Thursday, January 21, 2010

TA Report Hartman Park

Date of Activity: January 21, 2010
Trail Ambassador Names: Glenn Vernes
Trail Ambassador Email: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
Town: Lyme
Location: Hartman Park.
Trail(s) Ridden: Red & orange
How did you use the trail? Hike
What was the time of day? Afternoon

Duration (Hours): 2.5
Distance (Miles): Around 5.5
Condition of Trail(s): Well used.

Hartman Park was once a very popular place to ride. It was not uncommon to see eight or ten cars with bike racks in the lot on weekends, and it was home to a long running Wednesday night ride. While its popularity has waned, it still sees regular action- I spotted multiple fresh tracks on my hike.

I hiked and photographed the red and orange trails looking for problem areas for TM projects that will hopefully occur in the coming year. The condition of the trails can best be described as "thoroughly enjoyed" but, with a few notable exceptions, I found them to be in surprisingly good shape considering their age, the amount of use they get, and the fact that they weren't built according to modern standards of sustainability.


The biggest problems are the Big and Little Scrambles on the red and orange trails- fall line climbs on steep and rocky slopes. In other areas it appears that the trail has been re routed but the blazes still take you the old way. There are also some bridges that need work.


There's been cooperation between CT NEMBA and the land manager recently. Hopefully we'll be able to get in and correct these problems.

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