UPDATE OCTOBER 17: Contruction on the new trail in nearly complete. DirtScuplt is finishing up work on a few features to allow emergency and first responder access, and there's some seeding, compacting and other erosion controls to be addressed and installed. But we expect to open the new trail around the first of November. Please stay off until then. It's still an active construction site. And the county, for insurance and legal reasons has made it very clear that the trail needs to remain closed until all those details, and some important paperwork is completed. We're all itching to ride the trail now, but please stay off for another two to three weeks. Details on the grand-opening celebration will be available soon!
UPDATE JULY 15: We have the most exciting Trexler new trail update yet. This week, Dave King’s DirtSculp has won the bid to build the new flow trail at Trexler Nature Preserve. We’re fortunate to have such a qualified, respected builder as Dave who is local, rides Trex, and who is available to start building soon. We are planning for construction to begin as soon as mid-August.
This will be an approximately 1.5-mile-long, one-way, bike-only flow trail in TNP’s Hunsicker Valley (just behind the North Range parking lot). Our plans also call for building about .8 miles of connectors to integrate this new trail into the existing network.
The trail will have about 15 features (listed below), including some tabletops and step ups. We want this trail to safely accommodate riders of all abilities while offering challenging options for more advanced riders. We also want this trail to integrate into the Preserve’s natural landscape. If you’ve scoped out the valley from the Border trail, you know how beautiful it is.
VMB has been working on this project for years and we are more than excited that it is nearing completion and to have you all riding this new trail soon! This project is being funded by a grant from the PA DCNR, and with the support of Lehigh County, and Lehigh County Parks. They’ve each played a huge, helping role in helping make this new trail possible.
As part of the grant funding, we must contribute 200 volunteer hours to the project, working with Dirt Sculpt. We’ll need lots of volunteer help to meet that goal. We’ll share options for helping as we near the start of construction.
Planned trail features (subject to on-the-ground adjustments during the build):
Descent 1 (North Facing Slope): In addition to 4 insloped turns and typical
rolling contour trail, this portion of the new trail should include at least
the following features:
• 1.1-Tabletop jump approximately 2’ high by 10’ long
• 1.2-Tabletop jump approximately 3’ high by 12’ long
• 1.3-Tabletop jump approximately 3’ high by 12’ long
• 1.4-Step up jump approximately 4’ high by 15’ long
• 1.5-Step down jump approximately 4’ down by 15’ long
• 1.6-Step down jump approximately 4’ down by 15’ long
• 1.7-Step up jump approximately 4’ high by 15’ long
Descent 2 (South Facing Slope): In addition to 4 insloped turns and typical
rolling contour trail, this portion of the new trail should include at least
the following features:
• 2.1-Tabletop jump approximately 2’ high by 10’ long
• 2.2-Tabletop jump approximately 3’ high by 12’ long
• 2.3-Tabletop jump approximately 3’ high by 12’ long
• 2.4-Tabletop jump approximately 4’ high by 15’ long
• 2.5-Step up jump approximately 4’ high by 12’ long
• 2.6-Step down jump approximately 2’ down by 15’ long
• 2.7-Tabletop jump approximately 4’ high by 15’ long
• 2.8-Tabletop jump approximately 4’ high by 15’ Long
• 2.9- Hardened creek crossing using onsite rock
