Destination Trails has been working on an innovative and exciting project for @gravityendurosa and ForestrySA at Bennets!
Bennets Forest was burnt back in early 2015 and a fun descending trail was lost.
On to 2016…. @weedkilla_21 and Inside Line MTB Club helped us to convince ForestrySA to let us plan a new trail…. we flagged the trail and forestry planted new pines around the planned corridor ….. and then priorities changed, plus the hill is a bit small for modern DH rigs, so it went quiet and ended up on the self….. ☹.
Skip to 2020 (whoa!)… and with Fox Creek Bike Park, then having recently been toasted…. local folks were looking for new descending options in the Adelaide Hills! Boom. Bennets back on the table. Booyah!
This time GESA were keen to get it going! Yay! Trail 1 is in already done thanks to massive volunteer hours. It’s new. It’s twisty. It’s got fun festures. And you may have to check it out!
2021 GESA won a grant through the Responsible Wood program to build a second trail. So they’ve engaged us to help break ground! After the digger has put the initial bench cut in, GESA are having fun shaping and dialling in some features.
The vibe is good!
Trail 2 is not done yet but we just wanted to share the good news with you. It will be open soon! And GESA have plans to create more!
What is really interesting about this project is that there is a new approach to developing MTB trails in pine plantations. Bennets has been a testing ground and the new approach is to protect trail corridors during thinning of pine and final harvest! That’s new. And it’s also very big! Fox Creek Bike Park will be using this principle as trails and trees go back into the area. Thus improving further on current learning.
A new precedent of cooperative planning around trails in pine plantations is very promising. If this works it can be rolled out across the Mt Lofty Ranges and into Second Valley Forest too. Massive! And massive new opportunities!
Much gratitude to be included in this process. ??
Stay tuned.Thanks GESA. Thanks all!
