Hike @ Watchung Res 3/18/18

Dingo

Well-Known Member
I met up with an old friend from high school, we decided to hike the res. We met at the deserted village parking area. Walked 4 miles of the jungle. I'm appalled at the trail conditions and erosion there. I kept thinking if MTB with our voluntary trail work was here this place would be awesome. I saw no one in 2 hours of trail time, no illegal bikers or tire tracks.

I did see a car with a empty bike rack and a bumper sticker 'no humans are illegal' Ok what ever...

Make Watchung great again!
 

terrabike01

Well-Known Member
Did you sink in the foot deep tire ruts in places from all the SUV's riding on the so called fireroads? How about all the frozen foot prints in the mud from the hikers hiking when the trails are thawed and soaked? Its sad where the county diverts its resources to.
 

Dingo

Well-Known Member
Did you sink in the foot deep tire ruts in places from all the SUV's riding on the so called fireroads? How about all the frozen foot prints in the mud from the hikers hiking when the trails are thawed and soaked? Its sad where the county diverts its resources to.
We hiked to hermits pond, dead ended 2 trails there due to swamp conditions.
So crazy how its just a mess there. Even the old house's are neglected.
what the F are they thinking?
 

Dingo

Well-Known Member
No way! You mean to tell me the deserted village is neglected???
well yeah.
It sure does appear nothing has been done since I was there in 4th grade (1968) And nothing but erosion since Rt 78 cut the mountain in half.

the section with a rope/old ladder in a gully from the run off from 78... That is whats wrong with WR. I guess the freeholders ignore that, or blame it. Why is nothing done about that?
 

terrabike01

Well-Known Member
well yeah.
It sure does appear nothing has been done since I was there in 4th grade (1968) And nothing but erosion since Rt 78 cut the mountain in half.

the section with a rope/old ladder in a gully from the run off from 78... That is whats wrong with WR. I guess the freeholders ignore that, or blame it. Why is nothing done about that?
That gully is probably going to be impassible in a few years. And it's obvious they don't care. But they manage to have money to get no bike signs made and have them put up everywhere. Wonder how much money that cost. And have cops patrol the fireroads looking for bikers while the crime in Elizabeth and Plainfield is running rampant. If it's not horseshoe related it gets no attention and doesn't get fixed.
 

w_b

Well-Known Member
the section with a rope/old ladder in a gully from the run off from 78... That is whats wrong with WR. I guess the freeholders ignore that, or blame it. Why is nothing done about that?

Cause even they "no" The Res ain't squat without the Pit of Despair!
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
section with a rope/old ladder in a gully from the run off from 78... That is whats wrong with WR. I guess the freeholders ignore that, or blame it. Why is nothing done about that?
Because they don't know about it and don't care?
With all the nor-easters we had in the last 3 wks a lot of parks need attention. Granted Watchung is years of neglect but the storms of late made things much worse.

The freeholders maintain status quo, which means do nothing. Doing something opens themselves up to criticism and possible loss of votes.
Could the trails be better, yes, however the freeholders don't see it as a priority...see status quo.
The equestrian stables take priority because it's a revenue generating operation for the county.
Enforcement to keep mtbing out of the reservation has taken a back seat since the flare up of a year ago.
To make real change someone who is pro mtbing would have to get elected as a freeholder or come up with a large sum of cash to influence the current party.
 

Dingo

Well-Known Member
Because they don't know about it and don't care?
With all the nor-easters we had in the last 3 wks a lot of parks need attention. Granted Watchung is years of neglect but the storms of late made things much worse.

The freeholders maintain status quo, which means do nothing. Doing something opens themselves up to criticism and possible loss of votes.
Could the trails be better, yes, however the freeholders don't see it as a priority...see status quo.
The equestrian stables take priority because it's a revenue generating operation for the county.
Enforcement to keep mtbing out of the reservation has taken a back seat since the flare up of a year ago.
To make real change someone who is pro mtbing would have to get elected as a freeholder or come up with a large sum of cash to influence the current party.

Status quo is right. nothing gets changed.

I saw a pic of this gully/ladder a few years ago. It was posted on the net. Nothing has changed other than more errioson.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
What will be sad is when they agree to pay a contractor 5M to fix the trails when they could have had it for free. I love the reservation but just had it with the county politics. We were looking at properties in Westfield and Summit but told the wife to look at another county instead.
 

Xler8

Well-Known Member
To make real change someone who is pro mtbing would have to get elected as a freeholder or come up with a large sum of cash to influence the current party.

Although this may indeed bring change; there is another way - more people need to get involved and be part of the change. More voices, more action, & more support can have just as much of an impact, if not more than an elected official or cash.

Based on what I saw go down last year, it seemed like there just wasn't enough voices, action, & support for what would of inevitably be better for the land and all parties invloved.

Yet the crown jewel goes unnoticed, untouched, and in need for someone to care for it.
 

Shorepoints

Well-Known Member
Supposedly there was recently a trail commission created by UC Parks to evaluate and improve the trail systems throughout UC (including Watchung). Supposedly JORBA is being introduced to the head of this commission to keep us abreast of the developments with trail systems in the County. Supposedly this trail commission was created as a direct result of the Watchung debate, where those both for and against MTB agreed the trail conditions at Watchung are horrible. Not supposedly, but absolutely, those opposed to MTB in Watchung watch this site daily, as evidence by 3 of them showing up to the Freeholder Meeting the night I announced I was going to attend to speak regarding MTB in UC. We (UC Jorba) are still working to secure legal trails in Union County. Working with the County is slow and frustrating. But we have no where to go but up.
 

Xler8

Well-Known Member
Do we know who exactly will be improving the trail systems? Or is it too early to tell?
 
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