Questions: Pump track in New England

Hey Lee,
I read the article in MBA about pump tracks and I must saw, I am very interested. I have only built drops and single jumps in my backyard, and I am looking for your opinion. I have several potential problems:

-I live in new england, specifically the granite state. The soil around here is VERY rooty and full of large rocks. Should I order some fill? I noticed most pics on your site feature tracks with ideal clay-like soil, something rare around me.

-While I have plenty of space, it is on a slight ridgeline. There are also several large Oaks in the way. I’m hoping to use the pump track blueprint “the best suburban pump track in the [known] world.” any suggestions? The aspect puzzling me is how to incorporate (or avoid) the slope.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Best Regards,
Nick

P.S. Awesome website man! it truly does go to eleven!

Hey Nick.

Fill sounds like a good idea. You get a more rideable, longer lasting track (without having to remove every root and rock), and you get to maintain your current slope, which is awesome for drainage. BTW: Don’t forget about drainage!

You can definitely work with the slope, but probably not with that design. Options:

– Dig a big bench for your track. That could be a huge project.

– Run straights along the slope. Use tight berms and rollers to pump uphill. Imagine: Rip across the hill. Pump a 45-degree uphill turn. Pump a roller. Pump another 45-degree uphill turn. Voila, you just gained elevation, and now you’re ripping the other way. Imagine a squat oval, or even a squat figure eight. … So many possibilities!

Let me know how it goes,

— Lee