C.A.R.P. Call-Out Brings Crew to Camp Robinson

The condition of the trails at Camp, C.A.R.P., and current access policy have been hot topics here and in discussions on a couple of boards. Last week, a major effort was made by a few hard-working volunteers to clear leaves from many of the trails and a call went out for rides both Saturday and Sunday. Though I felt compelled to indulge in my roadie ways over the weekend, I was gratified to hear that Camp was rockin', with riders showing up in numbers for both Saturday and Sunday.

This photo from Bryan Shipman shows the winter parking lot to be pretty well packed. Some riders also parked at the regular lot.

The feedback from Facebook posts and mail lists that I'm on was that the trails are in great shape. I also got the impression that many riders who had been skipping the trip to Camp remembered why they love to ride there. There are many great trails in good condition, plenty of choices in terms of difficulty (yes, even in the aftermath of logging), and you can ride about as many quality miles as your legs can stand without repeating a loop. My "favorite trail" seems to change from month to month and it's very nice to have more options than most folks can possibly ride in a day. There is still much work to be done on recovering trails in the harvested areas, but there are many miles of great riding still open and ready to go.

Thanks to Bryan Shipman for rallying the troops! I'll be more alert in the future and get the rides posted here, but you don't need a call-out to have a great day on the bike at Camp Robinson. This is a good time to run out to Camp at lunch or after work on a Tuesday or Thursday to obtain your Sportsman's Pass. When the days are longer, you'll just want to ride, so get the paperwork done now! It costs 10 bucks and just takes a few minutes. The pass is good for a year.

NOTE: Per fgadfly's comment below, please use the winter parking area, which gives access to the open trails via Airport Loop.