Whats Happening With Lafayette Trails

In this message;
1. September road trip to Westwood near New Castle
2. Purdue collegiate mountain bike race in october
3. October road trip to Imagination Glen in Portage Indiana
4. Three More Dirt Days at Brent Mullen's South of Dayton
5. Report on August road trip to Kickapoo
6. Amphitheater update
7. McCormick update
September 20th - Road trip to Westwood trail near New Castle The trail is around a manmade lake and is slightly more technical than Town Run but considerably less than Kickapoo. There is no bailout point so be prepared for ten miles of fun. Bring a lunch and take a break between laps. We'll depart at 8:00 AM sharp from Wall*Mart on the SW side of town. If you are interested in car pooling be there at 7:45 and make those arrangements with others attending.

October 11th - Purdue Cycling Club sponsors a collegiate race at McCormick Woods More of a spectator event unless you're a Purdue student. This is the second time the Purdue Cycling Club has sponsored the event at McCormick Woods. This year with the inner loop complete the woods course will be 1.6 miles longer making the overall course with the field nearly five miles. Last year the event had over 100 participants racing through the woods making it an interesting day to watch the racers negotiate the tight corners in the woods while trying to pass their opponent.

October 18th - Road trip to Imagination Glen in Portage Indiana This is a two hour drive also but is well worth the trip.
We'll depart at 8:00 AM sharp from the Tippecanoe Amphitheater on the North side of West Lafayette. Take SR43 North for five miles and enter the park on the right. If you are interested in car pooling be there at 7:45 and make those arrangements with others attending.

More Dirt Days @ Dayton, IN
Off-road cycling fun for riders of all skill levels!
Sat. Sept 6 2 p.m.--7 p.m.
Sat. Sept 20 2 p.m.--7 p.m.
Sat. Oct 11 2 p.m.—6 p.m.
Come ramble 'round the trails and get your tires dirty. Our trails offer a variety of fun and challenges as you wind your way through our unique terrain. We update and add to our trails regularly, no two rides will be the same! Try our mountain bike race track--bumps & turns & jumps & berms & hills & thrills & hopefully no spills! Ride "The Monster", our 8' tall over & under bridge \ tunnel 4555 Dayton Road, Lafayette, IN 38E into Dayton, turn R at Dayton Road (Liquor store on left), go 1.6
miles South. Look for sign at drive on left. Helmets required Riders must sign a waiver--parent must sign for riders < age 18.
No pets please For questions or to obtain a waiver prior to ride day:
Brent and Linda Mullen 296-3542 or bmullen47...@yahoo.com

Report on Kickapoo road trip:
Around ten riders participated in the August 10th ride in Illinois! The trip to Kickapoo is just over an hours drive from Lafayette. The ride got started around 2:30 with the faster ones heading out in the lead. There were probably ten cars in the lot which is fairly typical for weekends. The trail was dry (except for the creek crossing) and in general showed evidence of some recent recent reroutes around troubled areas. In my opinion and some of the others we felt that the
conditions seemed a little harsh in that there had been some erosion in several areas and more root exposure was noticed. This trail is more technical than Westwood and definitely more than Town Run. We found that some of the less technical riders found it pretty challenging and most of the group did not clear a few of the steep and eroded hills and crossings. After the completion of the first lap we enjoyed snacks and visiting then headed out for a second lap. The trip was a great time to meet new riders and talk the talk of trails, bikes and fun! In the end I'd suggest that if you really enjoy Town Run and want to
make the next step up in difficulty it might be best to try Westwood or the Northern loops at Brown County State Park. Definitely do not rule out Kickapoo but just be aware that it is challenging!

What's happening at the Amphitheater
There is approximately 0.6 mile of trail on the upper level that is rideable at this time. To find the trail enter the park and follow the main road back toward the amphitheater structure. When the road turns to the left, park and walk back across the main road past the cabled driveway and head over to the woods on the right. Around 75' along the woods you'll find an entrance into the woods which is the trail. Follow this along the field back to the river overlook then East along the bluff. The trail then turns toward the amphitheater along the bluff then exits near the amphitheater. Layout work is continuing down the hill and below the stage of the amphitheater.

McCormick Woods
The trail is getting more use this summer and has picked up even more now that the students have returned. The center trail at the entrance has been rerouted to avoid water pockets and mud. The initial work should alleviate some of the problems of spring however there will need to be some armoring of a couple spots, filling in other areas. We have requested permission to install directional sign-age and a new sign at the trailhead. We have also proposed to the property managers that a new trailhead with parking be considered. These are bigger items than we've delt with in the past and merit careful
consideration. We'll keep the forum updated as to the progress.