New to sourlands

[clarkenstein]

Had to edit there - for some reason a part of a sentence got dropped.

btw- following the trail this time of year can be tough with all the leaves. If you need a guide I’ll be glad to lead a tour.

 

[Jeff Savlov]

Thanks @clarkenstein - might take you up on it - appreciate it. Got pretty aggressive tires and did pretty well except for not understanding the trail choices.

 

[Patrick]

Thanks @clarkenstein - might take you up on it - appreciate it. Got pretty aggressive tires and did pretty well except for not understanding the trail choices.

I'll provide a tour!

Let me know when you are going back.
A version of @clarkenstein loop

 

[rick81721]

Hi All. Been riding for about 7 years and loving it. Have heard about Sourlands and hiked here with friends this past Friday. Buddy and I took the bikes out there today. Got a bit confused and I read all above posts before we went LOL.

We went up the huge hill to start - all the way up to chain link fence - made a right to the trail just before the chain link fence. Followed white square markers and all was fun and good. Then we took the "C" trail markers and hit some gnarly sh-t - walked over a lot of stuff for a while. Finally, got lower down mountain and hit more ride-able stuff. Our intention was to go clockwise around the perimeter as suggested above. Seems we went down the middle. There are alot of great names of trails/parts of trails on this discussion - hard to translate into being out there. What could we have done differently to have avoided the really nasty stuff down the middle (I think it is accurate to call it down the ,middle - hard to know).

If it helps anyone figure out where we went, we went up and did all I described above and then went down big hill at the end. Never quite made the clockwise perimeter!

Like @Pklimovich - it is hard to figure out. Any help appreciated.

Need to post a strava/garmin link to see what you did. A chain link fence sounds like you went up the C trail, but doesn't match your description, unless you are calling the gates on the pipeline climb "chain link fence". The pipeline climb goes right up and is wide open. Anywho, follow @clarkenstein 's reco

 

[gmb3]

Hi All. Been riding for about 7 years and loving it. Have heard about Sourlands and hiked here with friends this past Friday. Buddy and I took the bikes out there today. Got a bit confused and I read all above posts before we went LOL.

We went up the huge hill to start - all the way up to chain link fence - made a right to the trail just before the chain link fence. Followed white square markers and all was fun and good. Then we took the "C" trail markers and hit some gnarly sh-t - walked over a lot of stuff for a while. Finally, got lower down mountain and hit more ride-able stuff. Our intention was to go clockwise around the perimeter as suggested above. Seems we went down the middle. There are alot of great names of trails/parts of trails on this discussion - hard to translate into being out there. What could we have done differently to have avoided the really nasty stuff down the middle (I think it is accurate to call it down the ,middle - hard to know).

If it helps anyone figure out where we went, we went up and did all I described above and then went down big hill at the end. Never quite made the clockwise perimeter!

Like @Pklimovich - it is hard to figure out. Any help appreciated.

When you say you went up the "huge hill" was that the Pipeline clearing or singletrack in the woods? The full perimeter has you cross over the Pipeline clearing twice: Once right at the beginning and then again at the halfway point at the top of the mountain. Did you ever get on a trail blazed with red markers? The map with numbered markers also helps a lot. Use that next time, or i can also provide a tour. And to really know what you did a GPS track would be helpful.

 

[Jeff Savlov]

Need to post a strava/garmin link to see what you did. A chain link fence sounds like you went up the C trail, but doesn't match your description, unless you are calling the gates on the pipeline climb "chain link fence". The pipeline climb goes right up and is wide open. Anywho, follow @clarkenstein 's reco

No Strava/Garmin. "Old School" LOL. I meant the pipeline clearing hill. We took that straight up (OUCH). At the very top is a chain link fence on the right side going up. Just before it on the right is a trail entrance and we took that.

 

[Jeff Savlov]

Thanks to all for input - I'll be going back this Sunday morning.

@clarkenstein - @Patrick and @gmb3 have all offered to give a tour and my buddy, Butch, and I would love it. Let us know if that works and where to meet. @Pklimovich - join us!

Thanks - Jeff

 

[clarkenstein]

Thanks to all for input - I'll be going back this Sunday morning.

@clarkenstein - @Patrick and @gmb3 have all offered to give a tour and my buddy, Butch, and I would love it. Let us know if that works and where to meet. @Pklimovich - join us!

Thanks - Jeff

I could do a wheels down 7 or 8.

 

[gmb3]

No Strava/Garmin. "Old School" LOL. I meant the pipeline clearing hill. We took that straight up (OUCH). At the very top is a chain link fence on the right side going up. Just before it on the right is a trail entrance and we took that.

Ah ok, so you climbed the brutal Pipeline and then rode the gnarlier side of the park (Boulderama). Left of the Pipeline is more rider-friendly for the most part. I cannot ride Sunday morning. Hopefully someone can give you a tour but if not, take a look at the map and follow the marker numbers: http://www.somersetcountyparks.org/genInfo/maps/SourlandsMap.pdf

Best direction to ride the trails is a big perimeter loop going Clockwise starting on the grass slope above the parking lot pond. Full loop takes you in order through Markers 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-(6 optional)-4-Devil's Half Acre-1. This will be approximately 6 tough technical miles with 650ft. elevation gain.

New Blue circle trail Chunky Monkey is not on the map but it is an 0.7 mile offshoot from the Red Three Amigos trail (called Roaring Brook on the official map) between Roaring Rocks and the TX Eastern Pipeline. I will work with the new park management to get the map updated. I doubt they will rename the trails to what the mountain bikers call them though, so here's a rough reference to eliminate confusion:

Marker 8 to 7 = New Shoes (on Strava)
Red circle from Roaring Rocks to TX Eastern Pipeline = Three Amigos
Red from TX Eastern Pipeline to Marker 4= Montezuma
White from Marker 4 to Marker 1 through Devil's Half Acre = Boulderama

 

[Jeff Savlov]

Ah ok, so you climbed the brutal Pipeline and then rode the gnarlier side of the park (Boulderama). Left of the Pipeline is more rider-friendly for the most part. I cannot ride Sunday morning. Hopefully someone can give you a tour but if not, take a look at the map and follow the marker numbers: http://www.somersetcountyparks.org/genInfo/maps/SourlandsMap.pdf

Best direction to ride the trails is a big perimeter loop going Clockwise starting on the grass slope above the parking lot pond. Full loop takes you in order through Markers 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-(6 optional)-4-Devil's Half Acre-1. This will be approximately 6 tough technical miles with 650ft. elevation gain.

New Blue circle trail Chunky Monkey is not on the map but it is an 0.7 mile offshoot from the Red Three Amigos trail (called Roaring Brook on the official map) between Roaring Rocks and the TX Eastern Pipeline. I will work with the new park management to get the map updated. I doubt they will rename the trails to what the mountain bikers call them though, so here's a rough reference to eliminate confusion:

Marker 8 to 7 = New Shoes (on Strava)
Red circle from Roaring Rocks to TX Eastern Pipeline = Three Amigos
Red from TX Eastern Pipeline to Marker 4= Montezuma
White from Marker 4 to Marker 1 through Devil's Half Acre = Boulderama

Thanks George - very helpful - VERY. Glad to know we did "gnarlier" stuff because if that was the easy part... LOL. On the right side I did yesterday, markers were mainly white squares and I did not notice numbers on them. We did take the "C" trail and that was nuts at parts. Are the markers on the left colored and numbered (or on the right too and we just, missed them) ?

 

[gmb3]

The numbered markers are only at trail intersections and are big and usually on a telephone pole or fence post sunk in the ground. The number sequence i gave you above corresponds to the map intersections so you when you hit marker number X, do i go left or right to get to number Y. Take a photo of the map at the kiosk before your ride and then check it at each intersection to give you directions. Markers along the trails are smaller, colored and shaped but not numbered. White and red on the map correspond to these marker colors.

 

[Jeff Savlov]

I could do a wheels down 7 or 8.

@clarkenstein - really appreciate the offer. Weather down to high 20's over weekend. Pretty cold that early - maybe ice in spots. Any ability to go later? 9 or 10? Do not want to be controlling or unappreciative - your offer for a tour is generous. Cold is really rough. Not a deal-breaker though. Butch and I can do 8 am if nothing later is convenient for you. Thanks again.

 

[gmb3]

Also, if you didn't like what you rode, don't ride the Blue "Chunky Monkey" trail...stay on Red

 

[Patrick]

I'm out of town this sunday - bummer! hopefully next time.

 

[clarkenstein]

@clarkenstein - really appreciate the offer. Weather down to high 20's over weekend. Pretty cold that early - maybe ice in spots. Any ability to go later? 9 or 10? Do not want to be controlling or unappreciative - your offer for a tour is generous. Cold is really rough. Not a deal-breaker though. Butch and I can do 8 am if nothing later is convenient for you. Thanks again.

Let me check with my better half and see if later works.

 

[rick81721]

@clarkenstein - really appreciate the offer. Weather down to high 20's over weekend. Pretty cold that early - maybe ice in spots. Any ability to go later? 9 or 10? Do not want to be controlling or unappreciative - your offer for a tour is generous. Cold is really rough. Not a deal-breaker though. Butch and I can do 8 am if nothing later is convenient for you. Thanks again.

FYI weekends aren't a great time to ride, especially in nicer weather. Tons of hikers. If you go, earlier the better

 

[Jeff Savlov]

Also, if you didn't like what you rode, don't ride the Blue "Chunky Monkey" trail...stay on Red

@gmb3 - I'm still not totally sure what we rode! Some of it was off-trail for sure. Some of it seemed to be the "C" trail on the north side - on and off that trail. A lot of it was technical and tough but a lot of fun and challenging in a good way. Tour with someone who knows the trails will help for sure.

 

[gpTron]

Are there any loops here that'd be suitable for intermediate? I used to hike/jog here all the time when I lived in Somerville. I remember thinking "no way I'd be able to bike something like this" back then. Now I'm a bit more ambitious and would like an excuse to head up there one day and ride (and then go eat in Somerville because I still love that town so much). I know it's rocky throughout, but it's been a while and can't remember if there was anything not super intense.

 

[Patrick]

Are there any loops here that'd be suitable for intermediate? I used to hike/jog here all the time when I lived in Somerville. I remember thinking "no way I'd be able to bike something like this" back then. Now I'm a bit more ambitious and would like an excuse to head up there one day and ride (and then go eat in Somerville because I still love that town so much). I know it's rocky throughout, but it's been a while and can't remember if there was anything not super intense.

A little fitness, and sense of adventure will go a long way there.
Solid intermediate skills will make it an enjoyable challenge. Knowing the trail helps
quite a bit. Having a tour guide helps even more.

 

[rick81721]

Are there any loops here that'd be suitable for intermediate? I used to hike/jog here all the time when I lived in Somerville. I remember thinking "no way I'd be able to bike something like this" back then. Now I'm a bit more ambitious and would like an excuse to head up there one day and ride (and then go eat in Somerville because I still love that town so much). I know it's rocky throughout, but it's been a while and can't remember if there was anything not super intense.

See poorly marked map - all the trails marked with black arrows aren't that difficult