Jonathan Woods

[PonchoTempest]

On my way home from work yesterday I saw this:

That stand of cedar trees at the meriden rd trailhead is GONE. Most are healthy trees about two feet in diameter; snapped of ten feet up, not uprooted.

 

[UtahJoe]

On my way home from work yesterday I saw this:

That stand of cedar trees at the meriden rd trailhead is GONE. Most are healthy trees about two feet in diameter; snapped of ten feet up, not uprooted.

I saw that yesterday, crazy

 

[graveyardman67]

Part of our regular loop over here. I live less than 1/2 mile from the trailhead.

Blew my mind. Definitely the most trees down in one area. I can only imagine the mtn must have caused some acceleration of the wind in valley. The horse farm across the street had a 20 ft shed move like 50 feet (they have it back in place now).

 

[GSS]

Want to set something up to chain saw the trails open. Cant go around the downed trees. I have rope and a good saw. Thoughts??

 

[PonchoTempest]

Maybe Saturday. Would you know who to contact?

 

[graveyardman67]

Maybe Saturday. Would you know who to contact?

Someone from here...
http://powww.zeno.thinkhost.com/index02.htm

 

[xc62701]

Please go through the appropriate channels and checkout Jorba.org to possibly find a contact. Please do not just go in and start cutting down trees to open up trails. It needs to be done in an organized manner or it could look bad for the whole MTB population in general.

 

[graveyardman67]

Please go through the appropriate channels and checkout Jorba.org to possibly find a contact. Please do not just go in and start cutting down trees to open up trails. It needs to be done in an organized manner or it could look bad for the whole MTB population in general.

J-woods had some "other" trails built that were clearly made to bypass some crappy sections to walk and ride. Someone was apparently not happy with said trail building and posted rather rude (IMO) signs that basically said F-off don't build trails in my woods. They did leave a phone number but based upon the sign verbage the call would ultimately be an outlet for the sign maker to simply tell you off some more.

The web site I posted above has been responsible for much of the TM & TB there. Though I know JORBA has a presence as well. Though this is community property proper channels need to be heeded.

 

[GSS]

Good points - well taken.

 

[notcho]

Last month I ran into Mike from the POWW at the hawk watch. He mentioned they were going to blaze a new trail on the other side of Old Beach Glen Rd which would connect Jwoods to Wildcat at blue on Meridan. Road by today and noticed they moved the signage (red push pin above) and blazed the trail orange. If you come out of Jwoods from Orange make a right and looks for the new trailhead on the left about 100 yards down the road. Not sure if it's finished yet but I believe he was enlisting Jorba for some help. @trailhead, any updates? -Matt

 

[JimN]

Not sure if it's finished yet but I believe he was enlisting Jorba for some help. @trailhead, any updates? -Matt

Nice! I'll have to check this out next week. If they post a TM, we should try and show up in large support. JWoods has lots of potential, and it would be cool if we could get in there and so some work.

 

[trailhead]

We helped POWWW put in that connector a few weeks ago. One important thing missing from that connector....the bridge across beaver brook. This is being done by the BSoA and MCPC, though is actually RT property. JORBA is going to put in the connector to the BGT on the other side of the brook. The map does not reflect that well, but we want the trail to cross the road at a point where the traffic sight lines are as good as they can be. This will be where the hunters park on occasion. If you want to help, I'll post a work session.

 

[JimN]

If you want to help, I'll post a work session.

In.

 

[JimN]

He mentioned they were going to blaze a new trail on the other side of Old Beach Glen Rd which would connect Jwoods to Wildcat at blue on Meridan.

I saw on the NYNJTC maps that there is some old unmaintained stuff in that area, but I hadn't made it over to check it out yet. I figured whatever they built connects into that and was in the area yesterday, so I went and did some exploring. I entered off of Pillar Dr by heading toward some park/baseball field and staying left on the gravel road. You go around a small pond and it looks like the trail ends, but you can get under some overgrowth and trees into the old trail. It might not be easily passable there in another month or two though. This first section was kind of swampy and muddy which I expected based on the map. The old woods road is still 100% there though. I eventually came to orange blazes, and figured a right there would be the newly blazed trail heading back to Old Beach Glen. So I stayed left and straight, and the orange blazes went all the way to the dead end at a swamp/pond right near the Beach Glen Trail entrance off Meriden. It'll be really nice to use this connector to make a loop of BGT without having to ride all the way down Meriden. There is also some other old moto stuff back there but I didn't do much exploring. I headed back on orange and took it out to the new trailhead. I think it's just an old woods road that they blazed more or less, although there are obvious re-routes in places to avoid the swampier areas. There was a nice old fireplace on this trail which I always love seeing. It's about a quarter of a mile down the road from where old orange dumps you out. There isn't really anything great in there, but it's super exciting as a connector once a bridge is built to get you back across to Meriden.

https://www.strava.com/activities/572122482

 

[trailhead]

BSoA Troop 118 is planning to put the bridge in June 11 and is soliciting volunteers.
They are doing some prep work this Saturday May 14.

 

[notcho]

June 11th could work for me. After this is complete is there any chance the POWW would solicit Jorba to reroute the Ford Road red trail out of the stream?

 

[bill-now]

It seems to me that the Beaver Brook bridge, if it is going in where I think, will be an impressive feat. Looking at Google Earth, the bridge will have to be about 75 foot long. The Blue track is about where your feet will start to get very wet.

 

[trailhead]

June 11th could work for me. After this is complete is there any chance the POWW would solicit Jorba to reroute the Ford Road red trail out of the stream?

You may recall a few years ago that frustration in trail conditions resulted in some users rerouting the trail themselves. POWWW/ MCPC got upset over this and contacted us. We then acted as a liaison to trail users and curbed the activity, citing that in time we hoped to get permission to make some real improvements. The POWWW board has changed some and now wants more involvement from JORBA, but approval ultimately comes from MCPC. I am not sure to what extend they would allow improvements.
You can provide feedback on trail conditions to Russ Nee at MCPC: rnee@morrisparks.net

http://www.mtbnj.com/forum/threads/jonathan-woods.33174/#post-534155
#13

 

[trailhead]

BSoA Troop 118 is planning to put the bridge in June 11 and is soliciting volunteers.

This is still on for Saturday, 9:15am Meridan Rd, at the east terminus of the Beach Glen Trail.
I don't think this is going to be a huge time commitment, they just need a lot of backs to carry the already assembled bridge and put it in place. Those with back problems.....Bill... exempt!

 

[JimN]

This is still on for Saturday, 9:15am Meridan Rd, at the east terminus of the Beach Glen Trail.

Thanks for the reminder! That should work for me, although I don't have very much upper body strength