Orange and Rockland Riders

The program called the "backcountry trails" fund (about $125k) was designed by NY State Parks to train and get more people to volunteer on the trails. They built a hiking only trail last year and I pointed out that to be fair they should do a multi use trail project next and here we are with this opportunity to surpass the amount of volunteers that came out for the hiking trails.

If this shows to be a success maybe we can talk them into doing the same at another park? The squeaky wheel gets the grease!

The world is run by people who show up!
 
I completely missed this when it was posted earlier in the year. Would love to see Warwick County Park AKA Hickory Hill get some love. There already is some trails, mostly quad and double track but the terrain of the park itself has real potential. The park is bookended by two steep ridge lines (think otter slide at Jungle with less rocks or new white at Ringwood) and two mostly dry stream beds that I could see a nice shelf cut sweeping up and down the sides of the beds as well as across. A decent number of local residents ride here when they only have an hour for a ride, so there may be enough interest to support trail maintenance/advocacy. One can get 1000 feet of climbing in a 7 mile loop there starting from the park and ride.
 
jimf said:
I completely missed this when it was posted earlier in the year. Would love to see Warwick County Park AKA Hickory Hill get some love. There already is some trails, mostly quad and double track but the terrain of the park itself has real potential. The park is bookended by two steep ridge lines (think otter slide at Jungle with less rocks or new white at Ringwood) and two mostly dry stream beds that I could see a nice shelf cut sweeping up and down the sides of the beds as well as across. A decent number of local residents ride here when they only have an hour for a ride, so there may be enough interest to support trail maintenance/advocacy. One can get 1000 feet of climbing in a 7 mile loop there starting from the park and ride.
Click to expand...
P.m me let's talk
 
jimf said:
I completely missed this when it was posted earlier in the year. Would love to see Warwick County Park AKA Hickory Hill get some love. There already is some trails, mostly quad and double track but the terrain of the park itself has real potential. The park is bookended by two steep ridge lines (think otter slide at Jungle with less rocks or new white at Ringwood) and two mostly dry stream beds that I could see a nice shelf cut sweeping up and down the sides of the beds as well as across. A decent number of local residents ride here when they only have an hour for a ride, so there may be enough interest to support trail maintenance/advocacy. One can get 1000 feet of climbing in a 7 mile loop there starting from the park and ride.
Click to expand...

I moved to Warwick from Greenwood Lake in September. I stopped in to Barry's Bikes today to check out his shop and he clued me into Hickory Hill as I had no idea that trails even existed there. Drew me a map and everything so I felt I had to buy some grips (needed them anyway). Gonna give it a go later this week probably as it is within riding distance from my front door.
 
So I have been riding at Hickory Hill in Warwick a bit lately and I have to say...It's really fun for an hour ride door to door. It certainly doesn't have the numbers in terms of trails like the bigger parks but the single track that is there is good and super fun. There are areas that are just begging to be developed and someone is doing a bit of trail maintenance as the downed trees have all been cut, small bridges and small berms have been built and the trails are getting more ridden in. I'm just wondering who is doing the trail maintenance; is it a group or just someone out with a saw, shovel, mattock, and bucket? Maybe @jimf knows?

Anyway, it's a fun place to ride but not enough mileage to dedicate a trip but if anyone is passing by with a bike I would stop and give it a go (check strava for the trails). Even if you're in Warwick with your bike, it's only a mile or so outside of town.
 
greeek32 said:
So I have been riding at Hickory Hill in Warwick a bit lately and I have to say...It's really fun for an hour ride door to door. It certainly doesn't have the numbers in terms of trails like the bigger parks but the single track that is there is good and super fun. There are areas that are just begging to be developed and someone is doing a bit of trail maintenance as the downed trees have all been cut, small bridges and small berms have been built and the trails are getting more ridden in. I'm just wondering who is doing the trail maintenance; is it a group or just someone out with a saw, shovel, mattock, and bucket? Maybe @jimf knows?

Anyway, it's a fun place to ride but not enough mileage to dedicate a trip but if anyone is passing by with a bike I would stop and give it a go (check strava for the trails). Even if you're in Warwick with your bike, it's only a mile or so outside of town.
Click to expand...
Here is a weird story about Hickory Hill Park.

Unsolved murder keep mystery alive
By Mike Dawson, Times Herald-Record Apr. 13, 2006 at 2:00 AM

Warwick is a town known for its Black Dirt, its suburban spreads, its schools. But it's also home to three cold murder cases.
For the Mania family, November is when they need to be strongest. It was two days before Thanksgiving in 2004 when Tim Mania was killed while hunting deer not a quarter mile from his family's home.
While most murders are solved, there are 19 open homicide cases in the southern Orange County region, including the three in Warwick. VanDerMolen, is also in charge of the Mania investigation.
"It's like the TV shows, the first 48 or 72 hours after are the most important. Most result in an arrest. Unfortunately, a few grow cold," VanDerMolen said. "But we keep plugging away."
The Mania family has a reward for $5,000 for the arrest of Timothy's killer.
A school bus driver for Our Lady on the Hill daycare center in Goshen. Mania, 46, was found shot to death in the woods near his Birdsall Road home the day before Thanksgiving.
Still, no arrests.
"(The mystery) is this thing that I have no control over," Mania's niece, Stacey Gray, said this past Thanksgiving. "There are no answers. And there'll be no answers until someone is caught." "Closure, an arrest is what we need."

Warwick Hickorypark3.jpg

I went riding and geocaching last year there. Once through the park the trail was fun and a little muddy to ride.
BUT! as I got closer to the geocache I heard gun shots not far off on my left hand side. Sounded like only a few hundred feet away, close enough to send me bolting back the way I came! It wasn't hunting season either! When I got home I started researching the park and that area and that is when I found this story. I haven't been back, but I think I will someday. I really spooked me.
 
Spooky! Contact Palisades MTB for info on helping to get permission to maintain trails there but maybe you need to ride with a bullet proof vest!
 
This park is interesting in many ways but one of the most interesting things about it is almost every user of the park I meet, want it to remain off the beaten path and private or at the very least unused by outsiders. The dog people think its theirs and refer to it as the dog park, the quad guys fly by me looking at me like I am doing something wrong riding the trails and the current group of trail maintainers think it is theirs. Its going to be a tough place to bring into the light, in fact it may not be possible.

The property owners surrounding the park are very concerned about trespassing, some obsessively so. There is one property between the park and ride and maskers orchard that has posted signs on every single tree bordering their property. Every one, in most places two to five trees deep, its absurd and a little scary even. I mean, who does that kind of thing? Potentially, someone who also stores body parts in their fridge and has a torture chamber in their basement. This combined with a fair number of long time locals, again, bordering the park, who ride their quads, hunt anytime they feel like it(this really surprised me, hearing the gunshots outside of hunting season considering the consequences of such activities) and fundamentally believe that the park is their private playground makes for a place that I am not surprised to hear about a murder taking place. Not knowing any details of the case its also possible it was a hunting accident I guess

@greeek32, to answer you question, I do know the group that is currently maintaining the trails, or I should say I know two of them. I also have spoken with @Bleeder regarding proposals and how to go about contacting the park to legitimize the trail maintenance with the parks blessing. However I did not want to do that without discussing with the current maintainers and getting them involved, I have no interest in working against people that are dedicated like the group working on these trails currently. They really do a good job on the trails and do know what they are doing, someone in the group has some IMBA training I suspect, the trails drain really well. I have not as of yet reached to this group because of work travel obligations and kids spsorts, but I will and I will let you know how it goes.

I believe that the park terrain has so much potential for great trails it does not hurt that its in my backyard either. :)
 
everyone i have met in there has been really nice. i spoke to a bunch of guys on quads and they seemed surprised that i wasn't pissed at them for riding in the park but they were fine. every dog walker has been friendly too.

i definitely agree that the current trail builders should have a major say in whether or not a trail advocacy group gets involved in trail building and maintenance there. i hope they agree as it is such a nice piece of property with such potential considering the type and lay of the terrain. plus, i can ride there from my house.
 
greeek32 said:
everyone i have met in there has been really nice. i spoke to a bunch of guys on quads and they seemed surprised that i wasn't pissed at them for riding in the park but they were fine. every dog walker has been friendly too.

i definitely agree that the current trail builders should have a major say in whether or not a trail advocacy group gets involved in trail building and maintenance there. i hope they agree as it is such a nice piece of property with such potential considering the type and lay of the terrain. plus, i can ride there from my house.
Click to expand...
I've only met one dog walker there that was annoyed with me on the bike because their off leash dog wanted a piece of me and they had to try and regain control of their beast.
 
greeek32 said:
everyone i have met in there has been really nice. i spoke to a bunch of guys on quads and they seemed surprised that i wasn't pissed at them for riding in the park but they were fine. every dog walker has been friendly too.

i definitely agree that the current trail builders should have a major say in whether or not a trail advocacy group gets involved in trail building and maintenance there. i hope they agree as it is such a nice piece of property with such potential considering the type and lay of the terrain. plus, i can ride there from my house.
Click to expand...

I reread what I wrote and it came out too harsh on the other users, I was trying to say that the one thing everyone I have spoken to that uses the park likes about the park or do not what to change is the number of people using it. They are quite happy that it sees little traffic and have told me that very specifically. Again this is only a sample of the trail users, I tend to hit this place at the same time so I may only be seeing a very small subsection of the users.
 
Kaleidopete said:
I've only met one dog walker there that was annoyed with me on the bike because their off leash dog wanted a piece of me and they had to try and regain control of their beast.
Click to expand...

Most of the dogs I see in the park are off leash, I really have no issue with it as long as the dog is not a bike chaser and even then I just stop and let the owner get the dog back under control, chat and move on.
 
jimf said:
Most of the dogs I see in the park are off leash, I really have no issue with it as long as the dog is not a bike chaser and even then I just stop and let the owner get the dog back under control, chat and move on.
Click to expand...

i've never actually seen a dog on a leash in there which I have the same feelings as you regarding this and I handle it the same way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom