South Mountain Reservation
- Thread starter Zaskar
- Start date
loggerhead
Member
Ahhh SoMo. Are the sheriff's officers still patroling the trails and confiscating bikes? Still hanging out in the Millburn lot? I might have to go there soon and check out my ol' stomping grounds. Been awhile since I had a good chase.
Zaskar
Well-Known Member
South Mountain press release today...
Forwarded from a friend. Not sure what this is all about but there is NO mention of biking.
Essex County South Mountain Reservation Trail Upgrades
Today at 12 Noon
ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO TO ANNOUNCE
WORK IS UNDERWAY TO REPAIR AND EXPAND HIKING TRAIL SYSTEM
IN ESSEX COUNTY SOUTH MOUNTAIN RESERVATION
Improvements will Enhance Access and Address Erosion Conditions
Maplewood/Millburn, NJ – On Monday, June 18th, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. will announce that work is underway to repair and rehabilitate existing hiking trails in Essex County South Mountain Reservation and establish a new trail system through the Mayapple Hill section of the reservation. The improvements will enhance accessibility throughout South Mountain Reservation and address erosion problems.
Date: Monday, June 18, 2012
Time: 12 Noon (promptly)
Place: Essex County South Mountain Reservation
Crest Drive
Maplewood/Millburn, NJ
Crest Drive is located off South Orange Avenue.
We will meet by the Openwood Trail just west of the parking area.
It will be held RAIN or SHINE.
Invited to join the County Executive are members of the South Mountain Conservancy, Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board and local elected officials.
Forwarded from a friend. Not sure what this is all about but there is NO mention of biking.
Essex County South Mountain Reservation Trail Upgrades
Today at 12 Noon
ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO TO ANNOUNCE
WORK IS UNDERWAY TO REPAIR AND EXPAND HIKING TRAIL SYSTEM
IN ESSEX COUNTY SOUTH MOUNTAIN RESERVATION
Improvements will Enhance Access and Address Erosion Conditions
Maplewood/Millburn, NJ – On Monday, June 18th, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. will announce that work is underway to repair and rehabilitate existing hiking trails in Essex County South Mountain Reservation and establish a new trail system through the Mayapple Hill section of the reservation. The improvements will enhance accessibility throughout South Mountain Reservation and address erosion problems.
Date: Monday, June 18, 2012
Time: 12 Noon (promptly)
Place: Essex County South Mountain Reservation
Crest Drive
Maplewood/Millburn, NJ
Crest Drive is located off South Orange Avenue.
We will meet by the Openwood Trail just west of the parking area.
It will be held RAIN or SHINE.
Invited to join the County Executive are members of the South Mountain Conservancy, Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board and local elected officials.
DSide
New Member
I feel like I'm late to this conversation but what is the current status of mountain biking in South Mountain res? I would really like to get involved in pushing for this. What about proposing a 1 year trial period? Is the biggest objection to biking soil erosion? Seems like NJ Mt bikers have a pretty good track record of trail maintenance in other parks. I'm a researcher and would be happy to evaluate the impact of bikers (and trail maintenance) over that year. What do you think - would this proposal go anywhere? Should I write a letter to DiVincenzo? Could someone fill me in on a little recent history regarding efforts to legalize mt. biking in South Mountain?
gtluke
The Moped
It's over. There was a big push, JORBA got in there, IMBA got in there, there was a 18 month pilot program on the books, there was tons of support from the local bikers, everyone had ambition.
Then Joey D just F'd everyone, said F you, F you, F you, I'm building a god damn million dollar boat house restaurant 500ft from TWO massive restaurants that are closed down. Oh and this new one? ON RESERVATION PROPERTY, SCREW YOUR RESERVATION, IT'S RESERVED FOR ME AND MY CRONIES.
Just forget it dude, it's not going to happen.
And on that note, forget that it's illegal too if you know what I mean.
Then Joey D just F'd everyone, said F you, F you, F you, I'm building a god damn million dollar boat house restaurant 500ft from TWO massive restaurants that are closed down. Oh and this new one? ON RESERVATION PROPERTY, SCREW YOUR RESERVATION, IT'S RESERVED FOR ME AND MY CRONIES.
Just forget it dude, it's not going to happen.
And on that note, forget that it's illegal too if you know what I mean.
Frank
Sasquatch
A very colorful version Luke!
Initially we approached Mr D. about mtbing in SoMo and were told we would have his support if we were able to win over the Conservancy. We did that, and he then didn't follow through on his promise, probably has to do with angering local money. So we can just add this to the many issues the voting public should consider when election time comes along.
loggerhead
Member
Between all the arrogant hikers talking shit and people sabatoging the trails, it seemed like it was never legal to ride there. Bottom line, ride on!
DSide
New Member
What does that mean, that you won over the conservancy? First, not sure who the conservancy is - do they own/monitor the park? What kind of support did they promise? Is there any documentation of this or people still in these positions who would still support it?
Maybe this is just a dead issue but I pay insanely high property taxes in Essex County and have a hard time stomaching that a public park that is used as little as South Mountain is won't allow biking.
rlb
Well-Known Member
Let your representative know.
Frank
Sasquatch
thanks Kirt
Bingo!!
SoMocon are the good guys. They are hikers, but dug our help and had voted for, and supported the mtb pilot program. They valued our input and appreciated every volunteer hour we gave them. As far as I know, Dennis still runs the Conservancy and still supports mtb. I have not been involved in any communications there in quite some time, our previous Executive Director was involved and would feed me updates, but there comes a time when you need to stop beating your head against a stucco wall. We are sorry that JORBA was unable to change the ban, but we gave it one helluva try.
With regards to documentation, there is none that I am aware of to support our side of it. We are old school where a meeting and a handshake mean something.
DSide
New Member
campaign sign:
I am definitely going to get one for my front yard.
BTW, just joined S. Mtn Conservancy. Now I'm going to find out who my representative is and maybe even start voting, or more importantly, know who I'm voting for.
MST.ESQ
New Member
Are you new to Essex County? Get used to "stomaching" a lot of crap around here. My favorite was when Joe D. was asked to do the official opening of biking/hiking trails in Livingston that my kids helped build. He spewed poetic about how great it was to have biking access in the County. What he did not say was, "I like it, so long as it is not on my f*#cking County land and interferes with kickbacks or campaign money that I get from restaurant venture capitalists, equestrians and hiking groups."
The only thing you can do is stop following their f*@king rules. At this point, illegal riding in Essex County could not possibly hurt us any more since it will never happen while Joe D. is alive (because crooked politicians in Essex County never get voted out by the idiot voting blocks we have to deal with). Booker only got in after a few attempts because a bunch of old ladies thought he was "cute."
DSide
New Member
Yeah, new to Essex County. In West Orange for almost 4 years. Sucks that this is such an issue here. I've ridden in a number of places in NJ, Michigan and Maryland where hikers, equestrians and bikers share trails and get along just fine. If anything, I think large piles of horse poop in the middle of a trail is worse to deal with than seeing a few people on bikes...