Wharton Conditions

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
Trails are currently frozen and fast.

Though sure to be hit by freeze/thaw in a few days. If you find yourself on the trail when the the trail is thawing and turning to a sand slurry, please save the trail and jump onto the adjacent sand roads. You'll still have a good ride, and if you're good w/ a topographic map, you'll easily find the few hills that Wharton offers. Please PM if you need some pointers.

FYI: Some springtime events at WSF to be aware of.

There is an orienteering event at Batsto on Sunday 3/24/19. If you're riding, please keep your head on-swivel. The newbies at the event will likely be stopped mid-trail puzzling over the map.

There are motorcycle enduro events in the area on: 3/24/19; 3/31/19; and 4/14/19. If you're riding, keep your ears open. Please pay attention when crossing fire cuts and the sand roads.
 

pibbles

Well-Known Member
Trails are currently frozen and fast.

Though sure to be hit by freeze/thaw in a few days. If you find yourself on the trail when the the trail is thawing and turning to a sand slurry, please save the trail and jump onto the adjacent sand roads. You'll still have a good ride, and if you're good w/ a topographic map, you'll easily find the few hills that Wharton offers. Please PM if you need some pointers.

FYI: Some springtime events at WSF to be aware of.

There is an orienteering event at Batsto on Sunday 3/24/19. If you're riding, please keep your head on-swivel. The newbies at the event will likely be stopped mid-trail puzzling over the map.

There are motorcycle enduro events in the area on: 3/24/19; 3/31/19; and 4/14/19. If you're riding, keep your ears open. Please pay attention when crossing fire cuts and the sand roads.
Looks like it will be a fast wharton 40 on Saturday!
 

Mountain Bike Mike

Well-Known Member
I saw your tracks in and out on Quaker Bridge Rd. Just to let you know that on our way back, you still were the only tracks (other then us) on the back end of the orange trail. And that was about 2:30pm.

The first pass on blue, no animal tracks... second pass on blue, fresh paw prints from either a big fox or cayote.. Is there Cayote out there?

Also, how is the Pink trail from Batsto to Quaker bridge. Every time I’m on my way back to atsion, I’m always curious about it what I pass the entrance
 

Davesnhere

Active Member
The first pass on blue, no animal tracks... second pass on blue, fresh paw prints from either a big fox or cayote.. Is there Cayote out there?

Also, how is the Pink trail from Batsto to Quaker bridge. Every time I’m on my way back to atsion, I’m always curious about it what I pass the entrance
Yes, there are Coyotes out there, they are usually pretty elusive when it comes to people tho. By "pink" trail, are you referring to the Batona? If so, it's off limits to bikes (foot traffic only). I usually ride from the Atsion ranger station, past Quacker bridge, and pick up the orange trail that way (it adds roughly 10 more miles to the orange loop). Enjoy Wharton, it's one of the best riding areas around!
 

sandman

Well-Known Member
Yes, there are Coyotes out there, they are usually pretty elusive when it comes to people tho. By "pink" trail, are you referring to the Batona? If so, it's off limits to bikes (foot traffic only). I usually ride from the Atsion ranger station, past Quacker bridge, and pick up the orange trail that way (it adds roughly 10 more miles to the orange loop). Enjoy Wharton, it's one of the best riding areas around!
What He said!
 

Mountain Bike Mike

Well-Known Member
Yes, there are Coyotes out there, they are usually pretty elusive when it comes to people tho. By "pink" trail, are you referring to the Batona? If so, it's off limits to bikes (foot traffic only). I usually ride from the Atsion ranger station, past Quacker bridge, and pick up the orange trail that way (it adds roughly 10 more miles to the orange loop). Enjoy Wharton, it's one of the best riding areas around!


What He said!

I think I was beng stalked by a coyote on Blue

Like this: https://strava.app.link/enwpQ1KG0T

C80C601E-2C4D-4822-8A13-61E1243333DD.jpeg
 

sandman

Well-Known Member
11 years ago, when we did our first W40, the Batsto trails where a dream coming true. As years added up, and the Batsto trails where getting better, we started using more Batsto trails. Jemima Mount has been out for the last few years. So we added the Blue trail. Now I'm thinking that the Red, White, and Blue, could cut out the Penn Swamp By-Bass, and the Junk yard. Our ride time has gone from 7 hours in the past, to 6 hours on yesterdays ride. I won't change the start. I think the Sandy Ridge is a could challenge. But I do see us using more of the Batsto trails. So! Thank you for all the work, and the people that do the work on the trails.
 

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
If you find yourself on the trail when the the trail is saturated and/or thawing and the trail is a sand slurry, please save the trail and jump onto the adjacent sand roads. You'll still have a good ride, and if you're good w/ a topographic map, you'll easily find the few hills that Wharton offers. Please PM if you need some pointers. Riding in the winter sand slurry brings longer\bigger sugar sand sections in the warmer months. (Nobody enjoys that.)

FYI: Some springtime events at WSF to be aware of.

There is an orienteering event at Batsto on Sunday 3/24/19. If you're riding, please keep your head on-swivel. This event's newbies will likely be stopped mid-trail in the middle of a blind turn puzzling over their map/compass and completely oblivious to your approach.

There are motorcycle enduro events in the area on: 3/24/19; 3/31/19; and 4/14/19. If you're riding, keep your ears open. Please pay attention when crossing fire cuts and the sand roads. Remember to wheelie up if you encounter churn or rough areas.
 
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stevie.mtb

Member
Looking to ride Wharton this weekend for the first time. The weather looks promising...will Wharton be dry/rideable by this weekend?

If so, I plan to start at Batsto and ride the Orange Loop that I found on TrailForks. Is the trail system marked/easy to follow? Any additional tips/recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!
 

JDurk

Well-Known Member
Looking to ride Wharton this weekend for the first time. The weather looks promising...will Wharton be dry/rideable by this weekend?

If so, I plan to start at Batsto and ride the Orange Loop that I found on TrailForks. Is the trail system marked/easy to follow? Any additional tips/recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!
Can't speak about current conditions, but the trails are marked and very easy to follow. There is a kiosk with trail info right at the trailhead. Plan to pedal, pedal, pedal and turn, turn, turn.
 

chemgirl

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Looking to ride Wharton this weekend for the first time. The weather looks promising...will Wharton be dry/rideable by this weekend?

If so, I plan to start at Batsto and ride the Orange Loop that I found on TrailForks. Is the trail system marked/easy to follow? Any additional tips/recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!
I tried to ride there today. IMO the orange loop is not rideable. I turned around about a third of the way through. I don’t normally ride there and have no idea how quickly it will dry out.
 

slingblade_uhhuh

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
Looking to ride Wharton this weekend for the first time. The weather looks promising...will Wharton be dry/rideable by this weekend?

If so, I plan to start at Batsto and ride the Orange Loop that I found on TrailForks. Is the trail system marked/easy to follow? Any additional tips/recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

This has been a very wet winter. The forestry staff has been regularly issuing flooded trail advisories. A long stretch of the Penn Branch Trail (aka: Orange, aka: Ice Cream Cone Loop, aka: Tater Salad) is still under water, 18"+ in sections. There are several large deep mud holes developing in other sections because people are still riding through them. Please wait for the trails to drain before riding. The water level is so high that it might take several months to drain.

There currently are lots of fallen trees on the northern section that will impede a ride. The JORBA-Wharton Chapter Trail Crew will be taking axes to these when the trail dries out.
 
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stevie.mtb

Member
This has been a very wet winter. The forestry staff has been regularly issuing flooded trail advisories. A long stretch of the Penn Branch Trail (aka: Orange, aka: Ice Cream Cone Loop, aka: Tater Salad) is still under water, 18"+ in sections. There are several large deep mud holes developing in other sections because people are still riding through them. Please wait for the trails to drain before riding. The water level is so high that it might take several months to drain.

There currently are lots of fallen trees on the northern section that will impede a ride. The JORBA-Wharton Chapter Trail Crew will be taking axes to these when the trail dries out.
Seems to be the case for many trail systems throughout NJ...bummer! Will definitely stay out of Wharton for a while, thanks for the heads up
 

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