Chaparral Trail/NorthEast Texas Trail - RIDE OPPORTUNITY!!!! - AUGUST 10TH!
 

Folks, you may have seen my post recently about my adventure exploring the Chaparral Trail between Farmersville and Paris. If not, but you have heard about the Chaparral Trail and have thought... maybe someday I'll go out there and check it out... Well, SOMEDAY HAS COME! Take a look at the attached .pdf file and learn more about plans to ride the trail on August 10th.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and at the possibility of showing you the trail!

Lynn B

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=262234

In!

Don't know how much of the ride I could do, but I have a ginormous 4 bike rack on my Ford Escape and may possibly be available for SAG duties for some of the one way-ers. Sounds it would be great to have a LARGE number of us show up at the meeting to prove there is interest and drop some money locally for food and refreshment.

Great idea. Trying to figure out how to be in Farmersville at 6:30 am without spending much money. Even if you guys drop me, I bet I can be at Roxton in time to make an appearance. A SAG back to Fville would be great!

Bill, if you can get here, we will do our best to get you where you need to be. Jtgyk, you could think about parking in Roxton and riding out to meet us via the course directions (in reverse)... 10 miles from Roxton to Pecan Gap by Farm Road/County road... just sayin!

Kinda what I had in mind...(depends on how many people think that they'll need rides back, though)

Okay, it looks like I am in.

I will be in Ladonia on Thursday night, so I would be able to cache some stuff on the trail there if we wanted to.

As much as I love the idea of riding all the way back from Roxton to Farmersville and completing my first century, I am probably not capable of it in a reasonable amount of time, so I would really appreciate a lift back to Farmersville if possible. Either that or I can attach myself to jlynnbob with a handy length of paracord. :)

You and me both Bill!

So, is that 2 so far that need transport back to Farmersville? (you can actually call me that day, too, if you need to SAG from somewhere on the trail (wherever it meets a road)
I have 2 more slots left on the rack. If I have an empty slot the day of the ride, I'll plan on bringing one of my bikes for the road portion from Roxton, meet up w/y'all and ride back in to the meeting with the group.

Whew, I was starting to think I was the only one going on the trip who couldn't do 100 miles in 100 deg weather. :)

Thanks so much for doing this, Jtgyk.

I will post a rough schedule for the morning of the ride with approximate times in each of the towns where the trail passes through. I would like to have a good list of riders AND phone numbers so we can communicate the day of the ride. If each of you would, please email me your thoughts on what you will be doing (how far you plan to ride, where you are starting, whether you want SAG and to where, your cell phone, your email address...etc.). I will create an email list to try and keep everyone on the same page. If someone else would prefer coordinating this, feel free to step up! My email is jlynnbob at gmail dot com. I will put a similar request on the DORBA Facebook page and will ask Mike to do the same on DORBA MeetUp, etc.

Lynn

PM'd you with contact info...

Bumping this.

Anyone else going?

"Bueller? ......Bueller?............ Bueller? "

I WAS in until I realized this was on Friday instead of Saturday.
I'm really hoping there is at least a respectable showing for this. This trail needs to happen.

Still planning on making it. I rode over 60 miles, about half of it unpaved, on Saturday, so I'm feeling like I can survive this.

C'mon, take a vacation day. It'll be fun, and you won't miss the weekend with your family. :)

I created this map of a bike route from Farmersville to Roxton in preparation for the quarterly meeting on August 10th. You can either ride the maintained trail, then FM/County roads to Roxton, or if you choose to push on the unmaintained ...parts of the trail, you can bail anywhere along the way to the roads. This map provides a turn by turn cue sheet for the entire route if following the roads from the end of maintained trail. I have not ridden these roads, but tried to pick those that most closely followed the rail right-of-way. I also added some points of interest.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1516602

EDIT: Cue sheet is not accurate, you will need to study the map closely or chose your road route on your own. I tried to be pretty specific, but still ended up with some mis-cues on the road routes. FWIW

Two days away, and I am STOKED!

You and me both, brother! For those following along at home, we have 5 participants and a solid plan for a great day of biking in Texas in August??? Oh well, two out of three ain't too bad!

It was a great day with a cold front moving in to keep it from being too hot! It was great to meet you guys!

Bill had some equipment issues, but got plenty of miles in, I got 29 miles in and had to SAG in (thanks Mike!), and Lynn is a pure beast and 106 mile machine. That guy is an amazing rider. Thanks again Lynn, and I'll have to train up a bit before the next time I ride the NE Texas Trail. Feels pretty good to have a goal!

The trail is in much better shape than I had expected. Of course it wasn't wet, and that makes a huge difference, and the overgrowth in some spots is tough to push through, but totally worth the effort. In my estimation, a ride from Farmersville to Pecan Gap is very doable for the average rider with good fitness. Well, better fitness than me, anyway.

Thanks to Lynn and the rest that put this together! It was good to meet you all, had a great time, and am glad I got so much info at the Trail meeting.
Depending on when the meeting is (in New Boston?), I'll volunteer for SAG again.

I hope someone got some pics. :)

I'm curious about what was said at the meeting. Did they give time frames about the expansion of the trail? Are all the land owner conflicts being sorted out?

I know Lynn snapped one of me next to a nice, new trail friendly gate. It's a gate that closes the trail to cars/4 wheelers, but peds, horses and bikes can pass through without stopping. I like it.

I would say that Stan's No Flat or WTB's new No Flat system is a MUST for the bushwacking parts of the trail. Flats front and back for me because I would hit the Honey Locus tree branches, and that was that!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0...2/IMAG0480.jpg

Also, expect to average 6mph or less unless you are a beast like Lynn.

As for trail resistance, Delta County plays heavily in this, for some reason. Of all the places the trail was just flat out impassible, the BOARDER with Delta County was it. Also, it was in Delta County that the NO TRESPASSING sign and fence across the trail are in place. It came out during the meeting that Delta County has never been a strong supporter (or maybe even any supporter) of the trail.

Southern Lamar County also has the trail being fairly not there, but I don't think it's hostile, just neglect.

As was said, I tore off my rear deraillleur and didn't get to finish, but I really had a good time. The trail is so close to being a really great weekend trip for even average family riders.

I'm sad that I missed the more overgrown parts of the trail. I don't even know what a honey locust looks like... Mike, did you have slime in your tubes?

I'd like to try again without the same kind of ending deadline and take it at a more leisurely pace. Like if the relative speeds go Lance, Lynn, race, touring, picnicking, and parade, maybe somewhere between picnicking and touring. If people like to camp, maybe camp at Ladonia and then ride to Paris and back. Just thinking out loud. I am disappointed that I was taken out of the running so quickly and am looking forward to trying again.

Lynn, I'll email you some photos of the Ladonia hunter camping area to add to your collection.

Honey locust thorns are of the Devil. They are super sharp thorns that get up to 3 or 4 inches long. Slime tubes are definitely no match for them (although they are not really a match for anything else either). Tubeless with sealant like Stan's is the only way to go. Running over one of those is like driving a 16d nail through your tire.

Sounds like a good time. I'd like to make this trip once it get's about 20-30 degrees cooler outside.

What he said...

I forgot to add that the Ladonia Lodge is run by Rick Barrett at 972 and 979 and 7482. If you wanted to stop overnight, I think that you could make this place work well. If I can talk the wife into an "adventure weekend", I'm going to try to stay here. I think this is the place and is $69/night and here's what it looks like inside:

http://www.landsoftexas.com/land-for...exas/id/902083

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=267135Of the Devil? Maybe not, but nasty just the same. This is a picture of the trunk of a Honey Locust tree. 3-4 inches is no exaggeration. In addition to littering the trail with branches with thorns attached, there are limbs hanging over the trail in places. Just when you get complacent and comfortable peddling through some branches and using your hand to push them away... Honey Locust strikes! Ouch...
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=267133

ooooo, bad juju.

Soooo, what would it take to fix this? Is there a section of trail that is a 5-mile honey locust thicket? Or is it a few clumps along the trail?

No clumps, just random trees along the right-of-way. Fix it? Tubeless...