New England Mountain Bike Association, CT Chapter

Rocky Neck State Park

2012-01-22T19:05:00.002-05:00

Date: 1/22/12
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Rocky Neck State Park
Town: East Lyme
Trail Conditions: Snowy, heavy foot traffic, bumpy
Observations/Information: Too many dog walker at the upper lot so I actually drove in to the beach parking lot. LOTs of people around. Many XC skiers. Did see a set of tracks that looked like a bike, but the tread was more like a car tire.. never seen a snow bike with that tread width even in Fat Bikes

took a video..

Trail Ambassador Name: Thom Lamourine

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Thom1{at}ctnemba{dot}com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1 hour maybe?
Approximate Distance (Miles): 2-3 miles if that?
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Trumbull-Pequonnock

2012-01-22T19:00:00.001-05:00

Date: 1-22-12
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Trumbull-Pequonnock
Town: Trumbull
Trail Conditions: Snow
Observations/Information: Took the Hard Tail over to Trumbull, thinking it might be ridable. When I got there even the Rail Trail was still covered in 5-6 inches of snow and only marked with XC ski tracks. Not being a die-hard pioneer eager to slice though virgin snow, I opted to hike in instead. A brief hike to the North Bridge gave me a pretty good overview of the conditions. SNOW!!

I snapped a few photos with my cell phone near the Coyote Crossing. It was beautiful even though the sky was gray. Said hello to a few XC skiers and snowshoers but never saw a biker.

This place gets a lot of traffic so soon enough, the trails will be packed down but for a short time XC skiing will be the norm...
Trail Ambassador Name: Rich C

Trail Ambassador E-mail: mtnbikerdad[at]yahoo[dot]com
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1/2 hour
Approximate Distance (Miles):
Images/Photos: connector-to-northBridge.jpg
2nd image: northbridge.jpg
3rd Image: northBridgeCloseUp.jpg
4th Image: LogCut.jpg

The Wandering Mountain Biker - Tom Triplett Community Park

2012-01-22T13:39:00.000-05:00

I like to ride this park when I visit the Hilton Head, SC/Savannah, GA area over the holidays. Tom Triplett Community Park is located right off of Interstate 95 in Pooler, GA- a suburb of Savannah. It’s one of the few places to ride in the “Low Country”- as the locals call it- around Savannah. It’s a good place for a quick after work ride in an area where riders will head to the mountains on weekends to do most of their riding. It’s a small place with a maze of tight, twisty trails that will test your cornering and braking skills. It’s possible to get a good workout in by accelerating out of the tight corners that come one after another. The system consists of about five miles of riding with a long and short loop and connecting trails. In the northern part of the park, the trail runs through a Frisbee golf course, and you need to watch out for of flying disks. The soil is slightly sandy in most places, but in some areas you’ll find the notorious Georgia clay, that sticks like glue when wet and then dries as hard as cement. There are no rocks but enough roots that a little bit of suspension will come in handy. Geographically it’s almost completely flat, the only hills being some old dikes and levees along an abandoned canal that runs through the park. The ideal bike would be a singlespeed 29er with suspension fork.

As far as wildlife, the most common sighting will be the armadillo, or armored possum, as I call it. Despite their strange appearance they are harmless, and a lot more fearful of you than you will likely be of them. Since they can’t climb trees, their defense strategy is to hide in piles of leaves, and they’re very good at it. They’ll normally run away from humans but sometimes they’re so preoccupied with foraging for insects that you can get up very close to them, as I was able to.

The fortunes of this park have ebbed and flowed with the popularity of the sport in general. Mountain bikers had an established presence here in the late 1990s and early 2000s- you can see the remains of old stunts and bridges that were built during the freeride craze. The park then began to suffer from some “negative use” that drove legitimate users away. Mountain bikers seemed to abandon the place, the trails became overgrown, and the stunts and bridges succumbed to rot. But my latest visit in December 2010 confirmed that the place has rebounded. The negative users are gone and the mountain bikers and Frisbee golfers have returned. The trails have been re-established and I even found a new trail just built- the tread way still soft. The decayed stunts and bridges are being removed and replaced. There’s now an active chapter of SORBA in Savannah and they’ve designated Tom Triplett as their home riding area, so it’s likely to continue getting better.

If you ever visit the Savannah or Hilton Head areas you should bring your bike and check this place out. It’s a riding experience unlike anything we have up here in the Northeast. Just be on the lookout for armored possums, flying disks, and wet Georgia clay.

- Glenn Vernes

Roosevelt Forest

2012-01-18T17:43:00.000-05:00

Date: 1/18/12
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Roosevelt Forest
Town: Stratford
Trail Conditions: Good
Observations/Information: The parking lot was covered with ice when we left, when we returned it was full of puddles. The trails were a mix of frozen ground, crunchy ground, surface mud, frozen puddles which broke under the weight of the bicycle and at times a dusting of snow/ice. The wind gusts were nice enough to stay at the top of the trees and we were quite comfortable at ground level.
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten

Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: all of them
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): a bunch
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Trumbull-Pequonnock

2012-01-15T17:59:00.001-05:00

Date: Jan. 15, 2012
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Trumbull-Pequonnock
Town: Trumbull
Trail Conditions: Frozen solid, but no blowdowns
Observations/Information: I was surprised to see a complete lack of blowdowns in the Pequonnock Valley, as blowdowns have been a continual problem almost everywhere I have hiked. I was not happy to see the inroads the woolly adelgid have been making as far as slowly killing off the numerous hemlock trees in the area. The hemlocks are definitely showing signs of stress, as evidenced by the lack of needles on the lower branches. Once they die, it will create a huge mess of falling trees, as happened at Westwoods and West Rock. Everything is frozen solid and there are numerous spots with petrified bike tracks. I took the White-Yellow-Red-Blue Trails. The markings were generally easy to follow, although we did have a few instances of head scratching where some blazes could be added. The only trail work I did was cutting back a couple of multi-flora rose bushes in the reservoir bed area. There were a few dog walkers, plus one very brave biker on a day that showed 19 degrees on a bank clock when I left at 3 p.m.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: White, Yellow, Red, Blue
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6 miles
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Naugatuck State Forest

2012-01-15T17:52:00.000-05:00

Date: Jan. 15, 2012
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Naugatuck State Forest
Town: Beacon Falls
Trail Conditions: Some blowdowns and ice
Observations/Information: This was my second hike in the Naugatuck Forest in Beacon Falls in three weeks. On the previous hike, with help from others, I figured we cleared about a third of the smaller blowdowns. On this trip, we probably removed about another third of the smaller blowdowns. The trail gnomes and state workers have been at work because we saw trees cleared that we did not touch last time. There are some icy patches and one trail that looks like a stream, but is actually a trail, but things are generally dry. There are still downed trees to negotiate around, but for the most part, the trails can be biked without too much difficulty.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Various unnamed trails and woods roads
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 9 miles
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Cockaponset SF - Weber Woods section

2012-01-11T10:24:00.000-05:00

Date: January 11, 2012
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Cockaponset SF - Weber Woods section
Town: Clinton
Trail Conditions: Nice and dry
Observations/Information: I took my first ride on the reclaimed trail around the abandoned paint ball zone; I didn't have a lot of time so I did a couple of runs in the CC then CCW directions to get a feel for the flow; overall, I really like the trail, but there are a couple of corners cut too tight (okay for paint ball guy, but not for bike) trying to incorporate rock and tree features, but that won't take much rework; my plan is to ride this loop many more times as is, then in the Spring take a hard look at it with a more sustainable approach in mind and revise as needed; the loop is just under .4 miles in length and because of this parcel's elevation, should never see standing water nor mud; this area has many more overgrown trails and I see a really fun, new place to ride coming to be.
Trail Ambassador Name: Don Hazuka

Trail Ambassador E-mail: donaldDOThazukaATcovidienDOTcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Access road/new unmarked
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 3/4 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): 3 miles
Images/Photos: WW paint ball trail 1.jpg
2nd image: WW paint ball trail 2.jpg
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George C Waldo State Park

2012-01-08T20:05:00.000-05:00

Date: January 8, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: George C Waldo State Park
Town: Southbury
Trail Conditions: Very Good
Observations/Information:
A long ride at Waldo today the started out with Tren (CT Nemba VP), and finished off with Paula. The trails were in excellent shape and appeared to get quite a bit of use the day before when temperatures reached a spring-like 60 Fahrenheit. The Daffy Duck trail is starting to look like a well-established trail, getting packed down and broken in, and becoming smoother and faster. Overall the trails were in excellent shape and, for the most part dry, although there was some moisture in the soil that improved traction. The section just below the Captain's Log on Waldo is a little moist but not wet. There are some wet/sloppy spots on the dirt road.

Tren and I spent some time sessioning the Captain's Log until we could both ride over it (see video).

Overall the trails of Waldo are in excellent shape and likely drier that most other places right now.

Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton, Tren Spence, Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Waldo, Daffy Duck, Hunters
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 12 miles
Images/Photos: 006.MOV
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Nassahegon SF

2012-01-08T19:01:00.001-05:00

Date: 1/8/12
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Nassahegon SF
Town: Burlington
Trail Conditions: Beautiful, some minor mud
Observations/Information: I have never been here before, nice trails, rolling, switchbacks, tight turns, newly constructed bridges, some old woods roads. Reminded me of Kingdom Trails in Vermont and of some of Paula's new trails at Waldo...now why does it have to be so far away?
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten

Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: I followed the guy with the map, we exlored several trails
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 3 hours worth
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Collis P Huntington SP

2012-01-07T18:57:00.000-05:00

Date: 1/7/12
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: Good, some mud, some frozen mud
Observations/Information: I haven't been up to Huntington for a while, wow, much blow down, awesome cleanup by whomever, thanks, however, still more remains to be done. Tried to keep up with someone approximately 10 years my junior, I got winded, he waited for me. Great day, great temps, I got to get out more. The new trail reroute that I worked on a few months back is holding up well.
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten

Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Several, I followed the young whippersnapper I was with
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 3 hours worth
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TM Report: Cockaponset SF - Weber Woods section

2012-01-05T14:58:00.000-05:00

Date: January 1-5, 2012
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Cockaponset SF - Weber Woods section
Town: Clinton
Trail Conditions: Dry
Observations/Information: I took a hike on New Year's day to clear the cob webs and decided to explore an area I had not been in for a while; there is a large, elevated parcel off the western entrance dirt road where a bunch of paint ballers used to play war games on weekends about five years ago; those kids are long grown and the place has been essentially undisturbed since; I hiked up the old logging road and found a network of intertwined, neglected trails and several forts/barricades long abandoned by the kids; the more I hiked, the more excited I got at the prospect of reclaiming this area and turning it into a riding playground; I left and came back on three different days with tools and created access for a perimeter trail about ½ mile in length which includes a wide variety of terrain; I did not do any benching or heavy construction, but rather my three tools were a hand saw, lopper, and leaf rake in order to reclaim what once was; I plan on clocking some riding time on it this weekend, then begin an expansion to include more of the trails; a great beginning to the new year.
Trail Ambassador Name: Don Hazuka

Trail Ambassador E-mail: donaldDOThazukaATcovidienDOTcom
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: N/A
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 5 3/4 total
Approximate Distance (Miles): 1/2 mile
Images/Photos: Barricade.jpg
2nd image: New trail.jpg
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Naugatuck State Forest

2012-01-04T20:49:00.001-05:00

Date: 1/4/12
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Naugatuck State Forest
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: F R O Z E N ! ! !
Observations/Information: Went out onto the rail trail and into the Naugatuck State Forest...however cut the ride short as our fingers would not get warm. With temperatures in the 20's, with five, yes 5 layers up top, long johns and tights, 2 pairs of socks and neoprene booties, a scull cap and a balaclava, everything else was warm, but not the double layers covering the fingers. The ground was frozen solid and crunchy at times, the shallow puddles were frozen solid, the deeper puddles had a crust over them which broke under the weight of the bike, and the stream was flowing swiftly with icy sculptures along the banks and on anything sticking out of the water. It is extremely hard to unbuckle Camelbak straps across your chest and waist when your fingers are numb from the cold. However, car heaters are a wonderful thing!!! Hoisting a metal bike onto the roofrack with numb hands also proved to be a challenge, however, I stepped up to the plate. It was definately cold today, with a warming spell of 50's reported for later in the week. We just couldn't wait...
We encountered two other die hard road riders, dog walkers and a lone hiker on the paved rail trail.
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten

Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Rail trail, a bit into the forest, we did not go far
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1
Approximate Distance (Miles): Short and sweet
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Wadsworth Falls SP

2012-01-01T19:28:00.001-05:00

Date: Jan. 1, 2012
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Wadsworth Falls SP
Town: Middlefield and Middletown
Trail Conditions: Mud season has come early
Observations/Information: I attended a New Haven Hiking Club hike on a day that turned out to be warm enough to bike. The Yellow Trail was a sea of mud, and spotty sections of mud could be found in many places. There were more blowdowns at Wadsworth Falls than I have seen in any other place I have been this year. Someone has been working hard because they have all be cleared. All along the trails are piles of broken limbs. The falls are really roaring. The place was hopping with 30 people from the NHHC group, another 20 walkers from Southern Conn. Cycle Club, most of whom converged on the Wadsworth Mansion for the annual New Year's Day open house. There were families with kids, and also dog walkers out, plus a father and daughter mountain biker. Everyone was in a good mood with the seasonably warm, sunny weather.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal[dot]net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Purple, Yellow, Red, Orange, Blue
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 5.5 miles
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Shelton Greenway

2012-01-01T19:04:00.001-05:00

Date: January 1, 2012
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Shelton Greenway
Town: Shelton
Trail Conditions: Pretty good.
Observations/Information: Paula and I rode the Shelton Greenway trails on Sunday the 1st. The trails were in good shape, and dry enough to ride without guilt. We saw two or three other biker groups and numerous hikers. The area gets a lot of use but the trails seem to be holding up pretty well in most places. I had been here once before and came away unimpressed but that was a premature assessment- this is a pretty cool place. We parked at the power line at Rt. 108 and warmed up on the white blazed "Turkey Trot" loop to the north. This is a fun, fairly flat and easy loop that is mostly single track with a little power line and gravel path thrown in. Then we crossed to the south of Rt. 108 and rode the Oak Valley (blazed white), blue, and Nell's Rock trails (also blazed white- someone got a deal on white paint). These trails alternate between pretty easy and pretty hard, on the same trail, and traverse some wet spots, but are fun enough overall. We continued south to Huntington on the Shelton Rec Path and found that almost all of it had been converted from single track to a smooth, wide gravel path. This was not the best trail to start with, so we didn't lose much, but the huge pile of gravel we spotted suggests that further conversion is in the works. If you ride this path, prepare to deal with a lot of walkers, dogs, etc., especially on weekends.

So while most of the trails on the south side of the area have been sissified, there is still enough single track on the north side to keep one busy for 1 to 1 ½ hours. The blue trail along Hope Lake is the best in my opinion. It's a long stretch of narrow, twisty, rooty and in places rocky lakeside trail, and is the trail of choice for those seeking challenge.

Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton, Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: White, white, blue, white, gravel path
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2.0
Approximate Distance (Miles): 10 miles
Images/Photos: Shelton 101012 001.JPG
2nd image: Shelton 101012 002.JPG
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Naugatuck State Forest

2011-12-31T20:35:00.000-05:00

Date: 12/31/11
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Naugatuck State Forest
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: Much blow down, puddles, mud, trails and woods roads are in poor condition
Observations/Information: Went to Nagatuck State Forest to avoid Brooksvale Park which I believe is still closed to mountain bikes. We started off on the rail trail, then did a hike a bike up the power lines and then explored several old woods roads, all in poor shape with much blow down, puddles and mud. We removed some of the blow downs when it was possible to drag them away. And finally we found our way back to the rail trail and back to the cars.
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten

Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Rail trail and explored several old woods roads
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2-3
Approximate Distance (Miles): a lot
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TM Report: Naugatuck State Forest

2011-12-31T19:24:00.000-05:00

Date: Dec. 31, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Naugatuck State Forest
Town: Beacon Falls
Trail Conditions: An obstacle course of blowdowns
Observations/Information: I hiked in the Naugatuck Forest West Block in Beacon Falls, starting from the lower parking lot by Cold Spring Road. The trails are a mess of large and small blowdowns. On the woods road near the base of the waterfall, there are a number of large trees across the trail. Virtually everywhere there are tree crowns blocking the trail. I had brought my hand saw and ended up using it a lot more than I wanted to, cutting a fraction of the blowdowns out there, but making the trails considerably more passable than they were before we started. I went back with my larger handsaw, along with a friend who brought an axe, to clear three tree trunks along one trail. This was intended to be a hike, and ended up being an impromptu work party. The woods road near the base of the waterfall is showing an unbelievable amount of washout and erosion with a foot to two feet deep of gravel simply washed away.
If you go, I recommend starting from the trailhead at the junction of Rt. 42 (west of Rt. 8) at Old Litchfield Tpke. This trailhead bring you into the forest in an area of woods roads around the reservoirs where you can warm up before you hit the hills. Download a map before you go from http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/stateparks/maps/NaugatuckEastWestBlocksTrailMap.pdf
The forest is a great place to ride with a mixture of double and single track. Nothing is blazed and some roads and trails end unexpectedly, so pay attention to where you are going.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal[dot]net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Various road and trails, none marked or named
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6 miles
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West Rock Ridge SP

2011-12-30T18:00:00.001-05:00

Date: Dec. 30, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: West Rock Ridge SP
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: Muddy in the usual spots, firm otherwise
Observations/Information: I walked the Red Trail south of the main entrance up to the South Overlook, checking for blowdowns. I found a few small branches hanging here and there, which I removed, but the trail was generally free of any problems.
I cleared out some culverts, in particular the one in the pictures. I was pleased to see that when I shoved a branch through to clear it, the area drained like a tub when the plug is pulled. I came back two hours later and even the water on the trail itself had drained away, leaving only mud behind. This portion of the Red Trail had some mud issues because the drainage ditches and culverts have filled, so the water just runs across the trail in spots.
The state has done some work with digging a drainage ditch and installing culverts, but more needs to be done before that works is effective. Along the trail, I found this split tree, which is a natural playground for bikers more daring than I am.
I had previously put up a "No Bikes" sign on the Blue-Blazed Regicides Trail at Judges Cave. Today I found the sign in the woods. I put it back on the tree, not that I expect it to remain there for long. Whoever took off the sign may not like the idea of "No Bikes" on the Blue Trail, but that's the current park policy. Also, the action of removing the sign is technically vandalizing state property, which is a crime.
I submitted a proposal to the state Trails Committee to change the trail usage policies at West Rock. I actually am recommending that this particular stretch of the Blue Trail (the Westville Feeder from the ballfield off Blake Street to Judges Cave via the Regicides Trail) be opened to bikes as the trail surface was constructed from native rock and is very durable. I also recommended that the Red Trail from the base to the top of the South Overlook be closed to bikes as it is not suitable to bikes with elevations up to 30 percent (by my estimate), the large steps in the picture, and a heavily eroded surface in general. For now the Blue Trail is officially closed to bikes, while the Red Trail is officially open. I will post an update on this topic when I have one, but that process will likely take months. One of my future trail plans calls for blazing and restoring a trail that parallels the Red Trail at the base of the South Overlook. When this project happens, I will recommend that that trail be opened to bikes, and that will create an excellent loop of single to double track.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Red
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles): 1 mile
Images/Photos: Red Trail ponding, 12-11_2.jpg
2nd image: Red Tr. ponding, drying out, 12-11.JPG
3rd Image: Red Tr. S., split tree, 12-11_2.jpg
4th Image: Red Tr. by S. Overlook, big steps, 12-11_2.jpg

George C Waldo State Park

2011-12-30T16:34:00.001-05:00

Date: December 30, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: George C Waldo State Park
Town: Southbury
Trail Conditions: Excellent!
Observations/Information: I figured I'd better get a ride in while the weather was nice, so I took a quick spin at Waldo. Temps were unseasonably warm and I had overdressed, requiring gradual shedding of the layers- my Camelback was bulging with surplus clothing by the end of the ride (see photo). I was riding a little rusty after the holiday break, not feeling one with the bike, but enjoyed myself nonetheless. The trails were in great shape considering recent weather. There was only one wet spot on Daffy Duck and one on Where's Waldo (in the usual place, just below the Captain's Log.) There were also some wet/icy spots on the dirt road and bottom of the Hunter's Trail (typical places). These spots should be frozen hard in the morning. Just a few sticks down that needed picking up, and the trail was easy to follow with packed (slightly slippery) leaves. There was a model airplane flying in the field across the power line, buzzing and whining like some demonically possessed chainsaw run amok.

Waldo would be a great place to ride this weekend, especially in the morning.

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Daffy Duck, Where's Waldo, Hunters
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1.0
Approximate Distance (Miles): 7 miles
Images/Photos: Waldo 123011 003.JPG
2nd image: Waldo 123011 001.JPG
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Rocky Neck State Park

2011-12-30T14:30:00.001-05:00

Date: 12/30/2010
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Rocky Neck State Park
Town: East Lyme
Trail Conditions: nice, tad of Frost Grease
Observations/Information: Nice little ride around Rocky Neck today. Little its of Frost Grease from the freeze thaw cycles but nothing terrible. tooled around the pavilion a bit, noticed the grass was a nice healthy green, on the Day Before Nw Years..
Trail Ambassador Name: Thom Lamourine

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Thom1{at}ctnemba{dot}com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: white, red, mixed, unmarked
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1 hour
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6.8
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West Rock Ridge SP

2011-12-28T15:32:00.001-05:00

Date: 12/28/11
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: West Rock Ridge SP
Town: New Haven/Hamden
Trail Conditions: Great, some mud, some flooded trails, some blow downs which we cleaned up, otherwise, trials were dry and in good shape
Observations/Information: Bumped into only one rider entering the park as we were leaving, only one sole hiker, one family of hikers, nobody in the woods. It always amazes me that an area so close to New Haven is so underutilized, oh well. Three of us braved the forecast for strong wind gusts and a partly sunny/cloudy day with dropping temps. Sun remained with us for most of the ride, very little wind to speak of, and yes the temps did drop during the day. Cleared several blowdowns by dragging them off the trail.
My email list is huge, only three attended, where is everyone else???
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten

Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2-3 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): A bunch
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Shelton Greenway

2011-12-26T21:08:00.001-05:00

Date: 12/26/11
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Shelton Greenway
Town: Shelton
Trail Conditions: Good, some crusty, frozen ground, thin icy crust on the puddles, some blowdowns, everything rideable
Observations/Information: Parked at the Shelton High School parking lot instead of where I usually park on Rt 108 at the powerlines. Rode with a different group who showed me new trails and we rode some trails that I usually ride in one direction, in the other direction. Some blowdowns, crusty ground, icy puddles, everything rideable. Unfortunately, some of the trails have been covered with a rock and sand mixture which has been packed down. Although it is rideable, this section of the trail is no longer challenging. On a positive note, there is still plenty of single track available, hopefully they, whoever they are, will not cover more trails.

Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten
Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: a bunch
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles): a bunch
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West Woods Preserve

2011-12-26T16:31:00.001-05:00

Date: Dec. 26, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: West Woods Preserve
Town: Guilford
Trail Conditions: Muddy, but clear of blowdowns
Observations/Information: I did a 6-mile loop hike from the trailhead off Peddlers Road (I-95 Exit 57). The trails are muddy in spots, as can often be the case at Westwoods in low areas. There was evidence of many blowdowns from Hurricane Irene that have been cleared back. I cleared one oak tree canopy that fell across a trail. There were a few people out walking dogs, but no bikers. If you are bike Westwoods, be sure to bring a map and pay close attention to the blazes. The trails are reasonably well marked, but with many intersections, you have to really pay attention to stay on track. Bikers should not use the Yellow Trail as it is simply too rugged for bikes. In some sections, I had to use hands and knees to crawl through some rock notches. A trail map is available at Bishops Orchards on Rt. 1, or download one from http://guilfordlandtrust.org/wordpress/properties/westwoods.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Green Circle, Blue Circle, Red Square, Green Rectangle and Yellow Circle
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6 miles
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Wadsworth Falls SP

2011-12-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

Date: 12/24/11
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Wadsworth Falls SP
Town: Middletown/Middlefield
Trail Conditions: Much blowdown on singletrack trials, doubletrack in good shape
Observations/Information: My first time riding in Wadsworth Falls State Park. The doubletrack was dry and clear. The singletrack areas ended up being a hike a bike due to much blowdown, however, the trail following the stream back to the parking lot was clear. The falls was quite full and nice to look at. There were 13 of us on this cold winter day, sponsored by the Meet Up group folks..
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten

Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: most of them
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): about 2 hours worth
Approximate Distance (Miles): A bunch
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TM Report: Wilton Woods

2011-12-24T12:13:00.000-05:00

Date: 12/24/2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: Wilton
Trail Conditions: damp
Observations/Information: Completed re-route of 100 foot section of orange trail that was destroyed by a blockage in the river and over flowed the banks. Benching was easy, just need to blaze
Trail Ambassador Name: David Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: n/a
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 4
Approximate Distance (Miles):
Images/Photos: IMG_3669.jpg
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TM Report: Wilton Woods

2011-12-23T07:37:00.000-05:00

Date: 12/23/2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: WILTON
Trail Conditions: WET
Observations/Information: Ryan Tucker and I tackled the removal of a huge tree in the river on the orange trail. This tree has created a dam that has raised the water level behind the tree 2 feet higher and after a rain the river swells even more and breaches the bank. The trail has completely been destroyed for about 75-100 feet; an approved re-route not has to be put in, currently there is a temporary re-route

Trail Ambassador Name: David Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: n/a
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles):
Images/Photos: Wilton-20111223-00050.jpg
2nd image: Wilton-20111223-00048.jpg
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Roosevelt Forest

2011-12-22T21:48:00.001-05:00

Date: 12/22/11
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Roosevelt Forest
Town: Stratford
Trail Conditions: awesome, dry, a few muddy spots, two stream crossings
Observations/Information: Earlier this week it was 25 degrees, now the inverse, it was 52 plus (actually 57 degrees). Had the forest to myself, beautiful day, trails are in good shape.
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten

Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten"at"sbcglobal"dot"net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: All
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1 hour
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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Thank you from the State of Connecticut

2011-12-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon Trail Volunteers,

Over the past month I have heard many reports on hundreds of volunteer hours spent (and continuing) clearing storm debris from our trail systems. Please tell your volunteers that we at State Parks are grateful for their continued efforts.

As you may know (or have seen) our staff, and our debris management contractors have been hard at work as well dropping dangerously hanging branches, and felling leaning trees that pose a danger to the public. Well over 7000 trees have been addressed so far, and we know a great deal more work lays ahead of us. With your support (and particularly with your volunteers’ efforts!) we will be successful.

Thank you again for all of your efforts, which help us provide a higher level of service to CT’s recreational trail users.

Tom Tyler

Thomas J. Tyler

Director

State Parks and Public Outreach Division

Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106

TM Report: Wilton Woods

2011-12-19T15:12:00.001-05:00

Date: 12/19/2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: Wilton
Trail Conditions: Dry
Observations/Information: Finished cutting down some widow makers on the blue trail; flagged the re-route on the orange; began chain sawing the trees blocking the river on the orange trail; Also had a 1 hour meeting with WCC regarding projects. (2 hours TM / 1 hour meeting-planning)
Trail Ambassador Name: David Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: n/a
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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TM Report: Wilton Woods

2011-12-17T12:17:00.001-05:00

Date: 12/17/2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: Wilton
Trail Conditions: Damp
Observations/Information: Armored about 30 feet of the end of the Red trail and dug a drainage ditch to help remove water. Continued armoring by Raptor. Will need to chain saw out a large limb in order to move the trail over about 15 feet to higher drier ground
Trail Ambassador Name: David Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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George C Waldo State Park

2011-12-16T16:29:00.001-05:00

Date: December 16, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: George C Waldo State Park
Town: Southbury
Trail Conditions: Good
Observations/Information: I rode Waldo Friday afternoon. The place was drier than I expected. There's just one wet spot near the "Captain's Log" (second log over- see photo). This is the first place to get wet and it's easy to walk around. There are a lot of annoying small sticks and twigs down, though, due to recent high winds. They don't block the trail but they're a minor nuisance and potential derailleur killers. Daffy Duck is also dry. There's a little wetness on the dirt road and at the bottom of the Hunter's Trail. There's a new widowmaker at the end of Daffy, just before it intersects Waldo. It partially blocks the trail and is easy to see.

I was feeling a little whipped so I took it easy and played around seeing how far I could go without pedaling, how slowly I could ride over obstacles, and trying to use momentum rather than pedaling. This is a good way to develop balance and weight transfer skills- you don't have to ride fast to improve your skills.

Waldo is currently a lot drier than Huntington and would be a good place to ride this weekend. Just please use good judgment regarding the wet area.

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Where's Waldo, Hunters, Daffy Duck
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 8ish
Images/Photos: Waldo 121611 001.JPG
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Collis P Huntington SP

2011-12-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

Date: December 14, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: Wet, sloppy in places
Observations/Information: Hit Huntington Wednesday afternoon. I wanted to try out the new rock ring I installed in place of a large chain ring. Trails were wetter than I expected. The area got a major dump of rain in the first week of December and, although it has not rained for the past five days, colder temps mean longer drying times. There is a lot of standing water in the low places, and slimy trail surface where the trails dip low. Pretty much all the trails are this way, but the Rusty Truck (boardwalk) and south end of Rock and Roll in particular. Although temps get below freezing at night, by afternoon the trails had lost whatever freeze-induced hardness they acquired the night before. The carriage roads are also wet/gooey in places. Good news is that the South Pond reroute is dry from end to end, a testament to its good design. The improvised plank bridge at the boardwalk is still in place and holding up well.

As for the rock ring, I found it to be an improvement. It's easier to hop logs without that big, toothy appendage hanging down. The big wheels and higher final drive ratio of 29ers renders a big ring useless to all but the strongest riders, and mine had lost most of its teeth anyway, due to scrapes with rocks. The bike even feels a little bit lighter, although that might be wishful thinking. So if you've got a big ring you never use, you're tired of the way it scrapes on rocks, hangs up on logs, and inflicts dirty, greasy puncture wounds on your leg, you might want to try a rock ring. They're not just for freeriders anymore.

The trails at Huntington will not be drying out anytime soon, so if you ride there this weekend, I'd suggest going in the morning when the ground is(hopefully) still frozen. Also, please use good judgment regarding the wet areas.

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes
Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Rusty Truck, Burn, Dam, South Pond, Rock and Roll
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2.0
Approximate Distance (Miles): 12ish
Images/Photos: 007.JPG
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TM Report: Wilton Woods

2011-12-11T09:10:00.000-05:00

Date: 12/11/2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: Wilton
Trail Conditions: Wet
Observations/Information: Continued work on the Re-routed an approved 300+ section of the blue trail which required extensive benching and rock armoring; Also raked in a temp trail on orange as trees fell in river creating a dam and the water now has crested the bank and the river is now going down the trail for 50 feet then going back in the river

Trail Ambassador Name: David Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: n/a
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 4
Approximate Distance (Miles):
Images/Photos: IMG-20111211-00045.jpg
2nd image: Wilton-20111211-00046.jpg
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Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-12-10T16:44:00.001-05:00

Date: 2011-12-10
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Good and Bad but not overall Ugly

Observations/Information: The Poly Brody is pretty sloppy and for the most part the Gussy is really good, except of the one section of trail near the new turn off leading to the loop around. Guess I need to add some drainage cuts there because the trail appears to be getting soggier.

While on the Gussy there were numerous blowdowns there were probably weekended during the Great October Snowstorm and finally came down in the wind we had earlier this week
Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie

Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba 'a la' gmail
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Poly Brody, Upper Gussy
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6

TM Report: Wilton Woods

2011-12-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

Date: 12/10/2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: WIlton
Trail Conditions: Wet
Observations/Information: Re-routed an approved 300+ section of the blue trail which required extensive benching and rock armoring; we had 4 NEMBA workers (Ryan T., Paula B., Chris K and myself) along with 2 park riders

Trail Ambassador Name: David Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: n/a
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles):
Images/Photos: IMG_3608.jpg
2nd image: IMG_3610.jpg
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Mianus River Park

2011-12-04T21:02:00.001-05:00

Date: December 4, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Mianus River Park
Town: Stamford & Greenwich
Trail Conditions: Good
Observations/Information: Paula and I rode Mianus on Sunday. This is becoming a regular destination for us because it's a cool place to ride. I rode the single speed this time and found it to be a great place for that type of bike with its undulating terrain and short steep hills. We rode the newly benched and armored Cabin Trail up to the old chimney and found it to be a dumping ground for candy wrappers. How sad. We spent some time on the older, unmaintained trails on the Greenwich side of the park (Greenwich doesn't allow maintenance). These trails are not as good as those on the Stamford side, but to get in a ride of decent length you have to include them.

The trails along the river were a little moist; those away from it were just about the right tackiness for traction. Here was also less leaf cover than you'd expect. The West River Trail Spur, just off Merribrook Rd, has been blocked off. The River Road was busy with hikers and unleashed, energetic dogs, per usual on Sunday afternoon. We encountered a few other mountain bikers and I loaned one my mini pump. Sadly though, his tube was too far gone to hold air and he had to walk.

Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton, Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: River trails, Meander, Cabin, Fisherman, Poplar, Deer, Inner, Peak, Ridge Run, Hill Riverwalk
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 12 miles
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TM Report: Trumbull-Pequonnock

2011-12-03T19:50:00.001-05:00

Date: 12-3-11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Pequonnock River Valley
Town: Trumbull
Trail Conditions: Wet in Lower Areas, Dry on the Ridge
Observations/Information: Finally had a moment to return to the trails (it's been over 6 weeks!). I met Steve McAllister at the Daniels Farm and we hiked in to scout out conditions on the connector trail between the Yellow (Mullholland) and the Main Blue/White.
In our walk in, much of the lower areas were still muddy and leaf cover naturally was everywhere.
Prepared to see a soggy, rough rock washout; our destination the trail was actually fairly dry and in good shape.
It looked like the rock strewn short climb on the curb was "readjusted" for a nicer ride. Pleasantly surprised to not have to resort to build a reroute (our original intention), we just dug out a few knicks where needed on the lower stretch.
We then walked back to the lot and headed up to Whitney to knick and bench a few spots that I remembered were getting kinda funky. I knew the trail I had built in the early fall had a narrow section I wanted to widen but upon arrival, I noticed riderrs had already cut a small shortcut there so I just benched the shortcut a little better. (Being Trumbull, it was best to simply fix the shortcut then to try and block it--especially since it was only a few feet long. )
I took a short break from the Park to stop over at John Lauria's. He had a copy of the Fairfield County Weekly that featured a real nice photo spread of the Valley hike I co-lead back in Oct. 85 plus people showed up for that! It turns out (as I found out later), the magazine is also available over at the Corner Deli if any one is interested.
After finishing up some other TM near the Whitney Lot, we rode for a couple of hours. The weather had warmed up considerably. We hit the Red Trail (north of the Copper Creek) and rode the Yellow slab rock trail thru the Central Maze, Trails were dry up on the ridge. Surprisingly there were hardly any riders in the park!
I'll notify the Town re the Blowdown up north where the Red meets the White - there's a braid there now but it's still best to get this one cleared. Other fallen trees along the Red were cut or had real nice stone-assisted up and overs.
Fun ride / great weather -especially considering it's Dec!
Trail Ambassador Name: Rich C

Trail Ambassador E-mail: mtnbikerdad[at]yahoo[dot]com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Various
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM (2.5 TM)
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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TM Report Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-12-03T09:07:00.001-05:00

Yesterday's ride is in Blue. Walked and re-routed in Red

Date: 2011-12-03
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Benched

Observations/Information: After riding Upper Gussy Friday I felt that this turn really needed to be fixed because I find in low light situations I am always losing the trail and it doesn't have any flow.

Paula met me at the Echo Valley lot and we hiked up the blue trail to the right of way portion of the Gussy and walked in from there. The turn is between the Wet Spot and the big tree that came down as a result of the Tornado that was not officially not a Tornado in Newtown but in Southbury, Roxbury, and Woodbury.

After raking off the new route we set to benching and benched the sloped section leaving the flat area to be self compressed by bikers and walkers.

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie, Paula Burton

Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba 'a la' gmail
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles): 1
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Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-12-02T20:17:00.001-05:00

Today's Ride in 3D

Date: 2011-12-03
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Leafy

Observations/Information: Looks like the state ran a brush cutter up and down the Poly Brody this week to cut back the encroaching trees. It mucked up a lot of sections, too.

Upper Gussy is looking nice. Appears some trail gnomes reopened the fall line trail after the original section through the Taco Stand was closed by a downed tree in the October Snowstorm.

It has some potential but to do it right you would have to curve it around and have it descend to the trail on the slope of west side of the ravine. Do-able might probably not worth the effort. Later down the trail, I hit the Reach Around, which is a combination of some old cart roads, skidder paths, and game trails I found this summer that pops out on the Jeep/Horse/Blue Trail. It's a good little route to bring you back to the Gussy Trail Head so you can ride back up the trail and cut back to the Echo Valley Parking lot or what I often due is take the bailout on the Cleavage that dumps you out on the lower section of the ROW to the driveway that leads to the parking lot.

There is this one section is that is always wet and today I went around it but looking back I noticed ATV tracks. I guess my previous attempts to block ATVs from this side of the forest has finally been thwarted. I think it kept them out for a couple of years. I think it might be time to make a by pass and at the same time add a few nicks to see if it will drain.

At the Western entrance to the Gussy is this old lawn chair with a broken coke bottle sitting atop an old rusty gas can. So, if you are ever looking for the start of the Gussy from this part of the forest I don't think you will miss this.

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba 'a la' gmail
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Poly Brody, Upper Gussy
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6

George C Waldo State Park

2011-12-02T19:07:00.001-05:00

Date: December 2, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: George C Waldo State Park
Town: Southbury
Trail Conditions: Dry, very good

Observations/Information: Hit Waldo Friday afternoon. It was the first ride of the last month of the year. Ah December, a time when the days and the rides are shorter, but no less rewarding, when the shadows are long, when exertion makes one warm but not hot, and when the low sun casts a golden hue upon the fallen leaves.

I rode Where's Waldo out and back, including the Extra Credit Loop. Everything was dry, and the trail was easy to follow in most places (the trail is blazed). There were some new storm-weakened limbs and sticks down- I picked them up. Looks like a little partying went on at the campsite recently- I took away some litter. I didn't get to ride Daffy Duck but it should be just as good.

I heard intermittent gunshots that sounded like they were coming from the field across the powerline. On the way back, just before getting to the parking lot, I heard a very loud gunshot coming from across Purchase Brook Road, where firearms hunting is allowed (bow hunting only at Waldo).

Waldo would be a good place to ride this weekend, just be sure to wear blaze orange.

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Where's Waldo
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1.0
Approximate Distance (Miles): 7 miles
Images/Photos: Waldo 120211 001.JPG
2nd image: Waldo 120211 004.JPG
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Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-11-29T13:59:00.001-05:00

Date: November 29, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown
Trail Conditions: Good

Observations/Information: I snuck in a quick up and back before the rain on Tuesday and had the woods to myself. The air was warm and tropically humid, and, although it hadn't rained yet, the rocks, logs, and leaves had become wet by condensation. Slick, leaf-shrouded roots and rocks, combined with a 29er single speed with 32x19 gear and cheap wire bead, low-traction rear tire made for a challenging ride, especially on the way up.

The trail was in good shape, although storm-weakened limbs continue to fall. There was nothing across the trail that couldn't be ridden right over. I also noticed some post-holing in places, probably horses. There's an old lawn chair at the bottom of the trail, making it easier to find. The leaves are down too, of course. The trail was generally not hard to follow although I missed the reroute on the way down. I cleared several large sticks off the trail and one pile of horse poop that gave me an opportunity to practice my golf swing.

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildodcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Upper Gussy
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3/4 hour
Approximate Distance (Miles): 5 miles

TM Report: Cockaponset SF - Weber Woods section

2011-11-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

Date: November 28, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Cockaponset SF - Weber Woods section
Town: Clinton/Westbrook/Deep River
Trail Conditions: Good shape with usual mud areas
Observations/Information: I wanted to get in a decent ride and also clear that downed tree on the unmarked by the beaver pond; warmed up on the western dirt road then on to the southern green; about a hundred yards in I came across a women and two dogs covered in orange blaze; one dog flew towards me and the woman kept screaming "Carly, no bite...Carly, no bite..." at the top of her lungs- not what a biker wants to hear; I slowly rode by them all with no incident; rode a few on the interior trails, then headed over to the northern green south to the unmarked which was blocked by the tree; it had quite a few thick limbs that were a pain to cut with a hand saw, then drag into the woods; on a break I took a look at what broke the tree eight feet off the ground- beaver work at the base which weakened it causing the snap; this made sense because the trail comes within 20 feet from the pond; it took a while to cut and drag the limbs off, and it was dark by the time I finished;

I got on my bike, cranked on my Magicshine to take an "after" photo when a loud smack on the water's surface 30 feet away actually caused me to jump; I could see in the moonlight large ripples in the water; after a couple more whacks I realized I was having my first encounter with a beaver and he was trying to scare me off- very cool; packed my stuff and headed out with my light beam leading the way; got back home feeling pretty good about my experience and the fact that the last tree blocking a trail at WW was now cleared.

Trail Ambassador Name: Don Hazuka
Trail Ambassador E-mail: donaldDOThazukaATcovidienDOTcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Green, yellow, some unmarked
Time of day: Evening
Time/Duration (hours): 1 3/4
Approximate Distance (Miles): 4 1/2
Images/Photos: Tree down.JPG
2nd image: Beaver work.JPG
3rd Image: Cleared.JPG
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West Rock Ridge SP

2011-11-28T15:00:00.000-05:00

Date: Nov. 28, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: West Rock Ridge SP
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: Generally clear, but muddy in spots
Observations/Information: As a reminder, be sure to do a tick check and take a shower as soon as you arrive home. Yesterday, I pulled a tick off my back that looks like a female deer tick (the bad kind that carry Lyme Disease). I most likely picked up this tick while helping my brother clear some invasive plants from his yard (No good deed goes unpunished), and did only a quick tick check afterwards, and held off on the shower because I was road biking later on. I brought the tick to the Milford Health Dept. (where I live), which is sending it to the state Department of Health for testing (no charge to me). In the meantime, I will watch for symptoms, and any changes to the bite area. Fortunately, the tick came out easily and did not look like it had begun to feed. When I came back from this trail session, I did my tick check and headed straight for the shower. No ticks.
Back to my trail report. I did a circuit on mostly non-biking trails to continue the storm cleanup. Trails generally were clear, other than some minor blowdowns. I walked the White Trail from Purple back to Lake Wintergreen. There are numerous muddy spots, plus some soggy areas, and the watercourse at White and Purple had some water in it. Until I get around to doing a reroute in 2012, be prepared to get muddy. This trail violates the major principles of sustainable trail design as I learned from IMBA. The surface is soft, organic matter. The trail is laid out at the bottom of the ridge on flat ground with no place for water to run off.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: White, etc.
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles): 3
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TM Report: Wilton Woods

2011-11-27T20:26:00.001-05:00

Date: 11/27/11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: Wilton
Trail Conditions: wet
Observations/Information: cleared the last of the trees and armored the red trail
Trail Ambassador Name: dave Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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Collis P Huntington SP

2011-11-27T18:34:00.001-05:00

Date: November 27, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: Mud in the low places, otherwise fine.
Observations/Information: Hit Huntington Sunday afternoon. Trails are in fine shape, although there is mud in the low-lying areas, and also a lot of dog doo, so be on the lookout for that. Some of the trails have been blown clear of leaves, and those that haven't have had the leaves well packed and are easy to follow. A rudimentary plank bridge has been created around the fallen tree that is blocking the boardwalk, so that area is rideable again.

I encountered a group of freeriders at the new roll down on South Pond, and showed then how to ride it. There I was, a hardtail-riding xc weenie schooling freeriders on how to ride a roll-down!

Get out and ride Huntington before it rains again on Tuesday. Just stay out of the mud, please, and watch out for dog doo.

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Burn, Rusty Truck (Boardwalk), South Pond, Rock and Roll
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1.5 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): 10 miles
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Nehantic SF

2011-11-27T15:32:00.000-05:00

Date: Nov 27, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Nehantic SF
Town: East Lyme
Trail Conditions: leafy
Observations/Information: So, hooked up with Steve and Cory last night and we decided to do a little exploring back in the Nehantic State Forest. After the last few time I metioned it might be better to just park where the trails-road crosses Grassy Hill Rd. Glad we did as it cut off a few miles of boring-ish nasty fire road riding. We basically rode all the way down to the end of Nehantic and rode more on the Yale property. there are a good amount of trees down from the storm[s] and many a wet spot. I think We hike-a-biked as much as we actually rode but we had a good time.. plenty of exercise that's for sure!
there is some really nice sections, and some really nasty mud bogs, but the place has real potential!!

Lewis and Clark-ing Nehantic at EveryTrail

EveryTrail - Find the best biking in Connecticut

Trail Ambassador Name: thom Lamourine
Trail Ambassador E-mail: thom1{at}ctnemba{dot}com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: unknown heaaaahaahaaa

Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2+
Approximate Distance (Miles): 8-9
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Collis P Huntington SP

2011-11-27T12:00:00.001-05:00

Date: 11/20/11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: Good
Observations/Information: We were on a mission to finish cleaning up the brush from the storm. We had permission to drive down to south pond through the park and that took quite a while since we had to clear as we went. The carriage roads to the south pond are now clear. We worked on the new section of trail too, removing flags, blowing leaves and exposing a new roller. Then we headed over to Burned Loops. A number of big trees were blocking the lower loop, so we did a couple of short reroutes. Folks were riding all over the place to get to some of the features.

Hopefully, they will stay on the new reroutes. A good day!It is great to have riders come by and want to help. FCNEMBA ( Tuckers, and a few others) and Glenn Vernes were there too for a total of six people.

Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton

Trail Ambassador E-mail: peburtonat aol***dot com
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: Worked on South Pond, Carriage Road, and Burned Loops
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3.5 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): ?
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TM Report: Pole Bridge Preserve

2011-11-27T11:44:00.001-05:00

Date: 11-13-11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Pole Bridge Preserve
Town: Newtown
Trail Conditions: ok
Observations/Information: Great turn out to work on trail building today. We had a bunch of volunteers from Sandy Hook Elementary School show up, mini-rakes in hand. I need to addd a few to my tool crib! We cleared and raked and did some benching. And everyone enjoyed the cider and donuts after.

Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton
Trail Ambassador E-mail: peburtonataol***dotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: none
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): 1/4 mile
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TM Report: Wilton Woods

2011-11-26T18:18:00.001-05:00

Date: 11/26/11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: Wilton
Trail Conditions: Wet
Observations/Information: Worked on the large tree across the blue trail by the boas lane lot...30+ inch tree quite the challenge....but nearly done
Trail Ambassador Name: Dave Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: n/a
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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2011 Turkey Burner at Case Mountain

2011-11-26T08:16:00.000-05:00

The Intermediate Route

Rocky Neck State Park

2011-11-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

Date: Nov 24, 2011 THANKSGIVING DAY!!
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Rocky Neck State Park
Town: East Lyme
Trail Conditions: lightly moist, the usual wet spots after the recent rain
Observations/Information: Went to do a quick ride before going to visit my brother at his in-laws house for turkey. Some of the usual wet spots had moisture but weren't as bad as I thought it would be after the amount of rain we got Tuesday night and Wednesday. Had Alice's Restaurant jammin in my ears during the ride which s a Thanksgiving day tradition. made a video with Arlo Guthrie jammin for those that didn't get to listen to the Thanksgiving story :)

2 Turkey Traditions combined... the video ride

Trail Ambassador Name: Thom Lamourine

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Thom1{at}ctnemba{dot}com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning-afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1+
Approximate Distance (Miles): 3-4 miles
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Cockaponset SF - Weber Woods section

2011-11-24T12:30:00.001-05:00

Date: November 24, 2011

Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Cockaponset SF - Weber Woods section
Town: Clinton/Westbrook/Deep River
Trail Conditions: Slow with wet low spots
Observations/Information: Headed out to burn come calories before the big gorging; dressed light figuring I would warm up quickly and was right; the leaves are flattening down due to the rain, but I had to walk around some pretty nasty wet, mud holes; overall the trails were in pretty good shape considering the weather over the past few months; did parts of most everything, but now the beavers have completely flooded the land around the feeder stream bridge on the white trail which is impassible for now;

about half an hour into the ride I realized I forgot my Gore beenie and a well vented helmet means a chilly skull this time of year; took the nice unmarked south off the upper green and came across a newly fallen limb by the swamp blocking the trail-

need to also remember my hand saw; took the red to the blue to the green for some leg work and then on home to prepare for the chow down; didn't see anyone the whole time; beautiful day, I'm glad I snuck this one in.
Trail Ambassador Name: Don Hazuka

Trail Ambassador E-mail: donald$hazuka$covidien$com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Parts of all
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1 1/4
Approximate Distance (Miles): 7
Images/Photos: White flooded.JPG
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Hop River State Rail Trail

2011-11-24T11:31:00.001-05:00

Date: Nov 24, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Hop River State Rail Trail
Town: Vernon-Bolton
Trail Conditions: Excellent
Observations/Information: The 3rd Annual Steele's Crossing Bike Ride featured (29) mountain bikers. Our group traveled along the Hop River Rail Trail. We departed from RT 30 in Vernon @ 8:00 am. It was a chilly start (32 degrees) with bright sunshine, a wonderful Thanksgiving morning. The trails in excellent condition!! Many "thanks" to the local volunteers and paid workers that maintain this area. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Trail Ambassador Name: Peter Blume

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Pblume@AshfordCT.org
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Hop River
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 8:00-10:30
Approximate Distance (Miles): 16
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TM Report: Airline Trail

2011-11-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

Date: 11/24/11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Airline Trail
Town: Wilton
Trail Conditions: Damp
Observations/Information: Continued trail clearing of trees and branches
Trail Ambassador Name: David Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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George C Waldo State Park

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Date: November 24, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: George C Waldo State Park
Town: Southbury
Trail Conditions: Good
Observations/Information: Paula and I traditionally ride on Thanksgiving Morning. This year, we rode Waldo. We crossed paths with two other riders, including a guy from New Hampshire who was visiting the area. He liked the trail. Trails were amazingly dry considering the recent rain. The dirt road was a little wet, as was the bottom of the Hunter's Trail. Everything else was dry. The leaves were a little wet, though, especially on the shady hillsides, and it made for slippery conditions. The leaves were well packed on the trail and it was easy to follow.

Waldo would be a great place to ride this weekend.

Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton, Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Where's Waldo, Daffy Duck, Hunters
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1.25
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6
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Rocky Neck State Park

2011-11-22T18:27:00.001-05:00

Date: Nov 22, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Rocky Neck State Park
Town: East Lyme
Trail Conditions: Leafy
Observations/Information: Trails were nice though very Leafy! Going to be a few mud spots after the rain tonight. Ran into the Maintenance folks and stopped for a chat. They are resetting the edge of the beach to repair/replace the boardwalk that washed away during the storm this summer and finish it down to the train track underpass. little chilly but nice once I got moving.
Trail Ambassador Name: Thom Lamourine

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Thom1{at}ctnemba{dot}com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours):
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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Hop River State Rail Trail

2011-11-20T20:17:00.001-05:00

Date: Nov 20, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Hop River State Rail Trail
Town: Vernon-Bolton
Trail Conditions: Outstanding!
Observations/Information: Three weeks since Storm Alfred and the Hop River is in fantastic condition. All blow-downs and branches have been removed. Vernon Parks & Rec cleared leaves off the trail this past week. The regular trail users (joggers, bikers, hikers and even a man on horseback) were out early today enjoying the 60 degree day. *NOTE OF CAUTION: There are still clusters of branches tangled high above the trail. These will eventually fall down with wind gusts and snow. Please exercise caution when riding at night or during blustery conditions. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Trail Ambassador Name: Peter Blume

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Pblume@AshfordCT.org
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Hop River
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 9:30-11:30
Approximate Distance (Miles): 18
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Collis P Huntington SP

2011-11-20T19:43:00.001-05:00

Date: November 20, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: Good, but leafy
Observations/Information: Paula and I did a quick ride after the trail work on Sunday. We were joined by a dude from FC NEMBA named Jeremiah. We rode the Burn Loop, Old Mine, and Twister. Trails were in very good shape, dryer than expected (just a little bit of dryish, gooey mud in the low places), but covered in a thick blanket of leaves that hide the notorious embedded rocks. The trees are in full deciduous nudity mode now, and the leaves have migrated to the ground. Trails were also completely passable, most blowdowns have been cleared, and any remaining have new lines around them. The boardwalk trail is still a litle wet and should be avoded. There's also a tree across the boardwalk that renders it impassible.

The trails of Huntington are definitely harder to ride with the leaves hiding the rocks, and a little harder to follow too. Get out and ride Huntington before it rains on Wednesday.
Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton, Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Burn Loop, Old Mine, Twister
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours):
Approximate Distance (Miles): 1 1/4
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TM Report: West Rock Ridge SP

2011-11-19T19:10:00.000-05:00

Date: Nov. 19, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: West Rock Ridge SP
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: Dry with some blowdowns
Observations/Information: In past postings, I have discussed work I have done on removing invasive plant species and people may wonder what does that have to do with mountain biking. This photo of a dead, fallen tree wrapped with vines shows the answer: everything. Vines weaken and kill trees, and then they can fall on the trail. I spent time on the Red Trail up to the "Hang Glider" overlook, and the Red-White Trail from the Hill St. parking area out to the Gravel Road clearing blowdowns from the October blizzard. There were numerous small blowdowns from tree crowns along both trails. One hiker who passed me on the Red-White Trail looked at my handsaw and said that I was not going to be able to clear the blowdowns with just that saw. A couple of hours later with decidedly sore arms, the job was done. I encountered a couple of mountain bikers who were headed up to the Red Trail, so they were pleased to hear that I had just cleared it. I asked them about the Red Trail heading down to Lake Wintergreen where I reported four large trees to the state. They said the trail was clear. As I walked back to Hill Street in the rapidly fading light along the Red Trail where it's a gravel road, I opened up one blowdown a bit more, cleared a second one, and steered clear of a third tree that was totally wrapped with poison ivy. I'm still clearing out the case I caught two weeks ago while working on the vines on Baldwin Drive. I'll report those blowdowns to the state. In the open field, I cut back some autumn olive (another invasive) that was encroaching upon the trail. The trail surfaces were generally dry and firm, excepting the part near the pond where an armoring project is on my list of trail repairs.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak [at] sbcglobal. [dot] net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Red and Red-White
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 4
Approximate Distance (Miles): 2 miles
Images/Photos: Red-White Tr., vines on tree, 11-11.jpg
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TM Report: Wilton Woods

2011-11-19T07:04:00.000-05:00

Date: 11/19/2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: Wilton
Trail Conditions: Dry
Observations/Information: Worked on clearing a 2 foot diameter tree that was up rooted and was blocking the trail, 2 hours of chain sawing and the trail is back open. Then proceeded to Boas lane to begin work on cutting up another verg large tree
Trail Ambassador Name: Dave Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: n/a
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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George C Waldo State Park

2011-11-15T20:39:00.001-05:00

Date: November 15, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: George C Waldo State Park
Town: Southbury
Trail Conditions: Perfectly clear!
Observations/Information: I managed to get a quick ride at Waldo in before the sprinkles on Tuesday. The sky was dank and gray, the forest floor a brown monochrome of leaves, devoid of shadows. This made the riding more difficult, and the trail harder to follow. The Where's Waldo Trail is now completely clear from end to end, including the extra credit loop. The widowmakers are all down, and have been cleared, as has the blowdown on the final descent. Thanks to whomever did that. I cleared the one at the Hunter's Trail turnoff myself. There are currently several lines at that location and following the trail is a little difficult. The second widowmaker had fallen and, although it didn't block the trail, it did encroach on it a little, so I trimmed it back. The Daffy Duck Trail is also clear. The leaves are now almost completely down, and traction is sketchy in turning, climbing, and braking, a sensation not unlike riding on ice. The trail is also a little hard to follow in places. Trails are dry from start to finish, for the time being anyway.

One of the hardest things about riding this time of year is figuring out what to wear. I had started the ride with a jacket and glove liners, but I quickly became too hot and relegated them to my pack. I finished in shorts and a tee shirt- not bad for mid-November.

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Waldo, Daffy, Hunters
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 8
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Cockaponset SF - Weber Woods section

2011-11-15T12:46:00.000-05:00

Date: November 15, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Cockaponset SF - Weber Woods section
Town: Clinton/Westbrook/Deep River
Trail Conditions: Leaf covered, slow, fairly dry
Observations/Information: I noticed a lot of trees behind my house had blue streaked paint on them, and the numbers were increasing over the last couple of weeks- I contacted the DEP and found out they are preparing for a timber sale; there was a sign recently posted stating this and I saw a DEP truck parked at the green trailhead;

most of the trails were in pretty good shape, but the downed leaves are keeping the moisture in; I took the southern green east and did most of the interior trails; I came across a couple of trees down from the recent storm- one each on the orange near the second foot bridge, and on the blue just up the hill from the old wooden bridge; there were a couple of vehicles parked in the east lot, but saw no one; on the yellow, the beavers were not content with flooding that trail a couple of years ago, so they were at it again;

the detour that was just gettin worked in and had nice flow is now water covered in two spots- frustrating; this time of year is like riding through a mine field with the leaves not yet flattened so the rocks and horse divets are hidden from view; nice weather, nice ride.

Trail Ambassador Name: Don Hazuka

Trail Ambassador E-mail: donald.hazuka.covidien.com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Some of all
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1
Approximate Distance (Miles): 5 1/4
Images/Photos: DEP memo.JPG
2nd image: WW blue paint .jpg
3rd Image: Tree 1.JPG
4th Image: Beavers.JPG

Roosevelt Forest

2011-11-15T09:24:00.000-05:00

Date: 11/15/11
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Roosevelt Forest
Town: Stratford
Trail Conditions: Leaf covered, at times slick
Observations/Information: Trails had a ton of leaves covering them, at times making for slick conditions. Forest was pretty dry except for a minor stream crossing. When I went into the forest, I shared the forest with a man and his dog. When I came out of the forest I was greeted by several K-9 police vehicles from the following towns: Darien, Stratford, Monroe and others, the sound of dogs barking filled the air, the sight of police cars with engines running and lights ablaze filled the parking lot, and K-9 police officiers with protective gear standing around. A Police K-9 training was in progress. I was glad to see the one dog, a big german shepard, tethered to a strong leash, held tight by its officer/handler. I left without incident.
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten

Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: All
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): A lot
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TA Report: Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-11-14T06:42:00.001-05:00

Date: 2011-11-13
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Awesome, now!

Today's route

Observations/Information: I ventured up the Poly Brody this afternoon to find it completely opened up! Looks like the State came in, evidenced by the truck tires in the mud. It's a little wet in places but alas back to a means to an end.

I met these hikers snacking at the intersection with the white trail, which is thoroughly blocked by the way, and the leader of the group asked for directions to the Lake Trail (aka Al's Trail) back to Pond Brook. I pointed them in the direction they needed to go.

However, there were blockages on the Gussy still that took care of, three major problem that my little TA handsaw took care of in a jiffy. I think I mentioned this earlier but the Fall Line descent to the Taco Stand is closed so I blocked it off today. Hopefully people will respect that. Eventually the trail will go back that way but that's yet another idea in the offing which might even include a quasi/ad hock pump track! Probably a next year project.

The Gussy is completely opened, a little leafy in places but very, very rideable. The reroutes that I did the other day need a little more work because they are still too soft.

I need to do another re-route on the flat area after you climb up from the last stream crossing to improve the the flow. The trees that came down in that section make the turn kind of tight, it has always been this way, but with the trees down it's now the next project. In fact a local bike shop whose owner loves riding the Gussy now wants to plan a trail building session so stay tuned for details on that.

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie

Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba 'a la' gmail
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Poly Brody, Upper Gussy
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6

Oswegatchie Hills

2011-11-13T15:05:00.000-05:00

Date: Nov 13, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Oswegatchie Hills
Town: East Lyme
Trail Conditions: Leafy
Observations/Information: Have to go there once a year to remind myself why I only go there once a year :)

Trails are good, It seems though that a bunch of sections have been moved for more interesting hiking terrain but much less friendly Biking. There were areas of the Red trail you could just stay on the ridge where now yo have to go up and down 3 -4 times and it's not really a safe riding experience. Still a cool place when you got out back on the blue trail. Only problem is the close the eastern section of the blue trail for hunting.. soo you have to take the orange trail.. which 80% isn't rideable. :( Still had a good time out in the woods, even if it was mostly hike-a-bike!

GPS track...
GPS track of Oswe

Trail Ambassador Name: Thom Lamourine

Trail Ambassador E-mail: thom1{at}ctnemba{dot}com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: red-bluetp yellow to blue to orange and out on the green
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours):
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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TM/TA Report: Hop River State Rail Trail

2011-11-12T18:54:00.001-05:00

Date: Nov 12, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Hop River State Rail Trail
Town: Vernon, Bolton, Andover
Trail Conditions: Fair
Observations/Information: It has been a tough 2 weeks in the Vernon area....powerless for 9 days! The October storm damaged so many trees along the Hop River Trail. Pedal Power (Vernon) organized a "trail clean-up day". Safety helmets, bow saws and loppers were borrowed from the Vernon Parks and Recreation Dept to aid in this task. Twelve members from the LTRA biking group pitched in to help, including TA's Peter Blume and Mike Lefevre. A section crossing RT 30 headed to Center Rd. has been cleared of branches and downed trees less than 6" in width. The town will take care of all trees larger. This 2 mile area was cleared in 2 hours with 35 volunteers!
The Thread City Cyclers (TCC) from Willimantic worked their way from Bolton Notch down to Valley Falls. Chain saws and many hands helped clear major blow-downs. The trail is ride worthy, however.....PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION!! Many trees/branches are still hanging over the trails. As winds pick up it is sure to leave debris along the way. Night riders please slow down speeds and have bright lights to help your visibility. The efforts by the community are appreciated!
After the work, our bikers enjoyed a ride to Burnap Brook.
Trail Ambassador Name: Peter Blume

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Pblume@AshfordCT.org
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Hop River
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 9-11 am, 2-5 pm
Approximate Distance (Miles): 20
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Wilton Woods

2011-11-12T16:05:00.001-05:00

Date: 11/12/11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: WIlton
Trail Conditions: leafy, dry
Observations/Information: Still more trees to clear, managed to do half of back blue and orange and white.
Trail Ambassador Name: David Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgamaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: N/A
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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West Rock Ridge SP

2011-11-12T08:48:00.000-05:00

Date: Nov. 12, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: West Rock Ridge SP
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: Generally dry with some blowdowns
Observations/Information: I rode my bike and took along a handsaw to review post-snowstorm damage. I rode the entire White Trail. There were a few minor blowdowns that I cleared. I also rode the Red Trail, which was clear along Lake Wintergreen, and up to the Purple Trail. From the Purple Trail to the evergreen tunnel there were three major blowdowns, and two medium-sized ones. I took care of the two medium-sized ones, and let the state know about the other tree, so they will come in with chainsaws to take care of them. The trail is passable, but you have to lift your bike over the trees. There were a few minor blowdowns on the Red Trail between the two sections of Mountain Road, which I cleared. There is one large one about one-quarter mile south of the northern end of Mountain Road. I cut an 8-inch tree away with my handsaw, impressing a mountain biker who came upon me. I will let the state know about the 12-inch tree. It's too bad people are already cutting a path around it, which will only increase erosion. I encountered a man carrying a chainsaw, who was clearing a blowdown on the Purple Trail (currently closed to bikes). I let him know that he should call the park office to get permission to use a chainsaw, which is the state's policy. If anyone sees a blowdown in a park, be sure to call the park office. The phone numbers for parks are on the state website. The phone for West Rock (out of the Sleeping Giant unit) is 203-287-5658. I had previously expressed concern about a washout under the evergreen tunnel on the Red Trail. I saw that the state had enlarged the drainage ditch, which will hopefully address the problem. I will also recommend that the state put down gravel on the Red Trail south of the evergreen tunnel, as this section of trail is getting increasingly muddy. The White Trail was surprisingly dry, considering how muddy it can get. The GPS track for what I rode can be found at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/128352203. The low pace reflects all the stops I made to clear blowdowns. I deleted an additional 2 miles of walking I did to drag brush off the trail. If my orange NEMBA TA jersey was a website, I would have registered lots of hits on this ride as many people were out: mountain bikers, runners, dog walkers, and hikers. The picture I took last week off Baldwin Drive, showing West Rock's resident peregrine falcon.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Red, White
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 4
Approximate Distance (Miles): 7 miles
Images/Photos: Peregrin falcon, 11-11.jpg
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TM Report: Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-11-11T19:53:00.001-05:00

Date: 2011-11-11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown
Trail Conditions: Better but there are still issues
Observations/Information: Having the day off today I went in to open the Gussy back up. The access road to the Echo Valley lot is open but I don't know about the Poly Brody.

On the section of the Gussy from the ROW to the Jeep road I cleared 10 blockages and had to reroute a section on the back side of the roller that crosses the blue trail. There is now a drop there that you can ride or ride around it if you don't want to go big.

Heading north of the ROW I cleared another 13 more blockages up to the top of the new Re-Route, which by the way is now the main part of the trail.

The fall line descent, aka The Taco Stand, is officially closed with a few trees down and many branches blocking the trail. I had to route around another blockage in the same vicinity that ties in nicely with the new re-route, too.

There are a few more on the lead in from the Poly Brody but I ran out of time and was totally exhausted.

Of course if I had a chainsaw, it probably would have been easier but I didn't. I used my pruning saw, portable clippers, and a Friskas Hatchet.

Drop and Re-Route behind the Blue Cross Roller

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie

Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba@gmail.com
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 4
Approximate Distance (Miles): 3 miles
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West Woods Preserve

2011-11-09T18:15:00.000-05:00

Date: Nov. 9, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: West Woods Preserve
Town: Guilford
Trail Conditions: Clear of blowdowns
Observations/Information: I went for a lunchtime walk at Westwoods Preserve on the Green and Blue Trails off Dunk Rock Road. The trails were clear of blowdowns, as the storm largely spared the coast. If your favorite inland biking area has too many trees blocking your singletrack, head to the coast for Westwoods. There are some muddy spots on the Green Trail around which people have tramped bypasses that look fairly permanent. As a reminder, the state-owned portion of Westwoods is open to hunting, so wear blaze orange.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Blue and Green
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1
Approximate Distance (Miles): 1.5 miles
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George C Waldo State Park

2011-11-09T12:45:00.000-05:00

Date: November 9, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: George C Waldo State Park
Town: Southbury
Trail Conditions: Good, three blockages, twigs and sticks
Observations/Information: Hit Waldo for a quickie on Wednesday morning. It was a warm and sunny mid-Autumn day. November can be a great month to ride in. The first and third widow makers are now down- you'll need to bushwhack around them. The second is still hanging. It's shortly after the power line and easy to see- ride under at your own risk. There's also a tree down on the final descent on Where's Waldo- just past the last stone wall crossing. A new line is forming around it. Daffy Duck is clear. I didn't ride the Extra Credit Loop. Twigs and sticks continue to come down.

I was alone and rode at about an 85% pace. Waldo is a great place for brisk sustained riding- the terrain is rolling and the tread relatively smooth (just stay in control and don't lock up those brakes please). It made me understand why racers train there.

Waldo just might be the most cleaned-up place in the West central part of the state right now, and a good choice for a weekend ride.

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33@hotmail.com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Where's waldo, Daffy Duck
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1.0
Approximate Distance (Miles): 8-10 miles
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Mianus River Park

2011-11-06T12:19:00.000-05:00

Date: November 6, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Mianus River Park
Town: Stamford
Trail Conditions: Very good, clear and dry.
Observations/Information: Paula and I rode Mianus on Sunday the Sixth. We parked at the red barn and were lucky to find a space. The trails near the river were extremely crowded with walkers, dog people, and stroller-pushers- not surprising on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Once away from the river we practically had the trails to ourselves. We found some evidence of damage from the October snow storm but very little- no blocked roads or trails.

Mianus is a cool place. The trails we rode are fun and technically challenging but not overwhelming- intermediate level stuff. No prolonged climbing but a lot of up-and-down. There's supposed to be some pretty radical freeride-type stuff as well, but we didn't sample that. The trails are well cared for with rock armoring, benching, and re-routing of some of the older stuff. It's an example of what a dedicated friends group can do for a park.

The best trail we rode is the New Trail. It was obviously built by mountain bikers because it winds serpent-like through the woods with benched sweepers, armored sections, and rocks alongside to play on. A great trail, and if you haven't tried it you should.

Mianus is clear of storm damage and would be a great place to ride right now.

Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton, Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: River Walk, Poplar, Second, Extra, New, Ridge Run, Fisherman's, etc.
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 15 miles
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Wilton Woods

2011-11-05T17:00:00.000-04:00

Date: 11/05/2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Wilton Woods
Town: WIlton
Trail Conditions: Damp, Blow Downs
Observations/Information: A tree or large branch about every 100 feet or so made for a long day of chain sawing. Completed Blue West to Red, Red, Orange back to Branch Brook, Blue East to Orange, White

Trail Ambassador Name: David Francefort

Trail Ambassador E-mail: dfrancefortatgmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: n/a
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 4
Approximate Distance (Miles): 4 Miles
Images/Photos: IMG-20111105-00028.jpg
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Trumbull-Pequonnock

2011-11-05T16:28:00.000-04:00

Blockage on the Yellow Trail

Date: 2011-11-05
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Pequonnock River Valley
Town: Trumbull

Sizeable branches blocking the first right
after the picnic tables

Trail Conditions: Some mud, trail blockages here and there
Observations/Information: Yellow trail after second stream crossing is majorly blocked. First right turn after the picnic tables is blocked, too. Little blockage on the Southern section of the Rusty River Trail. Many muddy spots that either need nicks or armoring.

End of the Red Trail near the white and the park

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba@gmail.com

Cool looking challenge feature

How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Blue, Red, Yellow, White, Purple (future), Orange (future)
Time of day: Morning

Doh! Fail!

Time/Duration (hours): 2.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 8

River Highlands State Park

2011-11-05T14:00:00.000-04:00

Date: November 5, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: River Highlands State Park
Town: Cromwell
Trail Conditions: OMG!!
Observations/Information: I rode, or rather attempted to ride, the Blow Hole on Saturday. The park was devastated by the snowstorm. Far more damage than the hurricane. Oak limbs are everywhere, and many large trees came down as well. The yellow trail is impassable with several large trees across, as is the green trail north of yellow. All of the roads have multiple blockages as well. I was able to get the green trail south of yellow, up to the cul-de-sac, clear enough to ride, although there are a few bushwacks required, and a lot of derrailleur-eating sticks as well. I didn't get to the far north end of the park, but I assume it's just as bad.

So the park has maybe 3/4 mile of rideable trail right now. Attempting to ride any of the others in their current condition would be a waste of time.
Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Green, yellow, roads
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1 1/4
Approximate Distance (Miles): 3 miles
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TM: West Rock Ridge SP

2011-11-05T13:00:00.000-04:00

Date: Nov. 5, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: West Rock Ridge SP
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: Lots of blow downs
Observations/Information: Wearing my Blue Trail manager hat, I had three people from the West Rock Ridge Association help me for three hours pulling out bittersweet and barberry on Baldwin Drive. We untangled a few trees, which means they won't be ready to fall on Baldwin Drive anytime soon. Baldwin Drive is an obstacle course of blowdowns. Putting on my NEMBA TA "hat," I drove the length of Baldwin Drive putting up "No Bikes" signs on the Blue Trail crossings at Baldwin Drive. I also cleared some blow downs on Baldwin Drive, enough to let me pass through, and on the Blue Trail. Baldwin Drive is now passable by bike, but certainly has much clean up left. I also pulled a couple of blowdowns off the Park Road. The state plans to deal with all of these in the next week. Cyclists can enjoy the Park Road car-free until next Memorial Day weekend, excepting maintenance vehicles like myself who have the secret code to gain entry to the road.
There were numerous users in the park today, some of whom stopped me to ask for directions along the road. There were people walking their dogs, walking with friends, and some road bikers. None of them had trail maps with them. Full color maps are available at the state website at http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A'16&Q25276. Simply download and print. Detailed park info is available on my blog at http://westrocktrails.blogspot.com.
In my last posting, I reported dropping a tick down the sink. He climbed back out, so I gave him the royal flush, and he didn't come back from that. No ticks this trip.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak [at] scglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: Baldwin Drive and Park Road
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 7
Approximate Distance (Miles): 7
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TA Report: Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-11-04T07:42:00.003-04:00

Every pedal of the way on the Poly Brody is blocked!

Date: 11-03-11

Report Type: TA Report:

Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest

Town: Newtown

Trail Conditions: FUBAR

Tree down on the Gussy - will make a nice up and over!

Observations/Information: Took a spin at Upper Paugussett and it was more like a cyclocross race than a mountain bike ride because as you can imagine after the Nor'easter there were a lot of branches and trees down due to the 18" of wet snow that covered the area last Sunday. Combined with the leaves still on trees meant many big branches and smaller trees are now littering the trails.

Blockage on the new re-route

I never intended blocking the fall line descent that I built the Trail Re-Loc for but it looks as though the Nor'easter did it for me.

Trail Ambassador Name and Email: Mark Lurie
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Polly Brody, Gussy
Time of day: Evening
Time/Duration (hours): 2 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): 4 miles by GPS

TM: George C Waldo State Park

2011-11-03T14:00:00.000-04:00

Date: 11/3/11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: George C Waldo State Park
Town: Southbury
Trail Conditions: Lots of debris on the trail
Observations/Information: Brought the chainsaw today and cut what we didn't get yesterday on the Hunters and Daffy.Again if you ride through there, watch out for limbs hanging and widow makers. Stuff is still coming down.
Trail Ambassador Name: P Burton

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Peburtonat aol dot com
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2hrs
Approximate Distance (Miles): 2 miles
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West Rock Ridge SP

2011-11-03T06:23:00.000-04:00

Date: Nov. 3, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: West Rock Ridge SP
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: Relatively clear
Observations/Information: This was my first post nor'easter trip to West Rock and I was fearing the worst, figuring I would be spending weeks clearing downed trees. I was pleasantly surprised to find the White Trail along Lake Wintergreen, and the Red Trail south of Lake Wintergreen to Baldwin Drive relatively clear, other than a few dead hemlocks that were partially hanging over the trail.
I walked back along the top of the ridge, partially along the Blue Trail, and partially along Baldwin Drive. Baldwin Drive had some medium sized branches down along the edge, but was relatively clear. My luck ran out when I got to the Blue Trail (which is closed to bikes) as I changed my hat from NEMBA T.A. to Blue Trails manager and cleared three blowdowns where the crown of a tree fell across the trail. Gold (which is also closed to bikes) had one blowdown near the water tank. The fall colors are looking great, but won't last much longer.
I interrupted my typing of this report because I felt something crawling on my back, and found a tick there, which I flushed down the sink. Take that a reminder to do a tick check and take a shower when coming in from the woods.
If you are out on the trails and see a blowdown, please email me so I can deal with it, or ask the state to send someone out. I will be leading a work party along Baldwin Drive for the West Rock Ridge Association on Sat., Nov. 5 and 19, working on eradicating the invasive species along the road. If you would like to join the event, be at the main gate at 9 a.m. on Saturday, with work gloves, cutting tools, and a pickaxe (to dig out the roots).
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal.net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Red, White, Baldwin Drive
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 3 miles
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TM: George C Waldo State Park

2011-11-02T16:02:00.000-04:00

Date: November 2, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: George C Waldo State Park
Town: Southbury
Trail Conditions: Improving
Observations/Information: Paula and I hiked into Waldo on Wednesday for a reconnaissance and trail clearing mission. We traveled light, carrying only hand saws, and we had ample opportunity to use them on the many limbs that the snowstorm had brought down across the trail. Most were medium to large-sized oak and beech limbs- they were most affected since they still had their leaves. We got a good workout from 2 ½ hours of sawing and dragging. We cleared Where’s Waldo up to the Hunter’s Trail, and Worked on Hunter’s and Daffy. There are three widowmakers (large limbs hanging over the trail) on Where’s Waldo that users should know about. One is right at the Hunter’s Trail turnoff, and another two are before it. We’ll need to reroute the trail around them and until we do, trail users should bushwhack around and not go under them, as they could fall at any time. We also hiked Hunter’s and Daffy but were not able to clear everything, and we’ll have to go back in with a chain saw. We also removed a lot of derrailleur-eating sticks.

So Waldo is clear up do the Hunter’s Trail and should be dry enough to ride by the weekend, just keep one eye up for the widowmakers.

Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton, Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: Where's Waldo, Hunter's, Daffy Duck
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2 1/2
Approximate Distance (Miles): N/A
Images/Photos: DSC_0375.JPG
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Roosevelt Forest

2011-11-02T06:25:00.000-04:00

Date: 11/2/11
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Roosevelt Forest
Town: Stratford
Trail Conditions: Dry and clear for the most part, a few small branches here and there, two small stream crossings, everything rideable
Observations/Information: I had the forest to myself. No blow downs, one muddy area, a few small branches here and there, two small stream crossings, everything rideable. The only two major blow downs have been there for several months now, one you can ride around, one is a walk or technical ride over. I guess there is some benefit with living/riding in Southern Connecticut
Trail Ambassador Name: Ed Perten

Trail Ambassador E-mail: edperten(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: All of them
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1 hour
Approximate Distance (Miles): A bunch
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Hartman Park

2011-10-31T10:43:00.000-04:00

Date: Oct 31, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Hartman Park
Town: Lyme
Trail Conditions: Sloppy/ slushy, leafy, slippery...but rideable
Observations/Information: Went up to Hartman Park just to check out the snow as we got squat here right on the shore. It's not 5 miles away but there is a definite change in snow coverage even if it's not as much as what a good part of the State got.... did a little vid but didn't push the switch on all the way so I only got the last 1/2 of the ride :(
anyway, video...
1st Snow ride of fall season 2011

Also finally cut the tree over the bridge on the red trail that has been there since the storm 2 months ago...
Trail Ambassador Name: Thom Lamourine

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Thom1{at}ctnemba(dot)com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: tad of all really
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours):
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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TM: Pole Bridge Preserve

2011-10-29T22:00:00.000-04:00

Date: 10/29/11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Other (named in Information area)
Town: Newtown
Trail Conditions: Good until it was covered with snow
Observations/Information: First day working on trails at Pole Bridge Preserve in Sandy Hook. Had a hard working crew of three, and we benched a couple hundred feet of trail, and raked and cut brush from another 1/4 mile.
Trail Ambassador Name: P Burton

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Peburtonataoldotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: None
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles): 1/4 mile
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George C Waldo State Park

2011-10-29T17:48:00.000-04:00

Date: 10/25/2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: George C Waldo State Park
Town: Southbury
Trail Conditions: Excellent!
Observations/Information: Paula and I rode Waldo late Tuesday afternoon. Paula's first ride of the day, my second (must take advantage of the dry trails and sunny days). Trails were in great shape, although there were a lot of sticks down (this park gets a lot of wind due to its riverside location). No wet spots, and a fluffy blanket of leaves that made the whole place a little more challenging. Forcast rains will make the place wetter, and the leaves less fluffy.

On our way out we encontered another group of riders who were on their way in. One of them declared Waldo to be the best place he'd ever ridden. High praise, but not undeserved.
Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton, Glenn Verenes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Where's Waldo, Daffy Duck
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 8 miles
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Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-10-25T11:46:00.000-04:00

Date: 10-25-11
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown
Trail Conditions: Perfect Fall conditions
Observations/Information: I took a new rider out on a tour of Upper Gussy. The trails are exactly what you'd expect for early fall. Light leaf cover. Some wet spots. But overall beautiful riding. The new re-route that I helped Mark with the last 2 weekends is looking good. There is a nice short technical climb in the beginning where we layed some stone to compensate for uneven ground. The rest flows nicely and sets up well for the large up and over. Didn't see any hunters but we had a our blaze orange on.
Trail Ambassador Name: Rick Brodsky

Trail Ambassador E-mail: rdbrodsky AT gmail dot com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Polly Brody, Gussy, Scenic Road
Time of day: Evening
Time/Duration (hours): 4:30-5:30/ 2 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6.1 miles by GPS
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Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-10-25T11:12:00.000-04:00

Date: 10/25/2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown
Trail Conditions: Very good, leafy
Observations/Information: A quick up and down revelaed the trail to be in great shape. Although the forest road is a little wet, the Gussy Trail is dry (for the time being at least). A lot of leaves down, though, more down than still up I'd say, and still fluffed. I had a little trouble finding the bottom of the trail, off the forest road (it's just before the big puddle). Once on the trail I had no trouble following it all the way up. The leaves make the trail more challenging, espescially if you're not intimately familiar with it.

This trail gets better every time I ride it. There's a reroute about 2/3 of the way up that takes away an unsustainable fall line climb and gives back a log-over and short but challenging rock garden. I rode it in both directions and pronounce it to be "fun both ways".

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Upper Gussy
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1.0
Approximate Distance (Miles): 5 miles
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TM: Hartman Park

2011-10-24T22:45:00.005-04:00

Date: Oct 24 2011

Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Hartman Park
Town: Lyme, CT
Trail Conditions: leafy
Observations/Information: Took a tour around Hartman Park today. check out some areas that trees from the hurricane/Tropical Storm still blocked some areas. Most of the trails have been cleared, but no one goes on the fire roads much so they haven't been touched much other than tho get foot/bike traffic around. But we do need to get trucks and such up as it truly is a fire road and the power company uses it for access to the lines... I cleared 3 trees off the roads and a mess of smaller branches and one large tree on the start of the orange trail where it crosses the fire roads just north of the power lines.. Did ride around and found one someone else has done that is pretty cool...

Someone made a tunnel...

I got a goofy little video of me clearing the trees off the fire roads if you want a little laugh ;)

Sven Saw Attacks Hartman Park

Trail Ambassador Name: Thom Lamourine

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Thom1{at}ctnemba(dot)com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: mixed
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2-3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 4.4
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TM: West Rock Ridge SP

2011-10-23T17:36:00.000-04:00

Date: Oct. 23, 2011
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: West Rock Ridge SP
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: Drying out
Observations/Information: I was part of a group of four people from the West Rock Ridge Association doing invasive species removal on the Red and Red-White Dot Trail off the Hill St. parking lot at West Rock. We cut back the autumn olive at the entry to the Red Trail off the hayfield, so people can see it better from the gravel road. We also cut some multi-flora rose, which has become a real problem in that area because it grows completely across the trail, and there's no way around it. We pulled out lots of bittersweet vines that are killing trees and pulling them down. On the way out, I carried out the trunk lid to a very old car that has been along the trail to the pond. I let the state know I left it by the parking lot, so they can remove it permanently. We encountered a few dog walkers. The muddy section of trail here is still muddy and a couple of the others expressed interest in doing some armoring as a future project. The other parts of the trail are dry.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: Red and Red-White
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 1 mile
Images/Photos: Tom with car part.jpg
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Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-10-23T17:03:00.000-04:00

Date: 2011-10-23
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Some mud, mostly OK
Observations/Information: Rick and I met at 7 AM at the Echo Valley and hiked in to the Trail Reloc. We finished benching the section from the technical crossing to the tree.

Before and After

Then we worked on the other end benching as much as we could and then making a rock feature because it was really rocky.

We ran into this guy named Scott who said he rides the trail a lot, too. He was walking his dogs. He said he was the one that opened that big Oak Blowdown and it was not the State. I thanked him for his work.
Trail Ambassadors: Mark Lurie, Rick Brodsky

Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba 'a la' gmail
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Upper Gussy
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 2
Images/Photos: TM Hike.jpg
2nd image: 2011-10-20.jpg
3rd Image: DSCI8192.JPG
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Wadsworth Falls SP

2011-10-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

Date: August 23, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Wadsworth Falls SP
Town: Middletown
Trail Conditions: Good
Observations/Information: A Sunday ride at Wadsworth was eventful from a TA standpoint. There was a family (mother, father, and kids) shooting birds and squirrels with BB guns. Not cool, and not appropriate in a state park. I emailed the park supervisor about it. I also encountered a father and son on mountain bikes. The son had fallen and cut his knee. I gave them a band aid. Dad was curious about my 29er and we talked for a few minutes. This gave me an opportunity to proselytize the 29er creed.

The trails on the state park land have been nicely cleaned up post-Irene, even the unofficial ones. There are logs everywhere, raw material for some enterprising gnome to build skinnys with. The Rockfall Land Trust trails are not in such great shape. Dolce Vita/Taco Bell is clear, but the yellow/brown has two large trees across it that requires bushwhacking to get around (see photo). Trails were pretty dry with just the usual wet spots (red below the four corners, and a few spots on yellow). Of course the leaves are down.

Overall Wadsworth is nicely cleaned up and fun to ride. Feel free to join us tomorrow (Wednesday) for the pre-meeting ride at 4:30 in the main parking lot on Rt. 157.

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33@hotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Yellow, white, blue, Dolce Vita/Taco Bell, yellow/brown
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 10 miles
Images/Photos: Wads-Blow Hole 10-23-11 006.JPG
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TM: Collis P Huntington SP

2011-10-23T07:08:00.000-04:00

Date: 10/8/11 to 10/23/11
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: Good

Observations/Information: Over the last several weeks, I did some prep work for the relocation on the South Pond Loop at Huntington. This was a joint trail maintenance between REI, FCNEMBA, and CTNEMBA. Ryan and Kyeria Tucker and I scouted out projects and came up with a rough idea of where to put the reroute. The reroute was needed due to three highly eroded sections and one muddy area. We spent two hours on that first day. Then I went back two times, once to do the flagging and detail design work, and once to cut dead work and logs that would block the trail. The design was crucial because to keep the old trail blocked the new one would need to meet the needs of the folks who rode it.

Many people take new riders, children, and significant others on this section, so the trail would need to be a fairly easy one. But since riders with more skills enjoyed the trail also, we needed to provided a fair amount of challlenge. To do that we created an easy flowy line with the challenges on the sides of the trail. We also kept access to the one boulder ride from the old trail.

On the day of, 25 people showed up and worked for three hours. We were able to do most of the basic treadway cutting, install a rock spine, clear a roller, create several other technical challenges, and do a substantial reclaimation job on the old trail. The next day, I came back to work on the treadway some more, and also to ride. Over the past week,I visited the park twice more, installing some rolling grade dips, doing more treadway work, and making one more technical feature. Also I wanted to keep an eye on the reclamtion - so far so good, no one has blocked the new trail or opened the old. Whew!
Trail Ambassador Name: Paula Burton

Trail Ambassador E-mail: peburtonataoldotcom
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: South Pond Loop
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 18 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): ?
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Hop River State Rail Trail

2011-10-23T07:05:00.000-04:00

Date: Oct 23, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Hop River State Rail Trail
Town: Vernon-Andover
Trail Conditions: Very Good

Observations/Information: Sunday morning ride started at RT 30 (Vernon) headed out to Burnap Brook. Considering the rain soaked Sept/Oct the Hop River has very good riding conditions. The sounds of waterfalls made for a peaceful ride. Leaves have been blown off most of the trail too. In the Valley Falls area, new signs for the Shenipset Trail have been posted. Trail usage was very low this morning: a few joggers/dog walkers, 4 bikers, UConn mens cross-country team. Happy Sunday!
Trail Ambassador Name: Peter Blume

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Pblume@AshfordCT.org
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Hop River
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 7:15-9:30
Approximate Distance (Miles): 18
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TA Report: Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-10-22T13:17:00.000-04:00

Entrance to the reloc

Date: 2011-10-22
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Poly Brody is very wet and Upper Gussy is starting to show some soft spots
Observations/Information: Headed out for quick ride at the Upper Paugussett. Also wanted to see how the reloc was handling all the rain we got in the past week and test ride a bike that I recently converted back to a mountain bike.

;

All the rain last week is certainly making the Poly Brody pretty sloppy and with the increased usage on the Upper Gussy some soft spots are starting appear. Used to be that you could ride the Gussy right after a torrential down pour and there'd nary be a speck of mud but now that there are a lot more people on the trail some weak spots (aka mud) are starting to show. For example the first stream crossing (riding north to south).

Muddy at the first stream crossing

Spent a few minutes finding more flat rocks and shored it up a little more.

Armored up, a little

Ran into three mountain bikers on the Poly Brody and two hikers on the Gussy Trail.

Checking the reloc I have been working on no one has touched that. Hopefully, after Sunday's trail work it will be open for riding. The intention of the reloc is give an alternative to the fall line climb that it parallels.

I have more plans for this area, too, after finding a nice spine line to ride, some cool mounds and some additional varied terrain, all of which would make a nice, natural pump track. Just have to work out the entry and exit points now.

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba 'a la' gmail
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Poly Brody, Upper Gussy
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1
Approximate Distance (Miles): 5

River Highlands State Park

2011-10-22T07:07:00.000-04:00

Date: 10/22/11
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: River Highlands State Park
Town: Cromwell
Trail Conditions: Not bad, but still some storm damage, and leaves.
Observations/Information: I took a quick ride at the Blow Hole Saturday afternoon. The DEEP has gone in and repaired hurricane damage. The gravel road has been reconstituted, and the bridge that was undermined has been repositioned. It now takes a straighter, easier, and slightly less fun path over the stream (see photo).

I also saw evidence of recent chainsaw work on the green and red trails. Most trails are clear of blowdowns but there are still a lot of derailleur eating sticks down, and now leaves as well- the trails can be hard to follow. Still a little soft at the top of the yellow trail, everything else was dry.

The blue trail, a little used trail at the far northern end of the park, was hard hit by the storm and has not been cleaned up yet. There are several large trees blocking the trail. They are close together and were obviously taken down by wind because they all point in the same direction (see photo), as if showing the way to buried treasure or an alien landing site. The trail might have to be rerouted in this area.

The park has suffered since I stopped doing regular TA work about six months ago. People are riding but not maintaining the trails, and they're not as fun to ride as a result. It got me thinking about how much a dedicated TA can do for a riding area.

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Green, yellow, white, red, blue
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1.0
Approximate Distance (Miles): 7 miles
Images/Photos: Wads-Blow Hole 10-23-11 003.JPG
2nd image: Wads-Blow Hole 10-23-11 004.JPG
3rd Image: Wads-Blow Hole 10-23-11 002.JPG
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Collis P Huntington SP

2011-10-18T21:39:00.000-04:00

Date: October 18, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: Good
Observations/Information: A Tuesday afternoon ride at Huntington found the trails to be in good shape, dry for the most part (although that might change), and clear of twigs and sticks, although there are still a few storm related blowdowns yet to be cleared, the one at the south end of Rock and Roll in particular. I heard rumors of a lot of trees down on Twister, but I never got there. We're due for another soaking on Wednesday, so this evaluation might not hold up for long.

The main reason for my visit was to check out the new reroute of the South Pond Loop. The old trail was relatively straight and not very interesting, and it had some steep fall line climbs that were getting badly eroded. The new trail is not only more sustainable, but more fun as well. It is longer than the old trail, twisty and with good flow, and has optional "honch lines" with rollers, drops and a forty foot rock spine type of thing (see photos). The trail has something for everyone, from novice to advanced, freeride rats and xc weenies alike. I rode it several times in both directions and pronounce it to be "fun both ways".

Trail Ambassador Name: Glenn Vernes

Trail Ambassador E-mail: glennvernes33athotmaildotcom
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Boardwalk, Burn Loop, South Pond
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2.0
Approximate Distance (Miles): 12
Images/Photos: Hunt 101811 001.JPG
2nd image: Hunt 101811 002.JPG
3rd Image: Hunt 101811 003.JPG
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Hop River State Rail Trail

2011-10-18T21:01:00.001-04:00

Date: Oct. 18, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Hop River State Rail Trail
Town: Andover
Trail Conditions: Improving
Observations/Information: A bridge has been planned for the Hop River trail over Rt. 316 in Andover since 2002, but has been delayed due to a dispute between the contractor and the state, according to published reports.

The Hartford Courant reported that the logjam has been broken, and the first section of the bridge has been delivered with more sections to be delivered next week with installation to follow. This is good news indeed, so people will no longer have to slid down the embankment, or detour onto the road.

Article link: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-marteka-andover-bridge-1014-20111013,0,5683058.column
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at} sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? Other Trail use
Trails Ridden: Hop River
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 0 hours
Approximate Distance (Miles): 0 miles
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TM Report: Upper Paugussett State Forest

2011-10-16T21:50:00.002-04:00

Date: 2011-10-16
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Good
Observations/Information: Hiked into the Gussy Trail from the Pond Brook Turn out to do some more benching on the trail re-route on the Gussy.

Rick and I benched two more sections of the reroute but there is still more to do.

Turns out the low spot that I had originally envisioned running the trail through won't work because it collects water.

Rick and I then opened a section around the wet area but need to come back and bench that section, as well.
Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie, Rick Brodsky
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba 'a la' gmail

How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles):
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TA Report: Collis P Huntington SP

2011-10-16T21:19:00.002-04:00

Trail workers out riding

Date: 2011-10-15

Report Type: TA Report:

Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP

Town: Redding/Bethel

Trail Conditions: Damp and Muddy

Observations/Information: Still many post Hurricane Irene blowdowns block a lot of the trails.

Rock and Roll has a major blow down will be better served with a re-route rather than trying to cut down all the limbs and trunks.

There is some rutting taking place on Rock and Roll in the Mt Laurels that we need to fix at some point.

Similarly, at the bottom of Little Vomit (Green Trail) there is a tree down that is blocking the white trail entirely. There is a go around developing but there is also a muddy stream crossing, too, that needs serious armoring.

Rode the new relocated trail that I worked on as apart of the REI & Fairfield County NEMBA trail work day. Nice flow and lines but needs a lot more benching.

Bridge is back in business

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie

Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba 'a la' gmail
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Rock & Roll, Blue, Glacial Erratic, White, Red, Little Vomit, Yellow, & Big Burn
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 1.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6

Bluff Point State Park

2011-10-16T15:26:00.000-04:00

Date: Oct 16th, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Bluff Point State Park
Town: Groton CT
Trail Conditions: awesome
Observations/Information: HAven't been to Bluff point pretty much all summer. The last time I was there it was soooo over grown that the briars where just tearing my arms apart and I ended up cutting the ride short as I was worried about something turning into a derailleur snake!! Well, totally different story today, trails are in great shape. Guessing the State Trail Gnomes have gone through after the hurricane/tropical cause there are a mess of trees cut up pretty much all over the top of the ridge, big areas seem like they have been cleared out now with trees just domino'd everywhere. Kinda changed to riding experience a bit! Ands the wind was unreal out on the point.

I took my pretty new Cam with me and took a bunch of footage but only had time to make a little "iMovie Teaser" film..
Bluff Point Teaser Vid...

Trail Ambassador Name: Thom Lamourine

Trail Ambassador E-mail: thom1{at}ctnemba(dot)com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2ish
Approximate Distance (Miles): ?
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Hop River State Rail Trail

2011-10-16T13:46:00.001-04:00

Date: Oct 16, 2011
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Hop River State Rail Trail
Town: Manchester-Vernon-Bolton
Trail Conditions: Very Good
Observations/Information: Windy and cool October ride along the Hop River this morning. Started off at the trail head in Manchester, CT (Colonial Rd.) and rode to Steele's Crossing. Obviously the trail is "leaf covered", making pot holes and terrain changes difficult to visualize. Very enjoyable riding, I just modified the pace when necessary. A few dog walkers and joggers doing their workouts. The UConn womens cross country team was out running too. The girls took a short break at the Vernon Depot. Enjoy the riding!
Trail Ambassador Name: Peter Blume

Trail Ambassador E-mail: Pblume@AshfordCT.org
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Hop River
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 8:30-10:30
Approximate Distance (Miles): 22
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West Rock Ridge SP

2011-10-16T13:46:00.000-04:00

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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