TM Report: Collis P Huntington SP

Date: 4/27/2014
Report Type: TM Report
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: Not bad despite all the rain from the previous night
Observations/Information: Trail Fest Day 2: Finish what didn't get finished on Saturday and do some tweaks.

 

While one crew was finishing the berm and others were redoing some of the rock work, Paula, Harold Green, Eric Schonenberg and I went to bench the other side of the trail.

 

We did about 200 feet of benching which came out superb!

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba [at] gmail [dot] com
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Hoochie Koo
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 4
Approximate Distance (Miles): 0.6

TM Report: Collis P Huntington SP

Date: 4/26/2014
Report Type: TM Report
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: New
Observations/Information: NEMBA Trailfest was in full swing on Saturday with at least 40 people, young and old, from all over New England.

This new trail is both challenging and rewarding with many features along the way that include a Rusty Bed Springs Up and Over, a Dave Francefort Spineline. Hairpin Berm, and many drops and rollers along the way.

Lunch was provided and it was a good recharge to go out do more work.

The Rock and Roll Trail is now connected to the South Park Trail!
Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie, Glenn Vernes
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba [at] gmail [dot] com
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Hoochie Koo
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 5
Approximate Distance (Miles):

A lot of names have been floated around for the name of the new trail.  Wigwam, because of the strange structures found in the area, The Hobbit Hole, Hoochie Koo, Lady Mama, Light My Fuse, so we'll see which one sticks.  I originally liked Hoochie Koo and that's what I am calling it for now, but Light My Fuse, seems more appropriate because the trail is invigorating and each twist and turn, and feature, pushes you to ride it better and better.  (Click here for additional pictures and a better map of how this trail fits in with the park). 

TA Report: Sandy Hook Elementary School Memorial Ride

Date: 12/23/2012
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding, CT
Trail Conditions: Hoar Frost, slick, and a little muddy
Observations/Information: Led the stragglers ride at the Sandy Hook Elementary School Memorial Mountain Bike Ride and Saturday's high winds took their toll on Huntington State Park!

There are two major blow downs on Rock and Roll that now need to be dealt with.

Some more armoring is needed on the Glacial Erratic and South Park needs a little tweaking, too.

Friday's rain caused many of the vernal pools to overflow and create new streams.

 

All the streams were very swollen and sitting water and ice on many of the trails.

 

The Memorial Ride was a huge success raising a tidy some, all of which will be donated directly to one of the charities that will benefit the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School.  People came from all over Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island to support this event!

 

THANK YOU!

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie; Paula Burton, Cory Stiff, Jason Englehardt
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba a la gmail dot com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Glacial Erratic, South Park, Rock n Roll, the Big Burn, and Little Vomit
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles): 7

TA Report: Collis P Huntington SP

Great day to be single speeding despite the
tragedy that befell our community on the previous day

Date: 12/15/2012
Report Type: TA/TM Report
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Bethel/Redding
Trail Conditions: Hoar Frost, slick, and a little muddy

That doesn't look like Fat Bike Tracks

Observations/Information: Trails at Huntington show signs of many riders hitting this place, though I didn't see any riders on the trail. A lot of walkers and runners, though. The frost heaves coming with the colder weather are turning to mush.  Looks like someone is riding a motorcycle on the carriage roads

.

A few trees down here and there since Hurricane Sandy that are in hard to reach areas.

Someone foot raked a small alternative route on the Glacial Erratic which I blocked by throwing sticks and leaves on. If it were longer and swoopier it would make sense but it wasn't and just plain stupid.

Also on the Glacial Erratic there was a mud pit forming on one the turns just south of Dave Francefort's Spine Line creation. 

There were no nearby rock stores so I scoured the area for flatties to armor it up.

Coming off of Rock & Roll and heading back up the carriage road into the lot I noticed a car with the back window open. There have been a rash of break ins at the Upper D-Town lot and I happen to notice a woman who started jogging from the lot with a dog as I passed by. I turned around and caught up with her and informed her that her car window was open and also told her about the recent break ins. She thanked me and said not to worry because she would be out for a 15 minute run

I wore Yellow and Blue in Solidarity for Newtown, CT

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba a la gmail dot com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Big Burn, Single Track from the Burn to Little Vomit, Little Vomit, Green, South Park, Glacial Erratic, Red, Waterfall run, Blue, White, and Rock & Roll
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 10

TM Report: South Pond Trail

Paula benching

Date: 10/21/2012
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: Benched
Observations/Information: Paula and I headed out to finish benching one last section of the first the South Pond trail. Granted, this is an active trail now but still needs a few tweaks here and there and this was one of them.

Looking North

Before

After

Just as we finished a big group of riders came through to christen the newly benched section and they were truly appreciative.

Looking South

Before

After

After we were done we headed over to assess the big tree that finally came down and decided on a course of action on where to cut this tree and create a better section of trail.

The last thing we looked at was the technical choke point at the top of the trail. That's going to be another project that we're going to have to plan for because it's going to take a lot of rock work and unfortunately there are no Rock Stores nearby.

Stay Tuned


Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie; Paula Burton
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba a la gmail dot com
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: South Pond
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): n/a

TM Report: Collis P Huntington SP

Date: 10/14/2012
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Redding
Trail Conditions: Leafy
Observations/Information: Maybe it was the rain or the fact that NEMBA listed this event for Monday but no one showed up for today's trail work.

Still, I was able to get a lot done. I worked on the south end of the new trail.

I did a little rock armoring at one point, scraped the duff off a few sections and opened the rest of the trail up but everyone seems to be riding it anyway.

All that's needed now is a little rock work in the northern section of the trail and about 20 yards of benching and it will be ready for primetime.

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba a la gmail dot com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden:
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 3

TA Report: Collis P Huntington SP

Date: September 30, 2012
Trail Name: Collis P Huntington SP
Town: Bethel/Redding
Trail Conditions: Leafy

Observations/Information: Went out to see how the new trail is doing in preparation for the trail building day I have set up for Sunday, October 14th. Fairfield County NEMBA did some great work and I think two more work sessions will finish the job.

 

The rest of Huntington was really nice. Fall foliage is starting to pop and the park was really busy with fishermen, families out walking the trails, runners, and even people on horses.

 

A couple of new blowdowns, including one on the new trail and two in the Big Burn. Everything else has been taken care of since the last time I rode here in the spring.

Even the widow maker over the new bridge on the north end of the park is now open!

 

Even the White Trail, down from the Badlands has been cleared!  Although the singletrack go around is still better to ride.

Descending through the Badlands

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba a la gmail dot com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Rock and Roll, White, Blue, Red/Blue, Red, Green, Badlands, Glacial Erratic (bread loaf), Waterfall Singletrack, Little Vomit (still sucks due to wash outs), and the Big Burn.
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles): 10