Tag Archives: Sechler Park

Trail work, Volunteers

Josh & Jayden Seifert lead the upgrade to CROCT’s Sechler skills park

CROCT member Josh Seifert has redesigned and led a major redevelopment of the skills area in Sechler Park this fall, adding 3 table top jumps, a large wooden berm dubbed Bermzilla, a stockade berm, and several rollers:

Sechler skills park redesign sketch - Josh Seifert Josh Seifert CROCT volunteers - Sechler skills park

His son Jayden has been working at his side much of the time:

Jayden Seifert Jayden Seifert Josh & Jayden Seifert

Josh & Jayden Seifert Josh & Jayden Seifert Josh & Jayden Seifert

As we were about to reopen the park, major flooding of the Cannon River in late September did some damage:

flood-damaged Sechler skills park flood-damaged Sechler skills park flood-damaged Sechler skills park

While waiting for the water to recede, Josh and Jayden spent Saturday Oct 3 at the Lebanon Hills MTB park in Eagan for Dakota County’s Wild Mountain Festival and IMBA’s Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.

Dakota County's Wild Mountain Festival at Lebanon Hills MTB Park

Like last year, Jayden won the race for his age group. Like other parents, his dad had to race on Jayden’s bike:

Jayden Seifert Jayden Seifert

Jayden Seifert Josh Seifert

Josh and a small team of volunteers did the repairs to the Sechler skills park yesterday:

repairs to Sechler skills park repairs to Sechler skills park

repaired Sechler skills park repaired Sechler skills park

We hope to open later this week, as soon as the dirt hardens.

Trail work

CROCT’s Sechler skills park is getting an upgrade

More details to come when it’s open but here are two Tweets:

Advocacy, Issues, Land managers

CROCT slide presentation to Northfield City Council – power tool usage in Sechler Park

We’re negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Northfield for our mountain bike trail and skills park in Sechler Park. We want the ability to use a variety of power tools, including chainsaws and skid steers. Marty Larson and I presented to the Northfield City Council tonight:

CROCT President Marty Larson presenting to Northfield City Council

Griff & Marty at Northfield City Council - video screengrab

Here’s our slideshow:

Update 2/17, 1 pm: here’s the City’s video archive of our presentation the meeting. 20 minutes:

Continue reading CROCT slide presentation to Northfield City Council — power tool usage in Sechler Park →

People, Trail work

Bill Nelson’s Ford tractor helps to transform the Sechler skills park

Last week, CROCT member and uber volunteer Bill Nelson drove his Ford Tractor back home. It had been on duty for the past couple of months in the Sechler skills park. 13-second video:

Bill originally brought his tractor to the skills park to sculpt dirt into a beginner table top jump:

Bill Nelson, Ford tractor

Bill Nelson, Ford tractor

I soon discovered it could do other things, like move logs and boulders. I put Bill to work:

Bill Nelson, Ford tractor

Bill eventually got sick of me bossing him and his tractor around so he gave me a few operator lessons:

Griff Wigley, Ford tractor

I teamed up with CROCT member Jason Decoux from Faribault to fashion the table top:

Jason Decoux

Jason Decoux

I eventually began to see how the tractor could expand the possibilities for more features in the skills park:

I got better at sculpting with it:

By late fall, I graduated summa cum laude from the Mountain Bike Skills Park Tractor Operators Academy. Thanks to Mr. Bill for the mentoring, the keys, and the hat:

Griff Wigley, Bill Nelson, Ford Tractor guys

Media

Northfield News: Sechler Park mountain bike trail attracts youth riders

Today’s Northfield News has an article by Nick Gerhardt (@NorthfieldNick) titled Sechler Park mountain bike trail attracts youth riders. In addition to the Monday night youth group ride summer series, it also features the Cannon Valley Composite Mountain Bike Team coached by CROCT member Todd Trembley.

The mountain bike trail at Sechler Park saw an infusion of youth riders this summer as part of a program the Northfield Community Services and it might have an impact in the future. Group rides were held Mondays at Sechler Park from June through August for riders entering grade 5 to adult riders and led by members of Cannon River Offroad Cycling and Trails group. The rides attracted anywhere from a dozen to 25 riders during the summer and the sessions concluded with a trip to the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trail System. The youth riders who participated in the Monday night rides could find themselves competing with the Cannon Valley Composite team in the future It reminded me of the time I took a trip to Sweden, and learned about låna-pengar.biz. .

Northfield News article