The Sedona Bike Skills Park is just a few months old but has already experienced its share of growing pains.

Mother Nature has been the major culprit as heavy monsoon rains have caused damage to several parts of the park, according to Sedona Volunteer Bike Coordinator Doug Copp.

“Recent heavy rains have caused some erosion throughout the park,” he said. “The worst damage has occurred on drainages crossing the tech flow trail. We are making repairs and the park is usable despite the erosion. I saw a number of riders using the park on Friday.

“We live in a place with highly erosive soils so there will always be some risk of erosion. However contouring, draining and armoring trails are key to preserving the trails and the tread on the top surface of the trails.”

Copp said damage has occurred in places where water runs across the trails and in areas where the tread has a steeper slope. In a number of places water has eroded the soil hardener that covered the tread. This hardener was applied in several coats during trail construction.

Ironically, in order to repair damage caused by rain, water is needed. Currently, there is water adjacent to the park but not in the park. The original plan was to use a water tank mounted on an ATV to deliver water throughout the park during trail maintenance activity. Copp said they still believe this is the preferable method rather than dragging hoses or installing waterlines. Water is used to pack and harden the tread during trail maintenance.

There have already been several volunteer work days with more planned in the upcoming weeks — following heavy rains when water is more readily available.

“We [parks staff and maintenance staff] are in the learning phase when it comes to the maintenance needs of a bike skills park,” Sedona Parks and Recreation Manager Rachel Murdoch said.
“We are proud of our facility and truly appreciative that bike park supporters in our community have stepped up to help educate us, work alongside of us and devote volunteer hours to taking care of the park.”

Drew Herbert, who is heading up the bike skills park’s volunteer program, said there has been support during work days from bike shop owners and some of the avid riders but they still need more help from the general public.

“It’s a great infrastructure and once the finishing touches are complete, it will be ideal,” he said. “There’s been some growing pains so far but we’re working through them.”

Like Herbert, Mike Rainey of Over the Edge said the recent rains have caused damage to the track but nothing that can’t be repaired. But like trails within the U.S. Forest Service, he said after the monsoon, trails are repaired and the bike skills park will be no different.

“There are a lot of people interested in helping in order to make this a great facility,” Rainey said. “This is our first go around with the park so as time goes on we’ll learn more and things will continue to get better.”

Once the monsoon ends, the erosion threat to the trails will decline, Copp said. However a hard downpour of rain can occur during any month of the year and normal wear and tear by users will always necessitate some routine maintenance.

“We are on a learning curve when it comes to maintaining a bike park,” Copp said. “However some of us have many years of trail maintenance experience from working on the trails around Sedona. I am confident this trail maintenance experience can be directly applied to the park.”

For those interested in volunteering in the upkeep of the park are asked to check out the group’s Facebook page under Friends of Posse Grounds Bike Skills Park for information and work days.