484676

December 2008

Track Crew News - December 2008

Now that the Huka Challenge is over we can breath again. A very big thank you to all the mountain bikers who turned out to help us run the event. We could not have run it with out all the help we got and you were all legends in the amount of work you did 95% of the course was cleaned up by the end of the day
The Huka race achieved what we set out to we broke a few bikes and bikers but every body had a ball on the tracks.

Other news is that we have the full funding from The Lion Foundation and Southern Trust to finish W2K and have started working on the other end of the headland track.
The Headland track is the best part of W2K so check it out. The older part is 5 Kms long and the views and trees are stunning.

Carwins track "May's Maze" is finished and thanks the last minute working bee for helping push through the last part for the Huka race. It’s a great track to improve your skills but be warned; doing it when you are a bit stuffed and it will do your head in.

We opened up the new entry to the Huka Lodge down hill today so it should be packed down by Xmas. The realignment was to make it easer for the new riders on the top corners

Track of the month: Headland track - ride both ends every time you go past for the views and to pack it down for us

Have a happy Xmas

Track crew

Posted: Wed 10 Dec 2008

484677

November 2008

Track Crew News - November 2008

The new down hill track, up the road from the car park, is coming along. The guys working on it are doing a great job. It has big scary jump but has got lots of chicken chutes, so you can check it out before taking it on.

We are back into the head land track on W2K. Another three days should see us out on the headland face which has stunning views down the lake to the mountains. Worth checking out - this is the best part off W2K.

Been told of two near misses with locals on W2K. Both were Morepork’s, one hit a rider in the chest and the other just gave the rider one hell of a fright. Morepork’s and riders are OK. Keep an eye open for them they hunt along the track early in the mornings and in the evenings and in most case’s will just fly a long and sit in a tree to check you out, that’s what MTB riding is all about.

Weed control is back on the agenda plus getting the tracks primo for the Huka race so get out and have fun!

Track of the Month: Slalom - not hard just a full on blast

Cheers

Track Crew

Posted: Fri 07 Nov 2008

484667

February 09

Track Crew News - February 2009

The W2K Headland track is getting closer - its like cheese all good things take time. Sharp people will notice that we have put a toilet in at the intersection its mainly for the walkers as MTB riders don’t need to use a toilet as they are moving at the speed of light anyway.
Thanks to DoC, who paid for the toilet which was a great saving for us, the toilet will be a great assent on the track. Bring your own toilet paper!

Down Hill demons can thank Nigel and others for getting the down hill track up and running. It's looking great and getting lots of use. For those who aren’t as sharp as others for spotting new tracks ride up the road from the car park (to the Craters of the Moon) and duck in at the Oak trees on the corner. It has chicken shoots on all the big jumps.
To the person who borrowed Nigel’s tools from the down hill track: It'd be really nice if you returned them.

We are going to shift the jumps the boys dug beside the road over to the Tourist Trap area so they have more room as we don’t want them beside the road and the little start track crossing the Lake Hire Link track. They wanted to be close to the car park in case they needed an Ambulance.

First part off the Out Back Traverse single track is open. It’s a bit rough still but we want people to ride it to pack it down. The aim is to get a nice flowing single track along the face.

Remember that the Switch Back and Three Stage area is now being logged for the next tree months. Please stay out of the area.
People using the Poihipi road gates: It’s OK to still use the top gate entry into Karapiti road.

Track of the Month:
Redwoods and Western by Pass. Nice riding under the trees on hot days for a ice cream at Huka Falls

Cheers

The Track Crew

Posted: Sun 01 Feb 2009

484666

March 09

Track Crew News - March 2009

All but 5 meters of the W2K Headland Track is built!

We haven’t lost our marbles, but the last bit is going to dug by hand on Sunday the 29th of March @12:00.

We want everybody plus dogs to turn up and enjoy the day. If you are biking or are going to walk in remember its at about 10kms from Kinloch and about 13 from Whakaipo Bay one way. It’s a BYO party and we will supply the spades and grubbers for digging.
It will not be one person cutting a ribbon everybody must take part in the digging

Talking about Kinloch, if you ride to the Cottage Café say you belong to Bike Taupo they will only charge $2.00 for a coffee (Cheap as chips!)

A few people did the First Aid course and I can say it was one of the best I have ever done. Only 4 hours!! and leaning how to use the tools that you take on a bike ride. All done in the bush and during a bike ride.
As we are now getting more extreme jumps tracks structures etc around its good to be able to a least try and save you mate. And if you think it won’t happen to you!!!!!! We seem to be getting about one a month going over the handle bars in a big way on all sorts of tracks.

Check out the Top Gear web site for videos of some of the local tracks
They are going to add more when they get time First section of the Outback single track is open and now it’s rained is packing down and a lot better to ride.

The new track from Bumble Bee to Outwards Goods is still being worked on and is turning into a great feet of engineering and slasher work.
The new down hill has a name: “The Budda” it’s Grade 6 and is the first track to go into the new track grading system of 1 to 6. New signs will be going in soon.

Talked to the logging guys and everybody seems to be keeping out off the logging area which is great - Thanks
We will advise when they are getting close to the 60 km hill. We are only going to close the Mr. & Mrs. to start with. That way you can still rip down the Buzzard to get to Young Pines.

We cleaned up Missing Link the other day. Not much traffic going that way these days, are people getting soft?
Remember if you see the signs or tape are up don’t bike through them.

Other news is that we have got some Funding from Ground Effects Slash fund to build a new covered info area / come shelter in the car park. It will be designed so you can bike off the bridge and through the shelter.
It will be used to put up new maps / event boards and also work as the registration timing area for events.

Another addition to the car park is that we are going to put in some toilets. The numbers of people using the MTB park are going up and up and after great debate and some help from the nice people at DoC in Turangi we are getting some tanks and getting on with putting them in over the next few month.

Cheers

The Track Crew

Posted: Sat 28 Feb 2009

484668

January 09

Track Crew News - January 2009

The W2K Headland Loop is getting closer day by day. We have about 4Kms to go, check it out on the W2K page or better still bike down the track and pack it down for us.

We have been advised that the trees in the Switch Back and Three Stage area will be logged in the next two months.
We will put a notice on the web site when it get close and will have signs up when areas are affected.

Track of the Month:
Switch Backs / Three Stage. They are about to become part of history

At some point when they cut the trees down beside 60 km hill all access will be closed up the Grinder, Buzzard Mr. & Mrs. area. This will only happen during the week days and we will have signs down the bottom to warn riders.
Don’t be dip sticks and ride in the logging areas! It will only be for one or two days and its part of life off riding in a production forest.

We will rebuild the down hill on a new line and are also talking about building a new uphill to bypass 60km hill.

Lots of riders around, and heaps on W2K so take it easy on all the two way tracks. In Wairakei a couple of tracks are being slowly chipped at:

One is off Bumble Bee back to Outwards Goods and then onto the Piker intersection it will run down the gully below Ferret and let you rip back to the car park another way.
The other is a single track traverse along the back of Outback so you don’t have to ride on the 4X4 road (this has been in the pipe line for a long time) with luck it will also include the odd structure to keep you on your toes.

They are just being build when time allows, or doing the odd hour or two when out on a ride so if you want to help, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will put you onto the people involved.

Happy New Year from The Track Crew

Posted: Thu 01 Jan 2009