You are hereForums /
Knapsack Build Day, 23 November 2019
Synergy Trails, Blue Mountains City Council and Blue Mountains Off Road Cyclists (BMORC) will be holding a series of track work days over the next few months.
Details here http://bmorc.com/node/63204
Knapsack Fire
A bushfire occurred early yesterday afternoon at Knapsack Reserve, approximately 8ha. All people; riders and pedestrians need to stay out of the burnt areas at Knapsack Reserve.
None of the burnt bushland areas have been assessed in regard to risk management issues; specifically burnt trees and burnt tree limbs - so do not enter any of the burned areas - for your own sake.
Some track closures have been put in place and are signposted. Burnt areas need to be left alone and not traversed. The DH remains open. No XC has been impacted.
Knapsack Build Day 10th February 2018
Build Day this saturday. Synergy working on DH and if we get the numbers we can get some XC work done. Work from 8am till 2pm and there is the possibility of a BBQ if we get the numbers.
Details here http://bmorc.com/node/56227
Postponed - Knapsack Build Day 2nd December 8am
Note that this build day has been postponed till January 13th 2018.
This is primarily due to predicted bad weather and difficulties for Synergy to be present.
Details on the rescheduled date to posted as they are organised.
Apologies to all who were ready to come along.
Knapsack Build Day 2nd December 8am
Build day this Saturday 8am. Meet at Lovers Walk.
I am still waiting on a reply of the plan of works from BMCC. If I find out I will post up the info.
Further info....
Cancelled 26th August Build Day
Just a heads up for anyone who was planning going to the build day this Saturday the 26th August that it has been cancelled, or postponed.
We called for this because a lot of us were unable to make it from BMORC and also BMCC didn't have anything specific organised so it was felt it would be an unproductive exercise considering the small budget we have allocated.
We will try to make sure the next build day has more operations planned ahead.
Eastern Escarpment Public Workshop
The preliminary recommendations are currently available to view and comment on in the Have Your Say section of the BMCC web site which can be found at the following link:
https://www.bluemountainshaveyoursay.com.au/seem...
Council is in the process of finalising the detailed landscape design work associated with the Master Plan and would like offer active recreation users the opportunity to review and comment on this design work prior to finalising the Draft Master Plan for public exhibition. To facilitate this, a workshop has been scheduled as follows:
Temporay Closure of Knapsack DH Trail
A message from BMCC
"From the 21st June 2017 the Knapsack DH bike trail will be temporarily closed for construction and maintenance works.
Helicopter operations are planned to occur on that day, delivering bags of stone directly onto the downhill track. This means that there will be no physical through access for bikes at all.
Works are anticipated to commence late June and take 8 weeks to complete.
Lots of Planting and Refinement!
Busy day planting over 100 plants in the area we previously cleared below the soccer fields of weeds. Its growing back with natives and this will give it some help. Good seeing Ike a second generation MTBer coming along and helping out too.
We also worked on some trail refinements to do with improved drainage and flow elsewhere. Gus and Tim realigned some trail for improved flow, air possibilities and drainage. We fixed a muddy section of existing trail below the soccer fields and started building a rock berm.
We need wheel barrows for the build day tomorrow!
If anyone has a wheel barrow please bring it tomorrow to the build day as we will need it for moving rock into place.
Reminder - Knapsack Build Day Sat 27th May 8am
A reminder that this Saturday 27th May we have a build day at Knapsack. Meet at Barnett Soccer Fields Carpark at 8am. The day will run till 12pm.
Not sure as yet what we are working on.
Successful Build Day.
Big thanks to the riders who came along and worked today in the nice cool conditions. We got some more rock armoring done around the creek crossing below the sports fields; put in a 150m low gradient diversion approved many years ago near the rusted car to avoid a very eroded section of fall line fire trail plus some more rock movement on the DH.
Big thanks to Adrian and Synergy Trails with Buzz; Trish from BMCC and David from the Bush Doctors.
Reminder - Knapsack Build Day Sat 25th Feb 8am
A reminder that this Saturday 25th February we have a build day at Knapsack. Meet at Barnet St Lovers Walk entrance 8am till 12pm.
Still not sure what we will be working on. If I find out I will post.
More details here http://bmorc.com/node/55078
2017 - Knapsack Trail Day Schedule
We have been advised of four locked in build days with BMCC and Synergy Trails for this year. These dates are:
25th February
27th May
26th August
2nd December
So if we can get numbers like at the last build day in November we can get considerable work done. Hopefully the extra warning can help people to keep these dates free in their calendars.
Further details on what is planned to be achieved at these dates will be posted when we they are determined.
New Section Open
On Saturday we finished a reroute around the old eroded rock platform fire trail section. Adrian's plan was to utilise the surrounding rock areas as much as possible for the diversion. The result is a very "Knapsack" style diversion that is longer, techy and a good climb or descent.
More pics in the gallery here
Surprise! - Knapsack Build Day 9am-1pm November 26th 2016
Well council have surprised us and have said we have an opportunity for a build day on Saturday the 26th November. I don't know if anyone is still monitoring this site and I don't know what we would be doing but if you can turn up then really, well, why not!? I know we all feel somewhat forgotten.
So meet at Barnet St carpark at the end of Lovers Walk. If we can I hope we end up doing the last bit of rerouted trail that was approved in the original plan and REF near the rusty car. Still we will have to wait and see.
Trail properly open after February Build Day.
The new section of trail is now properly opened and rideable. Creek crossing is done and the awkward corner further up tidied up to keep the section flowy.
Thanks to all that turned up to get muddy and thanks to Trish and Adrian again.
We still need to do some more rock armouring for maybe another 50ft after the creek crossing through a damp area to make sure it doesn't get slushy.
BMCC Open Space Survey
Council is developing a new 'Open Space and Recreation Strategy' for the City of Blue Mountains.
To be able to make good decisions for investment in the future maintenance, planning and development of open space and recreational facilities in the Blue Mountains we need good information. A great part of this survey is the recognition of Mountain bike and Cycling trails.
Mountain Biking in the Blue Mountains is still very new to council and lacks almost any funding despite the fact its been and active recreational sport for over 20 years.
January's Build Day at Knapsack
A hot and humid day where we didn't manage to get the new XC section open as yet, but next build day we should have it done. Trail is through but needs some more work on the tread plus one corner is having rockwork for re-cambering and the creek crossing needs serious rock work which Adrian has planned.
For the DH one of the old doubles has been made a table top with the next one being done at the next build day.
Thanks again to everyone who turned up.
Looks like next build day will be mid to end of February, the date still to be locked in.
Knapsack Build Day - December 12th
Last build day for this year. Weather looks much better than two weeks ago!
Working on the new section to avoid the mud! Lots to do cutting this new diversion.
DH working on the second berm from the bottom above the fire trail near the power lines.
Meeting at 8am at the southern end of Barnett St, full details here.
Knapsack Build Day - November 28th
Another reminder of this build day. We will be finishing off the last section of the loop we have been working on the last several months shown in the map.
Meeting at 8am at the southern end of Barnett St, full details here.
Knapsack Build Day - Saturday August 29th
Just a reminder that there is a build day this Saturday at Knapsack finishing off the trail diversion beneath the oval that avoids the muddy section. This will finish of the whole section from the lower gate to the creek crossing done a few years back.
Meeting at 8am at the southern end of Barnett St, full details here.
A successful July 11th Build Day!
A pretty successful day with just the regrouped XC A-Team working on the XC with fury to get the whole trail through. Lots of vegetation to remove with the Bush Doctors and as its mostly weed we had more options to really optimise the trail line for flow and "kinesthetic" movement. Chuck excelled at being a drill sergeant and yelling at us all to work harder and faster.
Next build day will be refining the tread of the trail as well as rock work on armouring and for a large rollover near the end.
More Info on the Destruction of Chicken Run Trails by the Crown
Crown Lands returned my call and openly answered my questions.
Firstly the trigger for this was complaints from local residents. I asked whether these were reported by council and his reply was to paraphrase in incredulity "why would council do that, its not their land to manage. No, it was local residents to us". Complaints were primarily about damage to the area, trees being chopped down etc
Further a claim on the land has also recently been granted by the Land Council, so maybe this actually made them act upon the complaints?