Tuesday, September 7, 2010

TA Report: Millers Pond State Park


Date of activity:  September 7, 2010 
Condition of trail(s):  Dry and fast



Encounters and Observations:  Continued my goal of a new ride location every couple of weeks and Millers Pond was on the agenda for today; arrived with only one other car in the lot; set off on the red trail off the lot in a westerly direction and soon found out I was in for some good, challenging riding; I ran across several features that I was not comfortable with at my skill level which is exactly what I wanted in order to progress as a rider; the rest of the trail put me to good use and tested my mettle allowing me to practice new skills; noticed an almost complete lack of trail braiding and a sign near a jump (see photo) explained why.  

I really like this straight forward approach; at about three miles in I noticed my GPS missing from my wrist band which led me to backtrack in search of it.  I found it a half mile back near a small tree I bounced off of earlier; headed back in my original direction with acorns dropping from the oaks all around due to the fairly strong wind; I continued across the blue to the lower section of the red which in hindsight was a mistake.  

This was no longer XC territory but rather a playground for those with full suspension and lots of travel; my ratio of on bike/off bike dropped dramatically (but the hiking was nice); my hat is off to those who play out there and utilize all the features; grabbed the red/white north to the blue/white and enjoyed great views of the pond and ran across one guy taking a walk on my way out; overall the trails were in great shape and clean, with incredible variety using natural structures; I reached my car drenched in sweat and with a whole new outlook on what bike skills I have yet to master.

Trail Ambassador Name:  Don Hazuka
Email:  donald.hazuka@covidien.com
Town:  Durham/Haddam
Location:  Millers Pond State Park
Trail(s) ridden:  Red/red-white/blue-white/white
How did you use the trail?:  Mountain bike
What was the time of day?:  Mid morning
Duration (hours):  2.5
Distance (miles):  8+

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