Saturday, November 28, 2015

Come Celebrate Global Fatbike Day in Woollyland!!

On Saturday December 5th, 2015, people from all over the globe will get out for a ride on their fatbikes!  This is a great excuse to get together for a group ride on the infamous winter groomed single track known as the Woolly and officially kick-off fat bike season.  Hopefully we will have some groovy goodness to explore, but the current weather report makes it unlikely.  The beauty of a fatbike is we can ride either way!  Come ride some wintertime single track, then hangout to have some refreshments and carousing by the bonfire afterwords

EVENT DETAILS:

When:  Saturday, December 5th, 2015

What:  Fatbikes, Fun, Friends, Fire, Free Smiles and, of course, epic riding on the Woolly trails!!@

Where:  Woolly Bike Club Trail Head (at the bottom of "Big Oak") at the intersection of Lincoln and Maple Drive in St. Croix Falls.  Go to the TRAIL MAPS & DIRECTIONS page on WoollyBikeClub.com for directions.

Social Media:  Help us plan for how many folks to expect by RSVP'ing for the event on the Global Fatbike Day In Woollyland FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE.  Also be sure to like the Woolly Bike Club on Facebook.


GLOBAL FATBIKE DAY 2015 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

~1PM:  Group ride cool out from the Woolly Bike Club Trail Head.  We will be riding a lap or two of the "winter route".  This ride will be casual, with a stop or two, and be loaded with lots of fun on fatbikes!  (If current weather reports are true and we don't have enough snow to be grooming, you can even join with skinny tired MTBs...but you won't have as much fun as the people on "fatties".)

Afternoon/Evening:  Following the group ride(s), we will hang out at the trail head around the bonfire.

What To Bring:  Fatbike and a smile, plus a chair and beverage for enjoying the bonfire.

Friday, October 2, 2015

WOOLLY DAY 2015 - FREE SALSA BICYCLES DEMO - !Your Summer Finale & Winter Precursor!

Woolly Day 2015 is merely hours away now...  The forecast calls for perfect Autumn weather, the trails have never been in better shape, the good folks at Salsa Cycles are prepping for the big demo, A Wandering Fire wood fired pizza is prepping amazing pizza ingredients - in short, Woolly Day 2015 is going to be awesome - and an event you don't want to miss!

Woolly Day 2015 will once again be at the beautiful trailhead - clearly marked by the new "Woolly Monument" sign!
Following is the schedule of events:
FULL WOOLLY DAY 2015 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
1 - 7PM:  Free Salsa Cycles Bicycle Demo.  Join us for free test rides of the full 2016 Salsa Cycles product line!  Bucksaws, Beargreases, Blackborrow, Pony Rustler, Spearfish, etc, etc...  All of the hottest new 2016 Salsa bikes will be available for free test rides.  Salsa and Cyclova XC staff will be on hand to talk bikes with you and answer any questions you have on what could be your next dream bike!
 1 - 7PM:  A Wandering Fire will have their amazing mobile wood fired pizza oven on site and will have pizza's available for sale - I'm a huge wood fired pizza fan and this is some of the best pizza I've ever had.  As a bonus, 10% of the proceeds from Pizza sales will be a donation to the Woolly Bike Club (huge thanks to A Wandering Fire!)!  Check out their menu here! 
~4PM:  Group ride roll out from Woolly Bike Club Trailhead.  Think of this group ride as a guided tour of the Woolly Mountain Bike trail network - lead by the people who built the trails!  We will break up into a couple of groups based on rider ability and keep the groups together.
Evening:  Following the group ride(s), we will hang out at the trail head around the bonfire, eat pizza, barbeque, enjoy beverages, and solve the world's problems! 
What To Bring:  Bring your mountain bike, motivation to ride a bunch of sweet Salsa demo bikes, a snack/beverage to share, an appetite (and some cash or credit card) for amazing wood fired pizza, a flannel shirt, and a beverage koozie!  

Note that this event will be held at the newly established Woolly Trailhead - click HERE to check out the trail maps and for directions to the Woolly Trailhead.  Note that the trailhead parking lot will be closed on Sunday (as it will be used by Salsa for the bike demo and A Wandering Fire for pizza making & sales) - so please park on the streets in the surrounding area.  

Get your stoke on and get ready to shred some Woolly on Woolly Day!  BRAAAP!



Friday, September 25, 2015

A very “Woolly” 62.8 miles


Nothing like some sweet Woolly flow to get you stoked for a long day in the saddle!  Photo Credit:  Jason Kunshier

By Dallas Wynne

On a casual group ride a few friends discussed the idea of completing a metric on our local singletrack mountain bike trail as part of the Cup O’ Dirt Challenge. The plan included an all day grazing stack table at the trailhead picnic area, and a scoreboard to track the mileage totals of  Keith, Jason, Nate, Ben, Tyler, Starr, and myself.

The lap log sheet for the 2015 Woolly Metric.  Photo Credit:  Benjamin Mullin
The Woolly mountain bike trails were hand built by dedicated enthusiasts over the past 8 years.  The rugged and slightly renegade nature of the trails make them a challenging, fun, and unique ride.  The 8 miles of trail consists of mostly flow trails, some significant climbs, grassy meadows and short stretches of limestone trail connectors.  

Dallas's Trek X-Caliber at the entrance to the Wissahickon section of the Woolly Trail on Woolly Metric Day.  Photo Credit:  Jason Kunshier
With the possibility of afternoon rain showers we started out shortly after sunrise.  The trail thread was slick from the morning dew which caused two spills in the first lap, but by the second lap the trail as tacky and confident.  I had intended to take it easy the first few laps as I knew it was going to be a long day, but I soon found that I was averaging close to my normal lap times.  If you tried to dog it, it just seemed harder. Using gravity and maintaining smooth speed is key.  

The name sake of the "Erratic Rock" section of Woolly on Woolly Metric day.  Photo Credit:  Jason Kunshier
The trailhead buffet made a glorious pit stop after each 45 minute lap. Having food and water readily available without having to carry it was a welcome change to every other ride of this length. On the other hand the technical nature of riding singletrack requires more mental focus than the typical gravel grinder, this is doubly true when riding 8 laps of the Woolly.  As a local to this trail you become intimately familiar with every rock, root and stump.  When to sweep corners wide, and when to square them off. The continuous action of shifting, braking, leaning, and standing made it impossible to mentally check out.  

And so went the workmanlike process of completing laps, filling water bottles, and eating 300- 400 calories with each pass of the trailhead picnic table.  


By 2:00 pm Tyler and I having started early were tied at 54 miles, while the rest of our crew were between 38 and 45. At that point the heavy rain arrived which  signaled the closure of the Woolly.  We met briefly and decided to finish our metric on the crushed limestone goodness of the nearby Gandy Dancer State trail that would not be damaged by riding in the rain. 


At over eight hours, this is the longest and Woolliest metric of the year.  We all agreed that it would be worth doing again next year. 

Stay tuned at www.woollybikewoollybikeclub.com


Endless beauty and flow awaits YOU at Woolly!  Photo Credit:  Jason Kunshier

Thursday, September 24, 2015

!!!WOOD FIRED PIZZA AT WOOLLY DAY!!!

The crew from A Wandering Fire will cook you up incredible pizzas to order!  Photo Credit:  Jeff Wolf
Woolly Day 2015 is shaping up to be quite an event!  We're thrilled to announce that we've upped the ante again on this - we will have amazing artesian wood fired pizza available for sale at the event - and 10% of pizza sales will go straight back to the Woolly Bike Club!

We figured that it would be tough to beat riding sweet singletrack with great folks, having the full fleet of 2016 Salsa Bikes available to demo, a bon-fire, byo barbequing, and more...  After scratching out heads on how to make this event even more fun, we reached out to our good friends Maaren and Todd (an avid local mountain biker) of A Wandering Fire.  We're so grateful that they've agreed to help keep us hungry mountain bikers satisfied on Woolly Day!

So, for the duration of the Woolly Day event (from 1 - 7PM) A Wandering Fire will have their amazing mobile wood fired pizza oven on site and will have pizza's available for sale - I'm a huge wood fired pizza fan and this is some of the best pizza I've ever had.  Check out their menu here! 

Don't forget, eating wood fired pizza at Woolly Day is good for you- and good for the Woolly Bike Club (as 10% of pizza sales proceeds will be donated to Woolly) - so come hungry! 

For the full scoop on Woolly Day 2015, check out the official event page, RSVP for Woolly Day on Facebook, and if you plan on demoing any Salsa bikes, RSVP on Salsa's Facebook event also.  See you at Woolly Day!  

 

Thursday, September 3, 2015

WOOLLY DAY 2015 - Sunday, October 4, 2015 - Fun, Friends, Food, Fire, Fall colors, !FREE 2016 Salsa Cycles bike demo!

YOU'RE INVITED!  Join The Woolly Bike Club, Cyclova XC, and Salsa Cycles for Woolly Day 2015!  (Above picture is from Woolly Day 2014)
Fall is one of our favorite times to ride here in Woollyland - in the majestic upper St. Croix River Valley!  We also have a fantastic Summer of riding and achievements to celebrate - and a thrilling Winter of Groomed Singletrack riding to look forward to:  Join the Woolly Bike Club, Cyclova XC, and Salsa Cycles in celebrating the changing of the seasons at Woolly Day 2015!   

!!YOU'RE INVITED TO WOOLLY DAY 2015!!

BASIC EVENT DETAILS:
When:  Sunday, October 4, 2015 from 1PM until ???
What:  Fun, Friends, Food, Fire, Fall colors, !FREE 2016 Salsa Cycles bike demo!, and of course epic riding on the Woolly trails!
Where:  Woolly Bike Club Trailhead (at the bottom of "Big Oak") at the intersection of Lincoln and Maple Drive in St. Croix Falls.  Go to the TRAIL MAPS & DIRECTIONS page on WoollyBikeClub.com for directions.
Social Media:  Help us plan for how many folks to expect by RSVP'ing for the event on the Woolly Day FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE.  If you'd like to demo any sweet 2016 Salsa Bikes, please do RSVP on Salsa's Facebook Event Page.  Also be sure to like the Woolly Bike Club on Facebook!
Lodging:  Spend the weekend in Woollyland!  For full info on the amazing range of lodging - camping or hotels, check out the great St. Croix Falls tourism website!

FULL WOOLLY DAY 2015 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
1 - 7PM:  Free Salsa Cycles Bicycle Demo.  Join us for free test rides of the full 2016 Salsa Cycles product line!  Bucksaws, Beargreases, Blackborrow, Pony Rustler, Spearfish, etc, etc...  All of the hottest new 2016 Salsa bikes will be available for free test rides.  Salsa and Cyclova XC staff will be on hand to talk bikes with you and answer any questions you have on what could be your next dream bike!
 1 - 7PM:  A Wandering Fire will have their amazing mobile wood fired pizza oven on site and will have pizza's available for sale - I'm a huge wood fired pizza fan and this is some of the best pizza I've ever had.  As a bonus, 10% of the proceeds from Pizza sales will be a donation to the Woolly Bike Club (huge thanks to A Wandering Fire!)!  Check out their menu here! 
~4PM:  Group ride roll out from Woolly Bike Club Trailhead.  Think of this group ride as a guided tour of the Woolly Mountain Bike trail network - lead by the people who built the trails!  We will break up into a couple of groups based on rider ability and keep the groups together.
Evening:  Following the group ride(s), we will hang out at the trail head around the bonfire, eat pizza, barbeque, enjoy beverages, and solve the world's problems! 
What To Bring:  Bring your mountain bike, motivation to ride a bunch of sweet Salsa demo bikes, a snack/beverage to share, an appetite for amazing wood fired pizza, a flannel shirt, and a beverage koozie!  

The crew from A Wandering Fire will cook you up incredible pizzas to order!  Photo Credit:  Jeff Wolf
.
Woolly Day 2013 was a blast - with attendance and the fun factor doubling each year!
We are thrilled to have Salsa Cycles' staff and demo fleet at Woolly Day this year - be certain to come with fresh legs to try out the full line of 2016 Salsa bicycles!

Thursday Night Woolly Trail Work Night - !TONIGHT!

Woolly Logo

Thursday Trail Work Day- September 3, 6-8pm
Thursday trail work day is here once again, and the Woolly could use your help. We will be working on rerouting another section of trail, specifically, a section of trail that has been an erosion issue for some time, but recently has become much worse. As usual, we'll be meeting at the WBC trail head parking area at the corner of Lincoln and Maple at 6:00 pm, and heading up to the work site from there. 

Come on out tonight if you can!

Meeting Location: WBC trailhead parking area at the corner of Lincoln and Maple at 6:00 pm, and heading up to the work site from there.

For those not familiar, with where the Woolly Trail Head is, click here.

Friday, August 28, 2015

Woolly Work Night Recap - !Wissahickon North Re-Route Success!


Our Thursday night Woolly work crew on 8-28-2015 (minus photographer - thanks Mark!) declares success on the Wissahickon North re-route a success!
Last night's (8-28-2015) Woolly Bike Club work night was a great success - thanks to the great preparation of Dirt Boss Jason, and the 8 volunteers that showed up, we achieved our goal of completing a ~150 yard single track re-route in the Wissahickon North section of the Woolly trails.  Rather than the trail using the edge of an agricultural field, the trail now stays entirely in the woods.  

Below, you'll see a photo narrative of the evening and a bit of the process of what all goes into building sustainable, IMBA grade single track.  For more info on the process of building sustainable single track, check out what IMBA has to say on the matter.

Also, don't forget to support Woolly by joining IMBA HERE and selecting Woolly as your IMBA Chapter!  

Happy trails!

One of the Woolly Dirt Bosses, Jason, preps the new trail tread for proper IMBA grading - to ensure an erosion free, maintenance free trail tread - the Woolly way!
Woolly Board Member and volunteer Nate (along with the Mullin crew and new Woolly volunteer Mark in the background) begin a slight bench cut on the new Woolly trail tread on the new Wissahickon North trail re-route.
Woolly Board Member and volunteer Micah means business!  Here he preparing the trail tread surface by removing organic matter from what will be the trail tread - ensuring a sustainable, erosion free trail!
Building a trail is fun for the whole family!  Come on out and join us for future Woolly work nights!
As a reward for his hard work, a young Mullin gets first tracks on the new single track - enjoying the fruits of his labor!


Thursday, August 27, 2015

Trail work tonight!!!

International Mountain Biking Association
Woolly Bike Club News - August 2015
Woolly Logo

Thursday Trail Work Day- August 27, 6-8pm
Fall weather is here, and so are the best days for trail love!  Thursday trail work day is coming once again, and the Woolly could use your help.  We will be working on rerouting a short section of trail, and working on some other areas that are in need of a little maintenance.  
Come on out and join us if you can!
Meeting Location: WBC trailhead parking area at the corner of Lincoln and Maple at 6:00 pm, and heading up to the work site from there.
For those not familiar, here’s a link to the location on google maps. https://www.google.com/maps/dir//45.4046912,-92.6260223/@45.4040057,-92.6321592,16z/data=!4m3!4m2!1m0!1m0
   

                
Woolly Day - October 4th
Mark your calendars for the 3rd Annual Woolly Day!

Come on out to celebrate all things Woolly with social group rides, food and bonfire. Should be a great day in Woollyland! More information to follow.  
When: Sunday, October 4th at 3:00pm
Where: WBC Trailhead: at the intersection of Lincoln and Maple Drive in St. Croix Falls.
For those not familiar, here’s a link to the location on google maps. https://www.google.com/maps/dir//45.4046912,-92.6260223/@45.4040057,-92.6321592,16z/data=!4m3!4m2!1m0!1m0




Team Apparel
Want to show your Woolly pride and represent the W/B/C on the trail or road?  We are in the process of finalizing designs with Podiumwear on a "Woollified" kit (both in a men and womens fit), a downhill Jersey as well as a tech-t (in mens, womens and youth sizes). Stayed tuned for storefront and ordering information coming soon!

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Woolly Race Recap

During the 9 year history of the Woolly Race, the closest to bad weather that we have ever had was two or three years ago.  We had rain in the AM during Registration and we were CRUSHED with a severe thunderstorm right after we finished cleaning up, but every year we have had great weather during the actual racing.  This year was an exception to the luck of all previous years and the weather was the most memorable element for many of our 400+ racers this year.

The forecast for race day was a scattered showers throughout the day.  The first class of racers was our Kid's Comp class and they started at 9 AM.  They didn't even complete the parade lap around the Soccer Field before the rain started.  There was some rain on and off through the Kid's Comp and Citizen Classes.  Not enough to cause issues with the trails, but it made thing uncomfortable for racers and fans alike.

Our Marathon Class (4 hours of racing!!) and Sport Class started around 11 AM.  These racers had to ride through the worst part of the day.  During the beginning of their race, we had some serious down pours.  The Riegel Park and Big Oak sections of our course became slick, then greasy, and eventually turned into "peanut butter" mud or even active stream bed for part of their races.  These people worked HARD.  A mountain bike race is never an easy event because the very nature of racing causes everyone to push themselves to their individual limits.  When you had rain and poor trail condition, especially for the Marathon racers that were planning to be on course for 4 hours, we had some exhausted racers lapping through the school. A few of the racers thrived in these wet, muddy conditions, but many of them were less enthusiastic caused mainly by the conditions that were tougher than anyone expected.  The rain finally stopped after noon and the Sport Class and Marathon racers were actually improving the trail conditions as they lapped the course.

The benefactors of the misery from 11 AM - 1 PM was the Elite and Comp Classes.  When these final racers started shortly after 1 PM , the trails had a few slick spots remaining, but most of the mud was gone.  Reports were that by lap #2 the trails were in great shape.  The racing action during the afternoon was just as good as the trail conditions. 

The Elite Men battled from Start to Finish.  In the first lap and a half, the Twin Six co-workers and BKB teammates, Jesse LaLonde and Josh Bauer, were working together to build a nice gap.  During the 2nd lap,  Jeff Hall (Lamere Cycles/Team Hollywood Cycles) was able to catch the leading duo.  Later in lap 2, Hall and LaLonde were able to get a gap on Bauer, as they continued to storm around the course.  The leading duo emerged together with Hall in the lead for their final trip around the soccer field.  LaLonde got a great jump coming out of the final corner and was able to get a small gap over Hall as they crossed the Finish Line.  Bauer followed 3 minutes later, but he still held a 3 1/2 minute gap over Mason Bacso (Kuhl).

The Women's Elite race offered a bit less drama with Megan Barr (Twin Six METAL) taking a lead from the opening gun, which she had stretched to almost 5 minutes by the end of the race.  Using here home town advantage, Alicia Fisk (Team Hollywood Cycles) was able to pass Elanor Bacso (Mapelag) on lap 2 and build a safe gap until the finish.

Despite the challenges presented by the weather, a great time was had by all...well, at least, most.  A great group of volunteer work hard throughout the weekend to make sure the racers have a great time.  Our great local sponsors are truly the unsung heros of the race.  Their partnership with the Woolly Bike Club allows us to build and maintain our entire Woolly Trail Network.

If you are looking for additional perspectives on the 2015 Woolly Race, check out a few of these links:

The Midwest MTB Report by Jay Richards

Troy Melhus recap video for the MnMTB Series

TMB Images Photo Gallery of the Race

More pics from Adam Emanoff

Endurance Path Blog

Alicia Fisk's Blog

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

2015 WOOLLY RACE Course Maps

With the addition of the great new addition of "flow-type" singletrack, Erratic Rock, to our trail network last Fall, we had to get creative to determine the race course for this year.  The addition of this new trail will allow us flexibility from year to year to keep the courses different.  To keep things simple for everyone, we are sticking with 2 courses this year.  Kid's Comp and Citizen will race the same course.  After Citizen finishes, we will make a few basic changes before the Sport/Marathon racers hit the trails.

Citizens and Kid's Comp will not race through the West Ridge, so they will head from Start/Finish straight to Riegel Park, but they won't ride through the Rock Gardens.  Once they leave Wissahickon North (we won't have any classes racing through Wissahickon South this year), they will ride the Gandy Dancer straight to Big Oak.  (These classes will not race our new section, Erratic Rock, but it is a fun section, so feel free to check it out on your pre-ride or come back and ride later this summer.)


The Sport/Comp/Elite/Marathon classes will race a longer lap.  They will ride most of the trail network.  The highlight will be they get to enjoy our newest section of singletrack, Erratic Rock.  These classes will not ride through the ski trails after Riegel Park or Wissahickon South this year.


When you head up to pre-ride, it would be best to park at either the trailhead (marked by the red circle with white T) or at the High School, which is where Start/Finish will be located on race day.

The trails are currently in great shape, maybe a little on the dry side.  The rain in the forecast over the next week or so will actually help course conditions.  Trails should be open for pre-riding for the next couple weeks.  Trails are always marked and open to riding. 

Later this week, we will be putting up some basic signage to identify the 2 different race courses, so figuring out the course during your pre-ride will be simple.


Friday, May 1, 2015

VOLUNTEER NEEDED FOR WOOLLY RACE!!!



The BIGGEST day of the year for the Woolly Bike Club is quickly approaching.  The 9th edition of the St. Croix Valley Woolly Race will be held on May 17, 2015.  Last year, we were blessed with PERFECT weather and that brought out the racers...and lots of them.  We had over 450 racers and ended the season as the largest race of the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series 2014 season.

The W/B/C works all year to prepare for the race, but on race day we can't do it alone.  We really need volunteer to help this great event happen.  Our volunteer give the racers a top flight experience in the St. Croix Valley and encourages them to come back often.  This isn't hard and there are several different opportunities that you can choose from to help make this race happen.  Our volunteers always enjoy their experience, so please sign up to help out...and talk a friend or family member into joining you.

REGISTRATION (7am-1pm) - We need a few volunteer to assist with the registration process.  This is busy, but enjoyable.  We have a great local "registration guru" that has oversaw the operation for the last few years.  With the excellent support we receive from the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series, these volunteers really start the racers' day on the right foot.  You will receive excellent direction and interact with the racers when they are excited to be at one of the first races of the year.  Our registration volunteers are critical to the success of the day, but every year they report having a great time.

COURSE MARSHALLS (8:45-4:30) - These volunteers get to see the race action up close.  They will be located out on the race course at road crossings or other critical locations on the trails.  As they direct and assist racers and spectators, they keep the race flowing smoothly and see all the excitement from the heart of the race.  Course Marshalls are critical to the success of every years race.

FEED ZONE (8:45-4:30) - You will get the chance to be some people's heroes for the day as you hand out water and energy drink.  Some people grab a cup as they speed by and hopefully yell a "THANK YOU" over their shoulder.  Others will stop, struggle off their bike, stretch a bit and chat, while they re-hydrate and recover.  Either way volunteers at the feed zones have some of the most fun and are appreciated more than any other volunteers!

You can commit to all day or just a few hours.  Even if you are racing one of the classes, we can find a spot for you to help out before or after your race.  Any volunteer that signs up and completes a 4 hour shift or longer will get the limited edition "2015 WOOLLYLAND" T-shirt.

Please email woollyvolunteers@gmail.com with your name, phone #, email address, hours available to volunteer, position desired and T-shirt size (if you are available for a 4+ hour shift).  We will confirm receipt of your email and follow up with specifics of what you will be doing.

Thanks for joining us to make the 9th edition of the race a great experience for everyone involved!



Thursday, April 16, 2015

Woolly Trails Are OPEN! Enjoy An Epic Weekend Of Cycling in St. Croix Falls!

Happy Day!  The Woolly Trails are OPEN as of today!  Get some!

It's the day dirt & single track lovers have waited for for months - that's right, the Woolly Trails are OPEN as of today!  

Thank you all for staying off of the trails during the their most vulnerable & delicate time - during & after the Spring thaw.  Your staying off the trails ensures that the trails are in great shape throughout the season and saves volunteers dozens of hours of work.  

So, come to town this weekend for the Mammoth Gravel Classic, stay & play in the amazing St. Croix River Valley, and ride Woolly on Sunday!


On a different note, soil scientist, cyclist, and great friend of Woolly Joshua Stamper (who is doing a presentation on the Gravel Conspiracy at Cyclova XC to kick off the Mammoth Gravel Classic weekend on Friday night) just posted this interesting blurb on the science behind rideable singletrack on Facebook.  I thought you'd all be interested in this bit of "dirt science":
Image courtesy of Joshua Stamper

From Joshua Stamper:  "To those of you who might wonder what causes mountain bike trails to dry out and become trafficable, I offer the data capture graph from the last month of soil moisture monitoring at Elm Creek.

The red circle indicates soil temperature at 3 inch depth, and the green circle indicates the steep decline in matric potential (ie soil moisture). This is in-spite of the fact that we also had a half inch of precip over the weekend. As soils warm, plant uptake and evaporation of water from the soil increases, drying out the soil. This cummulative effect is referred to as evapotranspiration, and it describes how plants use water from the soil."

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Woolly Trails Closed For Spring Thaw - Please Respect The Trails


Trail update: STILL CLOSED!!

We realize that many of you are anxious to get out and start enjoying the trails, but they are not quite ready. Conditions around the Woolly trail network vary widely right now, with some of it drying out nicely, but the majority of the trail is still too soft and muddy for any kind of traffic. Several probably well-meaning users have already caused much damage to the trail, that will take our volunteers many, many man-hours to repair.

We ask you to please consider the damage you may be doing to your favorite trail just by simply using it, and stay off if you are leaving any trace that you were there. This applies to every dirt trail anywhere- there are no exceptions. A good rule of thumb is this: if you are leaving tire tracks OR foot prints behind you on any trail, it simply is not ready.

Furthermore, in order to preserve our trails, and our privilege to use them, we need for everyone to be aware of how sensitive they are this time of year. We ask you to please be an ambassador for your trails, and help to educate anyone you may know that may not be aware of the damage they might be doing out there. We all need to be on board with this in order to keep the trails we know and love open for us to use!

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Woolly Bike Club Board Meeting 3/15/2015 - Updated Location - All Welcome


UPDATED LOCATION: For those of you planning on attending the Board Meeting tonight, it has been moved to Trailhead.  Sorry for the late notice, hope to see you there!  For details on how to find the trailhead, go to the trail maps & directions page.

Third Sunday Board Meeting - Sunday, March 15th, 5-6pm

The Woolly Bike Club’s monthly board meeting is upon us! Come on out and find out what your club has been up to. Some of the topics this month will include Mammoth Gravel Classic and Woolly Race Planning, signage and spring/summer trail project planning. Most importantly we'll have plenty of good company so come out, get involved and keep up to date with what's going on in the Mt. Biking community.

Please join us! Newcomers are always welcome!

Meeting Location: Woolly Trailhead Picnic Tables

Mission Statement: Woolly Bike Club exists to grow mountain biking in the St. Croix River Valley through advocacy, community, events, and an ever expanding sustainable network of maintained trails.