Estell Manor Conditions

BonsaiMTB

New Member
Belleplain State Park????

Hey...New to this sight but have been involved in MTBiking for quit some time now..was one of the original peeps to help build Estell...Allan Jackson of the South Jersey Wheelman Bike Club has been busy building 12 miles of MTB specific trail at Belleplain State Park..which isn't to far form Estell. 8 miles is complete already..they plan on a Trail work day Saturday May 5th...meeting at the Belleplain park office at 8am. I'm planning on attending and hope you may show as well. Any questions...feel free to contact me :) oh...and does anyone know how to post a new trail to this sight? Thanks :)
 

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
Allan Jackson of the South Jersey Wheelman Bike Club has been busy building 12 miles of MTB specific trail at Belleplain State Park..which isn't to far form Estell. 8 miles is complete already..they plan on a Trail work day Saturday May 5th...meeting at the Belleplain park office at 8am.

We've been sharing Belleplain info over in this string.
http://www.mtbnj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25642
I'm guessing that once the BSF trail is finished, it will be listed. See ya 5/5. :)
 
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Frank

Sasquatch
Guys, sent a pm to the admins. They are probably going to collect all the necessary data before they set it up.
 

BonsaiMTB

New Member
Was out riding this afternoon and found one of the larger trees that was hanging low over the trail a couple months back finally came down. Easy enough to climb over it for now. If any TM happens down that way it is going to take a chainsaw to clear it. I'd be happy to tag along if any maintenance goes down on a saturday or monday and my schedule is clear. Couldn't get a map screen shot as i had planned (google earth won't cooperate), but attached is the gpx file from mytracks when i stopped to mark the spot.

I've rode Estell the other day and it seems someone has done a ton of clearning and making go arounds...I've never been a big fan of build arounds..but it helps first timers and even old farts like myself. Someone did used a chainsaw...which I have nothing against...but If the park catches anyone doing trail maintance with one..They will pay the price. I was caught back in 2004 cutting a fallen tree near the parking lot and got reemed and almost fined by a Ranger. So...if anyone uses one...please be careful.

I'm still out of work and looking to ride...If your looking for company..please let me know.
 

Optiwizard

Member
I never was a fan of huge log overs. Smaller trees no problem. I do see that even with the option of going over the logs now that it seems most like the go arounds as they are being used by most of the riders out there it seems. I admit some days i go around and some days i go over logs. Most of the stuff left out there i can clear with bunny hopping. Im sure if I was 20 i'd be bored but at 39 im ok with it. Im open to ride almost any morning.
 

moray42

Merman
I've rode Estell the other day and it seems someone has done a ton of clearning and making go arounds...I've never been a big fan of build arounds..but it helps first timers and even old farts like myself. Someone did used a chainsaw...which I have nothing against...but If the park catches anyone doing trail maintance with one..They will pay the price. I was caught back in 2004 cutting a fallen tree near the parking lot and got reemed and almost fined by a Ranger. So...if anyone uses one...please be careful.

I'm still out of work and looking to ride...If your looking for company..please let me know.

Didn't see the quote of one of my earlier posts when i first read through. The tree i had mentioned at that point is still down, but those go-arounds started to form so early that it doesn't matter that much anymore. I have been working on my tech skills since that point, and don't really mind the logovers anymore. i do keep trimmers in my truck though if there is a bunch of brush and stuff on the trails.
The work you noticed it much more recent (starting in Dec./Jan.). This has been addressed by the current JORBA rep and the park, but from time to time someone still seems to be messing around with the trail (branches blocking trails, unauthorized features, someone going up and down the 2nd mound by the lot near the boat launch).

You can see more extensive discussion here.
someone's been working
 

Rocks & Water

Active Member
Blocking trail

I seen the blocking of the trail, but from riding here almost from the opening of the singletrack at the park. Most of the things that are block off are short cuts from the true path. As for the log overs, the more the better. Estell is a great place to ride, but not that hard at all. Go ride up north or in Pa, your going to have log overs going up hill plus hopping around on rocks. I just shake my head when I see people try to make this place easy by cutting the trail here when I come back from riding up north. Repect the trail and the folks who built it, not by cutting up the corners or the wood.
 

moray42

Merman
The block I have encountered a few times is actually the opposite. It is a section of trail by that sandy dip that runs between a couple of trees and then hangs a fairly hard left (running from the dip towards the ditch and out to the north end trail). The area is pretty much devoid of brush, and someone was putting up a block between the 2 trees to force people to cut the turn short. Last I had seen it had gotten to the point of being hard to distinguish the original trail for the new softer turn many had taken. Normally if I come across it I pull the block down and drop it over the shortcut. Looks like a lot of people are just riding over the braches and continuing the same way.
Only other 1 that really sticks out is the trail that bypasses the previously mentioned dip. That one was left just to help keep those uncomfortable with the dip from braking hard and further increasing the erosion that has already taken place there.
 

moray42

Merman
Logovers are coming back slowly but surely:D. Saw a few new ones today. Only caught it out of my peripheral vision while passing, but there appeared to be a fairly sizable tree down over the trail that runs from the far end of the parking lot at the point where it intersects with the IMBA trail (near the log ride)
 

BonsaiMTB

New Member
Logovers are coming back slowly but surely:D. Saw a few new ones today. Only caught it out of my peripheral vision while passing, but there appeared to be a fairly sizable tree down over the trail that runs from the far end of the parking lot at the point where it intersects with the IMBA trail (near the log ride)

Have you been out to Estell lately?...Been busy with school and have not been out. What kinda shape is it in...if you know? Thanks.
 

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
Have you been out to Estell lately?...Been busy with school and have not been out. What kinda shape is it in...if you know? Thanks.

Was there a while back... qualifying with depending on what you like and how you ride... its wonderful. :)
 

dkocnj

Member
Estell drys pretty quickly. There is just a couple spots in the back that may be a little muddy. I am going to dry and head out there Saturday morning to check things out. It's been a while since I have been out there.
 

moray42

Merman
Logs, logs, logs!

Haven't been by in a couple months due to my schedule, wet weather and freeze/thaw. Most of the park would stay fairly dry, but the muddy stuff is way muddy and wasn't worth the time over the winter.

Anyway, most of what came down during last summer's windstorm has been bypassed or made rideable. Last time out there were still a number of fairly challenging logs, but there are a number of cool new obstacles too. I think Ken may have continued fine tuning things( or at the very least has been riding there much more recently than me), so he should have a much better insight as to the current conditions.
 

KenS

JORBA: Director
JORBA.ORG
I last rode Estell on Sunday since I work closer to Ceres/CCC during the week, but it was in great shape. The freeze thaw and precip we have had lately has filled up the few ravines that are normally dry, but nothing like a few winters ago. All of the bridges are still above water.
 

dkocnj

Member
I rode Estell this morning. My first time out there since mid January.

Overall, not bad. There are a few soft spots sporadically along the way, mostly towards the back near South River. Like Ken said there is some standing water in some of the ravines, but nothing more than rim deep. Some of the new log overs are a little sketchy for my liking. I am going to ride Belleplain tomorrow.
 

dkocnj

Member
Rode Estell this evening for my first ride on my new (to me) bike. The recent warmth has dried things out quite a bit since I was there two weeks ago.

The log-overs kicked my ass a couple of time tonight.
 

Rocks & Water

Active Member
Ticks!!

Just be careful of the ticks, they are out and them things don't mess around when it comes to getten on ya. A good ride for were it is at, very flat and not much in miles to do. I feel they have done a very good job on getting things back after the storm, kind of like a Six Mile thing with the trees. Thanks to everyone who put the hard work into it. Print up a map if up can, it's not a place you can get lost easy and the soil does perks and sets up pretty good after a rain.
 

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