[justriding]

I was up that way on business the other day and figured I'd get some spinning in on Twin Peaks. I haven't been up there since last year and was unpleasantly surprised by what I found. The climb up Flagstaff is now completely paved (which is kind of neither here or there, it is a road after all). I hit the dirt road at the top and cranked up the rocky hill to the top of Manchunk Ridge and it looked like a bomb went off. They logged the **** out of the top of the mountain -somebody did build a huge fire pit with boulders to sit on and drink lots of cheap american beer, which is always fun- but it was so devastaed up there it took me 45 min to find the trail head to the nice rocky single track section heading to the fire line trail. Luckily that trail is still there.

I'm no burkenstock wearing dirty tree hugging hippie by any stretch, but what they did up there is criminal - to clear cut the forest like that and mess up the trail in that section. After popping out of the powerline descent, I swung down to the park and talked to one of the rangers He said that Broad Mountain has also been pretty much ruined through logging.

Basically, all the known single track in the guides for JT have either been destroyed by logging or closed by the Game Commission. So again WTF? Where was IMBA? Where was local advocacy? NEPAMBA? Maybe after the Game Commission closed most of the good stuff, everyone figured it just wasnt' worth it. JT serves as an excellent example of what can happen, if you're not paying attention.

I know there are some locals that have new trails and I hear whispers the riding is pretty good. Is it time to do a new map or guide so that there is decent single track for the passing through mountain biker? Otherwise JT isn't good for much other than seeing a bunch of NY and North Jersey douche bags floating - I mean white water rafting - down the river. Or taking your kid on the Gorge Trail.

 

[moonraker]

The gypsy moth infestation of the past few years has led to a boom for the timber industry. It's not only JT, but a lot of areas of PA and looks like it's not stopping anytime soon. Unfortunately a lot of land managers have allowed the clear cuts instead of selective cuts, likely because it's easier for the big machinery to get in and out of areas, which means more profits....and money makes things happen much more than a few protesting mountain bikers. So, IMO, don't waste time trying to stop the gypsy moths and logging, just look ahead to what you can to volunteer with (or start) a local club to rebuild better, sustainable singletrack in the devastated areas.

 

[PAmtbiker]

This happens a lot in state land. How do you thing the state makes money off land they don't charge an entry fee for? Every few years an area gets logged, then replanted, and the loggers move on. We deal with this all the time in Michaux. It sucks huge balls to loose a trail to logging, but I would prefer it over the state having to sell the land to a developer because they can't afford to own it anymore. Trails can be rebuilt my friend, and I'm sure that with enough people wanting to have the trail there.

 

[justriding]

I understand if it's due to insect or disease and they have to log; it does suck though. Down in SE Pa, we don't seem to have that problem. You both make good points - it happens deal with it an move forward. If it was insects, I am surpirsed the ranger didn't say that to me. He said: "yeah, its a shame. They just don't care." Maybe it is private land in that area?

There are multiple issues up there with access and the logging; I'd like to hear from a local's perspective.

I am pretty sure new trails have been built up there, but the concensus is that you need someone with local knowledge or you get pretty lost if you can even find the trails.

Maybe a new map or guide book is in order? They used to tout the place as the east's version of Durango. Seems like there is still potential there.

 

[Apaulo88]

This is def. disgusting news. You can thank F'n Kovatch for destroying the broad mtn. Pretty much all the logging on the north side of the mountain is his doing. That area is supposedly being cleared out for a future golf course and condo development and God knows what else, so more city douche bags can come in and wreck everything. The forests in NEPA are about the only great things the area has to offer, but people don't understand that. It's all about the money...

 

[ganginwood]

i'm not sure about the "loggin the **** out of things" theory right now. most of the loggers are starving b/c of lack of work. lumber is worth nothing so timber companies are holding out. deer park lumber for example is practically shut down.

the pgc had a contract to hit several hundred thousand dollars of cherry trees up here. but when the contract was written.....cherry was worth double the price of todays market..so the pgc offered to hold out so it didn't put the contractors upside down.
regardless....that doesn't help your jt troubies.

 

[NEPMTBA]

I assume you meant NEPMTBA?:skep:

Thorpe has many problems, your kicking and screaming won't touch it a bit!

"RIDE THE MOON":thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

20 miles of legal tech trails with lots of support!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Long live Thorpe...:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[the sloth]

Yeah... some friends and I took a trip to JT this spring to camp and ride as we were looking for a change of scenery and heard the riding there was good. Nice town, nice people. We enjoyed the hell out of the irish pub at the inn. But as far as riding went we were pretty disappointed in what we found.

 

[onegeargood]

A possible solution

What you could do is organize people to fix the trails. I would think that you could get a lot of people together.

 

[Jim Thorpe Trails]

Search the forums for some history...

The story of legal trails in JT has been covered extensively on this board, just do a search, or look for my past posts. I don't have the time to recap it again. Regarding Flagstaff, the owner has been going up and cutting trees just about every year for the last 6-10 years and he wonders why no one wants to buy lots and build houses. I will never understand why the first thing people do after buying a lot in JT is cut down all of the trees, if you don't want trees stay in New Jersey. Anyway, Twin Peaks is just fine other then this 100 meter stretch. As far as I can tell NO other trails in JT, legal or otherwise have been effected by logging. The logging on the Broad is at the far west end of the extended American Standard loop. As far as trails go we probably have as much good technical singletrack as ever, we just can't tell you about it.

 

[dodcey]

This is my 17th year riding in the Jim Thorpe region. I'm a newbie compared to many others. Credit goes to the people who have built and continue to build the massive network of trails. From the vertical or the double-track and single-track in the Carbon and Schuylkill County area, the trails are all challenging. What is amazing to me is that you can still review topo maps and explore new and old sections and discover new places to ride. If there is a "problem," it may be the amount of area the region has to offer. Not a bad issue, eh? ;-)