Why Riding Wet Mountain Bike Trails in Edmonton Causes Lasting Damage
If you've spent any time in Edmonton mountain biking Facebook groups, you've almost certainly seen someone ask, "Are the trails dry yet?" It's one of the most common questions after a stretch of rainy weather, and for good reason: we all want to get back out there on our bikes as soon as we can!
Another question we hear a lot after a stretch of rainy weather is, "Why are the trails still so wet?" Sometimes it hasn't rained for a day or two, the sidewalks are dry, your lawn is ready to mow (again), and it feels like everything should be good to go on the trails too. Then you arrive at your favourite trail and find sloppy, muddy corners, standing water (oh cool, more mosquitoes), and sections that are way too muddy to ride safely.
But why are Edmonton’s trails still wet?
A lot of the city sits on glacial deposits left behind thousands of years ago. As glaciers moved across this area, they ground rock into incredibly fine particles that eventually became the clay-rich soils that are found throughout the river valley now. Clay particles are much smaller than grains of sand, so they pack together tightly and leave very little space for water to drain away.
Cool cool cool. Really honoured to be surrounded by dirt that has such a rich history.
When clay becomes saturated, it also becomes much weaker. Mountain bike tires don't just roll over the surface, they press into the soil, push it aside and leave ruts behind. Those ruts often remain long after the trail dries. The next time it rains, they collect even more water, make drainage worse, and create a rougher riding experience for everyone who comes after.
If you've ever looked at a trail and thought, "it doesn't seem that bad," you're certainly not alone. It’s easy to justify it too. “Ah well, I’m just one rider, it’ll be fine”. The tricky part is that everyone else has the exact same thought…
What about puddles?
If a trail is wet enough that you're debating whether to ride through a puddle or around it, the better answer is often to choose a different place to ride for the day. We need to be reasonable about all of this though! There’s a big difference between a small puddle in one low, shady spot of an otherwise dry trail that you can ride directly through versus a trail with several large, deep, muddy puddles that you have to steer off of the trail to avoid. Riding around puddles gradually widens trails, damages surrounding vegetation, and creates even more work for volunteers.
We can understand how you might have the temptation! Splashing through a puddle, covering yourself and your bike in mud, and looking like you've just finished the world's gnarliest ride can be pretty fun. Unfortunately, if the trail is wet enough that muddy puddles are unavoidable, it's probably wet enough that your tires are causing damage too. The trails will thank you for turning around when you come across a massive, muddy puddle.
We've got a comprehensive guide to River Valley Trail Etiquette if you want to do a deeper dive into all of this!
Not every trail dries at the same rate
Trail conditions can also vary a surprising amount across the city. Different amounts of rainfall, soil types, sunlight, tree cover, slope, and drainage all affect how quickly a trail dries after rain. That's why sometimes Terwillegar Park might be riding beautifully while parts of the Gold Bar Park trails are still holding water.
Why can't someone just fix the trails?
One thing that’s tough around here too is that people assume that ruts or footprints left behind on wet trails can simply be fixed naturally once the weather improves. We get it. It's outside. It's dirt! Surely Mother Nature has this covered, no?! Unfortunately, it's a little more complicated than that.
In reality, trails need to be maintained and maintenance is more complicated than grabbing a sack of gravel and a shovel. Different organizations are responsible for different parts of Edmonton's trail network, and there are rules around who can perform trail work, where it can happen, and when repairs are appropriate. Volunteers (often with guidance from EMBA) do an incredible amount of work to keep our trails rideable, but some damage takes time to address. The easiest repair is the one that never becomes necessary in the first place.
What can you ride instead?
That doesn't mean you have to stay home for weeks every time it rains. Some years, you’d never leave your house if that was the case! We’re very lucky that Edmonton has fantastic gravel routes and paved paths that stay rideable in almost any weather.
If you're joining us for Ride Club, our ride leaders check conditions before every ride so we know which trails are in good shape, which areas need more time to dry, and whether fallen trees or other hazards mean we need to change our route plans. Sometimes we end up on dry singletrack, and sometimes we pivot to gravel or double track. Either way, you'll still have a very good time on your bike with us!
Looking after our trails is a responsibility we all share. Giving wet trails a little extra time to dry protects the work that volunteers have put into building and maintaining them, reduces the need for repairs, and helps keep Edmonton's incredible trail network in great shape for everyone who rides it.
