Information in a nutshell that relates to next Monday's Meeting - Please Read

A few things to remember what we are trying to do at Knapsack and keep in mind at the meeting. This stuff is all basically in the BMORC report though stressed a little stronger here in places.

1) The trails at Knapsack were created as maintenance trails and walking trails over the years. As most walkers and vehicles will take the shortest path over a hill they can often occur on fall lines, ie the steepest way which results in serious water erosion. Mountain bikes are irrelevant to this issue.

2) Studies have shown mountain bikes don't have a greater erosive effect than walkers. There is solid evidence for this. Mountain bikes however sadly get confused with trail bikes which are hugely erosive and destructive.,

3) We are suggesting converting the mess of walking tracks and maintance trails into single track trails that are sustainable whether used for walkers or riders. This will mean brushmatting existing maintenance trails that are not necessary fire trails or other essential access trails into single track. It will also mean closing off by brushmatting useless loops and trails to nowhere that are no good for riding and pointless for walkers. Overall, by the end of this process there will be more "bush" than there currently is at Knapsack and no erosive trails. Also riders are preapred to do all this work.

4) I reiterate, just because a trail may only be used by walkers does not mean it is automatically sustainable. It doesn't matter whether a walker or mountain bike use the trail, if it is built wrongly it will erode severely due to water erosion. The effects of walkers and mountain bikes is negligible compared to water erosion. The huge number of walker only trails around the mountains that bikes have never riden that are horribly eroded is evidence of this.

5) We would like to cut a few short sections of new track in areas where there aren't critical environments as assessed by the BMCC, that can bypass eroded areas; provide short link sections to optimise usage of existing track (thereby reducing the need for new tracks being cut) and lastly to provide better routing of the trail to make use of existing parking and ammenties away from residential areas.

6) The existing "DH trail" is very unsustainable. This is a conglomeration of maintenance trails and old walking tracks adopted by mountain bikes. The option is to shut it down and reroute a new alignment that would make a good riding DH track that would be used by riders and make the project useful. The lack of riders on the existing trail proves the inadequacy of the existing trail. The old DH and secondary walking track downhill trail could then be brushmatted and made into a sustainable walking track respectively. This would vastly improved these trails from the gouging and eroding water channels they currently are.

7) Unfortunately cutting a new alignment in virgin bush strikes us as unsavory when there is an existing downhill trail at Old Bathurst Road in distressed bush that can be improved by bushcare by riders and sustainablity measures being taken on the track. Both options would result in a good DH track but the cutting of a new track in virgin bush while halfheartedly closing the Old Bathurst Road tracks seems to conflict with the original intention of "saving the escarpment"

So feel free to discuss, argue with or whatever!