Sterling Forest Trail Conditions

MuniMan

Well-Known Member
A couple of down trees, two-three areas of mud, they typical places just very wet right now. 98 percent perfect. Strava time indicated that I hit it faster than I had any right to yesterday, given that the bike was hung up for the winter.


The downed trees on hutch are now gone. Except for the big log.

It was a bit of a calculus equation graphing review with the bowsaw. I had forgotten how good a 24” bowsaw is for using as a stick flicker. No bending over. Definitely a better use than cutting through 6-8” logs.

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huffster

Well-Known Member
Yes. Truth be told its good either way. You will find yourself working at times regardless and enjoying some nice downhills at other times. I also like to mix it up by changing the start/end location.

I really don't think you will be disappointed if you start at South gate, go up Redback and take the right turn on Muncee-Eagle - so, counter-clockwise from South gate. The particularly nice aspect of that route is that you end with a significant amount of good downhill.

What is the preferred route, clockwise or counter-clockwise?
 

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
What is the preferred route, clockwise or counter-clockwise?

I've only been there once, but I did the loop in both directions. I think overall it was better clockwise, but then you would be climbing the long downhill that @huffster mentions, and that was probably the most fun part of the ride. You can't go wrong in either direction though. I need to get back up there again.
 

oobaa47

Well-Known Member
I've only ever done it clockwise, I guess my brain is programmed that way, lol.....but last weekend everyone I saw out there seemed to be doing it counter-clockwise....so it got me thinking maybe that way is the preferred way....but you're right, either way is probably awesome, the place is amazing
 

BabyRobot

Member
Anyone been out today? I’m going to do some laps tomorrow morning. Curious if yesterday’s rain is lingering.
 

oobaa47

Well-Known Member
Not cool. Now I'm no expert in tread patterns, but it appears some sort of dirt bike took to the Sterling trails and did a pretty good number on them. Tons of spots that are dug into and all roosted up (is that a phrase?). I know people have worked way too hard to make this happen and I would hate to see all their hard work destroyed.
I didn't take any pics of the roosted up sections as they were in the dozens and it was hard to make out, but it seemed to definitely be a dirt bike. Here's a pic of the tread thru the mud......maybe I'm just overreacting, but I didn't envision dirt bikes using this trail network.....
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Jmann

Never gonna let you down.
I came face to face with a moto in wildcat a couple weeks ago. And I saw signs in Stewart yesterday. Unfortunately your never going to stop them.
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
I came face to face with a moto in wildcat a couple weeks ago. And I saw signs in Stewart yesterday. Unfortunately your never going to stop them.

The local rangers are tracking the moto's in wildcat/splitrock and a bunch of them have recently been ticketed. I don't think this will slow them down much but the trails are happy.
 

mustclime

Active Member
I came face to face with a moto in wildcat a couple weeks ago. And I saw signs in Stewart yesterday. Unfortunately your never going to stop them.
That’s thinking inside the box. Let me tell you a story.... the german’s saw the Russians would March their troops in front of the tanks to make sure the roads were clear of land mines. The Germans developed a mine that took more than 300lbs to trigger them, it was called the Teller mine. We just need a couple Teller mines and there will be no more dirt bike problems :cool:
 

Jmann

Never gonna let you down.
That’s thinking inside the box. Let me tell you a story.... the german’s saw the Russians would March their troops in front of the tanks to make sure the roads were clear of land mines. The Germans developed a mine that took more than 300lbs to trigger them, it was called the Teller mine. We just need a couple Teller mines and there will be no more dirt bike problems :cool:
My parents have a fire road that goes straight through their property and turns into their driveway. The fire road ends up at the powerlines, so we always had issues with dirt bikes quads and 4x4s ending up in our backyard, despite signs, a fence, and large rocks placed across the road. It was an issue for many reasons (the biggest probably was horses, once my dog chased a couple on horses for miles and they never stopped, and dropped a huge dump on our driveway). Anyway, as a kid I set up a booby trap of running a cable across the fire road and attached it to an old workbench and a tree. I forgot about until one of my dads friends drove his quad through to say hi and ran into it.

Also I had dirt bikes and did my fair share of trespassing and juvenile menacing so I can’t judge others too harshly.
 

gingertooth

Active Member
It indeed sucks to see damage done by dirtbike but these very same trails you see here have been dirt bike trails far beyond the mtbn seen. I used to ride these very same trails on my dirt bike growing up...it will never end. On another note though it looks to me that mtbrs are doing just as much damage on these sterling trails so I can't really say the dirtbikers are any worse.
 

MuniMan

Well-Known Member
The
It indeed sucks to see damage done by dirtbike but these very same trails you see here have been dirt bike trails far beyond the mtbn seen. I used to ride these very same trails on my dirt bike growing up...it will never end. On another note though it looks to me that mtbrs are doing just as much damage on these sterling trails so I can't really say the dirtbikers are any worse.

I find it hard to believe that you were able to ride a dirt bike on ‘these very same trails’ as a kid since much of the trail network that ‘we see here’ has only come into existence over the past 2,5 years.

Yes there are a lot of old haul roads and power lines in Sterling that have been used and abused for a long time but ‘what we see here’ is freshly built trail that has been rerouted and redesigned away from those abused and decrepit old roads and trails.
 

gingertooth

Active Member
These trails cross over existing dirt bike trails at least a dozen times. Hence, one of the reasons why they are some of the worse built mtb trails i have seen yet. I can't figure if these trails were built by or for someone with bipolar disease. What a mess this place is...it actually used to be better when I rode my dirt bike in there believe it or not. It still has fantastic riding in there indeed just not where these new trails were built. What a shame...
 
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gingertooth

Active Member
Absolutely man. It was great when they started but not sure who's idea it was to make a ridiculous amount of optional routes and corners that go to the same spot. Just gives the idea to new mtbrs that It's ok to make make your own routes and not stay on designated trail. It's just a mess In there. You can certainly tell that it was built by someone who has no idea about mtb trail building. The hiking trails in there are fantastic for mtbn and go on and on. That's the stuff we should be getting access to. But what ya gonna do...
 

huffster

Well-Known Member
I don't know who actually designed the various trails that have been created the past couple years, but I think it is a collaboration of various groups in an effort to create multi-use trails. There seems to be a cooperation between user groups like there never was in the past. So, there is likely some 'give and take' to accommodate all trail users. I know for a fact there are MTB users very involved.

I have also ridden that area since before the new 'Redback/Hutchinson/Munsee Eagle' loop was started. Personally, I feel like the riding has dramatically improved. Sections of Redback used to be completely washed out un-maintained fire-roads which were total HAB. Much more single-track was created. Where Huthinson comes in by the caretaker lot used to be all fire-road (no single-track) and it was completely swamped out as you approached the northern end. Munsee is all new single-track and provides a connection/loop that didn't exist. For those of us who know the old stuff, there are some additional connections this now presents so you can mix in some other lesser used and more "rugged" trails. Others are just using this loop.

I do see in some spots that where multiple lines are popping up, as you remarked. In some cases I totally see that one line is the hard line and the other is an easier option - so that's cool. Other cases there are just 2 routes of equal difficulty - so maybe not really needed. An example is on Munsee where there is a switchback with a line right through the middle of the S, and then 2 similar difficulty lines right after that. Do I love that? No. But, it doesn't really bother me.

Anyway, you certainly have a right to your opinion. Perhaps you are already involved in the building/maintenance. But, if not, the crews are getting active again now, so maybe you can participate and have a say.
 

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