Don't mess with Mother Nature

One of the two stump carvings that has popped up at The Woodlot

I came to The Woodlot today with the intention of fixing or getting a really good start on fixing a ground water problem on Snakes and Ladders. In one particular spot, when the rains are heavy, water springs up from underground and flows like a river along the trail. I have now called this the Geyser section.

I met up with Richard at the bottom and we rode to the top of Snakes to recover a couple tools, and then down to the nasty section. For a change, I was on my hard tail.

Without going into the spirit crushing details, I feel our efforts would have been better served elsewhere. The lesson I have learned is that it is impossible to control mother nature. Ground water is not something to enter into a battle with on a single track trail. If you have ground water coming up, don't disturb the ground, just armour or re-route.

Currently we are left with a bomb hole. The water has literally created a bomb hole on the trail and a river where the trail used to be for a 20 foot section of the trail. If the line is to be kept I think I'll need a dump truck load of rock, or a big ladder section will need to be constructed.

After seeing the damage that the water has done, my plan is to ladder this whole section. We need to get above the water as it is impossible to contain, constrain or control the water.

The glove in the photo show two of the many spots where water is spewing onto the trail

Water is pumping out from between the rocks.

This shot shows the damage the water has done to the trail. The trail is currently a small creek.

Over the next few weeks I will be gathering the materials I'll be needing.

The ride out to my car was not one filled with a sense of accomplishment. Mother nature has beat me down.