Track Crew News - September 2009

Lots going on, with three new tracks holing through in the last few weeks.

The old Switch Backs hill has a new down hill called Deb’s track (Grade 3) and includes an up hill single track to the bottom of 60 Km hill. Its still soft but will pack down with more riders checking it out. A new single track returning to the top of the Grinder is in the pipeline.

While you are in the area rip back up 60 Km hill then down Coles Killer which now joins onto the Buzzard just before Missing Link which means you get one big long down hill to the Connection. It’s a Grade 5 so take it easy on the first run down.

The new traverse track in Walters Wiggles is open all the way as well. We don’t want the old track open as it’s the way the horse’s get onto the tracks. So whoever is shifting the branches we are putting across the track can you please leave them.

The Contact boys have been chipping away at the new Kegresse track to make it flow better. The track winds and wriggles its way from the end of Bubble Bee to Outwards Goods, in and out of some very narrow gullies it’s about 2.7 kms long. It’s a grade 4 track and pretty techy.

Each of these tracks have been build with one or two guys on each track working away by themselves in weekends and after work. This is an amassing amount of work when you think it’s all been done over the last 12 mouths. So when you are ripping around up and down tracks think of those guys, with out them you would be riding on gravel roads.

With the help of Wairakei Resort we have been able to upgrade the track that runs alongside the road past the Honey center taking out the killer hill and blackberry. Signage is still to come but It will lead into the back of the Hotel and then around the back beside the hot water stream. It will allow people to ride from the Hotel off road and for those that know the route to go off road all the way around Aratiatia. The track will be named The Hotel Track and will starting at the intersection on the tunnel track.

With DoC we have started upgrading the Kawakawa Bay track. The grades will be more like W2K so the whole track is able to be ridden but at the same time we are hoping we can retain the character of the track going through the rock areas and the stream crossings.

Big thanks to the people who came and helped Marshal the Tough Guy in Rotoura and also to those who are helping with the half marathon, then also put their hands up to help on the Day Nighter. All the funds we receive from Marshaling go into track maintenance and without it we would not be able to build the new tracks and keep up with the weeds.

The Track Crew

Track of the month:
Deb’s Track