Hello mountain bikers!

Are you hoping for another fun season of riding off-road on the only mountain bike trails in Rock County (Rockport Park)? If you answered “yes”, then I’m hoping you recognize and appreciate the effort that goes into keeping those trails open. Rockport’s singletrack trails aren’t ready to be ridden quite yet (trail conditions listed here), but we’re getting close! In addition to needing more time to dry out, they will also need a little “volunteer love” before and throughout the upcoming riding season.

I’m hoping you will consider volunteering to help maintain a section in 2023. Volunteers (you?) are needed to assure that once the trails are dry enough to ride that they then don’t get too over-grown to have fun. Volunteers are asked to pick a section of trail to adopt (see below) and then walk their section about once a month pruning back the “face-slappers”, “arm-grabbers”, and “shin-rubbers”. Volunteers will NOT need power tools and are asked to contact me if they do encounter anything that can’t be cleared using loppers or a handsaw. Additionally, the edges of the singletrack trails are typically mowed once or twice each season; which not only helps keep the lower growth in check, but also makes it easier for the volunteers to see where their efforts are most needed.

Several people have already stepped up (listed below) and have adopted sections for 2023. But the saying is “many hands make light work”, and more volunteers will lessen their burden. Please let me know ASAP if you can help!

Below is a list of each section of singletrack and also who has already volunteered for each specific section.

LLL – THIS SECTION HAS ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED BY THE YOUTH MTB CLUB FOR 2023 – Maintain the East Loop single-track (between the pool/soccer/parking area and the farm fields)  

  • Maintain the east ½ of the loop (east of the bridges)
    • 2023 – JVC Youth Mountain Bike Club
  • Maintain the west ½ of the loop (west of the bridges)
    • 2023 – JVC Youth Mountain Bike Club

Connector Trail – Maintain the single-track trail that connects the East Loop to the West Loop

  • 2023 – Jeff Splan

Ground Zero Area – Maintain the single-track at the west end of the Connector to the Hub (where the West Loop begins and ends) and also maintain both directions from the Hub going clockwise on the West Loop to the Fischer Creek bridge and also going counter-clockwise on the West Loop from the Hub up through the Sand Box area

  • 2023 – Denny Malmanger

Big Valley Area – Maintain the single-track trail west of the Fischer Creek bridge, up Onion Hill, down to the creek, and to the bottom of the Raccoon Run

  • 2023 – Caleb Bush

Nut Farm Area – Maintain the single-track in southwest corner of the park

  • South ½ of the Nut Farm (from bottom of Raccoon Run to gully crossing)
    • 2023 – Jen Whiting and Blake Seeman
  • North ½ of the Nut Farm (from gully crossing to Barbwire Wire)
    • 2023 – Lance Horozewski

Barbwire Area –Maintain the single-track trail that goes north from the Nut Farm and down along the field towards Creekside

  • 2023 – Bob & Janet Schlegel and Ryan Williams

Creekside Area – Maintain the single-track that runs along Fischer Creek on the park’s west side (from the end of Barbwire to the start of the Zoo)

  • 2023 – Larry Reimer and Jodi Witte

The Zoo Area – Maintain the single-track below the railroad tracks starting at the northern Fischer Creek bridge and going above the homestead to Broken Pinky (the wide gravel trail that leads to the gravel parking lot) 

  • 2023 – Eric & Cap Abbott

Barking Dog – Maintain the single-track south and east of the gravel parking lot on Rockport Rd going from Broken Pinky (the wide gravel trail that leads to the gravel parking lot) to CNBC (the wide ski hill under the power lines)

  • 2023 – Eric & Cap Abbott

FUBAR – Maintain the single-track from CNBC (the main trail ski hill that runs under the power lines) through the Sand Box area) to the Hub (where the West Loop ends and the Connector begins)

  • 2023 – Zack Keating and Joe Bowers

Additional volunteers for each section would be very welcome! If you’re interested, please contact me so I can not only pass along the City’s maintenance guidelines, but also coordinate your efforts with the other volunteer(s) for the section you’d like to help maintain.    

Thanks to those who are stepping up again in 2023 to keep our singletrack well maintained! Your efforts don’t go unnoticed! Rockport’s singletrack would be much less enjoyable and would quickly become over-grown without the efforts of our volunteers!

I hope to hear from you and am looking forward to seeing you out on the trails in 2023!

Bob Schlegel

bob@michaelscycles.net

(608) 752-7676