West Rock Ridge SP

Date: Oct. 14, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: West Rock Ridge SP
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: Ranging from damp to muddy
Observations/Information: I moved about six loads of process to a soft spot along a seasonal watercourse at the junction of the Purple-White Trails. Process is a gravel-crushed stone mixture that makes an excellent, solid base for a trail without the traction issues of just plain gravel that tends to be loose.

I removed the crown of two large trees that fell on the Purple Trail near Main St., which took about an hour. I needed to walk up the Purple Trail from Main Street to access the process pile where it was left by the state, and then haul it up to where I needed it. This part of the Purple Trail is currently closed to bikes, but I will make this part of my request to state to open it to bikes, as it is an old road, non-technical double-track, and it's very suitable for bikes, from the Red Trail, east to Main Street.

I cut an opening in a large pine that fell across the Red Trail near the powerlines by Mountain Rd. Bikes and hikers can easily get around this.

With the recent dry spell, followed by two days of rain, conditions were all over the place. The trails were generally damp, but solid, but there were small areas with standing puddles. The seasonal watercourse at the junction of Purple and White was dry, but the seasonal watercourse on the White Trail in the marshy area, just south of the trails' northern junction with the Red Trail was running freely.

The paved road up to the South Overlook will be open to motor vehicles through Oct. 30, and then closed until Memorial Day weekend in 2012, which means bikes and hikers will have the road to themselves.

I didn't take a camera to the park, due to the rainy conditions, but felt I had to show off the mud and the dirt when I got home. My shorts were originally white.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: White, Red, and (Purple)
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 4
Approximate Distance (Miles): 1 mile
Images/Photos: Dirty from trail work.jpg
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