Baldpate Conditions

Igotsoul4u

New Member
Little update. I rode a few days ago and the orange trail is kind of a mess. There are a ton of leaves and puddles. I am guessing its still pretty sloppy. Hunting is back on as well. Ride safe.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Little update. I rode a few days ago and the orange trail is kind of a mess. There are a ton of leaves and puddles. I am guessing its still pretty sloppy. Hunting is back on as well. Ride safe.
Closed this entire week for Hunting anyways. Closed Wed-Sat until February after this week.

As expected, Baldpate is a mess in the winter with the exception of the Ridge Trail.
 

MtTrailz

Member
Closed this entire week for Hunting anyways. Closed Wed-Sat until February after this week.

As expected, Baldpate is a mess in the winter with the exception of the Ridge Trail.
Yes, it's a mess. Was there last week after much rain. The Kuser trail (currently blazed green) was washed out with clumps of wet leaves. The Red Trail is muddy at the bottom, as usual.
 

MtTrailz

Member
Kuser trail today was a bit mushy from Pleasant Valley parking lot down along Power Lines, then gets better. The bottom third, going to the creek, was a mess. Ridge Trail was good, except loaded with people hiking and a few horses. Mid 60s in December brings everyone out.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Kuser trail today was a bit mushy from Pleasant Valley parking lot down along Power Lines, then gets better. The bottom third, going to the creek, was a mess. Ridge Trail was good, except loaded with people hiking and a few horses. Mid 60s in December brings everyone out.
Be mindful of conditions, the park people are super sensitive about it at the moment and have been on site a number of days recently.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Hunting closures at Baldpate are almost done! Just a reminder it is still closed Wed-Sat until February 13. Rock hard conditions at the moment. Be mindful of tracks in the snow when closed...
 

MtTrailz

Member
Rode BP this morning before the snow. Red Trail, White Ridge Trail and the Switchbacks towards Pleasant Valley Rd. Everything was dry and frozen. So nice to ride without mud or slick conditions. It will be awhile before the snow is gone.
 

rosceaux

Well-Known Member
Went for a quick run today. Ridgeline trail was mostly dry, although I'm sure that the lower trails are flowing. There were a couple of crews from a tree service on the trail today. They are taking down all the ash trees due to an Emerald Ash Borer infestation. Ridgeline looks like Neshaminy did two summers ago. They are using the trail as their work platform, so be careful if you go.
 

MtTrailz

Member
Just an FYI. Bald Pate park will be having a Prescribed Burn in the next few weeks, to clear out trees impacted by the Ash Borer infestation. I saw some NJ Forest Fire crew today and they said they plan to burn on Tue 4/20, likely all day. The Park will be closed during the burns. There may be other burns leading up to May 1st.
 

MtTrailz

Member
The eastern part of Bald Pate Park remains closed from the Prescribed burn. Other areas open today. Here is a map of the closed section.

Baldpate_PV_ParkClosed.jpg
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
the closed section is back open today and I checked it out and opened up a bunch of nics on the downhill over that way. It dried up a lot this week but a bunch of deep ruts from mtb weren’t going to adjust themselves
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carvegybe

Well-Known Member
I saw someone ride from Pleasant Valley Rd parking lot westwards along the high voltage line...by the third high voltage pole there seems to be a path connecting to somewhere near the snake climb.... is that path legal for MTB?
 

michael.su

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
I saw someone ride from Pleasant Valley Rd parking lot westwards along the high voltage line...by the third high voltage pole there seems to be a path connecting to somewhere near the snake climb.... is that path legal for MTB?
It’s been there a long time. I think it’s even marked at the top. (At connection to snake)
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
I saw someone ride from Pleasant Valley Rd parking lot westwards along the high voltage line...by the third high voltage pole there seems to be a path connecting to somewhere near the snake climb.... is that path legal for MTB?

It’s been there a long time. I think it’s even marked at the top. (At connection to snake)
it comes out at the ‘U’ marker near the ‘x’ marker which is the top of snake (I may have reversed the markers). In any case, the county has no interest in maintain the connector trail and it was removed from the map. I haven’t been on it in years, all I can comment is that it’s gets very overgrown.
 

michael.su

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
all I can comment is that it’s gets very overgrown.
Tru dat.
I like riding it because is adds more elevation change and also as an alternative to the ridge trail because the ridge trail gets super crowded with dawg walkers and hikers.
YMMV
 

TAS

Well-Known Member
Baldepate was clobbered by an EF2 tornado on Thursday. I have not been there yet but here is a report from the NWS. I can confirm that Washington Crossing park was hit. I was on duty at the Simpson Astronomy Observatory on Friday night. There was obvious tornado damage 150 yards away. The power came back up around 7:30 PM.
I can only imagine what the white trail looks like now.....maybe it missed that section. Can only hope.

TAS

.NEW HOPE TO HOPEWELL TWP TORNADO...

RATING: EF-2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 120 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 6.4 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 400 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

START DATE: JULY 29, 2021
START TIME: 5:59 PM EDT
START LOCATION: NEW HOPE / BUCKS / PA
START LAT/LON: 40.345/-74.948

END DATE: JULY 29, 2021
END TIME: 6:14 PM EDT
END LOCATION: HOPEWELL TWP / MERCER / NJ
END LAT/LON: 40.345/-74.948

THE SUPERCELL STORM WHICH PRODUCED A TORNADO IN PLUMSTEAD TWP
CYCLED AND PRODUCED ANOTHER TORNADO BEGINNING IN NEW HOPE IN BUCKS
COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. TREE DAMAGE BEGAN NEAR RIVER RD JUST WEST
OF THE DELAWARE RIVER, WITH A PORTION OF RIVER RD CLOSED AND
IMPASSABLE DUE TO DOWNED TREES. THE TORNADO CROSSED THE DELAWARE
RIVER AND ENTERED MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, IN THE AREA OF
WASHINGTON CROSSING. MULTIPLE REPORTS OF RESIDENTIAL TREE DAMAGE
WERE RECEIVED FROM WASHINGTON CROSSING, AND THE SURVEY TEAM
OBSERVED TREE DAMAGE ALONG RIVER RD ON THE NEW JERSEY SIDE OF THE
DELAWARE RIVER. FROM THERE THE TORNADO CONTINUED SOUTHEAST AND
CROSSED PLEASANT VALLEY RD. THE FIRST INDICATIONS OF EF2 DAMAGE
CAME ON THAT ROAD, WITH NUMEROUS LARGE HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES
SNAPPED, SHEARED, AND/OR UPROOTED. THE TORNADO CONTINUED
SOUTHEASTWARD AND CROSSED THROUGH BALDPATE MOUNTAIN. CONTINUED
HEAVY TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED IN THIS AREA. AN ACCESS ROAD TO THE
TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN WAS BARELY PASSABLE WHEN THE SURVEY TEAM
REACHED IT IN LATE AFTERNOON, AFTER MANY HOURS OF TREE CLEARING
WORK BY LOCAL PARKS OFFICIALS AND PRIVATE COMPANIES. HUNDREDS OF
TREES WERE SNAPPED OR DAMAGED ON THIS MOUNTAIN. DAMAGE CONTINUED
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN THROUGH FIDDLERS CREEK RD AND CHURCH RD. THE
TORNADO PATH THEN CROSSED WASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK.
FURTHER
DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED JUST SOUTHEAST ALONG BEAR TAVERN RD. IN FACT,
SOME OF THE LARGEST DOWNED TREES WERE OBSERVED IN THIS AREA.
HOWEVER, BY THIS POINT DAMAGE BECAME INCREASINGLY UNIDIRECTIONAL
AS THE STORM'S REAR FLANK DOWNDRAFT LIKELY WRAPPED AROUND THE
TORNADIC CIRCULATION. SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF TORNADIC WINDS STILL
EXISTED IN THE BEAR TAVERN RD AREA, BUT IT IS ESTIMATED THE
TORNADO LIFTED SOON AFTER, SHORTLY BEFORE ENTERING MUCH MORE
DENSELY POPULATED AREAS NEAR THE TRENTON MERCER AIRPORT.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Baldepate was clobbered by an EF2 tornado on Thursday. I have not been there yet but here is a report from the NWS. I can confirm that Washington Crossing park was hit. I was on duty at the Simpson Astronomy Observatory on Friday night. There was obvious tornado damage 150 yards away. The power came back up around 7:30 PM.
I can only imagine what the white trail looks like now.....maybe it missed that section. Can only hope.

TAS

.NEW HOPE TO HOPEWELL TWP TORNADO...

RATING: EF-2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 120 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 6.4 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 400 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

START DATE: JULY 29, 2021
START TIME: 5:59 PM EDT
START LOCATION: NEW HOPE / BUCKS / PA
START LAT/LON: 40.345/-74.948

END DATE: JULY 29, 2021
END TIME: 6:14 PM EDT
END LOCATION: HOPEWELL TWP / MERCER / NJ
END LAT/LON: 40.345/-74.948

THE SUPERCELL STORM WHICH PRODUCED A TORNADO IN PLUMSTEAD TWP
CYCLED AND PRODUCED ANOTHER TORNADO BEGINNING IN NEW HOPE IN BUCKS
COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. TREE DAMAGE BEGAN NEAR RIVER RD JUST WEST
OF THE DELAWARE RIVER, WITH A PORTION OF RIVER RD CLOSED AND
IMPASSABLE DUE TO DOWNED TREES. THE TORNADO CROSSED THE DELAWARE
RIVER AND ENTERED MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, IN THE AREA OF
WASHINGTON CROSSING. MULTIPLE REPORTS OF RESIDENTIAL TREE DAMAGE
WERE RECEIVED FROM WASHINGTON CROSSING, AND THE SURVEY TEAM
OBSERVED TREE DAMAGE ALONG RIVER RD ON THE NEW JERSEY SIDE OF THE
DELAWARE RIVER. FROM THERE THE TORNADO CONTINUED SOUTHEAST AND
CROSSED PLEASANT VALLEY RD. THE FIRST INDICATIONS OF EF2 DAMAGE
CAME ON THAT ROAD, WITH NUMEROUS LARGE HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES
SNAPPED, SHEARED, AND/OR UPROOTED. THE TORNADO CONTINUED
SOUTHEASTWARD AND CROSSED THROUGH BALDPATE MOUNTAIN. CONTINUED
HEAVY TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED IN THIS AREA. AN ACCESS ROAD TO THE
TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN WAS BARELY PASSABLE WHEN THE SURVEY TEAM
REACHED IT IN LATE AFTERNOON, AFTER MANY HOURS OF TREE CLEARING
WORK BY LOCAL PARKS OFFICIALS AND PRIVATE COMPANIES. HUNDREDS OF
TREES WERE SNAPPED OR DAMAGED ON THIS MOUNTAIN. DAMAGE CONTINUED
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN THROUGH FIDDLERS CREEK RD AND CHURCH RD. THE
TORNADO PATH THEN CROSSED WASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK.
FURTHER
DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED JUST SOUTHEAST ALONG BEAR TAVERN RD. IN FACT,
SOME OF THE LARGEST DOWNED TREES WERE OBSERVED IN THIS AREA.
HOWEVER, BY THIS POINT DAMAGE BECAME INCREASINGLY UNIDIRECTIONAL
AS THE STORM'S REAR FLANK DOWNDRAFT LIKELY WRAPPED AROUND THE
TORNADIC CIRCULATION. SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF TORNADIC WINDS STILL
EXISTED IN THE BEAR TAVERN RD AREA, BUT IT IS ESTIMATED THE
TORNADO LIFTED SOON AFTER, SHORTLY BEFORE ENTERING MUCH MORE
DENSELY POPULATED AREAS NEAR THE TRENTON MERCER AIRPORT.
I saw the damage along bear tavern, had my fingers crossed that it didn’t hit the east side of baldpate, but based in this description, it sounds like it went right over “honey hollow”,
 
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