THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
anyone over in DE report on rain or trail conditions?
2-3 days of rain :hmmm:
2-3 days of rain :hmmm:
White clay/fair hill
- Thread starter Jase
- Start date
wheelsolias
Active Member
It's been very dry lately. Poured last night and tonight. Depends on how much rain we get over night. Trails should be ok.
THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
Re: FAIR HILL
Any loop pointers for easy single track for the young in’ and I for 45min +/-
Visiting our friends nearby so want to drop in.
Any loop pointers for easy single track for the young in’ and I for 45min +/-
Visiting our friends nearby so want to drop in.
JDurk
Well-Known Member
Will you be in DE or MD? Fair Hill is not marked as well as MR/WC. Both have easy ST. If FH is the only choice, the spring MASS race course is a decent 45min of about 7 miles. Will send a course if interested.
THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
Fair Hill preferred just because it’s right down the road from our friends
Daughter did Jacques Lane lot loop it was only 2.5 miles and 100’ elevation per Strava so not sure about 7 miles! But sure please share and I’ll check it out. Even if it’s an out and back. TIA
Daughter did Jacques Lane lot loop it was only 2.5 miles and 100’ elevation per Strava so not sure about 7 miles! But sure please share and I’ll check it out. Even if it’s an out and back. TIA
PA NICA has a race at Fairhill and there are a bunch of options but 45 min is kind of limiting as it is hard to not have a bit of hills. I will try and dig some stuff up tomorrow
This is the lot at the northern part of the park. At this lot, you are almost at the peak of the hill in all directions (to the north is a bit of a climb still). The red arrows indicate down the hill. Twilight Zone (as marked in trail forks) may be your best bet, the middle arrow is pointing at it. You can take the carriage road near that arrow to get to it. The trail itself is relatively flat as it skirts around the small rises there. You can take it back to the green connector trail. If you go on the other side of Appleton, that is a pretty big hill to get down to the trails, coming back up that hill murdered a few of the NICA kids last year.
The green trail on the northern part of this map is an option too but does have some trick ups and downs and takes you a bit further away from the lot. That being said, you can pick up a carriage road that brings you all the way back but is also a shallow climb the whole way
JDurk
Well-Known Member
Here's my Strava activity of the Spring MASS race at Fair Hill. There is a segment for the race in there. It runs CCW from the lot. Note, there is a parking fee at the lot.
www.strava.com
Fair Hill 4 lapper - John D's 27.8 mi mountain bike ride
Endurance 45+. Rear hub quit
www.strava.com
THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
Wow. Thank you both!
I don’t know why I thought Fair Hill was flat for many years. Even though the name suggest otherwise! Maybe cause it was always described as a fast race.
I don’t know why I thought Fair Hill was flat for many years. Even though the name suggest otherwise! Maybe cause it was always described as a fast race.
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
I agree with @JDurk that the spring MASS course is a good option. But I've been riding FH a lot recently and I'm digging the South Park area quite a bit right now. If you wanted to ride that, what you'd do is park at the trailhead off of Appleton (to access that trailhead, go around the circle where 273 and Appleton intersect and take the southern exit to Appleton - heading away from the convenience store on the opposite corner.) The parking area is marked on the map below ("you are here") and I added the orange circle to show where the South Park trails are. The nice thing about this section is that you have a choice of how to access it - you could simply follow the main blue gravel trail to the left at the end of the parking area, or you can take the singletrack directly across from the parking area and keep bearing left as you descend that trail - at the bottom of that area, you'd take aleft and ride across the bridge and hit one of the two entrances to South Park just past the bridge. If you take the blue gravel trail to get there, you'd enter at the upper gate, if you take the singletrack, you'd enter at the lower gate. Note that all of South Park is behind gates - you may have to open the gates to access them. This is perfectly fine - there is no restriction on the trails. (The only reason the gates are there is to keep deer out. But honestly, half the time some idiot leaves the gates open anyway so I doubt that really works.) At any rate, that's probably about a 45 minute ride if you aren't trying to really race it. South Park is fun because it's got a lot of swoopy tight singletrack that rolls with some up and some down. Just one note of caution - there is one section near the lower gate where the trail has collapsed from a run off to the creek. There are some logs and rocks thrown down there, but honestly it's really not a good idea to try to ride it unless you've got some serious trials skills - both sides have a drop off of a few feet you'd have to navigate while balancing on thin logs. There are warning signs for it in both directions, so it shouldn't come as a surprise but just a good hting to be aware of.
By the way, the area John is referring to (the spring MASS course) is in the upper right section of this map ...
Other areas here that may be of interest - the red trail to the left of the area I highlighted is trail most people never ride here - it's kind of a standalone loop that can't really be part of any race because you have to cross roads to get to it no matter where you are. But it's a fun and very easy little loop through the far eedge of the park property. There is also some great singletrack near the Training Center, but I would not recommend that for a 45 minute ride because if you take a wrong turn out there, which is easy to do, you could end up pretty far from your starting point in no time at all. But some ofthe floweist stuff in the whole park is in that area and it looks like they're int eh process of adding more. So maybe for a day when you have more time!
Enjoy!
(Quick edit for additional info: one thing to keep in mind: out of state cars have to pay $5 to park at Fair Hill because it's a state park. The main parking area at Middle Run is a county park area - although it share trails with White Clay, which is a state park and therefore anywhere that is considered a White Clay parking area also requires the fee. Just wante dto mention this so you remember to bring the cash - I used to forget all the time because I never carry cash at all anymore because I'm not living in 1980, but this one instance where you need it!)
By the way, the area John is referring to (the spring MASS course) is in the upper right section of this map ...
Other areas here that may be of interest - the red trail to the left of the area I highlighted is trail most people never ride here - it's kind of a standalone loop that can't really be part of any race because you have to cross roads to get to it no matter where you are. But it's a fun and very easy little loop through the far eedge of the park property. There is also some great singletrack near the Training Center, but I would not recommend that for a 45 minute ride because if you take a wrong turn out there, which is easy to do, you could end up pretty far from your starting point in no time at all. But some ofthe floweist stuff in the whole park is in that area and it looks like they're int eh process of adding more. So maybe for a day when you have more time!
Enjoy!
(Quick edit for additional info: one thing to keep in mind: out of state cars have to pay $5 to park at Fair Hill because it's a state park. The main parking area at Middle Run is a county park area - although it share trails with White Clay, which is a state park and therefore anywhere that is considered a White Clay parking area also requires the fee. Just wante dto mention this so you remember to bring the cash - I used to forget all the time because I never carry cash at all anymore because I'm not living in 1980, but this one instance where you need it!)
Last edited:
I had to turn my clock back another hour just to read this. Thanks Marty.
After riding with the NICA team since July, @1speed and @JDurk are way underestimating how slow kids go on anything that resembles a hill. Anything that even resembles needing tech skill will be a walk.
This is the race loop profile:
Where this is the profiler for what I suggested:
Not saying what they suggested isn't good, but if I learned anything from NICA, it is that we WAY underestimate hills and tech features.
This is the race loop profile:
Where this is the profiler for what I suggested:
Not saying what they suggested isn't good, but if I learned anything from NICA, it is that we WAY underestimate hills and tech features.
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
Deepest apologies, @Mitch. I hope that doesn't mean your timing will be off for the early bird special, or a trip to the "talkies" with a pocketful of hard candies in your Members Only jacket, or your very reasonable 6 pm bedtime. I'll just feel terrible if I cause you any more confusion or fear than you must already feel at a world that just went and got itself in too damn big of a hurry for your liking.
I get your point, but I think the total mileage in South Park including the ride from the parking area is no more than 5 or so.
THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
BTW I'm rolling with a 7 year old...
our friends live 2.5miles from the north lot. I would ride there but 2.5miles will take a lot of the energy
our friends live 2.5miles from the north lot. I would ride there but 2.5miles will take a lot of the energy
robcleary
Well-Known Member
An FYI for anyone else who had the same thought as me this Thursday with the coming 65-70 degree weather.
Important Message: Several trails in the park will be CLOSED during
Shotgun Deer Hunting Season
Friday, November 12 to Saturday, November 20.
December 15-18
January 15-22, 2022
TRAIL HEADS WILL BE POSTED “TRAILS CLOSED ACTIVE HUNTING AREA”
ALL TRAILS WILL BE OPEN ON SUNDAYS.
THE FOLLOWING TRAILS WILL BE CLOSED DURING THE SHOTGUN SEASONS:
• CART ROAD TRAIL
• CASSEL TRAIL (FORMER BOUNDARY LINE) (DELAWARE PORTION)
• CHARLES BAILEY TRAIL (DELAWARE PORTION)
• WHITELY FARMS TRAIL
• BRYANS FIELD TRAIL
• TRI VALLEY TRAIL
• CARPENTER RECREATION AREA TRAILS EAST OF WELLS LANE
• MASON DIXON TRAIL BETWEEN CREEK ROAD AND WELLS FIELD
• MASON DIXON TRAIL BETWEEN THE INTERSECTION OF WEDGEWOOD ROAD / CREEK ROAD AND WELLS FIELD.
Here is a list of alternative trails that will remain
OPEN!
- David English Trail
- Nature Preserve Trail
- PennDel Trail/Creek RD
- Pomeroy Trail
- Chestnut Hill Trail--Judge Morris Estate-unless otherwise noted.
- Millstone Pond Trail
- Tri-State Marker Trail (DE side) See PA Hunting Schedule for PA section.
See map for CLOSED trails.
White Clay Creek State Park
Ntovem83bcpeo1r 5c a9m6tn1 1c:1l3r09 Pm41M ·Important Message: Several trails in the park will be CLOSED during
Shotgun Deer Hunting Season
Friday, November 12 to Saturday, November 20.
December 15-18
January 15-22, 2022
TRAIL HEADS WILL BE POSTED “TRAILS CLOSED ACTIVE HUNTING AREA”
ALL TRAILS WILL BE OPEN ON SUNDAYS.
THE FOLLOWING TRAILS WILL BE CLOSED DURING THE SHOTGUN SEASONS:
• CART ROAD TRAIL
• CASSEL TRAIL (FORMER BOUNDARY LINE) (DELAWARE PORTION)
• CHARLES BAILEY TRAIL (DELAWARE PORTION)
• WHITELY FARMS TRAIL
• BRYANS FIELD TRAIL
• TRI VALLEY TRAIL
• CARPENTER RECREATION AREA TRAILS EAST OF WELLS LANE
• MASON DIXON TRAIL BETWEEN CREEK ROAD AND WELLS FIELD
• MASON DIXON TRAIL BETWEEN THE INTERSECTION OF WEDGEWOOD ROAD / CREEK ROAD AND WELLS FIELD.
Here is a list of alternative trails that will remain
OPEN!
- David English Trail
- Nature Preserve Trail
- PennDel Trail/Creek RD
- Pomeroy Trail
- Chestnut Hill Trail--Judge Morris Estate-unless otherwise noted.
- Millstone Pond Trail
- Tri-State Marker Trail (DE side) See PA Hunting Schedule for PA section.
See map for CLOSED trails.
tim.stevens
New Member
Anyone know what the conditions are like in White Clay ?