Tuesday Trail Talk: November 19, 2024
Singletracks Feature: This Wyoming trail system is more than doubling in size thanks to hard work from local advocates
We are so excited to share this article with you all. Thank you to Singletracks for this awesome feature. Read below!
Casper All-Wheel Park Survey Results
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the survey to let us know your hopes and priorities for this park.
All-Wheel Park Update
Phase 1 has been completed and we are moving on to the 2D rendering and actual design phase. Last week we met with the design team to discuss survey results and they compiled a report of the 315 repondants. We were extremely pleased with the input from our community. To some 315 may not seem like a lot but, according to the design team, we rank among the top amount of responses that they see. This includes communities that have over 250k residents!! Strong work Casper! We have a lot of great ideas to work off of and have a great direction to go on the overall design of the facility. Please check out the survey. We will be updating you when we get through this next phase.
Winter Trail Etiquette
Winter trail use season is underway and this means a shift in trail use rules and regulations.
Natrona County Parks has started enforcing trail passes as of Nov 15th. The County grooming team has also begun grooming and packing a significant amount of the Nordic trails, speaking with the parks director, he stated they will continue to groom and touch up the trails as snow allows in the Nordic trail system. We have not been informed when the biathlon trails will be groomed. With the construction of the lodge the parking lot will continue to be closed to the public, which leaves Skunk Hollow and Beartrap parking lots. Both of these areas have take-off/trailsheads to the Nordic system. New signage will be posted soon to help clear up any trail use confusion. Here is a sample sign that you will see this season.
Fatbikes and Snowshoes are allowed on ski trails, however, please walk/ride on the opposite side of the set classic tracks and avoid the center lane, as the skate skiers utilize this area. Trail passes are required if you are skiing, snowshoeing or fat biking the groomed trail system. (This includes the maintained single track trails).
Fatbiking tips
It’s ok to walk. Fatbiking is hard and there will be times you have to walk. Yes it does “post hole” but we understand and are happy to fix these areas on the single track trails.
Run low pressure. Invest in a good tire gauge and run very low pressures. 2-5 psi is common for most snow conditions.
It’s ok to ride on all trails. Keep an eye out for any rutting that you are making. Adjust tire pressure or ride another day. Ruts in the Nordic trails cause issues with the skiers as it can “grab” the ski and cause an accident. A good rule of thumb is 1” deep rut or less is ok.
Yield to skiers and snowshoers. Bikes typically are the faster users on the trails. Please yield when crossing the ski trails as this is the most likely place for collisions to occur.
Trail Report
Trail Conditions are inconsistent through the single track system.
Miner loop has seen the most consistent layer of snow and the trail has been packed and is in good condition. New trail markers will be placed on Miner and Fool's Gold when they arrive. Expect to see green trail markers on these trails in the near future. Eadsville to Copper on both north and south sides are well packed and very thin and icy in spots. Copper has seen a lot of wind but snow is fairly deep and sticking around. Upper Eadsville is the most inconsistent trail right now. It has seen little trail use and is very wind blown and bare in some locations. The new blue winter markers are up and more in-trail signage will be installed soon. We have yet to get the McMurry trail marked but will start placing trail markers later this week. We are hoping this trail will be a great alternative for snowshoers as the parking spots at skunk hollow parking lot are limited.
See you on the trails!