Upper Paugussett State Forest

Date: 7/27/2014
Report Type: TA Report
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Soft yet rideable
Observations/Information: Been awhile since I have ridden at Upper Paugussett and needed to get acclimated to New England riding after being down south for a week.  Noticeable signs of a big storm were everywhere that must have came through last week.

Upper Gussy appears to be seeing a lot of traffic lately due to the way the trail appears to be settling in even more. There is one go around that seems to be taking shape that needs blocking. Came across two riders on the Brew Crew roller.

Haven't been on the Mulikin in awhile so I took that on the way home and someone seems to have applied some TLC down where the white trail comes in by cutting up the blowdown and making a new corduroy through the wet area. I don't bother with that section and prefer my bypass that I have been riding for years.

There were two riders headed down Al's Trail as I was bombing down the Mulikin.

Upper Paugussett State Forest

Date: 5/12  & 5/19
Report Type: TA Report
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Some soft spots but overall not bad
Observations/Information: Last week (5/12) I was on the Poly Brody and it's still pretty wet and probably even more so after Friday's deluge. It will be awhile before that dries out.

Some soft spots are developing in the usual places and some new ones, like in the Wetspot (pictured above). Kind of ironic by the name but it's usually bone dry, even in spring.

A week later, the Gussy is doing really well, especially after Friday's rain. I did not, however, ride Poly Brody front side, rather the back side.

The first thing I noticed (to the right of my bike pictured above) is that someone foot raked a path to roller that is parallel with this section. That's cool, but down from here and around the corner someone cut out this up and over!

I know it's a tough feature but c'mon, if you can't ride it that doesn't mean you have the right to change it.

The Sanford Road access point is also a little worse for wear so if you can help it when you get to the end and you forget to do the Reach Around, ride back up the trail and take the bail out after the Vajayjay roller by Sydney's house to get back to the Parking Lot at Echo Valley, or just hit the Blue Trail back to the lot because not too many people know what I am talking about.

Orlando and John

The bottom section of the White Trail, north of the Poly Brody and where it meets the Mulikin is really muddy and I advise staying off of it for awhile. Met up in the lot with another rider who said the top part of the Mulikin is a slop fest, too, and you should stay off it till it dries out.

Upper Paugussett State Forest

These logs have been sitting here for months

Date: 5/07/2013
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Bone Dry
Observations/Information: The only chance I have this weekend to do clear a blowdown on the Upper Gussy was early Tuesday morning.

While riding up the Forest Road I came across a hunter and we chatted a bit. Turns out Spring Turkey season is from April 25th to May 25th so if you are going to ride Upper P early in the morning I suggest that you wear something bright, maybe ride with a bell, and make sure your brakes don't squeak!

I started work on the blowdown and was able to get most of the small and medium stuff cleared but the big stuff is going to require a chainsaw, however, it's probably unnecessary at this point because it's clear enough to ride past.

Might make a nice skinny, skinny at some point. Did some clipping here and there along the rest of the trail.
Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba@gmail.com
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Poly Brody, Upper Gussy
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1.5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6

TM Report: Upper Paugussett State Forest

 

Date: 11/12/2012

Report Type: Trail Maintenance
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Delicious
Observations/Information: I decided to do a reroute around the blowdown in the middle of the Gussy Trail.

The new route is great on the way down (the Gussy) but very challenging for the way up.  If and when someone gets in and cuts the two trees that are on the ground that caused me to do this in the first place then at least there will be a couple of options.

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

Date: 11/4/2012
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Leaf Crunchy

 

Observations/Information: Looks like the State opened up the forest road because all three trees that were down before you hit the Gussy coming from Echo Valley were cut. The one closest to the gate might even make a nice skinny.

The Gussy is riding nicely and the ramp that I made over that blow down that I chopped on Saturday is really smooth.  I think the other tree needs some better ramping now so that you would get really great flow.  Didn't try it in the other direction yet.

The last blow down is seems problematic because of it's size and complexity.  I suppose if you were to cut an opening on the lower trees you could ride under the high one, which would be the best approach I think but I am just not sure how high that tree is at this point.

 

I tried a go around (the inverted V on the red track below) for the other blow down but the downward piece coming back onto the trail is fall line. I suppose you could bring the trail further along the ridge back onto the Gussy but that would call for a lot of benching.  

Still it might be worthwhile given it would open up some other interesting terrain features and could even dovetail into a connector for the half pipe (Sidewinder-esque like trail) that I have been eyeing for quite sometime.  The rest of the ride was sweet. The new go around on the old cart road is coming about nicely but I am the only one riding it still.  Hope to get back out later today and finish the little reroute by the cleavage roller.

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: Poly Brody & Upper Gussy
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 1
Approximate Distance (Miles): 6

TM Report: Upper Paugussett State Forest

Date: 11/3/2012
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Leafy
Observations/Information: There are a couple of blow downs on the Poly Brody and 4 on the Upper Gussy. My goad today was to take care of those on the Upper Gussy. I did notice that the blow down nearest the gate was cut up but not sure about the rest.

Headed up the Gussy clearing sticks along the way to the farthest blow down from the Echo Valley lot. Using loppers I was able to open the trail up again.

Down from there a piece of tree came down and created a widow maker. It's is tightly wedged in another tree so I cleared around it and foot raked a go around.

At the end of the new re-route, from the last storm, another tree came down about 10 feet north of another tree that has been down for quite some time.

 

I took care of this tree Paul Bunyan style with a long handled axe and a little gravity.

Did some ramping on this log to improve the flow since coming down the re-route is pretty fast and flowy.

Then I looked at the last mess of blowdowns. It's needs a chainsaw! I looked at trying to do a reroute but it would be a bigger job then what you could do with a chainsaw. Hopefully, I can get someone out with a saw in the next week to do some cutting.

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba a la gmail dot com
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Upper Gussy
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 2
Approximate Distance (Miles): 2

TM Report: Upper Paugussett State Forest

Date: 10/07/2012
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: Upper Paugussett State Forest
Town: Newtown, CT
Trail Conditions: Leafy

Observations/Information: Went in to take care of the new blowdowns at the Wetspot, the Cleavage, and the Blue Ball Roller.

 

The best line, which is the most difficult, was obstructed by some oak branches that I had to cut with a bow saw. I took care of the sapling that probably throws people off all the time and put in some more flat rocks.

There was a new blowdown on top of the old one from Snotober. I took care of both. A couple walked by, out for a morning stroll in the woods, each with their iPods on.

Someone got to the Cleavage before me (thank you) which was the impetus for me coming out there in the first place and seeing that was squared away I set about to adding a by pass route to Cleavage.

 

The curve that comes down and lines you up to ride up through the Cleavage is too sharp and when I come around there I sometimes dish out in the curve. I extended the roll out past the Cleavage with a small climb that meets back up with the main trail.

 

There was this guy, Jason, on a Jeff Jones Fat Bike that I met before and I asked him to ride it both ways and he said it was great, especially at the curve where he washes out all the time.

 

He then showed me how to roll this rock that I thought riders might want to bank off of.

 

I benched the slopped section and hope to go back in a few days to finish removing the duff on the flat section of the trail.

 

I left the up-and-over but it needs some logs on both sides to make a better ramp.

Trail Ambassador Name: Mark Lurie
Trail Ambassador E-mail: ctnemba a la gmail dot com
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 2

TM Report Upper Paugussett State Forest

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

TA Report: Upper Paugussett State Forest

 

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