# A Comprehensive List Of "Sanitized" Trails



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

I read a lot here on MTBR about "sanitized" trails, but haven't really found any here in northern california where i ride. yeah, parts of golden gate park have been smoothed and widened but we weren't supposed to be riding our mountain bikes on those trails before they were "improved" in the first place. 

and sometimes, "sanitization" can workout in our favor, as steep stairways and waterbars are good for testing suspension and add a little chocolate to vanilla trails.

so tell us--where are the sanitized trails and how were they sanitized? 

photos strongly encouraged, especially before and after.


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## theMeat (Jan 5, 2010)

Are you asking for a map of the whole forest?


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

theMeat said:


> Are you asking for a map of the whole forest?


i am deliberately being vague...


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Is this where we're heading?

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/video-the-fim-emtb-world-cup-race-in-imola-was-embarrassing.html


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## Klurejr (Oct 13, 2006)

I feel like the OC is the wrong place for this thread.... maybe General or Trail Building?


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

I think this kind of subject matter, on a forum as heavily surveilled by regulatory authorities as this is, calls for some serious consideration before hitting that enter key
-Ray


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

Klurejr said:


> I feel like the OC is the wrong place for this thread.... maybe General or Trail Building?


do what you have to do...probably a better title would have been "how have your favorite trails been sanitized"?

there's no ill will intended here.


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## OzarkFathom (Jul 2, 2019)

shekky said:


> ......"how have your favorite trails been sanitized.


Rain.


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

*OneSpeed* said:


> Is this where we're heading?
> 
> https://www.pinkbike.com/news/video-the-fim-emtb-world-cup-race-in-imola-was-embarrassing.html


That's exactly where those motorised bikes belong


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

*OneSpeed* said:


> Is this where we're heading?
> 
> https://www.pinkbike.com/news/video-the-fim-emtb-world-cup-race-in-imola-was-embarrassing.html


/bury face in hands


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## fredcook (Apr 2, 2009)

Over the last 15+ years or so, all of our 250+ miles of North Texas single track has gone from bi-directional (in-out) to one way stacked loop design. It's been a great move because, well, no more head on traffic and collisions, and also pretty much doubled the amount of different trail to ride. Stacked loops also allow more routing options. But, it also introduced some sanitizing. We more commonly call it "idiot proofing", and "dumbing down". It may have been unintentional, but it seems loop direction sometimes takes the path of least resistance. For example, what were once fun challenging drops are now uninspiring one way up only, and challenging technical climbs are now one way down only. In these instances, the new one way direction follows the easier direction. Again, most likely unintentional, and I am by no means belittling the hard work trail stewards have executed to create all of our one way stacked loop redesigns. I guess in the end, overall trail route has to be considered... loosing one fun drop in exchange for the other miles of trail design, etc.

Outside of the above, we do see the occasional sanitizing of logs we once used to hop over by being cut, rocks and fill dirt being placed into crevasses and dips, sections of rock garden being cleared, etc. But honestly, when I see this, it looks more like the work of someone other than the official trail managers. And it really doesn't take place that much.

On occasion, we see trail redirection/re-routing. Our first response is, "man, this goes around the rough/fun stuff". But, honestly, it's likely required erosion control efforts.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

the only fix seems to be more sign pollution.

signs before and after choice bits saying do not try to fix the trails to meet your skills, fix your skills to meet the trail, or some such blurb...

it has kept some fine chunky death traps in their fine chunky death trap state on some of my stashes 'round these parts....[but the signs kinda suck just being there]


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

More Signs on trails?

Once in a while (less often than when I lived in Indiana) I come across a spot where riders have been cutting a corner or making a "new, easy line". 5 minutes dragging some branches & such over it usually gets it back to normal.

That video above is funny, whatever floats their boat. Not for me though.


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## Klurejr (Oct 13, 2006)

Shark said:


> Once in a while (less often than when I lived in Indiana) I come across a spot where riders have been cutting a corner or making a "new, easy line". 5 minutes dragging some branches & such over it usually gets it back to normal.


I spent a hour moving big rocks and putting a berm back where it used to be to close off a major trail cut that was more for "strava" than for easy riding.... Was torn out the next week so the "bros" could have their strava times back.....


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

This is an interesting topic for me as I started noticing tire tracks in a few spots of the system I work on that are "cutting" the trail. I am taking the "why are people doing this" approach to try and understand to avoid what *Klurejr* talks about aka people undoing any fix I propose.

A few of the new line improved the flow, so I blocked off the "old" line. In others, I am considering moving in some logs and rocks to keep people on track. Ultimately though, STRAVA lines would seem to be the hardest to "solve" because the fastest "speed" is invariably straight down the fall in its ultimate form. I wish STRAVA has a greater degree of detecting "off course" rides that would then not show up on the leaderboards / segment KOM/Qs.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

roughster said:


> I wish STRAVA has a greater degree of detecting "off course" rides that would then not show up on the leaderboards / segment KOM/Qs.


That would be great, except it would require a massive improvement in the positional accuracy of devices that people use, at riding speed. Even if such GPS tech hit the consumer market, I don't see phone manufacturers using it for quite some time. Shoot, to accomplish it affordably, it might even have to be some other very different sort of technology and who knows who will adopt it or implement it?


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Thread kill...move a thread and watch it die. Happens every time. Just let it ride for a change. 🙈


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## TheDwayyo (Dec 2, 2014)

Klurejr said:


> I spent a hour moving big rocks and putting a berm back where it used to be to close off a major trail cut that was more for "strava" than for easy riding.... Was torn out the next week so the "bros" could have their strava times back.....


If you can move it by yourself, so can anyone else. Best to use a big group of guys with some tools, that way it would take at least that to move it back.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Thread kill...move a thread and watch it die. Happens every time. Just let it ride for a change. 


yeah, when i first started it, i really didn't know what i wanted to type but at the same time, i didn't want to start a ****-storm. thus, i thought the OC would be a good place to start.

but it seems i hear a lot about trails getting easier or how modern bikes make trails too easy.

i suppose its all relative.


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## TwiceHorn (Jun 18, 2014)

fredcook said:


> Over the last 15+ years or so, all of our 250+ miles of North Texas single track has gone from bi-directional (in-out) to one way stacked loop design. It's been a great move because, well, no more head on traffic and collisions, and also pretty much doubled the amount of different trail to ride. Stacked loops also allow more routing options. But, it also introduced some sanitizing. We more commonly call it "idiot proofing", and "dumbing down". It may have been unintentional, but it seems loop direction sometimes takes the path of least resistance. For example, what were once fun challenging drops are now uninspiring one way up only, and challenging technical climbs are now one way down only. In these instances, the new one way direction follows the easier direction. Again, most likely unintentional, and I am by no means belittling the hard work trail stewards have executed to create all of our one way stacked loop redesigns. I guess in the end, overall trail route has to be considered... loosing one fun drop in exchange for the other miles of trail design, etc.
> 
> Outside of the above, we do see the occasional sanitizing of logs we once used to hop over by being cut, rocks and fill dirt being placed into crevasses and dips, sections of rock garden being cleared, etc. But honestly, when I see this, it looks more like the work of someone other than the official trail managers. And it really doesn't take place that much.
> 
> On occasion, we see trail redirection/re-routing. Our first response is, "man, this goes around the rough/fun stuff". But, honestly, it's likely required erosion control efforts.


I'm a relatively newer rider, so all the trails have been one way from the beginning for me. Except OCNP, which is so confusing everyone goes the wrong way all the time.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

Would it not be easier to list the ones that haven't yet been sanitized?


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

mikesee said:


> Would it not be easier to list the ones that haven't yet been sanitized?


hopefully the list of untouched trails would be longer, thus more difficult to compile a list of.

hopefully...


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## Curveball (Aug 10, 2015)

mikesee said:


> Would it not be easier to list the ones that haven't yet been sanitized?


Oh no, let's keep those gems our little secret.


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