Sunday, May 23, 2010

TA Report West Rock

Date of Activity: 5/22/10
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten
Trail Ambassador Email: edperten@sbcglobal.net
Town: Hamden
Location: West Rock State Park
Trail(s) Ridden: R, W, B
How did you use the trail?: Mountain bike riding
What was the time of day?: Late morning
Duration (Hours): 3
Distance (Miles): Yes

Condition of Trail(s): Much erosion, some blow downs, otherwise good. I cleared two significant blow downs a short distance from the parking lot. Trails braids or herd paths were starting to form.

Observations: I haven't been to West Rock for a while and I am unimpressed with all the "trail improvements." There are bridges everywhere, only one covered flowing water, the others were over dry 'streambeds', where I have rarely seen water for long periods of time. There were waterbars everywhere, again the areas were dry. Hikers and mountain bikers appeared to have detoured around several waterbars creating trail braids or herd paths and in so doing widening the trails, opening the doors for more erosion. On the other hand, there were several areas that were muddy and could have benefitted from trail maintenance projects. I always thought that part of going out in the woods for a hike or a mountain bike ride was the varied terrains and the challenge of picking your path. This challenge has been severely limited and has taken some of the thrill and uniqueness out of West Rock.

3 comments:

Hiker Tom said...

As the person who has been doing all the work (and has nearly 300 hours of volunteer work at the park), I take strong exception to these comments.

The boardwalk on the White Trail passes through an area that is permanently muddy. The other bridges are in areas that have seasonal water flows. I have received many many compliments from trail users who have encountered me out there, including mountain bikers, dog walkers, and hikers.

There are many other areas where work is needed. I will get to them as time allows and would welcome the assistance.

I find it odd that mountain bikers will complain that I am "civilizing" the trail, yet then complain about a water bar that gives them an extra challenge. I have used waterbars in areas where the trail is washing away and the slopes are too steep to create a grade reversal. In particular, I was out at West Rock during a rain storm and saw a steady flow of water coming down the slope near the Purple Trail and was washing out the trail near the bridge at the junction of the White Trail.

These are some needed projects at West Rock that I will eventually get to:
Red Trail south of the main entrance: re-dig the drainage ditch and connect it to the drainage pipes, so the permanent muddy spot can be cleared up. Also clear out the drainage pipe midway to the South Overlook, where a large washout is getting steadily worse.
Relocate portions of the White Trail further up the slope where they are muddy too many months of the year.
The list goes on....

Visit my blog for many details about the park.
http://westrocktrails.blogspot.com/

Eric said...

"I always thought that part of going out in the woods for a hike or a mountain bike ride was the varied terrains and the challenge of picking your path. This challenge has been severely limited and has taken some of the thrill and uniqueness out of West Rock."

I would agree with this comment entirely. The unique challenges of the trails are slowly but surely being removed in favor of wide open swaths that are uninteresting. Shame, used to be a very enjoyable place to ride.

Hiker Tom said...

A further response:
The sum total of areas that have been subject to water control improvements is probably less than a quarter mile, which means that about 8 miles of trail have not been touched. I can't see how this has "severely limited" any challenge at West Rock.