Palisades MTB (PMTB)

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Hey all-
Finally getting around to posting the January PMTB newsletter

Lots going on here.

http://www.palisadesmtb.org

https://m.facebook.com/groups/PalisadesMTB/




What’s new in trails and rides


Palisades MTB Newsletter

January, 2018



New rock bridge on the Munsee Eagle trail, Sterling Forest State Park.


A big thank you!

Thanks to everyone who contributed time and money to promote mountain biking in New Jersey and New York, and to build and maintain trails in the area. Compared to three years ago, we have miles more to ride, and the steady work with officials has paid off in good will and a willingness to help develop mountain biking in state, county, and local parks. Here are some highlights as of January.

Trail updates

Alpine Scout Camp area in Bergen County

The new Bergen County master parks plan will be presented in February to the Board of Chosen Freeholders (aka County Legislature). We expect that the plan will recommend that trail riding (aka mountain biking) be permitted on County-managed land near Alpine Scout Camp.

The February presentation will be followed by a 30-day public comment period. Bergen residents: We will need your help mustering support during the public comment period. We’ll provide a link to the online forum. After the public comment period ends, there will be another presentation to the Freeholders, probably on March 14. We plan to show up with members of the Palisades Cyclone team, to make the case that the kids need a place to practice. The Cyclones team, part of the National Intercollegiate Cycling Association (NICA) has grown from 16 members in 2017 to 40 in 2018.

We will propose to build a two miles of NICA-friendly smooth and rolling trails on land managed by Bergen County and the Palisades Interstate Park (PIP). To keep up good relationships with land managers in the meantime, we actively discourage illegal trail building on the property, especially in the area south of Ruckman Road.



Blauvelt State Park / Tackamack Town Park

Blauvelt bike trails held up well over the winter except for an icy end to the bridge over Swamp Thing, which Brian Lanius is working on.

These trails can get muddy during freeze/thaw season. Please do not ride here when it’s wet. Instead, try Jungle Habitat, Sprain, or Blue Mountain, which drain quicker.

Soňa Mason from the Trail Conference had a good idea to post a trail map and suggested routes in the Tackamack parking lot on Clausland Mountain Road. We’ll do that in the Spring.

Due to sabotage, we will need to replace almost all the bike trail markers in Blauvelt State Park. We will mark the bike route with painted and/or metal diamond blazes.

A ranger for Blauvelt Park discovered a hidden unauthorized technical trail. At the Park Manager’s request, we removed the features and covered up the trail.

During the 2018 construction season, we’d like to expand the authorized trails in Blauvelt. We can only do this if we have the approval of the land manager.

Building private technical trails causes headaches and makes it harder for us to get approvals in other areas, such as at Tallman Park. Please don’t do it.





Sterling Forest

The AmeriCorps crews, along with volunteers from PMTB and JORBA, completed about 12,000 feet of the Munsee Eagle trail during the 2017 season. According to Erik Mickelson, the loop should be completed during the 2018 construction season, making for great flowy loop. The more volunteers help with construction, the sooner we can get this beauty finished. Please help out if you can!

In the meantime, the 3.5-mile Red Back / Hutchinson Trail makes a good out-and-back ride from either the northern or southern trailhead. (The full Red Back loop is a hike-a-bike at best, and probably impassable now due to high water at the stream crossing south of McKeagues Meadow.)

Looking ahead, the Sterling Forest trails plan includes rebuilding the remainder of the Redback Trail loop, adding an additional 5 miles to the existing Redback/Hutchinson trail. Possible routes to link up with Ringwood State Park are being explored, along with an upgrade of the Lake-to-Lake trail that would extend the trail network to Greenwood Lake.



Tallman State Park

Rangers at Tallman Park have posted a “No Mountain Biking” signs on the kiosk leading out of the parking lot. We plan to meet with the Park Manager to open discussions around these trails again very soon. The unauthorized trail at Blauvelt has been holding up the conversation. If you see unauthorized (Illegal) trails being constructed, please contact PMTB at palisadesmtb@gmail.com. While we are not here to police activities, these activities have negative consequences to all of us who want to have legal access to trails in our back yards. Please spread the word.

Nike Park / Clausland Mountain County Park

The trail is clear, though still not legal to ride. We plan to meet with Rockland County park officials to resolve the liability insurance issue. Stay tuned for updates.

Cheesecote Mountain Park, Town of Haverstraw

Cheesecote Mountain is an isolated and underdeveloped park in the Town of Haverstraw where mountain biking is currently legal. We have flagged and proposed a set of “stacked loop” trails there. The Town of Haverstraw would provide labor, materials, and equipment during normal working hours; PMTB and JORBA would provide volunteer labor to finish the work.

The Cheesecote trails plan is going through legal review now, and we hope break ground in the Spring.

Elm Ridge Wild Forest

We now have more than 25 miles of multi-use trails to explore in the Elm Ridge Wild Forest. This is the most comprehensive multi-use trail system for mountain biking in the Catskills, making the Windham area a mountain-biking destination.
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Palisades MTB Information Session

Thu, February 7, 2019
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM EST

The Hill
252 Schraalenburgh Road
Closter, NJ 07624

Please join us for an evening at The Hill in Closter for an information session about our local mountain bike projects. We have some pretty big news to announce and we want to bring the MTB community up to speed. Some light appetizers and beer will be served.

We will be featuring some brief presentations by the people that have brought you Jungle Habitat: Tom Hennigan (JORBA) and Sterling Forest: Erik Mickelson (NYNJTC)

Topics of discussion:
  • Building a sustainable trail system
  • Palisades MTB current project status. Alpine, Sterling, Blauvelt, etc.
  • How you can help
Agenda:
  • 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Appetizers, drinks, and mingling
  • 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Presentations
  • 9:00 PM on - Music at the Hill

*The Hill is a new restaurant in Closter with a great vibe and good food and drink. There will also be live music available after our meeting.

Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/palisa...vu-0sgoyvmfeqkyiq5Ch9mrYhXeM50yKj9nuORYngQrtM
 

serviceguy

Well-Known Member
Ok, thanks. I was asking because the JORBA website mentions being the IMBA affliate for NJ. Bot sure what that means then. It's all good.
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Hey all-
Some events coming up-
Starting with Saturday:
Scout Camp Clean Up Saturday 5/4
https://www.palisadesmtb.org/events/2019/5/4/jorba-scout-camp-garbage-clean-up

JORBA-Scout Camp Garbage Clean Up
Hosted by Crew 1230

Please come help us clean up the Alpine Boy Scout Camp. Long pants and rubber gloves recommended.


Then trail work Saturday 5/18
https://www.palisadesmtb.org/events/2019/5/18/jorba-alpine-scout-camp-trail-work

JORBA- Alpine Scout Camp Trail Work
Hosted by Crew 1230

We will be doing trail rehab and minor re-routes in some troubled areas in Alpine Scout Camp. Long pants, gloves, and helmets required. Tools will be provided.
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Hey all-
More TM opportunities at Alpine and Ringwood
https://www.palisadesmtb.org/events



JORBA- Alpine Scout Camp Trail Work (rescheduled)
  • Saturday, May 25, 2019
  • 10:00 AM 2:00 PM
Sponsored by BSA Crew 1230.

Meet at Ruckman and Anderson road at 10:00 AM

We will be doing trail rehab and minor re-routes in some troubled areas in Alpine Scout Camp. Long pants, gloves, and helmets required. Tools will be provided.

Contact: Shepard Grinker- shepard@bicycleworkshop.com

Upcoming TMs:

JORBA- Ringwood Trail Work
  • Thursday, June 13, 2019
  • 4:00 PM 7:00 PM
Please join and help Art and Ellen White continue to build some of the best trails in the area up at Ringwood State Park. Art and Ellen will be building weekly but these will be PMTB and BICYCLE WORKSHOP sponsored trail days.

Meet at Shepherd’s Lake at 4:00 PM with long pants, gloves, and helmets ready to work.

Contact: Art White at rvcc@jorba.org for questions


JORBA- Alpine Scout Camp Trail Work
  • Saturday, June 22, 2019
  • 10:00 AM 2:00 PM
Hosted by BSA Crew 1230

Meet at Ruckman and Anderson road at 10:00 AM

We will be doing trail rehab and minor re-routes in some troubled areas in Alpine Scout Camp. Long pants, gloves, and helmets required. Tools will be provided.

Contact: Shepard Grinker- shepard@bicycleworkshop.com

JORBA- Ringwood Trail Work
  • Thursday, July 18, 2019
  • 4:00 PM 7:00 PM
Please join and help Art and Ellen White continue to build some of the best trails in the area up at Ringwood State Park. Art and Ellen will be building weekly but these will be PMTB and BICYCLE WORKSHOP sponsored trail days.

Meet at Shepherd’s Lake at 4:00 PM with long pants, gloves, and helmets ready to work.

Contact: Art White at rvcc@jorba.org for questions
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Great stuff from the current mailing:


PMTB NEWS

Greater New York Council of the Boy Scouts approve trail improvements at Alpine Scout Camp
If you ride in Alpine, you may have seen improvements to the Red-Dot trail. As a gesture of goodwill,
a group of PMTB volunteers has been dedicating their free time to make these improvements,
with direction from the land managers. Currently, we have permission to armor, bridge wet spots,
and re-align sections of the old Red Dot Trails all the way to the junction in Rockleigh Woods.
We are hoping our efforts will lead to the legalization of mountain biking for the public on this property.
We always need help, so if you would like to volunteer, please contact us.

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New Bridges and Trail Fixes at Sterling Forest

The Red Back/Hutchinson/Munsee Eagle loop at Sterling Forest has been a resounding success,
attracting riders from the whole Tri-State Region, and helping prove to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission that bikers
and hikers can share trails in the densely populated New York Metro area.
The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, with an AmeriCorps crew and volunteers from JORBA and PMTB members,
completed two new bridges on the Munsee Eagle Trail, opened B lines, and fixed some trouble spots.
The Trail Conference is planning a new multi-use trail next year linking the Hutchinson Trail to McKeague’s Meadow.
Please consider coming out to help build and maintain these excellent trails,
and please include the Trail Conference Multi-Use Trail Fund in your year-end giving plans.
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More at the news page:
https://www.palisadesmtb.org/news
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Please don't poach PIP singletrack
Below is a post from PMTB's FB page.
As noted, it is not legal to ride these trails,
and the PIP are actively enforcing this.

This will not help the cause for getting legal access in the area-
Aside from the PIP and other land managers, the NYNJTC is protective of the Long Path,
and we don't want to strain the relationship between advocacy groups.



PLEASE READ:
We can’t stress enough how important it is to stay off the trails on PIP property,
specifically the ones East of Route 9W.
There is nothing other than paved roads that are legal to bikers.
The PIP police are actively cracking down on cyclists there who violate the laws and ride on trails.

Having these negative interactions with officials makes it difficult to develop trust
with the land managers and thwarts any efforts to make progress on other parcels that they manage.
This includes the ones we have worked to have access for (Blauvelt State Park).
Thank you and happy trails!
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@Shepard Grinker
 

sundaydoug

Well-Known Member
Thanks for posting this. Question, are the trails near Blauvelt State Park south of Clausland Mountain Rd. still off-limits? Just curious because they're now showing up on Trailforks, so someone is riding them. I work in Northvale so Blauvelt is nice and close, but I want to steer clear of trails that are no-no to bikes.

Attached is a screen shot of the section I'm referring to...
 

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jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Thanks for posting this. Question, are the trails near Blauvelt State Park south of Clausland Mountain Rd. still off-limits? Just curious because they're now showing up on Trailforks, so someone is riding them. I work in Northvale so Blauvelt is nice and close, but I want to steer clear of trails that are no-no to bikes.

Attached is a screen shot of the section I'm referring to...
Thanks for checking in-
That would be Clausland Mountain Park,
a Rockland County parcel-
I do not believe biking is on the list of permitted activities
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
In the news:

PMTB AND JORBA MEET WITH GNYC SCOUTS

PMTB and JORBA members have met with the Greater New York Council of Scouts BSA to help them plan and develop a mountain bike program on their 560-acre property at Camp Alpine, NJ. The mountain bike program will get kids on bikes as early as 6 years old and all the way up to adolescence.

The plan includes a stacked loop trail system with a beginner skills loop, an intermediate loop, and intermediate/advanced loop. The beginner and intermediate loops will be open to the public on specific days, and the trail network would be open to the public through a permitting system similar to that used by Camp Tamarancho in California. PMTB is helping in the planning and proposal phase. The GNYC BSA will begin fundraising in April.

For more information, or to volunteer to help upgrade the current trails at Alpine Scout Camp, please contact us at info@palisadesmtb.org or click below.

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https://www.palisadesmtb.org/news/2020/2/13/pmtb-and-jorba-meet-with-gnyc-scouts


@Shepard Grinker
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
New Trail Conditions Page

Due to requests, we have recently updated our trail conditions page on our website to include Alpine Scout Camp.
The Alpine trails are still considered unsanctioned and off-limits but in order to thwart overuse and continued damage,
we have provided this to try and help heal the trails.
In addition, the new trail names on Trailforks indicate whose property the trail is on.

This conditions page allows you to see current trail conditions before heading out to ride for most of our local "go-to" trails.
Any Trailforks user or member can update the conditions and in addition,
our trail crew patrols most of these trails regularly so it will be monitored and kept up to date.
If you would like us to add any other trails to this page, please contact us or download the Trailforks app to your mobile device.
Happy Trails!
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In addition to having many of the local trails in our region on this page,
we also offer a place to report any damage or areas where maintenance is required.
This will allow you the user to let us know if there is a problem on a trail and where it is.
Thanks for your continued support.

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@Shepard Grinker
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
From PMTB:

Dear Fellow Mountain Bikers,
2020 has been a tough year, but in the midst of this craziness, we've managed to keep the ball rolling to make more trails and make the existing ones better. We have continued building bridges on the trails and in our zoom calls with land managers. With the massive recent growth with our sport, the existing trails will need more work than ever and we will need to continue to forge forward making new ones. Now we need your help. Please consider signing back up, renewing your membership, or donating to Palisades MTB.
Please share this with a friend. We need members.

Sincerely,
The Palisades MTB Board of Directors

Join, renew or donate if you can:
 
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