rjr44
Well-Known Member
looking to hit our daily dietary fiber goals eh
Camp Cromwell property
- Thread starter Kirt
- Start date
Getting all things to align for a new trail build is extremely difficult; permission from landowner, volunteers, design, funding, timeline...
So when a couple friends asked for help with their build, I did not hesitate to volunteer.
@Kirt and @Norm , Jorba reps for Chimney Rock/Cromwell, got the green light from Bridewater Township to rework trails built by a contractor a year ago on the Cromwell property.
Fortunately I was off for the holidays last week and was able to run a 4 ton mini excavator to shape trails with flowing lines. This machine is 2x the size of typical trail excavators but fortunately the site was relatively open to fit it. With twice the power and added stability and reach, this machine could hog out rock and soil needed to carve turns.
We buttoned up the rough in yesterday, with the rain, finish work will have to wait. Thank you to the trail volunteers who came out during the week.
This trail network, roughly 5-6miles is a contrast to the more raw, greater elevation CR across the road. As such CR/Crom offers greater diversity, I'd like to think it has the potential to please all trail users.
As mentioned previously all this awesomeness takes a lot to put together. Kirt and Norm not only managed the project but were able to get funding from Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association to secure an excavator and work with the owner of Hi Tech Landscaping who donated a labor force.
Everyone wants to know where Cromwell is, but I hope after reading this everyone will want to become a Jorba member and donate to projects like this throughout NJ, as well as get involved with trail maintenance locally.
We look forward to the opening of Cromwell this summer. Please don't ride there yet it's soft, not finished and technically not opened.
Cheers
So when a couple friends asked for help with their build, I did not hesitate to volunteer.
@Kirt and @Norm , Jorba reps for Chimney Rock/Cromwell, got the green light from Bridewater Township to rework trails built by a contractor a year ago on the Cromwell property.
Fortunately I was off for the holidays last week and was able to run a 4 ton mini excavator to shape trails with flowing lines. This machine is 2x the size of typical trail excavators but fortunately the site was relatively open to fit it. With twice the power and added stability and reach, this machine could hog out rock and soil needed to carve turns.
We buttoned up the rough in yesterday, with the rain, finish work will have to wait. Thank you to the trail volunteers who came out during the week.
This trail network, roughly 5-6miles is a contrast to the more raw, greater elevation CR across the road. As such CR/Crom offers greater diversity, I'd like to think it has the potential to please all trail users.
As mentioned previously all this awesomeness takes a lot to put together. Kirt and Norm not only managed the project but were able to get funding from Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association to secure an excavator and work with the owner of Hi Tech Landscaping who donated a labor force.
Everyone wants to know where Cromwell is, but I hope after reading this everyone will want to become a Jorba member and donate to projects like this throughout NJ, as well as get involved with trail maintenance locally.
We look forward to the opening of Cromwell this summer. Please don't ride there yet it's soft, not finished and technically not opened.
Cheers
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hls811
Well-Known Member
First off, thank you all…. I was there on Monday morning and blown away by the work you’ve all put in. I had seen the pictures posted and thought it was just some maintenance being done in spots, but wow.. just wow. The pictures do not capture the work and effort that’s been put in.
I’ve been riding Cromwell for a while and it’s been something different from the regular CR trails but not something I’d hit every time out. Now, it stands as a trail system on its own. I feel like you can spend hours there and not feel the need to cross the street.
Thank you to all that are involved. @Kirt @Norm @pooriggy, Hi-Tech, Jorba and all of the volunteers and magicians:
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. 🙏🏼
I’ve been riding Cromwell for a while and it’s been something different from the regular CR trails but not something I’d hit every time out. Now, it stands as a trail system on its own. I feel like you can spend hours there and not feel the need to cross the street.
Thank you to all that are involved. @Kirt @Norm @pooriggy, Hi-Tech, Jorba and all of the volunteers and magicians:
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. 🙏🏼
Attachments
Bikeworks
Well-Known Member
How about something really radical like naming them after Ivan Reitman films? I only thought of that because I was trying to remember the name in the camp in 'Meatballs.' (thought it might make a good name of a trail; it's Camp North Star, so it doesn't lol). Maybe a Reitman/John Landis mashup?!?!?!
Anyway, I'm wondering if it isn't a easier solution to just name the trails and use imagery to depict (ala anvil, shotgun shell at WMA).
Bikeworks
Well-Known Member
First off, this is absolutely amazing!!! Second, it's more amazing given the missteps by the town with regards to the contract going to someone unfamiliar with building MTB trails. Serious kudos to all of you for making this happen.
It is a constant work in progress. I mean, obviously it's still in progress as the finishing work has not been done yet. We expect that to be wrapped up next week. That will wrap up the JORBA-funded piece of the work. That specific project is what Iggy is talking about above.
A few points of clarification. High Tech donated the machine. JORBA is funding the actual finishing of the trails.
Another major, major point of clarification. While I am a non-trivial part of the work that's been done recently, @Kirt is the absolute driver of this whole relationship. I am playing the role of the friend that Kirt called up and was like, "Hey man, want to party?" and I was like, "Hells yes!" Kirt rental the hall, invited the guests, bought the food & beer, then I just showed up and did my best John Belushi to help wreck shop.
While I do plan to be involved in the coming year, make no mistake about who set this up and drove it. Hopefully we've done a good job laying out these new trails, and rerouting & fixing what was there when this started. If there's anything that we did that you think is bad, feel free to blame Iggy.
And of course thanks to the Poo Riggy for donating his time here. Huge asset to the community.
Also also - yeah it's not ideal to be riding these right now. Technically the park is closed and so on. And when you drive there, don't go above 25 on the side roads. And come to a full stop at all stop signs. My only ask: please please please only put tires on these while it's 32 degrees or lower for the next few months. We really don't want to be out there in April fixing up all this stuff from top to bottom.
As I stated in an earlier post, it was not really a misstep. If this contractor didn't win the bid, at a very low number IMO, this whole project could have been DOA. Every other bid was hundreds of thousands more ( up to 1 million more), all way over what they planned or had the funding for. And there was a lot more to this project than the trail building that was done fairly well or at least to spec. This property sat basically idle since 2017. The people in charge knew something had to get started even if half-assed. And maybe they gambled that the same people who volunteer and donate time and labor to the surrounding parks would step up. And they all did and some.
Bikeworks
Well-Known Member
Well said, and I stand corrected. Great job, I'm truly grateful. Hopefully I get the opportunity to get out there to help soon. 😎
This is solid info - money was allocated, which was huge. A decision was made - which at the speed of government is a win.
LFG!
nice job @Kirt, good assist from everyone involved. ty High Tech.
Lol
Dave Taylor
Rex kwan Do
Thx guys. Appreciate all the work over the years.
A-Plus.
Very nice work here. Very impressed.
Keep posting day that you are working and I'll spread the word.
Working with government is always challenging. My experience is basically that most people who work in the government are either working to build their ego/political stature or keep their head down low enough that no one notices them and they make no waves.
I'm sure that once you guys polish the hell out of cromwell, some local politician will take full credit. That's likely fine, as well as it is publicized as a great resource of the public at large. Perhaps this may pave the way for more singletrack on public land in NJ??
The question that comes to mind for me ..
How do we go from where we are to a world where singletrack trails are valued as much or more than soccer fields, tennis courts and even skate parks. ??
A world where local or state government sees the value of professionally built, sustainable trails. A world where the dots are connected between high quality trails and dollars spent in local businesses. This world does exist. Just not in NJ.
I personally have seen the return of my time and money investment in 6mr in increased revenue in our bike shop. Are there any other businesses in NJ that can show that trails can bolster local business?? Urgent care maybe??
Very nice work here. Very impressed.
Keep posting day that you are working and I'll spread the word.
Working with government is always challenging. My experience is basically that most people who work in the government are either working to build their ego/political stature or keep their head down low enough that no one notices them and they make no waves.
I'm sure that once you guys polish the hell out of cromwell, some local politician will take full credit. That's likely fine, as well as it is publicized as a great resource of the public at large. Perhaps this may pave the way for more singletrack on public land in NJ??
The question that comes to mind for me ..
How do we go from where we are to a world where singletrack trails are valued as much or more than soccer fields, tennis courts and even skate parks. ??
A world where local or state government sees the value of professionally built, sustainable trails. A world where the dots are connected between high quality trails and dollars spent in local businesses. This world does exist. Just not in NJ.
I personally have seen the return of my time and money investment in 6mr in increased revenue in our bike shop. Are there any other businesses in NJ that can show that trails can bolster local business?? Urgent care maybe??
I don’t remember typing that. lol. I guess it’s because it was 6 years ago. I’m quite the prophet.
JPark
Well-Known Member
Maybe part of the problem is that most people don't SEE singletrack trails. The average person driving down the road can see the tennis courts (now pickelball), skate parks and soccer fields. They know what their money is going to and know it's good for their home values.
Using CR as an example, perhaps have a jump line or skills zone around/near the ball fields where non-riders can see it. Or maybe route some trails near roads where pedestrians can see people riding. Maybe inspire them to ride. In fact, the reason I started mountain biking is because I was hiking in Killington the year they built their first jump trail and stopped to watch the riders for a while. I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen and started renting bikes that summer and then bought one the next year.
I think the average person believes a MTB trail is just a raked path through the woods and doesn't realize the work that goes into it. If they see some wooden progressive drops or any obvious man-made features, it lets them see that time and money are needed to build trails.
I believe covid helped bolster the importance and need for trails, as more people got out on trails as a result of everything else being closed. Who knows if Bridgwater would have spent $10mil on Cromwell had it not been for covid. Also Nica helps reinforce the need for local trails as more kids get involved, hopefully the schools/politicians recognize this.
This is where things get complicated. Soccer, baseball fields have an exact build spec that is easy to define. Drawing up a spec to build sustainable trail on 200 acres is way more difficult to define and costly.
Also, for the most part our economy in NJ does not rely as heavily on tourism dollars as much as a place like VT.
Finally, local and state government doesn't see any money return on building trails. Government is not in the money making business. The only benefit of quality parklands and trails is job security. If the people love their parks and trails, they let politicians know, budgets get passed and people have a job. Unfortunately a lot of government employees are not that motivated, knowing the best they can hope for is to keep the job, which on avg pays 45k/yr.
Fortunately I am employed by Monmouth County to perform trail work exclusively and am grateful that my employer sees the value in trails and is willing to give me a budget to work with. Furthermore it's not just trail building, but bringing in volunteers to connect with parklands and give back, to do something meaningful, for them and myself.
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rjr44
Well-Known Member
The average person also probably doesn't really realize/consciously notice that section of trail that was always a mud bog from Nov-Apr and now after a re-route/re-grade (which they may not even notice) it's no longer a muddy mess.
Monmouth County is more than fortunate to have @pooriggy in the mix. The other counties must be jealous .
Cassinonorth
Well-Known Member
I really don't know if there's a world where this ever happens in NJ. Seemingly this happens in places where tourism dollars are needed to keep people flowing to their area (Vermont, Bentonville, Western NC, etc).
They have land, they just need the people to bring the money. We have the money, we just don't have the land for dedicated MTB singletrack. Trails in NJ feel like an auxiliary benefit to people living here. Has there been any analysis done in High Bridge?
To your last point, how many other counties have a person, who is seemingly, dedicated to full time trail work?
I know mercer had a “crew” but they barely doing anything other than blown down removal if it is within 1/2 mile of an access point and never dirt related work.
The key thing here is usage, those other facilities are used far more than trails ever will be. Also, the county or municipality gets money from the organizations using them, which makes them self sustainable, or at least offsets some of the maintenance cost, hell, they may even be profitable.