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Friendly Llama
Mangled
Joined: Aug 04, 2003
Posts: 9,463
Location: Hamilton
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 Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 3:34pm Post subject: Ranting - Pleading - Thanking About Te Miro |
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I guess this post is kinda random, but today has given me plenty of time to think, and I just wanna get some things off my chest.
Today turned out to be one of the best saturdays I've had in a long while. After waking up remarkably hang over free, I made my way out to Te Miro for the dig day organised on this very site. For I think the first time in history I arrived on time, parking up in the eerily empty carpark at spot on ten o'clock. I waited and waited, and was finally joined by a T7 staff member (they may be reaming the industry, but at least they support the sport). We chatted away, a downhiller turned up for a few runs, and at 10.30 my digging companion disippeared with him to ride.
Now I can handle organising dig days and having only a few people turn up. Organising a dig day and ending up digging alone is demoralising, but I can deal with that. Today however, someone else had organised a dig day yet I was all on my lonesome to give the trails some loving. I'd hit a new low.
I considered just heading home, but thought I'd go and do a quick bit of maintenance first. I made my way over to the trails section of the forest, decided to quickly walk PD touching up where it needed, then focus my energy on the Native.
As I made my way down PD track (I guess its the Te Miro equivalent of 'Diamondback', only more down) with the Recloose cranking (Me? Plugging NZ music? Never...) I really wondered why I did this - putting in so much effort, only to have it ruined by moto's ripping up every corner (a big problem in the area - it IS a MTB only park). After spending nigh on an hour and only making it halfway down the PD track clearing countless ruts from corners I decided that I'd had enough. I started to make my way to the bottom of the trail, seriously contemplating if I'd ever return to finish my mammoth clean up mission. As I was about to pop out at the end of PD, I heard the ever-familiar rattle of drivetrains bumbling down the hill. Two young girls came tearing round a newly finished berm, with huge grins beaming from ear to ear. Seconds later the father came cruising through, and as he passed me he called out "Thats the first time my girls have ever been able to ride this whole trail, thankyou!". This tiny gesture, and the look on those girls faces changed my attitude completely. I finished up on the PD track (see pics below for carnage repair) and then made my way up to the native.
Now the Native had always remained moto free, as it has a few tight techy sections in a row that the moto's just couldn't get around. As I made my way up to the trailhead, I noticed moto prints were scattered accross the singletrack. As I got into the trail, itw as evident the moto's had been in there butchering the track, with plenty of ruts, mud pits, and genereal destruction visible. As I repaired and cleaned up further, I found out why. The moto's had cleared a second line, cutting about 100m off the track and linking up further on. After trying to block and cover this trail I returned to my fixing and clearing effort. After around about 5 hours of work I was making it back to the car with one and a half trails fixed up and so much nicer, I really felt like I'd achieved something with my day, and deserved the beer I knew was waiting at home. As I approached the car park, I heard that familar drone of the motocross bikes on the far side of the forest (where I'd just been fixing). I guess the battle continues, theres nothing more I can do than fix up their damage as it occurs.
So basically all I hope people get from this post is a few simple things:
- To all those who ride motorbikes, please stay off the singletrack (although I'd imagine any vorbers that also moto would have respect) and stick to the 4WD tracks.
- To all those track builders and trail clearers out there thank you for you endless efforts, you are the unsung heroes of our sport and you're what keep everyone elses pedals turning over.
- To all those in the Waikato area, PLEASE get out to Te Miro and ride as much as possible, the more ridden the trails are, the more the council will care about them, and the more support we will recieve in the fight against the Moto's. If you don't know where it is or where the trails are, get in touch with me and I'll sort you out, maybe even give a guided tour  . If you want to put in some hours digging, let me know and I'll try and organise some proper dig days. Also, if you're out tehre and spot motos try and get numberplates of the vehicles they come in and give them to me, or report them to the coucil.
To everyone else - I hope you managed to read all this without falling asleep, or at least skmmed through and found some good bits.
Thats all, from a tired, sunburnt, and yet satisfied trail-builder. Now back to those beers... 
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| Sorry, pxt photos suck, but this rut was about middle-thigh deep. |
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Logger
Wrecked
Joined: Jan 29, 2003
Posts: 5,342
Location: Christchurch
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 3:39pm Post subject: |
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Very interesting reading there dude. Good to see you are out there makng a difference 
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sifter
Moving forward
Joined: Nov 13, 2003
Posts: 10,794
Location: Wellington
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 3:39pm Post subject: |
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Holy parc, that's a big rut.
Good on ya Llama
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Friendly Llama
Mangled
Joined: Aug 04, 2003
Posts: 9,463
Location: Hamilton
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 3:41pm Post subject: |
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| sifter wrote: | Holy parc, that's a big rut.
Good on ya Llama |
Yeah, thats one of about 3 that were than bad, then there were about 5 half the size 
I didn't even have a spade - only a rake for my efforts 
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kuna
Flogged
Joined: May 16, 2005
Posts: 3,038
Location: wellingtopia
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 3:41pm Post subject: |
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Good stuff.
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fraserb
Fixed and Free ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fast and Easy
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Joined: Jun 05, 2003
Posts: 8,468
Location: tauranga. nz
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 3:45pm Post subject: |
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good effort Llama.
it is hard to get out and do the maintainance work but after you do feel good about it, and if a biker gives you a "thanks mate" or a "cheers dude" then it really does make it worth it.
even better if you are watching young nubile females bouncing down the track shreaking and grining from ear to ear
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Friendly Llama
Mangled
Joined: Aug 04, 2003
Posts: 9,463
Location: Hamilton
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 3:48pm Post subject: |
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| fraserb wrote: | good effort Llama.
it is hard to get out and do the maintainance work but after you do feel good about it, and if a biker gives you a "thanks mate" or a "cheers dude" then it really does make it worth it.
even better if you are watching young nubile females bouncing down the track shreaking and grining from ear to ear |
Dude - by young I mean like 7  Not even I'm taht bad
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Robbie
stonemason
Joined: Sep 07, 2004
Posts: 11,204
Location: Wellington
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 4:11pm Post subject: |
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Uber Llama
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Mel
Yo!
Joined: Mar 18, 2002
Posts: 3,590
Location: Hamiltron
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 4:43pm Post subject: |
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Good work Llama. It sucks that there is a continual battle with motos out there. Top marks to you.
I look forward to getting out there next year (first of all for riding, but if things work out I could help building), and eventually with my whole family.
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wachtourak
Mangled
Joined: Dec 09, 2002
Posts: 31,499
Location: Disassembling the captains chair
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 4:44pm Post subject: |
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Llama = My Hero 
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mundi
Wrecked
Joined: Feb 03, 2003
Posts: 4,149
Location: Canehdia!
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 4:51pm Post subject: |
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Well done that man!
I bet that beer went down a treat!
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Robbie
stonemason
Joined: Sep 07, 2004
Posts: 11,204
Location: Wellington
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 5:04pm Post subject: |
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I wonder if Moto traps can be installed? Perhaps something too narrow for a motorcycle go go through?
A sprung trapdoor dropping in a few meters into a row of spikes would also work..
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mikey
Wrecked
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Joined: May 11, 2005
Posts: 7,340
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 5:06pm Post subject: |
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Or a Gun.
A big gun, with a long range sight....then see if the kcirps can see where the shots are coming from! 
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whangarei_mtber
Scuffed
Joined: Jun 16, 2006
Posts: 272
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 5:11pm Post subject: |
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i think thats the longest story ive ever read but it was worth it. shot bro
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Death_Grip
Worn
Joined: Oct 28, 2005
Posts: 837
Location: h-town
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| Posted: Sat 30/Sep/06 5:18pm Post subject: |
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good job!
quite a long story
shot bro
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