Bruce Ridge a.k.a O'connor Ridge Official Thread

[Lanky Love]

Ross, went out to O'connor Ridge this morning, noticed alot of the log crossings that were a bit dodgy had been fixed up makinging them a lot more rideable. Im assuming this was done by you, you've done a great job, nothing over the top, just like it should be there.

 

['Ross]

Nah I haven't touched the log crossings, although yes someone put some fair effort into them.

I went for a quick ride with my Dad in the arvo after not riding for a week or so, the place seemed dustier than ever Every corner was soft gravel and pretty nasty really. I predict that if there is no intervention by the end of the year the place will really start to degrade badly.

 

[FR Drew]

Hmm. Sounds like it's in their too-hard basket and has been for many years now. Makes it hard to know how they really feel. If it wasn't for this forum I'd have no idea about any of this!

Certainly we have the impression that authorities would much rather be able to say "don't do it" and have the problem magically go away.

Obviously this is not happening. There are a large number of casual mountain bikers in the ACT, the "cyclists on formed roads" signs are ambiguous because it could be argued that an obviously constructed bike track is a "formed road". The street directories and even plans of the nature parks showing equestrian trails indicate that there are multi use (including bike) trails in the nature parks.

A complete re-think and a consistent and clear strategy is required.

At present, not only is there non-compliance, but the message that is supposed to be complied with is exceedingly fuzzy.

We're working on it, the problem is that it's not at the top of the list for Parks management and, given that we have other trails to look after, develop and protect such as Sparrow, Majura etc it's not first cab off the rank for the CORC trails folks either.

The work that Ross has been doing helps a lot as it indicates that riders are responsible and care about their impact, but it's still tweaking the edges of an illegal trail network. We are working on it and there is a willingness to deal with it from both the CORC and the PC&L end of things, it's just that resources are limited on both sides.

Head in the sand, sticking things in the too hard basket and putting up with the status quo doesn't help anyone terribly much.

Trust me, it's high on the "to do" list and things will progress once the World Champs is out of the way.

 

[Ezreal2001]

Obviously this is not happening. There are a large number of casual mountain bikers in the ACT, the "cyclists on formed roads" signs are ambiguous because it could be argued that an obviously constructed bike track is a "formed road".

And on that note, is there an actual, gazetted, definition of what a formed road is in the ACT? My gut says fire trail or better, but I can't find anything on the ACT gov site, other than out of date maps which indicate bike trails that I don't think are legal any more, and my wife likes to point out some parts of the army cheerfully define a minimum for a formed road as something involving a pair of wheel ruts

 

[WildWassa]

Any named road on a map is a gazzetted road. That is the definition of a road here ... more than the simple definition of a two wheeled vehicular track.

Page 98 of the Territory and Municilal Services ACT Road Rules Handbook.

"There are no roads in the ACT from which cyclists are excluded."

National Parks excluding cyclists from wilderness areas in the ACT if the cyclist remains on a road, is an illegal act by the National Parks.

I politely questioned two Rangers three weeks ago when I wanted to ride in the wilderness of Namadgi about this very issue. They let me go on my way, and even told me which walking track to take because they were totally confused, when I told them what the Territory Law was. I asked them to show me where the Territory Law had changed and asked when had it changed. Neither Ranger could do this.

One Ranger had no idea what the Territory Law was nor even knew what the National Parks false ruling was. One of the Rangers said after her colleague attempted to control of the situation, "I would like to stay and hear this because I'm new and still learning about things." Well fair enough.

I should send her some 'L' plates, the ones issued by the ACT Municipal Services.

Warren.

 

[Slowpoke]

The law may have changed but until recently, I understand that in NSW, you were/are only allowed to drink alcohol at a restaurant as long as you intend to dine, otherwise the licensee was in breach of their liquor licence.

So to, when riding on the Ridge, one should always be intending to find the official trail. It is an unfortunate fact that one can get lost and caught on the unofficial trail network due to the lack of signage at the entry points. I think they may have been bulldozed in the construction of the GDE on the Western side. I am not sure I have ever seen them on the other side.

 

[niftydog]

...due to the lack of signage at the entry points. I think they may have been bulldozed...

There's several entry points along the bike path on the eastern side that have been in place for decades - not a single sign anywhere. Not even remnants of old or vandalised signs.

 

[WildWassa]

The Anaconda track on O'Connor ridge ... I found listed on a US site.

http://trails.mtbr.com/cat/trails-a...cific-australia/trail/PRD_348467_4515crx.aspx


Warren.

 

[triples]

I have most of the single track plotted out on the gps. When I get time I will download it over a map.
Also watch out for horse riders, office workers from CIT walking during lunch time etc.

 

[ratchit]

Like a lot of the people who've posted, I live about 2 mins away from O'Connor's as well.

I think it's up to people like us to follow Ross's terrific example and when we go out there, just do 5 mins work during your 30-60 min ride and block off some of those newly forming tracks that are going straight down the hill allowing erosion ruts to form, move some logs so detour routes don't form, improve rollovers etc etc.

While the trails are still "illegal", it's up to people like those who are posting on this forum who give a sh!t about O'Connor's, to try and improve and maintain what's there when we can. It's currently the only way it'll happen.

By the way, with one or two exceptions during three or so years of riding there, my experiences with walkers have only been positive. Be nice and say g'day if you have time. It goes a long way.

 

[WildWassa]

When I was a kid, I used to go to the old quarry on Black Mountain (there wasn't a barbed wire fence then) and I'd dig the greasy orange clay while keeping an eye out for the Eastern Brown Snakes that slept under boulders in the quarry and then I'd go into the gullies on O'Connor ridge and look for the sandiest loams that I could find. I'd carry the dirt home and mix the clay with the silts and clays and make sculptures. I still make clay sculptures. I still like riding my bike on O'Connor ridge. It is 40 years later now.

You can block off the trails as much as you like, but there will always be some little kid that you are trying to turn into another compliant grey suit ... that will jump your obstructions to find his own way, up there on the ridge.

I can remember when the police in Civic told me not to go up the mountain because the "Abos" would eat me if they caught me. I still rode my bike up there to get clay, even after the Official's scared me witless when I was about 9 or 10 ... about being winnowed by those "black fella cannibals."

I certainly don't appreciate seeing the mammalian trails being blocked off on the ridge, even if it is only by a 15 cm high barrier. We aren't the only creatures that use the mountain or have and make trails. The more we make these tracks into trails with the prissy little fallen timber borders, the more we change the natural bush.

I like and ride O'Connor ridge ... so stop tampering with it, who ever you are.

Trails are being bordered just because it is a track with a sweeping change of direction. It appears to be a mentality of "let's anticipate someone possibly making a new track." With all of the prissy little borders being made up on the ridge nowadays, there is less and less that looks natural.

If anyone wants a photo exopse' ... I can flood this thread with shots of the prissy little track borders that someone is building, just after only a short ride, or if it interests you, please join me. It could be walkers who are over reacting ... and maybe it is? But who ever it is they should just f'off and stop changing the ridge.

They closed Cockington Green, well Oh how sad? ... but if you are reading here and you are the vandal building the borders? ... go and start your own little garden paths with their own prissy little edges ... leave the ridge alone!

Warren.

 

[niftydog]

The Ridge got hammered in those winds last week - trees down all over the place. I pulled quite a few of the smaller branches off the trails on Tuesday night, but there's one big-ass tree down at a junction that would probably need a chainsaw and a couple of blokes to deal with.

Anyone got a chainsaw? I can lift heavy stuff!
Not this weekend, obviously.

 

[ratchit]

If it's the one I think you're talking about Niftydog, looks like the trail fairies have got to it already.

Wildwassa, do you think those sticks you're talking about are intentional "trail borders" or people just moving crap out of the way?

 

[WildWassa]

ratchit, G'day Mate. Yes, I do think that they are intentional borders being made.

There is a big difference in fallen timbers being removed from the track, like in these two shots below, that I took a couple of weeks ago. This ambience and look and is very fitting.

This afternoon if I can finish work with enough daylight left for photography, I'll go and photograph these man made borders. You'll certainly have no doubt then, about how the bush has been changed by someone, to feel like we're now riding in a semi-formal park. More than just a place with just a few signs intruding. I'd like to see all of the tacky and useless signs removed, as well.

Have you seen the new signs at Stromlo ... about how to ride a bike? ... they are really the start of the demise in this Nanny State.

Warren.

 

[triples]

Didn't someone say that he was putting up the sticks/logs to block of the useless tracks that lead to know where to allow the vegitation to regrow.

 

[WildWassa]

Triples it is more than that. Some one is vandalising the ridge, not just closing off shortcuts. Some of the trails that I've seen closed aren't from bike damage. Some idiot is closing the animal trails ... mistaking mammalian trails for possible bike shortcuts.

Warren.

 

[niftydog]

If it's the one I think you're talking about Niftydog, looks like the trail fairies have got to it already.

We might be talking about different trees - rode past the same one yesterday lunch time - there is already a bunch of side tracks around it.

 

[triples]

You could try report it.
There is a spot of trees where I ride you work, and the winds the other week took 4 trees down. One huge one that landed across the trail.
This also happened a couple of months ago and took about 6 weeks for them to come out and clean it up.
This time they were out in a couple of days. They cut the tree down and took away the trunk. For some reason they left behind all the branches as well as the other 3 trees that came down.

It would be interesting to know what would happen if we were caught with our own chainsaw removing fallen trees.

 

[FR Drew]

Given that we're not supposed to be riding there at all except on the fire roads...

 

['Ross]

There heaps of those borders everywhere throughout the area, no Im not responsible for them, I posted up what I did and try to clear the trails of fallen logs and random crap that's in the way. I assume lots of people do the same thing.
Some of those borders are kinda helpful imo, others are a bit useless but I don't care either way, not really affecting anyone severely, and if it is just move them as it suits you....no big deal.

And as for turning into a nanny state, Wildwassa aren't you the guy who takes down the numberplates of people who walk their dog without a leash at stromlo, then report them to the cops?