Finished. Completed. In the Bag. Put to bed. The Pumptrack is done.
On a typically cold and damp Dalby winter Dig Day, seven volunteers turned out to put the finishing touches to the forest’s first Pumptrack. Nothing can start on a Dalby Trail building day without first visiting the Treetops for a Monster Breakfast.
Once the matter of fuel for the day has been fettled, it was up to the forestry workshops to meet Stuart Startup. Once again Stuart has come in on his day off to provide the pickup and trailer we need to get the surfacing materials up to dixons. All hands dug in to load the trailer in record time, and off we set through the forest roads to deliver the cargo.
Firstly, there was a drainage issue to sort. A dry Pumptrack is a happy Pumptrack, so drainage is always high on the priority list. A couple of channels were dug out for land drain pipe to help keep the track dry, and the search for nearby rocks began. Dont forget the land drain on the next trip back to workshops…
The day consisted of a very efficient production line. One group loaded the trailer, drove back to Dixon’s where a convoy of wheelbarrows were loaded with surfacing. The surfacing was dumped on the track, then once the trailer was empty the remaining team raked out the surfacing and ran loaded wheelbarrows over it all to help bed in. The trailer was taken back to reload, then it all began again. After three full loads, the job was done. And we remembered the land drain pipe. Eventually.
It was a very productive day, with everyone focused on getting it done. As has been brought up before though, the track needs time to bed in. It always seems crazy asking people not to ride on the track yet, but please give it time. The track needs about a months rest before it is really ready for action. It has all been taped off, so once the tape is removed next month, the sessions can begin.
Thanks to John, Jake, Knacker, Dave, Nick, Stuart for coming out on a cold February day to help complete another Dalby Forest SingletrAction project. I wonder what could be happening next…..?
Feb 22