West Rock Ridge SP

Date: March 14, 2012
Report Type: TM Report:
Trail Name: West Rock Ridge SP
Town: Hamden
Trail Conditions: No mud season, but beware of ticks
Observations/Information: March is a traditional mud season as the winter snow and ice melts and then puddles on semi-frozen ground, leaving mud that can place trails off-limits. In this year of abnormal weather, the trails are firm and dry, just begging to be used.
However, the same warm weather has provided ideal conditions for ticks. I found a deer tick crawling on my hand as I got into my car. When I got home and immediately did a tick check, I found one embedded in the fold under my left knee. I ripped it out with the tweezers from my college dissection kit.
I will bring it to my local health department, which will send it to the state for testing. Last time I did this, I got back a letter within about three weeks telling me the tick tested negative for Lyme. If you have a tick you would like tested, put the tick in a container with a blade of grass, the health department told me last time, not alcohol, as I had always heard.
My focus for my session today was cutting and pulling invasive plant species along the gravel road portion of the Red Trail north of Mountain Road, and also the Red-White Dot Trail that branches off the Red Trail. If you are wondering why anyone should care that I do this work, I have individual reasons for each species, all of which partially relates to the fact that these species will overtake our woods if left unchecked.
I have scratches on my legs from cutting the multi-flora rose plants, which
have lethally sharp thorns. Regrettably they will grow back, but for now I have cut many at the ground, so it will take time before they threaten the Lycra-clad legs that will be pedaling by them. After the October storm, I had to clear trails that were blocked by trees that were strangled by the Asiatic bittersweet vine. I found an entire crop of young winged euonymus bushes and the mother plant on the Red-White Dot Trail, so I pulled out the young ones and cut the mother plant at the ground.
I also cleared some branches that were partially blocking the Red Trail, so it is wide open except for a poison-ivy covered tree that I left for the state, and a large branch hanging on a grape vine. I tried to pull it down, but had no luck, so I cut it back and hope that it falls when no one is around.
Sunday, March 18, I led a Conn. Forest and Parks Association work party at West Rock on the Blue-Blazed hiking only Regicides Trail. We are building steps over the West Rock tunnel to improve the footing on this steep and slippery section of trail. While the crew was there, we observed two mountain bikers carrying their bikes down the trail north of where we were building the steps. I had a good conversation with them, which sounds like many conversations I have with bikers on the Blue Trail. They had never been to West Rock, were exploring the area, did not have a map, and had not heard of NEMBA. I told them where to find a map online, pointed them down the Green Trail toward the Red Trail, and encouraged them to join NEMBA. Green is a trail I have requested be opened to bikes, and it was their best way off the ridge.
After the step project, I worked on invasive species near Baldwin Drive. Both Sunday and today, I removed two buckets worth of old bottles and cans. On the Red Trail just south of Mountain Road, I found what looked like the metal frame of a horse drawn carriage complete with leaf springs. Since I did not have a camera with me, I do not have a picture to post.
There's lots of park info on my blog at http://westrocktrails.blogspot.com.
The state has a detailed full color map at www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/stateparks/maps/westrock.pdf
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold
Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal.net
How did you use the trail? Hiking/Walking
Trails Ridden: Red and Red-White Dot
Time of day: Afternoon
Time/Duration (hours): 3
Approximate Distance (Miles): 1 mile
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