Over the past couple of years there have been several instances of individuals taking it upon themselves to remove obstacles (trail features) from the trails systems at Salisbury and South Mountain Emmaus. These individuals may be doing this out of legitimate interest in helping out, or may be removing an obstacle that hinders their riding style - unfortunately, most of the examples I know of appear to be the latter. So I wanted to clarify a few things:
1. Valley Mountain Bikers has formal agreements with the appropriate land managers / gov't officials to complete trail maintenance at the following locations:
- Salisbury Walking Purchase Park
- Lake Nockamixon
- Trexler Nature Preserve
2. Mark Bowman (VMB member and South Mountain Emmaus Committee Leader) has formal agreements with the appropriate land managers / gov't officials to complete trail maintenance at the following location:
- South Mountain Emmaus
At the four locations listed above, VMB and Mark Bowman are the only people authorized to complete trail maintenance (as far as I am aware). It is not appropriate for a VMB member, or non-member, to take it upon themselves to remove trail features they personally do not like.
VMB has committees for all four trail systems listed. These groups do the best they can with the resources and volunteers they have, but also understand there is always room for improvement. If you want trails improved contact the club, or better yet, get actively involved in one of the committees. You will definitely gain a new perspective on the existing trail features and why some of them are there - i.e. to prevent ATV usage, or to slow riders down going into another feature. Whatever you do, please do not assume that because a certain tree or rock is a pain in the ass for you to get over, that it should be removed. Clearly what I am saying does not apply to a newly downed tree branch that is now at neck level across the trail - in the example of a dangerous situation where the hazard can be removed, please do.
Please contact me or the club if you have any questions, or are interested in getting involved and learning more about trails and their existing features.