denny's trail a/k/a Gnome Trail) below the pool area, as well as the double-trunker blocking the climb up Ridge from the Lagoon. North Ridge Bypass is reportedly clear also. If folks can keep off the new stuff up there by the Lodge until things dry out a bit, that would be good. Like everywhere else in the Park, things are still sloppy. Happy Trails.

[Deluxe]

Actually not terribly bad but still some intermittent slop throughout the entire Park system. It just depends on where the water is draining or pooling. Probably all frozen now though until weekend. Friday will be 50s and it will get messy. No cougars, unless you are looking for old ladies with babushkas. In that event, use spandex discreetly.

As an aside please also avoid the middle Latodami trail (trail with bridges and botanical markers). This is hikers only. If you need help locating the outer loop that takes you above the braille trail along the fields and then back down to Brown Road at the entrance to Latodami, do not hesitate to call or PM (this trail is much more fun anyway). Mountain biking access in Latodami is tenuous until a summit can be had with the naturalist and parks director this spring. Continued violations may result in loss of good will and a complete ban on bikes in all parts of Latodami. If you do not know the Latodami boundaries or its trails, please call or PM any of your North Park Stewards or check with Meg Scanlon (she can be reached through the park admin or at Latodami.org). Vielen Danke!

[shep29]

Rode the entire pool area system this afternoon, trails were in great shape. I could count the muddy areas on one hand...

[coolhand]

rode the back nine today. and here is my report. horses horses horses, completely destroyed the whole entire trail. the worst cobble stone road in the city is smoother than this trail people. so i have a question how can we fix it now?