Glenrock Trail Alliance

Thats good news for us XC and the jumpers sorry DH you will find somthing

The POM does state that the NPWS will help find off park alternatives though, so we just need to make sure they are kept onside, who knows it might open up more singlevtrsil elsewhere as well.

It'll be interesting to see how NPWS go about trail closures and keeping people off certain areas when it finally goes through.

The thing is, the NPWS have made it clear that the door is not closed for the potential of getting access in those areas in the future.

In a sense it's in ou best interest to observe the closures.

I agree. I'm just keen to see how they go about closing the trails.

I can imagine some might be ripped up with a machine and rehab (eg the DH stuff)?

I suspect anything less and it will be a continuous battle with people trying to open them back up.

I'm hoping that isn't the case for anything where we might one day regain access, however how do you keep people out?

probably just cover over with branches and leaf litter. Maybe take to some parts with a mattock, but I doubt they will use machinery.

I just can't help thinking the DH stuff will be opened up again the next day if that's all they do.

It will be closed with machinery. NPWS method is to rip up the ground to encourage growth.

We have been told there is considerable funding for mb trails (Inc signage) in the next 12 months and some of that money is going to a mini excavator. It's inten is for trail building, but I am sure it will be used for closing as well.

That all sounds pretty positive to me.

Actually what is NPWS master plan for trail building?

I can't seriously see us ever bringing the whole trail network up to spec with the resources we've got at the moment. We've been chipping away at BJ's for months and still going. Shaft, Snakes and Ladders, Jumping the Gun all probably require a similar amount of work.

There seems to be a bucketload to do and GTA can only do so much. I kind of think we're more suited to maintenance work/tweaking with the occasional bigger (supported) project thrown in. A lot of the work seems slow too because we are trying to fix existing bad designs rather than creating something good from scratch.

Also got to recognise that the leadership of GTA is heavily concentrated onto a couple of individuals and not quite fair to expect a couple of volunteers to take on the responsibility of managing the entire trail network.

that things speed up a bit with the arrival of the machine and a bit more effort on NPWS's part. The trail designs are pretty well covered in the World Trail report (Glen Jacobs) but we will continue to have input and tweak the designs as much as we can.

Today I went XC riding on the Southern Side of Glenrock. I rode log on/log off, little borneo, Dudley do-rights, bus stop, and other single trails in Glenrock also.
This is such a beautiful and great riding location it seems a shame that once the Glenrock POM is signed off on, this area will be a NO GO MTB ZONE.
Will NPWS, close down these trails with logs or machinery ?, or do they believe ONCE SIGN POSTED mtb riders will abide by the rules.
How are they going to enforce this policy of a No Go Zone ?, because this is such a popular section of Glenrock with the XC community and if the XC GUYS continue to ride over in this area, will they be the new bad guys instead of the DH riders.
Does anyone have some idea as to when this AREA of Glenrock is off limits, and what are some of your thoughts about these trail closures.

As far as I know they will be machine closed.

I'm not happy with the loss of these trails but it has been made clear that the door is not closed for the future. Part of the local NPWS putting in the POM what they did was an understanding that there was a limit to what they could push through the POM process without the whole lot being removed. For what's a very contentious issue in the NPWS we have ended up with a lot n

Remember we can revisit the POM in a few years and if we make the norh work we are in with a shot for the south. Ignore the rules and open up closed trails and we could feasibly undo all we have acheived.

No one is happy with loosing the south, but we almost lost a lot more.

To add to the above to put it in context. Speak to other mtb fouls dealing with the NPWS elsewhere and they would give everything for the outcome we have achieved. Be patient and we can start the fight for what we have lost.

Maybe to put a positive slant on it, if they do remove the trails completely at least we'll be working with a blank canvas if we are let back in there.

I'm kind of hoping these trails are lowest on the list of priorities and something might eventuate before they get around to removing them.

Last time I rode it Log On was in pretty bad shape so not sure if it would be worth the effort to try and save it. Two of the corners are getting out of control on Bus Stop but can't think of much else.

It has to be signed off and gazetted then put into action.

Along the way, if we are still seen as doing the right thing elsewhere in Glenrock, I think there will be chances to put up a case and negotiate to keep some trails.

It's not a given but we've come a long way.
NPWS are happy with our work so far as long as we continue to impress them with our co-operation and the work we do then it's more likely we can move on to other things, be that 'gravity' trails with more features or retaining more trail in the network.