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mtbrat
Huge Tracts of Land
Joined: Feb 13, 2003
Posts: 13,489
Location: Shaven Haven
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 Posted: Sat 2/Aug/08 10:51am Post subject: |
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We have had 287mms of rain in the last week and a half and we have gotten off extremely lightly (touching wood).
Lisa and I have just walked through the tracks and huge kudos to the builders as I am stunned to report that there is no damage and apart from the 3 month old stuff which is slightly boggy, the rest of the trail is rideable. Not that we would though. 
The valley floor is a new lake, particularly around the Black Tulip.
The current waterfalls are going nuts and there are 4 new rivers coming off the big hill side.
On a sad note, one of our neighbours has about a 50m across and 100m down slip and the other one has lost a heap of their drive.
The main road was blocked by that slip that didn't affect our access. Fulton Hogan came to the rescue there.
A second slip took out the road everyone uses, but we cleared that. Fulton Hogan will save that too when they fix up the slips on Dyers Pass.
I am also astounded that our dodgey drive is fine, although we have just gotten a roading contracter to come and look at that today.
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Percy Pig
Mangled
Joined: May 03, 2002
Posts: 22,792
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| Posted: Sat 2/Aug/08 6:26pm Post subject: |
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| mtbrat wrote: | We have had 287mms of rain in the last week and a half and we have gotten off extremely lightly (touching wood).
Lisa and I have just walked through the tracks and huge kudos to the builders as I am stunned to report that there is no damage and apart from the 3 month old stuff which is slightly boggy, the rest of the trail is rideable. Not that we would though.
The valley floor is a new lake, particularly around the Black Tulip.
The current waterfalls are going nuts and there are 4 new rivers coming off the big hill side.
On a sad note, one of our neighbours has about a 50m across and 100m down slip and the other one has lost a heap of their drive.
The main road was blocked by that slip that didn't affect our access. Fulton Hogan came to the rescue there.
A second slip took out the road everyone uses, but we cleared that. Fulton Hogan will save that too when they fix up the slips on Dyers Pass.
I am also astounded that our dodgey drive is fine, although we have just gotten a roading contracter to come and look at that today.
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Sweet! 
Thats good news, apart from the neighbours slips that is.
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inzane
Wrecked
Joined: Feb 23, 2005
Posts: 6,642
Location: churchur
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| Posted: Sat 2/Aug/08 6:29pm Post subject: |
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Good to hear the tracks are holding up so well!!
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Mtb_Babe
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Posts: 1,414
Location: haven slavin'
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| Posted: Fri 8/Aug/08 5:02pm Post subject: |
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Sorry everyone but due to the winter rain and mud we are postponing the track building again until Saturday 16th August.
Here's hoping that the weather holds out for us.
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Mtb_Babe
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Posts: 1,414
Location: haven slavin'
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| Posted: Sat 9/Aug/08 8:29am Post subject: |
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Well, calling off the dig day was a good plan. It has snowed up on the hills overnight and we have intermittent showers of rain, hail and snow here at present.
With windchill, it is -0.9 degrees outside. 
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Percy Pig
Mangled
Joined: May 03, 2002
Posts: 22,792
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| Posted: Sat 9/Aug/08 9:53am Post subject: |
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| Mtb_Babe wrote: | Well, calling off the dig day was a good plan. It has snowed up on the hills overnight and we have intermittent showers of rain, hail and snow here at present.
With windchill, it is -0.9 degrees outside. |
Yoiks! 
Its even snowed over here in the burbs.
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Mtb_Babe
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Posts: 1,414
Location: haven slavin'
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| Posted: Sat 9/Aug/08 10:04am Post subject: |
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it's snowing pretty heavily now...
great fun when you are indoors in the heat watching it..
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Mtb_Babe
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Posts: 1,414
Location: haven slavin'
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| Posted: Sat 16/Aug/08 7:16am Post subject: |
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Well finally!!!!!
Yes everyone, the dig day is ON! 
See you out here from 9am onwards (and if you are very lucky, there might even be some cake available...)
The ground is good for walking and nice and soft for digging so lets make the most of it before the rain hits again!
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mtbrat
Huge Tracts of Land
Joined: Feb 13, 2003
Posts: 13,489
Location: Shaven Haven
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| Posted: Fri 29/Aug/08 8:19am Post subject: |
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| Mtb_Babe in the Haven forum wrote: | | Yippee, Trees for Canterbury have given us another 100 plants. Now we just need to pick them up and get some willing workers to help plant them... |
yFy for Trees for Canterbury 
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Mtb_Babe
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Posts: 1,414
Location: haven slavin'
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| Posted: Sat 30/Aug/08 5:55pm Post subject: |
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Next track building day is Saturday 13th September. Hope the weather behaves...
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Mtb_Babe
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Posts: 1,414
Location: haven slavin'
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| Posted: Sun 7/Sep/08 12:46pm Post subject: |
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Hi all,
A reminder about the dig day on Saturday Sept 13th. At this stage, it looks like the weather will be good. I will update you as we get closer.
The tracks have held up really well with all the wet weather and now is perfect digging weather as the ground is nice and soft.
So book the 13th sept in your calendar and we will see you out here.
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mtbrat
Huge Tracts of Land
Joined: Feb 13, 2003
Posts: 13,489
Location: Shaven Haven
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| Posted: Tue 9/Sep/08 7:18pm Post subject: |
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bump
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Mtb_Babe
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Posts: 1,414
Location: haven slavin'
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| Posted: Fri 12/Sep/08 6:28pm Post subject: |
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OK, we are definitely on for tomorrow. Conditions look perfect (ie: not raining!)
See y'all out here from 9am onwards for some good ol'fashioned track lovin'
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Mtb_Babe
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Posts: 1,414
Location: haven slavin'
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| Posted: Sat 13/Sep/08 5:28pm Post subject: |
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Awesome days work today. Zane's corner and the stretch leading up to it looks fantastic and there was heaps of progress made roughcutting towards the 4WD track with possibly only 50m left to go. It all looks amazing and there should be some more great trackbuilding days coming up benching out this area.
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Mtb_Babe
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Posts: 1,414
Location: haven slavin'
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| Posted: Tue 23/Sep/08 11:04am Post subject: |
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Here is the journal entry for the last dig day at haven... (courtesy of Zane)
13 September 2008.
The day dawned a bit cool and overcast, with the clouds hugging the top
of the Port Hills. It definitely did not look like a great day for
riding the trails, but it was perfect for a spot of track building.
Slim, Michelle, Pete and I turned up, signed in and grabbed tools.
Shailer and Alister were already out at the far end working on
connecting the loop to the 4wd track. Our little crew got stuck into
putting the finishing touches on the last corner and link to make the
first loop complete. Simon turned up soon after we got there, with Kim
and Percy coming along a little later. There was much digging, shifting
and careful placing of rocks to create a track in the rocky hillside.
Because we were trying to build across a steep face that had bedrock
barely below the surface the builders had to create a track surface by
careful placement of some rocks, and by brute strength bashing our way
through other rocks. A curved wall for the turning platform to send you
around the loop was also carefully built with rocks. A scoop was dug out
of the bank above this wall to make the turning platform wide enough and
the dirt filled up behind rock wall raised the track level to create a
rideable switchback. The condition of the soil was perfect for working
with. Just damp enough to stick together and able to be compacted
nicely, while being dry enough to dig and shift easily. There was still
some bedrock sticking out of the scoop which will make the turn very
tight at the moment. This needs some attention with a cold chisel, rock
drill or some dynamite... and then we should be able to ride circuits to
our hearts content!
As always there was a wonderful sense of achievement when you see the
piece of trail you have helped shape at the end of the day, and knowing
that this was the last connection to make the loop made this even
sweeter! Next time I will take my bike out and start wearing the track
in by doing some laps!!
Until next time
Zane
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