6.1 MORC ReportHillside Park Singletrack Maintenance &Development
Coordinated by MORC
2023 Season
The 2023 season saw continued maintenance and improvements to the trail system.Elk River and MORC coordinated efforts for
upkeep,major projects and winter grooming,and contractor work.
Early 2023
The winter season brought many challenges,largely due to the above average amount of snowfall.Trails throughout the state struggled
to keep up with singletrack grooming in the 2022-23 winter season.
A 2023 Arctic Cat ZR200 snowmobile was purchased by MORC in December 2022 and modified for use as a grooming machine.
Supplemental 80cc Yamaha Snoscoots were provided by Park staff to assist with grooming efforts.Snow grooming compacts snow and
flattens the trail evenly,and clearly defines the trail use area for fat bike riding.Grooming also extends the length of the riding season
and improves the riding experience for trail users.Volunteers were able to maintain the trail in these challenging conditions on the new
equipment.Park staff helped to educate the public about how harmful hiking and foot traffic can be to groomed singletrack.
Spring/Summer 2023
When the trail had firmed up after the spring thaw,repair and resurface work began on berms and rollers throughout the trail.An area
of section 4 in the NE quadrant of the singletrack was rehabilitated to redirect watershed.This major effort will extend the life of the trail-
when water flows in alignment with the trail,ruts are formed,leading to a faster erosion.Redirecting water to flow perpendicular to the
trail,the surface will be able to sustain watershed for many more years.
Summer 2023
In July,volunteers realigned part of the trail in Section 3,the SE quadrant.The previous layout was a tight turn after a downhill section,
which was very challenging for novice riders.The new realignment allows for a wider turning radius at a slower speed,making the
section more accessible for riders of all experience levels.Additional berms and grade reversals were built throughout the trail.
Fall 2023
Trail work in October shifted from maintenance to enhancement projects.In partnership with Elk River
Parks,MORC hired Trailsource LLC to rehabilitate Section 3 in the SE quadrant.Work was done with
excavators and included outslope maintenance,erosion control,realignment of an uphill climb,turn
maintenance,berm sculpting,and reinforcing the new trail where it crossed the former path.This
work will significantly increase the longevity of the trail.
Volunteers worked in Section 4,the NE quadrant to make an optional trail segment with two drop
features using rock material.Elk River Parks supplied the volunteers with dirt and use of a mini skid
steer which helped greatly with maintaining the trail.
In Section 2,the SW quadrant,volunteers worked on 3 optional balance &articulating features for
beginner to intermediate level riders.Young riders were lined up to try the features as soon as
construction was completed,and the volunteers were happy to see such enthusiasm.
Trail enhancement work continued with help from members of the highschool cycling team.Rollers
and jumps were developed and reinforced,and degraded berm features were rebuilt.