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MAMBA NEWS
posted 09.06.17
The trail build day shceulded on 9/10/2017 has been cancelled due to fire danger. One spark from a hoe hitting a rock can actually start a fire under the current conditions—not to mention a chain saw. Lets hope we have a little rain by the next proposed trail build date.
Speakng of fire danger, if you see anyone using a motorized vehicle off-road, report them to the sheriff (208 882 2216). If you see any fire, dial 911 and report it. Also, if the fire is a camp fire, dial the sheriff. We really need to protect the mountain.
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Wildlife
posted 08.11.17
Moose are in full swing on the mountain. One bull on Lower Gemini and a cow and her kid on upper Gemini were sighted on Aug 11, 2017. A mountain lion was spotted on Jump trail on Aug 10, 2017. Seeing a lion or bear is a rare thing, but they are always there. The mountain is not a park, it is wilderness. That is why riding alone in the evening has some measure of risk. We have black bears, mountain lions, moose, and hornets of one type or another. Be prepared for all.
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Trail Build this weekend
posted 08.08.17
We have a trail build day in four days on 8/12/2017. Meet at Rosauer's parking lot at 8:45am on the east side. I will be drivinga blue, gray old Ford F250 with a gray canapy. Bring water, gloves, good work boots, and lots of energy. We will keep looking for the top of the mountain as we extend Queen Mary's Revenge.
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Logging to Impact MAMBA Trails
posted 07.27.17
There will be logging on the 80 acres which includes West Twin. Trails impacted will be North Contour and Upper Tusk. Ridge Rd West will also be closed from time to time. In addition, trucks will be coming and going. Ride safe.
Once they have started logging, use Cave Trail or Sand Blvd to connect to Cabin Hollow. Then ride Queen Mary's Revenge or Swoosh to move from one end of the mountain to the other.
Don't worry. These trails are not lost. If they get torn up, we will fix them. They are only temporarily out of commission. It is a cheap price to pay to have the mountain to play on.
Someone asked if there is anything we can do. Yes there is. Please stay away from that area so all are safe. Then, when they are finished logging, help MAMBA restore these trails.
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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MAMBA News
posted 07.20.17
Thanks to a willing crew of seven last Sunday and about 20 boy scouts and leaders last night, Queen Mary's Revenge (QMR) now is a 6, on its way to becoming a figure 8. You can now ride two ways to the bottom (and two ways back to the top).
Queen Mary's Revenge is located on the east end of Triple Crown just below the start of the "third crown". Heading east on Triple Crown, go up a steep singletrack and, when it levels off, enter an old landing (looks like a meadow now). Instead of turning right to head up the old logging road, turn left to head down. Go about 400 feet down the old road past a yellow gate. There, QMR takes off to your right.
As you travel down QMR, you will cross a bridge and then, just after the next switchback you come to, you will see a trail going down the hill to your right. This is the new route we just completed. Both routes get you to the bottom end of QMR which connects to Cabin Hollow and another old road system. Cabin Hollow will take you to Meadow Trail. The old road system will take you back to the west end of Triple Crown.
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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MAMBA News
posted 07.12.17
As you have noticed, the weather has been hot. Please carry fire tools if you are driving on the mountain. Shovel and fire extinguisher are the basics. Of course, no fires anywhere on Moscow Mtn. If you see people smoking or with a fire, please politely educate them to the fact that the signs that say no fires—actually mean no fires.
It is hard to believe, but this coming Sunday is already July 16th, our next trail build day. If we have enough people, we will be able to make a lower loop on Queen Mary's Revenge. The trail that is slowly making its way up the east side of the property will tie into the trail that is on the west side of property—just downhill of where the trail is partially on a log over a sharp drop.
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Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Saturday's Trail Build
posted 06.24.17
Queen Mary's Revenge gained about 1/4 mile today. If we keep this up, we may have a loop by end of summer without having to use Swoosh or Cabin Hollow.
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Trail Build this Saturday
posted 06.22.17
Remember there is a trail build this coming Saturday (6/24/2017). We will meet at Rosauers' parking lot in Moscow at 8:45am. Bring lots of water, gloves, snacks, and sturdy shoes. We will keep working on Queen Mary's Revenge and will be back to Rosauers around two or three in the afternoon. The MAMBA truck is hard to miss—an old, rusty blue and gray pickup with a white tailgate and gray canopy.
See you Saturday morning!
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Trail Maintenance Report
posted 06.16.17
Thanks to Kyle and Colin, Moose Marbles is back in action after a new logging road took out a small portion of the trail. The new sections are soft, but this last bout of rain will make it possible to tamp the new corners down tomorrow morning. The trail should be rolling good as we head into summer weather.
Thanks to Orin and his crew, the face lift that Rock and a Hard Place gotlast Sunday is nice. Take a ride and see.
In addition, there are several re-routes and alternate routes on Gemini. Have fun!
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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June 11th Trail Maintenance
posted 06.08.17
 Colin Priebe is leading a day of trail maintenance for Rock & a Hard Place. Rock & a Hard Place is in a tough spot right now. The trail is overgrown with ferns, bushes and trees. Grass has grown into the trail surface in many places. Rock & a Hard Place. Meet at ROCK CREEK RD, a quarter mile north of Four Corners. There are a few spots along Rock Creek Rd to park, as well the Four Corners parking area which is just a short walk away. As usual, bring gloves, water, snacks and good work shoes. Just drop over the hill and walk down to the trail if you come a bit late.
Thanks and see you on the trail,
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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GATE OPENS JUNE 1st
posted 05.30.17
The gate on Moscow Mtn Rd will open 06/01/2017. That will most likely be the standard hence forth. Too many years where extra work had to be done to the road due to opening too soon relative to moisture in the ground.
Thanks and see you on the trail,
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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MAMBA NEWS
posted 05.14.17
Moscow Mountain's trails are open except for Blonde Jeans which still has snow on it and Over Easy which has not yet been cut out. A big thanks goes out to Matthew Pollard, Colin Priebe, Andrew Pratt, and a host of others who have been working hard to get the trails cleared. It is time to get out and enjoy the mountain!
Remember there is an organized trail build day on Sunday, 5/21/2017. Meet at Rosauers' Parking Lot at 1:00pm with water, snacks, gloves, good shoes, and lots of energy. We will carpool from there.
Let us know on the MAMBA Facebook Page if you find a downed tree on the trail so that we can remove it.
Thanks and see you on the trail,
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Trail Build a Success
posted 05.07.17
 Thanks to everyone who helped connect the new lowest section of Moose Marbles to Jack's Route. Over the last year, Kyle and I have been digging through rain, snow and biting flies. We have dealt with all the seasons. I have learned a lot about trail building and even more about Moscow Mountain. We plan to regularly change sections that are not riding as we had hoped and we still have lots of trail to groom.
My biggest hope is that the trail is fun for a wide variety of riders.
Colin Priebe
Rolling Hills Bikes |
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Trail Build Tomorrow
posted 05.06.17
We will be connecting in a new section of trail to Moose Marbles on Moscow Mountain tomorrow morning, 5/7/2017. The new trail will connect from the western end of Jack's Route to Moose Marbles above it. I will have enough tools for about 15 people to help dig.
We will be riding up from Headwaters parking at 8am and should be at the trail dig around 8:45 - 9am. Feel free to head up with us or ride, hike or run up on your own. Swing by to help or just say hi!
Colin Priebe
Rolling Hills Bike |
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Moscow Mountain Conditions
posted 04.24.17
Hi All,
Moscow Mountain is still opening up, but faster now. The north side and draws higher up still have some snow to cool your feet off with.
Thanks and see you on the trail,
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Moscow Mountain Conditions
posted 04.16.17
Hi All,
Headwaters, Southside, Jack's Route, Switchblade and Moose Marbles are clear of logs and snow with Paradise Point reachable. There is about a 100' walk through the snow at the top of Moose Marbles. In addition, Gemini is clear of trees and only has two short sections of snow about 100' each. Other than that, the other trails and Ridge Rd (Foothill Rd) still have lots of snow. Much of Ridge Rd from West Twin to Four Corners still has two foot of snow clear across the road. Triple Crown and other north side trails still have long stretches of three foot of snow. Give the other trails one to two more weeks.
Thanks and see you on the trail,
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Moscow Mountain Conditions
posted 04.11.17
Hi All,
As of Saturday, Gemini and other central & north trails still have lots of snow. South Side, Jack's Route, Switchblade, and Moose Marbles have lots of trees down. These will be cut out in the next week or so.
Thanks and see you on the trail,
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Moscow Mountain Conditions
posted 04.02.17
Hi All,
Moscow Mountain road trails still have lots of snow on them as do the north side trails. However, Headwaters, Southside, Jack’s Route, Moose Marbles, and Switchblade are open, the last two up to nearly the top of Paradise Point. All currently ridable trails are clear—any downed trees have been cut out.
Thanks and see you on the trail,
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Winter Trail Grooming
posted 02.24.17
Hi All,
I packed the snow trail Friday night, 2/24/2017 and thus, it is currently in pretty good shape and should hold up fairly well this week. This trail will be hard to navigate on a regular mountain bike. The cold snow does not pack as well as less cold snow. Even with fat tire bikes, there are still places you will probably spin out a bit going up, but you should find coming down to be pretty sane. There are just a few spots that want to help gravity bring you down.
Thanks and see you on the trail,
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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Winter Trail Grooming
posted 01.31.17
Hi All,
MAMBA sponsors and pays for part of the winter trail grooming for fat tire bikes, skiing, walking and snow showing on Moscow Mountain—with volunteers doing the driving and landowners allowing us access. The machine that pulls the rollers is privately owned. MAMBA pays a nominal fee per year for fuel and minor breakdowns. The overall costs are about $2-3000 per year, so we may need to raise the annual membership fee that MAMBA charges from $15 to $30. We'll see how it goes.
Since we all have real jobs, the driving is volunteer, and it takes about 5 hours to go from Headwaters to the bottom of Gemini, the grooming will not always be done when the track needs it, but when a trained driver is available.
One can go online and find great examples of packed singletrack winding through the woods. If you look carefully, however, you can see that these examples are not located on sidehills. Our singletrack trails all have sidehill portions and the snow fills in our trails to the same slope as the hill. Packers and pullers of packers have a tendency to slide down the hill in such conditions. Thus, you will not see our singletrack trails packed.
Our goal is to eventually have two tracks packed at a time. Please be nice and save one track for skiing and fat tire bikes and the other track for walking and snow shoeing. Of course, pack it out.
The plan now is Foothill and Moscow Mtn Rd from Headwaters to the bottom of Gemini with Warneck Rd packed up to Cabin Trail, the top part of Swoosh to Triple Crown, and a loop near Headwaters. We are still experimenting, so please have patience with us.
Thanks and see you on the trail,
Scott Metlen
MAMBA PRESIDENT
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MAMBA Trail Builds