Hartshorne/Huber Conditions

rottin'

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Fortunately I’ve never had any issues with hikers at this park. Almost every time I stop for them, they are stopping for me and urging me to go ahead as they don’t want to ruin my momentum! I still am very courteous to every hiker and let them decide if they want to stop so I can keep going or I yield
@kbajaj I do the same...it almost always surprises the hikers when I inform them that all cyclists should be yielding to hikers/dog walkers and they almost always tell me "No one has ever stopped for us..." kind of lament; and the most common response was that they thought cyclists had the right of way since many did not stop/yield. It's sad, but not surprising. Glad you are doing the right thing and getting good MTB karma on the trail...Hartshorne/Huber are both very popular hiking parks and can be challenging with MTBers...
 

Alfonzo

New Member
Went for a ride at Hartshorn this morning, Buttermilk/Grand Tour and Monmouth Hills loop. Everything was hero dirt except the stretch of the Monmouth Hills loop between the Rocky Point connector (Bunker Bomber) and the "Rock Garden". It was still frozen, but thawing. It will be a mud pit by mid-day so avoid that section if you want to keep your bike and gear clean.
 

Jrzjoe

Well-Known Member
Went for a ride at Hartshorn this morning, Buttermilk/Grand Tour and Monmouth Hills loop. Everything was hero dirt except the stretch of the Monmouth Hills loop between the Rocky Point connector (Bunker Bomber) and the "Rock Garden". It was still frozen, but thawing. It will be a mud pit by mid-day so avoid that section if you want to keep your bike and gear clean.
Mud pit confirmed.
a couple of other soft spots too but just in low lying areas or spots where runoff collects.
keep your eyes peeled for trail maintenance opportunities coming in the near future here. Let’s do the right thing by the parks dept.
 

Ronnie B

Well-Known Member
Mud pit confirmed.
a couple of other soft spots too but just in low lying areas or spots where runoff collects.
keep your eyes peeled for trail maintenance opportunities coming in the near future here. Let’s do the right thing by the parks dept.
I have plans of going tomorrow, will make note of anything I see.
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
As some of you know I work for the Monmouth County Park System on the Golf Courses. Recently there have been changes for me and I now work on trails, specifically with the volunteer's coordinator Tracy and the volunteers. I am part of a team that has been put together to improve the trails in the Park System.

Tracy has done a fantastic job assembling volunteers and addressing trail issues. Those who have volunteered with her can attest to this.

We are currently looking for more volunteers, as part of the team I am scouting projects to do and need your help in completing the work.

Please look at this link and sign up for open dates available. You must attend a training session before heading out to trails to do work. The training is informal and hands on, you won't be sitting in a classroom.

If the training session is full sign up to be wait listed. Doing so will let us know there is demand for more training sessions and we will schedule them accordingly.

If you have any questions or suggestions message me or email Tracy in the link. We are here to make improvements together.

 

knobbyhead

Next off the Island.
As some of you know I work for the Monmouth County Park System on the Golf Courses. Recently there have been changes for me and I now work on trails, specifically with the volunteer's coordinator Tracy and the volunteers. I am part of a team that has been put together to improve the trails in the Park System.

Tracy has done a fantastic job assembling volunteers and addressing trail issues. Those who have volunteered with her can attest to this.

We are currently looking for more volunteers, as part of the team I am scouting projects to do and need your help in completing the work.

Please look at this link and sign up for open dates available. You must attend a training session before heading out to trails to do work. The training is informal and hands on, you won't be sitting in a classroom.

If the training session is full sign up to be wait listed. Doing so will let us know there is demand for more training sessions and we will schedule them accordingly.

If you have any questions or suggestions message me or email Tracy in the link. We are here to make improvements together.

Thanks for posting this. There is also a thread I created for hartshorne tm info.

I going for training to be a trail maintenance leader. I'm scheduled for 1st aid training this week if there's a spot. I'm off during the week so I can run some crews during the week.

Did you know Brian Corrigan? He did golf then moved over to the park in long branch.
 

TimBay

Well-Known Member
As some of you know I work for the Monmouth County Park System on the Golf Courses. Recently there have been changes for me and I now work on trails, specifically with the volunteer's coordinator Tracy and the volunteers. I am part of a team that has been put together to improve the trails in the Park System.

Tracy has done a fantastic job assembling volunteers and addressing trail issues. Those who have volunteered with her can attest to this.

We are currently looking for more volunteers, as part of the team I am scouting projects to do and need your help in completing the work.

Please look at this link and sign up for open dates available. You must attend a training session before heading out to trails to do work. The training is informal and hands on, you won't be sitting in a classroom.

If the training session is full sign up to be wait listed. Doing so will let us know there is demand for more training sessions and we will schedule them accordingly.

If you have any questions or suggestions message me or email Tracy in the link. We are here to make improvements together.

This is great. Good time of year to get new volunteers. Please post up when the next TM session is happening. I'll try to make it out.
 

Karate Monkey

Well-Known Member
For those wondering: I rode most of both parks, and the areas that need a bit more time that stand out are:

Melt that is holding in depressions at Huber (part of the many log connector, both the singletrack that runs next to the bog near the road, and the OTHER section past where the first mud pit was repaired.

There is a small section at the beginning of the claypit connector (near the small lot) that has some greasy clay on it. It should be fine by tomorrow.

In Hartshorne, there are two areas that I saw that should maybe be avoided for a couple more days, and surprisingly(!) The downhill section where Laurel Ridge tees into Grand Tour [alligator log] was not it! Ride that trail up to where it tees into the "rock garden", then head back up. The bottom of Grand Tour was surprisingly firm, until you made the turn into the Monmouth Hills section. That section was practically mud all the way to the bottom of the climb back to the water tower. The climb up to the main lot was 'C+', at best. Suggestion: cut the bottom of Monmouth Hills out using the top but to connect back into Grand Tour for a few days.

I didn't ride Rocky Point, but I suspect the creek area would be quite muddy given the conditions in other questionable areas.
 
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knobbyhead

Next off the Island.
For those wondering: I rode most of both parks, and the areas that need a bit more time that stand out are:

Melt that is holding in depressions at Huber (part of the many log connector, both the singletrack that runs next to the bog near the road, and the OTHER section past where the first mud pit was repaired.

There is a small section at the beginning of the claypit connector (near the small lot) that has some greasy clay on it. It should be fine by tomorrow.

In Hartshorn, there are two areas that I saw that should maybe be avoided for a couple more days, and surprisingly(!) The downhill section where Laurel Ridge tees into Grand Tour [alligator log] was not it! Ride that trail up to where it tees into the "rock garden", then head back up. The bottom of Grand Tour was surprisingly firm, until you made the turn into the Monmouth Hills section. That section was practically mud all the way to the bottom of the climb back to the water tower. The climb up to the main lot was 'C+', at best. Suggestion: cut the bottom of Monmouth Hills out using the top but to connect back into Grand Tour for a few days.

I didn't ride Rocky Point, but I suspect the creek area would be quite muddy given the conditions in other questionable areas.
The creek area was it's usual muddy mess, but the rest of rocky point was really nice.
 

TimBay

Well-Known Member
Rad! Got an email from the parks volunteers. Set up my account and signed off on the covid restrictions. There were 3 available hartshorne TM sessions. I was able to register for April 10th. Keep an eye on your inbox people.
 

Ronnie B

Well-Known Member
I went yesterday and the track was great, very fast, started at Grand Tour from the Rocky Point parking lot and took it to Cuesta Ridge and from them headed towards Buttermilk lot before making a left on Laurel Ridge which I rode into Claypit Creek with thoughts of checking out Huber, but that's where I ran into crew members tearing down woods right adjacent to CC parking lot, no idea what is going on there but U-Turn it back to Laurel Ridge which I rode into rest area by Buttermilk and then took Cuesta Ridge back to Rocky Point trail. My route I saw very little mud.

Still like to know what the heck is going on Claypit Creek, they were tearing up woods in two sections there.
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
like to know what the heck is going on Claypit Creek, they were tearing up woods in two sections there.
The Park System hired a contractor to increase the size of parking lot and install a stone dust path around the perimeter for walkers. You can still take road over to Huber while work is being completed.

The Claypit parking lot is temporarily closed while work is being completed.
 

Ronnie B

Well-Known Member
The Park System hired a contractor to increase the size of parking lot and install a stone dust path around the perimeter for walkers. You can still take road over to Huber while work is being completed.

The Claypit parking lot is temporarily closed while work is being completed.
Oh I know, you take Hartshorne Rd to Locust Ave and cross the bridge, but it was the first ride of the year and I took it as a sign to keep it simple and short.
 

Karate Monkey

Well-Known Member
The Park System hired a contractor to increase the size of parking lot and install a stone dust path around the perimeter for walkers. You can still take road over to Huber while work is being completed.

The Claypit parking lot is temporarily closed while work is being completed.

I wasn't going to say anything, but I don't understand the gravel path. It already existed (in part), and the other half was hard, compacted dirt/clay. My first thought seeing the work was, "they must be installing a boat launch"...sad that this isn't the case (since, ya' know, seems like a waste of resources to install a path over a well-beaten/weather resistant trail).

I didn't get closer, since they taped it off, but it seems like they're tearing out the little 100 foot long section of wooded path?
 

CommandoStyle

Well-Known Member
The Park System hired a contractor to increase the size of parking lot and install a stone dust path around the perimeter for walkers. You can still take road over to Huber while work is being completed.

The Claypit parking lot is temporarily closed while work is being completed.
I used to love walking my dog here, I hope they don’t change it too drastically
 

Ronnie B

Well-Known Member

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