The Philadelphia Mountain Biking Association

The meeting listed below already took place but I think that the signs you saw are referring to the Early Implementation project. The trail being modified in this project is in obvious need of repair. The fact that parts of it are only about a foot or two above the level of the stream should be a dead giveaway that the trail needs some work. It is my understanding that these low lying parts of the trail will be moved closer to the hillside and raised considerably above stream level. I think the initial rocky portion of the trail after entering from Bell's Mill Road will not be altered significantly.

If you are concerned with the way the trails are changing, you should attend some of the FOW public meetings and tell them about your concerns. Volunteer for the work days and you can influence how something gets rebuilt. However, you must understand one thing; the overriding principle guiding the redesign of the trails is their sustainability, not whether they will be fun for your particular riding style. The trails need to be sustainable because the city/FOW does not have the money to rebuild them every time we have a major storm. Unsustainable trails are easily eroded, the soil washes into the streams, compromising water quality and degrading the habitat for fish and other aquatic creatures.

Unsustainable trails channel water directly into the streams during storms. This, in conjunction with storm water coming from the surrounding residential areas causes immense damage to the park during a major storm event. This damage costs a lot of money to repair. This is money that can't be used for capital improvements. The Philadelphia Water Department and FOW are working to improve storm water management in the residential areas outside the park by encouraging people to use rain barrels, changing landscaping practices, building retention basins, and other practices.

The ultimate goal of the STI project is to have trails that require little maintenance, have a minimal impact on the natural environment of the park, and are enjoyable for a wide variety of park users. While I would welcome a complete transformation of the trails to meet the only the needs of mountain biking, it is not going to happen. I have participated in most of the trail work events in the last few years and we have always tried to preserve the technical sections whenever possible. The Kitchen's Lane work done last year kept the rocky area and actually introduced another short rocky section. I don't think that it got easier to ride the trail. Parts of it are less rocky but have more curves in the trail. In time, rocks will come to the surface and the newly cut trails will be rockier. If the Wissahickon trails aren't challenging enough for you, then try riding a different type of bike in the park. I love riding my cross bike in the Wiss and the fixed gear MTB is also a lotta fun.

"FOW will host a public meeting to discuss the Early implementation of the Sustainable Trails Initiative (STI), set to begin in late June, 2008, and continue through December. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at the Chestnut Hill Library (8711 Germantown Ave.) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The project to be discussed entails complete reconstruction, partial re-routing, and replanting of the lower trail on the East (Chestnut Hill) side of Wissahickon Creek between Bells Mills Road and Thomas Mill Road (the covered bridge). In conjunction with the work on the trail itself, and plant work along the trail corridor, prototypes of the new trail blazing, trail signage, and trail head kiosks will be installed, a handicap accessible parking place created in the lot opposite the trail head, and an improved handicap accessible trail section from the Bells Mills Road to the Pavilion will be created. "