Robbie wrote:Today we start JFK work party number 7!

Starting from 5 (although many people arrive at 6 or later) from the LOWER END of JFK, continuing to build this remarkable new track.

This means we will be working backwards along the track, towards the ridge.

There is no hurry, so we are aiming to build a track as close to 100% finished as we go.

We pack up just before dark, which is about 7:30.

Tools, gloves etc. and plenty of experienced advice all supplied for those who would like to have a go !

Be a part of a National Award winning enterprise

Cheers,

Rob

Makara Peak Tracks!!

Im going to try and make it after training.

w00t
bring your bike if you can

Here is a copy of the ongoing North Face Project blog on our own website: http://makarapeak.org/northface

JFK is the third of four tracks that make up the North Face Project..soon all 4 will be built, making about 3 kilometres of intermediate grade single track from the Summit...

A bunch of people emerged from suburbia to climb just above it really, and to extend the lower reaches of JFK to the ridge and slightly beyond.

This length of track is about 80% done, as it is needing a bit of widening and armouring, however it is showing all the signs of being a mint piece of riding.

As the little details get added (especially on the Grassy Knoll) JFK is getting a little longer: the current estimate is 650m of single track happiness.

A huge thank you to those 12 people who helped out digging, clearing and sculpting JFK tonight.. President Kennedy might have taken mankind to the moon, however we are pretty good and delivering people back down again.

Here are a few of the diggers, digging away near the ridge:



And the trusty spade is still the tool of choice for sculpting and packing down tracks!



Next Tuesday we shall return, working our way towards the Grassy Knoll....

Here be the map:



The verdict on JFK from a test rider (and digger) after riding this evening's work:

“This is good sh*t!!”

Sunday this weekend we are back to Smokin’ to armour it a little in the low spots, sculpt it a little here and there and make it perfecto !

Cheers,

Rob

Makara Peak Tracks !!

This Sunday takes us back to Smokin' which is a great sprint through the trees with 4 banked switchbacks.

Today's mission is to Perfect the track now that it has packed down and survived it's first winter.

- ensure no ruts are forming
- armour the softer parts with the local rocks
- make all the rolly bits "just right"
- refine the swings and flows for extra goodness
- tinkering with the last switchback to keep it nice and dry (without harming the berm)

And bring your bike!!

cheers

Rob

Makara Peak Tracks

Here is a copy of the blog, situated on our own web site:
http://makarapeak.org/northface?mode=Po ... bmi=454159

Go there and stay informed

Smokin was built on Tuesday evenings in March and April this year. It is a great blast through relatively open forest, with 4 bermed switchbacks, not much of a drop off the side at all, and a whole bunch of rollers.

Since then we had only been back once after winter, and the aim today was to fix all those little bits that were not quite right and change the last switchback’s ability to form a pool of water.

Cheers to Michelle who arrived with Luke, Henry and Zac for their first track building day. The guys built the berm while Mum collected rocks!! Also helping out were Owen, Ian and Rob. Legends all.

The 4th switchback was dug down in the middle, raised on the outside and re-aligned slightly to make it drier, higher and nicer to ride. Heaps of rock was grabbed from the valley nearby and packed into the berm with just a little dirt, and the exit lowered to ensure that it will drain properly. The slight realignment makes the exit easier and/or faster

Moving along, many roots that were starting to emerge from the track as it packs down. They were removed, and low points armoured to keep them nice and solid through next winter,

The track was given a proper side-slope here and there where a raised edge was forming to let any water out, and further along the grass was attacked to keep the track a reasonable width. Many roots and rocks were removed and the inside edges of many corners smoothed out, and leaf littler scraped off the track.

The photoze:

The lads standing on top of their construction, the all-new and improved bermed switchback number 4:



Here is the view approaching the corner:



And there is the exit, not too shabby..
Just beyond the tree on the left hand edge is a slight dip where the entire corner can drain. As it is on a straight riding line, the banked corner remains uncompromised and complete: loads of fun. I tested it at mild speed, Owen tried the supersonic approach. Both work!

On the outside of this corner lurk about 500 stinging nettle plants, so DO NOT go there....



And a little further along we swept this corner clean, revealing a nice banking for those inclined to use it..



The exit of that corner tended to get a bit soggy so it was raised and armoured with rocks. Which means hammering rocks into the surface until it is so solid that no more could be hammered!
They are the pale brown things visible on the surface of the track by the tree and beyond.. Fascinating.



Plenty of other work was done: removing stumps from near the track, ripping out roots from under the track, (and filling in the holes with yet more armouring), shaving the inner edge of turns to provide a bit more wobble room etc.

The photos were nearly as boring as this post, so here is a pic of some trimmed grass:



That sums up about 7 hours track tinkering! Smokin' is looking really good now, and it really is an excellent little track !

Tuesday night: it is lower JFK, see you there!

Cheers,

Rob

MAKARA PEAK TRACKS !!

Now with photos and extra sagacity..

Robbie wrote:This Sunday takes us back to Smokin' which is a great sprint through the trees with 4 banked switchbacks.

Today's mission is to Perfect the track now that it has packed down and survived it's first winter.

- ensure no ruts are forming
- armour the softer parts with the local rocks
- make all the rolly bits "just right"
- refine the swings and flows for extra goodness
- tinkering with the last switchback to keep it nice and dry (without harming the berm)

And bring your bike!!

cheers

Rob

Makara Peak Tracks

Should make the bermed switchbacks bigger haha

Should we now ?

I think the limit in riding these is balance not grip: so making them taller would not actually help the speed freaks....

Stumpy Ryder wrote:

Robbie wrote:This Sunday takes us back to Smokin' which is a great sprint through the trees with 4 banked switchbacks.

Today's mission is to Perfect the track now that it has packed down and survived it's first winter.

- ensure no ruts are forming
- armour the softer parts with the local rocks
- make all the rolly bits "just right"
- refine the swings and flows for extra goodness
- tinkering with the last switchback to keep it nice and dry (without harming the berm)

And bring your bike!!

cheers

Rob

Makara Peak Tracks

Should make the bermed switchbacks bigger haha

The first three switchbacks on Smokin', and now I assume, after Sunday's efforts, the last one too, are all ridable without brakes. You've just got to pick the right line

Possibly so.. however the penalty for error mid corner is immersion into a wall of stinging nettle, now merrily growing up trees as well.
I, for one, am not going in there to rescue anybody from there, unless their feet are still within safe reach!

Crashing on the exit would merely involve clobbering a tree. or two.

So, in the tradition of War and Peace (with fewer massacres) here is a copy of the latest blog from the makarapeak.org website:
http://makarapeak.org/northface?mode=Po ... bmi=455358

Sunny skies and little wind made this evening almost warm for those constructing the 3rd out of 4 tracks that form the North Face project.

SIXTEEN people spent a little time in the fresh air creating an all-weather track, rather than.. staying inside at home watching TV :-)

The track itself was extended about 30 metres uphill, with the lot of work also being done creating large flowy bits, alternate lines, rollers, and the banked turn on the ridge.

Here are some happy snaps.

Hell's Pizza arrives just after 6:30:



Here is the view heading towards the ridge...How many other Captial Cities can boast this, hmm ?



And the ridge itself: a nice, solid wide corner to rip around er ride sensibly though.



Following on from that corner, the track has a character much like this:



Except where large roly things with alternate lines have been sculpted.. like this!!



That photo does not do it justice, so next week I shall try harder.


And next week we are indeed back to JFK, Tuesday evenings from 5 until just before dark. Come along and lend a hand, do as little or as much as you like!

cheers

Rob

Makara Peak Tracks!

Jon and I thought about you this evening Robbie, about 6pm we thought we should quit clearing the overgrowth from Possum and come round to bludge your pizza. Sadly, our sense of duty prevailed and we kept working till after 7pm.

I'll ride yours and you can ride mine ... ? Looks like you've made a HEAP of progress since Martine came to inspect the work.

The lower 230-ish metres is quite ridable: not perfected, but still great fun! the top 75m is MINT.

The JFK track is not mine, I am merely the publicist

You and your team's work on Possum, Nikau and Leaping Lizard has been awesome

mtb obsessed wrote:

Stumpy Ryder wrote:

Robbie wrote:This Sunday takes us back to Smokin' which is a great sprint through the trees with 4 banked switchbacks.

Today's mission is to Perfect the track now that it has packed down and survived it's first winter.

- ensure no ruts are forming
- armour the softer parts with the local rocks
- make all the rolly bits "just right"
- refine the swings and flows for extra goodness
- tinkering with the last switchback to keep it nice and dry (without harming the berm)

And bring your bike!!

cheers

Rob

Makara Peak Tracks

Should make the bermed switchbacks bigger haha

The first three switchbacks on Smokin', and now I assume, after Sunday's efforts, the last one too, are all ridable without brakes. You've just got to pick the right line

ok then. I was just saying that we should make em bigger for the looks you know haha.

We could build up the exit of the first one, however it would not ride much differently. It would look bigger for sure