Crowder Trail Conditions

Got out to Crowder today for my first ride of the season there. We did Tall Oaks counter clockwise, then continued on Tall Oaks to Northwest Passage, then counter clockwise on the South Thompson to Steep Creek, then back down Tall Oaks clockwise. Tall Oaks was firm throughout with small debris. The connectors and South Thompson had lots of leaves and medium to large debris and several trees topped over and crossing the trail. All but one tree that's down would be easily managed by a bow saw. There is a very large Oak across the trail on Steep Creek with an itch that only a chainsaw can truly scratch.

Not sure how the trail is on South Thompson on that short section between the connectors...

Maybe my cheese doesn't quite cover all of my cracker anymore, but is the boneyard on Tall Oaks not quite the monster it used to be? (To it's credit, there was at least one point bombing down the thing where I got a very close look at the back of my saddle )

I forgot to mention in the first post that there is a small tree on Tall Oaks on or near Dab-meister that is blocking the trail. (Not exactly sure if Dab-meister is a particular feature, or if it's just that whole climb -- also not exactly sure where Humpty Dumpty is except that it's on River Forks somewhere around the Stairway )

Hey Jeff, the "Bone Yard" has changed over the years as it seems to have widened a bit with more of a line on the right. Back in the day in the early 90's the line was straight over some serious rocks. That is the evolution of trails as they get more use and a race will develop lines about as quick as anything.

Dabmeister is the complete climb and I named it that back when I first started riding because when I was a newbie I couldn't make the whole climb without putting my foot down somewhere. At that time all we had was the Tall Oaks and River Forks and we poached "Red Bud". We actually would park at the Boy Scout area and ride in on Red Bud to start our ride. "Humpty Dumpty" is the stair downhill on the backside of "River Forks". So named as many a rider has gone over their handle bars on those steep stair drops before all the "sally lines appeared" to by-pass the steepest drops.

With the wet season that we are having following the dry last year, the trees are really stressed and many are falling as you are probably finding out at TH. The Thompsons are hard to maintain with access and also so many weeps that are active right now. The horses simply destroy that trail in a wet year if they can access it. I know those trails have been closed when it'w wet but there are some cowboys that either can't read or ignore the word closed and it is hard to enforce the closer unless someone sits over there in a truck all day.

Hope all your TH trail love is moving along. I'm sure you are feeling the pressure from the weather like we have at poosey.