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Team Bikeman -
Race Reports
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Written by Erik Osborn
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Monday, 14 May 2007 |
Congin Trails: Open for the Season!
 | | Buffed out single track |
Ryan, (a.k.a Doctor of Flow), and yours truly spent some time this weekend and last clearing out the trails in behind Congin School in Westbrook, Maine. We worked wilderness style - no power tools. Made a sweet new bridge out of some old mill scraps (Ryan: I am happy to report the flow is good), and cleared a lot of debris from the wind storm earlier this spring.
The loop is now in the best condition it has been in for years. It takes about 30 minutes to ride, and has some of the best buffed-out single track in Southern ME, as well as plenty of fun technical bits over rocky outcrops and scary fast double track descents. The storm took down a few huge trees, one of which we have plans to make rideable with some axe work. The other two are in fast sections and are fun to hurdle if you can bust out your cyclocross skills.
 | | New bridge |
Plenty of nature to be observed in the Congin woods too if that's your scene. We got an awesome view of a pileated woodpecker, drumming away on a dead truck to attract the babes, started a flicker from a hollow tree, and heard ovenbirds all morning. Early wildflowers are out now too, making the most of the bright spring woods before the leaves come out and steal the sunshine.
 | | Violets |
The one thing in the back of my mind all day was a worry that developers might come and steal our sunshine some day. Some of this land is owned by utility companies, but who knows who owns the rest. We've seen a lot of woods disappear in Southern ME and the mountain bikers and the flickers just have to suck it up and move on. Ryan and I noticed some ominous flagging in the woods the other day, so it might already be too late for Congin. I'm at least going to talk to a friend of mine who works for a local conservation group, and see what we might be able to do.
The trails are there for now though, and they are in sweet condition, so come on out and ride!
Erik
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; "Buffed out single track")
; "New bridge")
; "Violets")
