Grinduro Post-Event Trail Status Statement
Background
On the weekend of May 20-21st, 2022, SORA hosted around 550 riders for Grinduro, a gravel/mountain bike stage race in Mt Shasta. The main venue was located at Shastice Park, with a course utilizing forest roads and trails in the area. A portion of the course routed riders through the Gateway system, coming down from the Everitt highway, then using the Muir’s Ascension trail, Gateway Trail, Pig Farm, Stump, and Gateway again back to the trailhead on the Everitt. SORA worked closely with the Shasta-Trinity USFS to ensure it would be a successful event for the community, obtained all necessary permits, and participated in pre-event trail inspections.
Event Details
Prologue - May 19 – Estimated 50-60 Riders
Grinduro/Grindurito – May 20 – Estimated 550 Riders
Sunday Ride – May 21 – Estimated 10-15 Riders
Overview
The US Forest Service and SORA conducted a post-event trail inspection on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 24. This inspection revealed seven sections of the trail that were impacted by riders. The USFS characterized the impact as minor, with one section on Gateway that showed increased braking bumps from the event traffic. The Shasta-Trinity USFS’ 2023 Post Event Trail Inspection Report is available upon request.
Trail Repair Plan/Status
Trail work will be managed by Siskiyou Stewardship Corps (SSC), a SORA program. The SSC crew will work with partner organizations and volunteers to complete the trail maintenance/repairs.
The entirety of the course has been walked and raked to address locations where event traffic went off-trail. The areas were raked to blend any errant tire tracks, and the edges were re-naturalized with needles and other organics to maintain existing tread widths.
The braking bumps on Gateway Trail that were identified as an area of concern in the pre-event inspection and identified for treatment in the post-event inspection have been addressed.
After a couple of consecutive afternoons of rain showers, SSC staff used a bike and trailer to haul tools and water to the location. Once the organics were removed from the work area, the tread was scratched to promote bonding and proper compaction. The crests of the braking bumps were thinly cut; water was added and mixed to create fill soil and compacted in the holes in numerous small lifts. Work on this area is complete; however, as this corner has reoccurring problems, it will be worth monitoring.
The berms and turns on the Pig Farm trail were not addressed in the USFS report, but they show relatively minor braking bumps. SORA and SSC will schedule more workdays on these sections in the coming weeks as conditions allow.
If you’re interested in participating in a future trail work day, or to learn more about Siskiyou Stewardship Corps programs, please send an email to SSC Director Bryson.