Town: Stamford/Greenwich Location: Mianus Park Trail(s) Ridden: Almost the entire park How did you use the trail? Hiking / Mountain Biking What was the time of day? Morning and Afternon Hours riding: Morning Hiking 9-11:30 Afternoon Riding 1 - 2:30
Condition of Trail: Very good and very dry. No soft ground encountered
Encounters & Observations: Worked with other mtn bikers and TAs in the morning on Trail Maintenance (armoring, etc.) . Hiked on the ridges in the south and middle of the park doing TM., making observations for future upkeep. In the afternoon I rode around the majority of the park with my son. Encounter some mtn bikers from the Bronx and gave them tips to navigate the park. Cut a downed tree and a downed sapling blocking the Field trail
Trail Ambassador Email: eatsleepfish [at] gmail [dot] com
Town: Trumbull
Location: Pequonnock River Valley (aka Trumbull)
Trails Ridden: White to Red to Yellow to Red, then unmarked, back to yellow, then unmarked, back to yellow, yellow to white to blue to white to blue to white to unmarked.
How did you use the trail?: Single Speed 29er MTB
What was the time of day?: Late Afternoon
Duration (Hours): 2 hrs
Distance (Miles): 7
Condition of Trail(s):
Very good and very dry. Some areas need more armoring but there are too many to list.
Observations:
Quite a few fire pits through out the park showing signs of recent use. Not too bright considering we are having a drought. One pit pictured below had cans and bottles all over the place. This fire pit is about 200 yards south on the blue trail from the foot bridge over the Pequonnock River. This is a disgrace!
N 41.27507 W 73.21994
Here is a map of the three issues. The Fire Pit as mentioned above, the new bridge discussed below, a new trail section. The new trail splits off the yellow trail past the Picnic Tables and actually quite flowy and downhill-ish. I would guess that this trail was just built.
Below is a new bridge being built over the Rusty River (at least that is what I call it), also on the Blue Trail. Not quite completed. Not sure who is making it but I fired off a note to the CT DEP to see if that was legitimate construction.
N 41.26968 W 73.21955
The supports for bridge appear to have been within the immediate area. There were two stumps that looked very fresh. The planking is regular lumber. Nothing has been done to anchor the bridge. If Rusty River ever got a big gush of water this bridge would be toast. Still, I question the legitimacy of this project. If it is legit then there ought to be some major rerouting of the white and blue trails to merge here and utilize this crossing.
A few other areas appear to have more trail gnome activity. There seems to be a new trail coming off the blue at the top of the old reservoir aka Serengeti that hooks into the bypass trail (avoids entering the Serengeti altogether). I wasn't familiar with this section but where the Red and Yellow trails come close to one another at the stream crossing (above the lower half of the Seregeti) there seems to be another trail traversing this ridge.
•Encounters & Observations: Considerable TM work done raking, removing deadfalls and debris. Encountered only two riders and one other TM person who was armed with a rake (!) Developing detailed map of forest trail system to hand out to lost riders / hikers.
Date of Activity: 3/28/2009 Trail Ambassador Name: Eric M & Nate C Trail Ambassador Email: Mayhew [dot] eric [at] gmail [dot] com Town: West Hartford Location: West Hartford Reservoir Trail(s) Ridden: Many How did you use the trail?: MTB What was the time of day?: Mid morning Duration (Hours): 3 hrs Distance (Miles): 9 Condition of Trail(s): Good!
Date of Activity: 3/27/2009 Trail Ambassador Name: Eric M & Roxie Trail Ambassador Email: Mayhew [dot] eric [at] gmail [dot] com Town: Hamden Location: West Rock S.P. Trail(s) Ridden: Red & White and Red How did you use the trail?: Hiked What was the time of day?: Afternoon Duration (Hours): 2 Hours Distance (Miles): 1 Condition of Trail(s): Good!
Went out there to remove a deadfall I had been hoping to use a chainsaw on. Managed to get it out of there with my bow saw and a little extra elbow grease. Also encountered a brand new deadfall across the trail (how serendipitous!) which I also removed and blocked a small braid.
Date of Activity: 03/28/09 Trail Ambassador Name: David Francefort Trail Ambassador Email: dfrancefort[at]excite[dot]com Town: Stamford, CT Location: Mianus Park Type of work perfformed: Relocated trail ending to minimze erosion What was the time of day?: 8-11 Duration (Hours): 3
Date of Activity: Friday, March 27, 2009 Trail Ambassador Name: Keith Coughlin Trail Ambassador Email: KeithCough[at]aol[dot]com Town: Hamden Location: Naugatuck State Forest Trail(s) Ridden: Not reported How did you use the trail?: Hiking What was the time of day?: Not reported Duration (Hours): 1.5 Distance (Miles): Not reported Condition of Trail(s): Not reported Observations: Local Land Manager meeting between Naugatuck SF and Brooksvale Park
Date of Activity: 3/21/2009 Trail Ambassador Name: Eric Mayhew Trail Ambassador Email: Mayhew [dot] eric [at] gmail [dot] com Town: Hamden Location: Naugatuck State Forest Trail(s) Ridden: A few How did you use the trail?: Mountain Biking What was the time of day?: Noon Duration (Hours): 2 Hours Distance (Miles): n/a Condition of Trail(s):Trails were in good shape for riding, some motorized vehicle activity was evident.
Observations:Crossed paths with a family of hikers and one lady hiker who we offered some directions and a map to!
To all current and future TA's as well as random interweb wanderers:
Please note the new TA jersey design is complete and available to our new TA's as well as trail ambassadors from previous years whose membership is current and did not receive a new jersey!
Front
Back
Also, we have a small number of the older jerseys hanging around as well so please let me know if you are in need of a replacement or backup.
And don't forget to post those TA hours!
Trail Ambassador Report Format
Here is how it works - all posts should be in plain text. If you send pictures please include a short description of each picture in the order they were attached. The blogging software puts them on top of the post and they can be moved around but it helps to know which is which so a little blurb describing the picture is helpful, too.
Address your email to the email address provided to you during the TA Training and don't forget to CC: ctnemba@gmail.com.
If you don't know what that address is please contact us at ctnemba@gmail.com.
In the Subject LIne put in the following:
TA Report: Ride Location
In the Body of the Note use the following prompts and fill in the appropriate information.
Date of Activity: Trail Ambassador Name: Trail Ambassador Email: Town: Location: Trail(s) Ridden: How did you use the trail?: What was the time of day?: Duration (Hours): Distance (Miles): Condition of Trail(s):Specific trail conditions and issues you observed while riding.
Observations:In this section write about if you helped anyone out, did some trail maintenance because it needed it, or picked up trash along the way.
Trail(s) Ridden: Various How did you use the trail?: Mountain Bike
What was the time of day?: Afternoon
Duration (Hours): 2 Distance (Miles): 10
Condition of Trail(s): Good. Leafy, dryer than expected. A few new blowdowns across the trails. Some of the trails are indistinguishable from the woods and need raking.
Observations: Saw a lot of hikers, gave two directions to the parking lot. Helped one mountain biker with a seat adjustment.
Back: Keith, Aaron, Ed, Ryan, Rich & John Front: Dave, Melissa, official CT NEMBA hound Roxie, and Eric (CT NEMBA)
On Sat March 21st CT NEMBA held it's first of two TA orientation sessions for the spring at Brooksvale Park in Hamden. We had about 10 new TA's signed up from as far and wide as Farmington, Hartford, Cheshire, Milford, and Greenwich. The session seemed to go over well with lots of enthusiastic discussion among the participants about mountain biking, the TA program, their local riding, and ways to make mtn biking better in CT for us all!
After some bagels and coffee courtesy of CT NEMBA and a couple hours of discussion around the TA program we got down to the real fun stuff... A ride! We headed up into the Naugatuck State forest for a couple of hours of riding on a wonderful spring day with temps in the low 50s and a great group to ride with.
We'll be doing it again on Apr 19 and hope you can make it!
TA Jersey Front
TA Jersey Back
Trail Ambassador Dave on a log ride
Trail Ambassador Aaron doing some bike maintenance.
Date of Activity: 3/21/09 Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes Trail Ambassador Email: glennvernes33[at]hotmail[dot]com Town: Cromwell Location: River Highlands State Park Trail(s) Ridden: Various How did you use the trail?: Mountain Bike What was the time of day?: Late afternoon Duration (Hours): 2 Distance (Miles): 10 Condition of Trail(s): Good. Leafy, dryer than expected. A lot of ATV use on the double track, none on the singletrack. No blowdowns to speak of.
Observations: Saw a lot of hikers, gave one directions to the parking lot. Heard ATVs.
Date of Activity: Saturday, March 21, 2009 Trail Ambassador Name: Keith Coughlin Trail Ambassador Email: KeithCough[at]aol[dot]com Town: Hamden Location: Naugatuck State Forest Trail(s) Ridden: swamp trail How did you use the trail?: Mountain Biking What was the time of day?: Not reported Duration (Hours): 2 Distance (Miles): Not reported Condition of Trail(s): Not reported Observations: Helped lead TA Training Ride
Date of Activity: Friday, March 20, 2009 Trail Ambassador Name: Keith Coughlin Trail Ambassador Email: KeithCough[at]aol[dot]com Town: Hamden Location: Naugatuck State Forest Trail(s) Ridden: swamp trail How did you use the trail?: Mountain Biking What was the time of day?: Not reported Duration (Hours): 2 Distance (Miles): Not reported Condition of Trail(s): Not reported Observations: Did some TM on swamp trail, rearranged rocks to make safe passage & reduce erosion
Another 1 1/2 of trail is open now in addition to the section opened last year, If you add in the Hunters' Trail there is a total of about 4 1/2 miles of single track!
Cliff Krolick of Backcountry Excursions in Maine paid Connecticut a visit this weekend to help out with some the design work on the Where's Waldo Trail. Check out his website http://www.bikebackcountry.com. His trails in Maine are known for being fast and flowy, and he gave design pointers to help achieve that same effect on this trail.
After a long day of work, tweaking the design, clearing bush, and raking leaves, the new section is now rideable. There is still some work to be done, so if you take a ride out there, please leave all the flags, and when you get to the end of the defined trail, please turn around. I still need to figure out some major control points before I can connect the trail back to the access road.
Trails generally take 6 months to a year to compact if the use is light, so it may seem that the trail is soft. It is dry right now, and all the frost and mud are gone, but softness is just from the nature of the soil. I will also be adding some enhancements along the way, but later in the season. I also hope to get the blazes painted sometime in the next month or so which will make it much easier to follow the trail and will also make it much harder to obscure the trail. Long range plans include a technical trail on the other side of the access road, probably to be built sometime next year.
Date of Activity: Sunday, March 15, 2009 Trail Ambassador Name: Keith Coughlin Trail Ambassador Email: KeithCough[at]aol[dot]com Town: Hamden Location: Naugatuck State Forest Trail(s) Ridden: Not reported How did you use the trail?: Mountain Biking What was the time of day?: Not reported Duration (Hours): 2 Distance (Miles): Not reported Condition of Trail(s): Not reported Observations: Met 8 ATV/motorcyclists in S.F., discussed park rules
When a tree falls in the woods usually it takes other smaller trees with it and those that don't break and are bent over due to the weight of the fallen tree are called spring poles. They are called that way because if you were to release the weight that was holding them down they would spring up at you. In the video below Dana talks about the tension in these trees and how to approach it with a chainsaw.
And here Dana shows us how to shave the tree so that it doesn't spring up and hit you in the face.
Now it's Paula's turn. Dana uses an attention getter to get Paula's attention if she is doing something wrong because you can barely hear yourself think with the noise the chainsaw makes.
On March 6 several NEMBA members attended a Chainsawing Safety Course put on by Logger Rescue CT. With all of the ice storms this year, the Board of Directors had been discussing the acquisition of a chain saw for trail work. Before purchasing a chainsaw we though that it would be good idea for several NEMBA members to have gone through a chainsaw course first. About half our board members already have chain saws, while the other half never picked one up until this training event.
Lisa and Chris Manville run the National Chainsaw Safety Training Program. They were gracious enough to host us at their home for 6 hours of training. Their chainsaw safety program is one of the best in the country. Taught by Nationally Recognized Safety Instructor, Dana B. Hinkley. Dana retired from the Berlin, NH Fire Department after 20 years of full time Fire & EMS experience. He retired as captain in heavy rescue. Dana has worked in the logging industry for over 35 years.
Fortunately, the weather Saturday morning was an exquisite 65 degrees in the sun. While the ground was turning to mush around us we were happy to be doing something productive since conditions prevented riding.
The training began with an extensive overview of safety equipment that went from top to bottom. Dana stressed how important it was to wear a helmet. He also made a point to educate us about the dangers of compromising a helmet's integrity by drilling holes in it for ventilation or putting padding between the webbing and the underside. Dana also advised that helmets need to be replaced after 3 years because the polymers breakdown in sunlight rendering the helmet ineffective. The importance of the helmet is not only as the first line of defense from falling debris but it's also a key safety feature if the saw were to kick back toward your face. The brim on chainsaw helmets will prevent the saw from hitting you in the face. Some helmets also have ear protection and a screen for your face to keep wood chips from getting in your eye.
Dana and Chris also stressed wearing protective chaps and boots. Both clothing items won't stop the saw from cutting into you but it will slow it down so that you can react in time to save yourself. Dana mentioned that you can buy Kevlar socks designed with fibers that will get tangled in the chain and slow it down to hopefully avoid cutting your foot. There are also protective boots but they are in excess of $200. There wasn't much that could be said for gloves except find a pair that is comfortable and durable and allow you to feel what the saw is doing.
The next subject they taught was maintenance. Obviously, if you know how to maintain your equipment, it will run well for you. They also demonstrated that there are many basic maintenance procedures that you can perform yourself to save time and money. They covered everything from air and fuel filters to servicing the clutch and drive train. Below is Art's Husquavana or Huskie for short. If you can't tell, Stihl sponsors Logger Rescue and Art's machine is essentially the competition.
So, they took it apart to demonstrate the differences but didn't put it back together, they left that to Art for when the class concluded.
Dana also went into a lengthy demonstration on sharpening the teeth on the chain, including how to move the chain and effective and ineffective ways to sharpen.
Then we covered starting procedures. This included demonstrating how to hold the chainsaw properly for starting and examples of bad technique that might get you hurt.
Lunch was provided by Windham Tech. It included Chicken Cordon Blue, mash potatoes, salad, and baked Ziti. The leftovers were donated to a local soup kitchen.
After lunch, we headed out to the woods to watch demonstrations on felling, clearing, bucking, and limbing. In this demonstration Dana talked about how to set up to drop a tree, which included planning escape routes, how to estimate the height of the tree, and how to cut it to place it where you want it to land.
This was done by holding an ax handle at arms length in front of you and sighting your eye with the tree. When your eye, the top of the handle, and the top of the tree line up, you are at the position of where the end of the tree or the crown will fall.
After the tree was down Dana showed us how to trim the tree and also various ways of cutting downed trees in a manner that all tension in the tree is released along the tree and not into the air where it could hurt you. These techniques are brilliant. He was able to cut just about any aspect of a downed tree and have it fall right where he wanted it to. These are great tools to have when clearing a tree from across a trail.
The training included extensive instruction of the proper clothing and safety equipment, as well as the proper cutting techniques and correct procedures for taking down trees, cutting limbs, and clearing trees that might be down across a trail.
For more information on Logger Rescue CT contact Lisa Manville at 860-450-0002 or email her at lisamanville@charter.net.
NEMBA.org has a great article about the DOs and DON'Ts about spring riding titled Just Say "No" to Mud. 2009 has had record snow and now it's finally melting. Yes, it's been a tough one for us to fulfill our mountain bike passion. The snowy ice-bound trails have left all but the heartiest riders inside contemplating the next time they can ride the trails. Everyone's looking forward to another great season of riding, but we urge caution and ask restraint as we enter the March and April Mud Months.
Here are some suggestions:
Use your lawn as a trail barometer. Before you think of hitting the trails, take a ride on your lawn. If you can see your tracks sinking in, stay off the trails. They're not yet ripe.
Use mud season to build fitness by putting in some serious "base miles" on the road. If you don't have a road bike, put some slicks on your mountain bike and you'll feel super-charged. Most serious racers train on the road for good reason, and the fitness you'll develop will make your trail riding that much more pleasurable.
Do some urban or suburban assault rides. This is a great time if you're into technical riding to explore the neighborhood for ramps, steps and other challenges that can hone your technical skills.
Ride on rail trails or other hardened bike paths. You'll be away from traffic, get some needed fitness, and feel good about yourself since you're doing the right thing by staying off the trails.
Use local knowledge to find areas that are free from mud and frost. Internet Forums are a great resource to find great riding. Check the "Trail Conditions" section of NEMBA's Forum for your state to see where the good riding is… and where it isn't.
How did you use the trail?: Hiking/ Mountain Biking
What was the time of day?: Early Morning
Condition of Trail: Very good. Almost all dry. A few isolated muddy or icy spots.
Encounters & Observations: I was almost afraid to go take a look at the trail, since I haven't been there since December, when I took the gas powered leaf blower and recleared the trail. It is a game almost, between me and whomever keeps blocking and obscuring the trail. This has been going on for two years now. Flags removed, tapes left in piles on the side of the trail, brush piles ( definitely cut by a human), leaves put back on the trail, and so on. Fortunately, the winter was kind to the trail. I did notice someone was up to the usually tricks, putting brush across the trail on the turns. All of it was easy to remove. There were no big blowdowns or chain saw work needed. Now the Hunters' Trail did not have one bit of brush on it, and I have done some work on that trail too, blowing the leaves and cutting a number of blow downs. No one interferes with that trail. This spring I am hoping to finish the first section - there is still some benching and a few rock projects to complete. I also need to finish the layout for the second part of the trail, and by the end of the season I hope to have it cut enough to ride for about 3-4 miles of trail. Today I first walked the trail with my dog Rufus, and took some pictures. I wasn't sure if the trail would be in good shape to ride, but most of Waldo is amazingly well drained. When I got back to the car, I realized that I had lost my camera. This called for drastic measures. I went home and got my new bike. This was the first ride on the new bike.I did get a very nice ride in, and found my camera.
Joseph Woyciesjes and Dee Baker, CT NEMBA Trail Ambassadors, have started the development of a trail network for Mountain Biking at Eisenhower Park in Milford, CT. In fact, the Connecticut Post recently reported that Joe has volunteered to develop a trail map for the park.
"The first thing we'd do is to tag the trails, because most of them are hard to find," he said. "Then we would rebuild or re-establish trails. We want to make sure that what we put in lasts and is suitable for the park."
Joe plans on presenting the map to the Milford Parks and Recreation Commission May meeting.
Please contact your state representative and ask them to oppose Sunday Hunting (H.B. 6553) in Connecticut.
Hunters already have the woods to themselves six days a week during the hunting season. It seems only fair that other outdoor users should have one day a week when they feel safe to venture outdoors without fear of being struck by a stray arrow or bullet.
Please oppose H.B. 6553, which would lift Connecticut's long-standing ban on Sunday hunting. Hunters already have the woods to themselves six days a week during the hunting season. It seems only fair that other outdoor users should have one day a week when they feel safe to venture outdoors without fear of being struck by a stray arrow or bullet. Please vote NO on H.B. 6553. Thank you.
Sincerely,
<Your Name Here> <Your Address Here> <Your City, State and Zip Here>
1. This is a reminder that our reglar monthly trailwork session will be held this Saturday, March 7th, from 9am to noon. We'll meet at the bridge on Merriebrook Lane. Please bring gloves.
Right now the weather forecast for Saturday calls for a high of 54 F. under partly cloudy skies. Trails might be a little muddy from rain on Friday, so dress accordingly.
2. A motorized dirt bike apparently entered the MRP trails two weeks ago, and left deep tracks on the River Road trail. Unuathorized motorized vehicles are prohibited in the MRP and in Treetops State Park. If you should see any, please politely remind them that the trails are not designed for such vehicles and are not permitted.
Trail(s) Ridden: Poly Brody Fire Road and Upper Gussy
How did you use the trail?: Mountain Biking
What was the time of day?: Early Morning
Duration (Hours)?: 2 Hours Distance (Miles): 6+
Condition of Trail: Freezing temps at night are keeping the trail accessible but there are some slippery places, like the Log Ride Short (another little video) which is kind of slippery.
Encounters and Observations: A timber harvest is now in full swing at Upper Paugussett State Forest (evidenced by the sign) and the guys cutting down the trees are doing a great job to minimize the impact on the ground. The only section that is remotely disturbed besides where the actual logging is taking place is the intersection of the White Trail and Forest Road. What is amazing is that logging vehicle was able to get in there with making any tracks. It almost seems that these guys might have flown it in.
The picture above is a deer attractant, found on the Upper Gussy Trail, which according to the CT DEP website, Use of Attractants for Deer Hunting, is only permissable on Private Lands in Zone 11 (which encompasses Fairfield County). Upper Paugussett SF is public property.
Trail Ambassador Name: Keith Coughlin Trail Ambassador Email: KeithCough[at]aol[dot]com Town: Middletown Location: Cockaponset State Forest - Middlesex Section
Trail(s) Ridden: Not reported How did you use the trail?: Mountain Biking What was the time of day?: Not reported Duration (Hours): 2 Distance (Miles): Not reported Condition of Trail(s): Helped clear several tree falls over trails.
