Perry Lake ATV Area Ride Saturday May 4

[Stu]

Anyone interested in riding at the ATV area Saturday 5/4? I could lead you around. I would add that it has become more difficult for bikes with the damage done by quadtards & recent heavy rains that have left a lot of deep mud. There is still plenty of challenging places to ride that are bike, well, sort of friendly depending on your skills off road. Singles should be fine but big bikes would be challenged to the extreme. As in several of us might have to help you push. Rain through the rest of the week will determine what we can do. As far as extreme mud goes I was out yesterday and I did have to bushwhack to get around some deep holes. Fun stuff though.

Stu

[Stu]

Looking at the forecast for the rest of the week (rain) & given the level of deep mud at some critical points it might be best to postpone this ride until things dry up some in June. Thoughts?

Stu

[Stu]

Current conditions at Perry...

I was out there last week, around the 14th. Massive erosion and ruts now. The ATVs have left deep tracks everywhere that there is soft soil so riding and slipping off into those ruts is, well, fun or not depending on your perspective. Some up hills have the same deep ruts ending at rock ledges that are also washed out and dug out. Trees are down blocking some of the trails. In order to get this riding area halfway decent for dirt bikes is going to take some work, or a lot of log hopping, ledge assaulting and rut riding skills.

Stu

[xr-nut]

It is disappointing to see the current conditions there. I remember taking my son riding there for the first time back in 2002. He was just starting out on an XR50 and the entire place was kid friendly. Sure there were a some spots that the little bike just couldn't do, but I feel like Perry is were he got his riding skills from. Back then the corps would patrol the parking lot and riding area multiple times throughout the day. They would enforce the no riding in the parking lot, and try to keep big bikes out of the kids area.(at least the ones riding like spodes) That enforcement lasted a year, maybe two tops. Then the parking lot became donut central and the kids area became overgrown and un-rideable for kids. I cannot imagine taking a 5 year old out there now. Just sad.

Last fall we went down for a few hours and the far south-east corner is still mostly ok, along with the south west side over by the rock climbs. The quads have literally ruined the middle of the park.

[troy]

While there are definitely "user problems", the biggest problem with Perry in my opinion is it is way, way too small for the demographic. It serves a population base of over 2 million with a very small number of acres. Those experienced in developing trail systems probably have a formula, but for a population of that size, probably need 3,000 acres.

With all the rain, the expected wet summer, and all the damage, Perry is "dead to me" this year.

[Stu]

Troy,

I need you to go out there with me and enjoy crashing on ledges and logs and getting a poison ivy rub down when you slide off the trail.

Stu

[Stu]

Here are some pix from Perry from 8/5. A lot of erosion and ATV damage but still rideable. If you like rock ledges and wet clay.

Stu

[Stu]

In spite of the upload only one image showed up. Troy....the web site can do better than this.