Reply to Trail conditions(primarily goatheads)?

Two of us doing Norfolk/Valentine/Norfolk Sept 9-14 and just curious as to the goathead situation. Some years it's been horrible but the last two years were good/great. Just curious as to what to expect. Thanks!

So far this year my experience has been good, but I use slime and generally have good luck with it - all bets are off the moment you leave the trail though.

Just finished from Valentine to Norfolk. Condition of trail was great from our experience. East side of Long Pine goat heads were more visible on the sides but had no issues on the trail. They have done a great job mowing on the edges of the trail which has likely helped. I would definitely suggest taking the detours when they arise (don't ask how I know).

Hey Alex and Scott, thanks for the updates. The past two years trail maintenance has really stepped up, and glad to hear that's still the case. One year I had seven flats, which really sucks on a loaded bike.
Word will get around about better conditions and more people will use the trail. Tailwinds, brothers!

Yeah goatheads are tough to manage. Puncture vine produces hundreds of seeds per plant and each seed is viable for 5+ years after it has detached meaning every tire (car, tractor, utv, or bike), shoe, hoof, paw, gust of wind, or deluge of water, will transport seed despite our best management efforts spraying or removing the vine from the trail when it is seen. While we do our best remove the plant on the trail area, it can help only so much when surrounding uses (roadways, ag, residential, commercial lots) don't need its removal so the opportunity for seed to make its way onto the trail will always be there. The hundreds of road crossings of the trail don't help either, that's where I find we have the most goathead issues. The trail superintendents are doing a great job with what they have to work with. Adjusting some management practices seem to be paying off in minimizing their presence but I think goatheads will just always be lurking, waiting for their next victim. I too have had the double flat 3 miles out of town and spent hours pulling dozens of goatheads out of the tires but that was years ago now. Happy Trails!

Got home last night after another 400 mile out and back from Norfolk to Valentine back to Norfolk. Trail conditions are great! This trail is now finally on a par with trails like the Katy Trail, just more of an adventure and not as crowded. I picked up a total of 3 goatheads, all at lunch/break stops(Ewing ball field, Neligh park. I went tubeless this year for this very reason and had no problems. I did see a massive goathead plant right under the hydrant at Tilden, tried to pull it up with only biking gloves on which was a massive mistake. The Cowboy Ultra started late in the week, so perhaps trail maintenance was at its peak, but each of the last 3 years it's been great, and each year better than the last so kudos to the staff.
Signs prohibit horses on the trail as I understand it, but there are always horse tracks west of Atkinson and Stuart, and we met a group of 5 horses east of Ewing on Sat. so people don't pay attention to the signs. Fortunately it has been dry and the trail pretty well packed so they hadn't torn up the trail too badly.
A nice touch this year are the mile marker posts, which are really neat looking. Unfortunately I probably only saw about 30-40 of them because I'm not looking at the side of the trail, but your experience may vary.
I'd give the Cowboy Trail a 10/10 rating. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the trip report and for coming back to ride the trail!