Another update to the Seymour network includes the recently completed reroute on Dale’s Connector to improve trail connections with Upper Dale’s on Seymour.

Upper Dale’s with its machine built berms is a classic flow trail. While many love the fast smooth corners, others prefer their trails rough and rocky. Crave more of Upper Dale’s and want a climb back to the top? Or perhaps berms aren’t your jam and you want to ride straight to Dale’s? The bi-directional Dale’s Connector has always been an option to either climb up for another lap of flow or skip the berms and head directly for the tech of Dale’s. An old logging skid road, it’s wide, steep, and a muddy mess in the rain. Most might say it’s not much fun. The new reroute offers a gentler grade of twisty single track that makes the climb less punishing. As a descent, more corners means more fun. Built to modern best practices in sustainable trail building, the new line won’t turn to mud in the rains. Many thanks to TAP sponsors Comor Sports and NSRide and the NSMBA Arc’teryx Trail Academy and Race Face Shore Corps for their hard work building this new connection.

How do you ride Dale’s Connector?

A trail winding through the forest with a bucket and shovel lying on the ground.

Building the Reroute

The new upper entrance. The original line (right) is closed and renaturalized.

A trail in the forest covered by a large puddle of water that looks very uninviting.

In addition to it’s steep grade, the original line lacked water management and became a muddy mess during the winter rains.

A group of volunteers clearing logs and branches from where a new trail will be built. Beautiful rays of light are shining through the trees behind them.

The first step: clearing debris from the line.

Volunteers are digging dirt to create the new trail

Removing organic soil to create the trail bed.

Two volunteers are placing large rock to form the foundation of a retaining wall that will hold up the edge of the trail.

Laying foundation rocks for a retaining wall.

A volunteer empties a wheelbarrow full of small rocks to fill up the trail bed.

How many more barrows of rock?

A group of five volunteers stands on top of the rock retaining wall that they helped build

The hard working crew from the Trail Academy Rock Work practical.

The trail mid way through construction with volunteers moving rock and dirt

Building the lower entrance with NSRide.

Looking up at the new trail and where the old line used to go. The old line is no longer visible as it was replanted with ferns and other native plants.

The lower entrance. The original line (left) was closed and renaturalized.

The new trail twisting through the trees

Looking down the trail while under construction. More corners, more fun.

Large rocks support the edge of the trail

At the top of the reroute.

another group of volunteers who helped build the trail, standing on top of a rock retaining wall.

Many thanks to this hard working crew from NSRide!

Dale's Connector on Trailforks.com