What's the consensus on leaving vs removing dead leaves on the trail during winter? Do they protect the soil against erosion or make it worse?

Here in Austria we have a ban on mountain biking in most places from November to February. Some people still ride but there's generally a low traffic period for 4 months a year. In fall we get a lot of dead leaves on the trail in the forest. Rainfall isn't super regular, we sometimes get dry spells for a while in fall/winter, sometimes it rains a lot. We sometimes get snow, but it usually only stays for a few days, maybe 2-3 times per season.

Found a tree down on one of our local steeps while raking it out, getting ready for winter riding. I was considering asking someone else do it, but figured I had to start cutting trees on my own at some point.

Little electric Stihl put in work sectioning off the 30' tree. I left part of it in the dirt because it penetrated like 5 feet below the surface. I think the tree slid down the hill for awhile, before smashing into the trail.

I like the stump being there now anyway, because it gives you something to see before turning straight down the hill. Previously, it was easy for this corner to sneak up on you.

Pretty happy with it! Especially with it only being my second year operating.

Hi all, I am a landscape architecture student designing a downhill mountain bike park in Ski Valley on Mount Lemmon in Tucson for my master's report.

I am in the stage of getting feedback on my master plan design. It focuses on family-friendly options to reach a broader audience, but I am also hoping to add additional black and double black trails.
Any feedback or considerations that you have would be greatly appreciated!!

Bike goes on, then off wood. Watch out for dog in landing

I have a few long handle tools I need to truck in to a work zone - a few different ones actually. Access is pretty easy, pretty much mellow flat-ish fireroads almost the whole way.

The part I'm not sure about is how to attach these tools to the bike in a way that is safe, not going to fall off, not going to scrape the frame, not going to get caught up in the bike. And also not fall off while I'm riding. It is definitely too far to ride one handed, holding the tools in my hand.

If I have do to them one at a time, thats fine I can make that work.
Any advice/pics?

This would be going on my regular carbon trail bike.

Been rocking a super sawsall for a couple years now but snagged this to lighten/shorten things up. Fits in a small backpack and can pretty easily and smoothly erase downs over a foot in diameter. Really anything that wouldn’t require a full size,full power chainsaw.

Can also use it to cut roots in the dirt with older blades.

Used to carry around a katana boy and this saves soooo much time.

Any other tool hacks out there for the trails?

I’m a one man operation and am planning to build a MTB trail running from the top of the ridge in the pic that zig zags down the hill and joins a logging road at the bottom.
The pic is about 2 years old, so the under growth is thicker than what you see.
I’ve already built a trail on the opposite side that essentially goes straight up. I built it by driving my SxS over the brush to pack it down, then went back over it with a limb saw and machete.
The yellow line in the pic is a lot longer than the trail that I built on the opposite side of the ridge, so I’m thinking about either hiring someone to come in with a skid steer with a forestry mulcher attachment or buying a small remote controlled Chinese forestry mulcher.

Does anyone have any advice and specifically, does anyone have any experience using one of the small remote controlled Chinese forestry mulchers?

Thanks!

So I'll start by saying these are all "wild" trails that we're currently in the process of getting made official - it's been a long, long journey and I've been working with landowners now for the better part of 7 years.

There's one trail that's basically just 22 berms going down the hill - it's steep and loose with well shaped berms.

I went to go up and do some work on it yesterday only to find that some kids have taken out some of the corners, added a couple of jumps using the existing trail as a dig pit, and have straight lined the end to fire directly onto the fireroad. About 1/4 the track is basically completely changed from what it was.

It's literally like they'd seen the trail and decided it's easier put another, completely different trail right over the top of it than to dig somewhere else. The existing trail has been there 10+ years and has been regularly maintained and is ridden daily.

I found the kids digging it and have had a word with a plan to get them involved with the regular crew.

But what the hell! I've never known anything like it.

Im building a trail and I first rode it today and its kind off sketchy how little grip there is in the smooth rock. Its "rideable" but i would like to make it safer and grippier for my other friends to be able to ride it more confidently.

Built this so I can practice

This is what’s left after 23 years. Being buried under a ton of snow every Winter takes its toll

I didn't keep the jump made out of rotting logs, a tarp, and several glass beer bottles. Sorry for the disappointment.

A final chance to sign the petition to keep the Snodgrass Trail in Crested Butte open without restriction. Our map shows the private land in red; typically, the landowner closes access in mid-August. Only 18% of the trail is on private land. The yellow line on the map shows a proposed reroute that moves the trail entirely onto public land and ensures unrestricted access. For whatever reason, the private landowner opposes rerouting the trail. The mountain bike community should not be held hostage by a single landowner when a viable alternative is available. Let the US Forest Service know you support trails on public land. Sign the petition at https://snodgrassreroute.com/. ONE LAST THING. SKIP THE DONATION SOLICITATION. WE DON'T WANT MONEY, JUST YOUR SIGNATURE SUPPORT.

The hunting pack board is still the best way I've found thus far. I think this is about the crappiest one they make but it's still working fine after 5-6 years.

Obviously there are a lot of potential ways to impale/dismember/injure yourself riding around on half built trails with sharp objects, but it's nice getting there in a fraction of the time it would take to walk.