Bennetts Pond - September 11, 2010

Getting Acquainted with Bennetts Pond 

September 11, 2010

Greg had an ACT test (a college entrance exam) today up at the Danbury High School. We got up early and I drove him there at 8 AM. He didn't need me to pick him up until 12:30 PM so I took the opportunity to stay up in the Danbury area and mountain bike.

Greg and I had visited Bennetts Pond years ago when we first started and I remember what little we rode of the park we liked. Its just a few miles south of Danbury right off Route 7 so it was a great spot to ride and kill a few hours until Greg was finished.

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Brrrr...
It took about 20 minutes to get there from the High School but it was so cold out I decided to drive around the back roads a bit and sight see until it got a bit warmer.

Just west of the Park entrance there are a few small lakes and they were beautiful. It was like you were in the Adirondacks. The area is quite hilly and surrounded by dense forest and each lake is kind of isolated and nestled in its own little valley.

Well after a quick tour I drove back to the parking lot and started to ride a little before 9 AM. It was still cool in my shorts but I knew it would soon warm up and riding itself keeps you warm (and sweaty!)

Trail Map
Mark (a riding friend of mine) recommended a couple of loops and even sent me marked up maps. Not sure of the time needed, I opted for the easier loop but I would be in for a big surprise in an hour and half!

On the Bike

I remembered a short ride up eastward to the parking lot took you up to a field and from there you had a long and swooping bomb downhill to get to the pond. Well, it wasn't quite as I imagined but there was a section in the woods where the non-stop continuous downhill was pretty amazing.

After descending 210 ft, once at the pond level, I rode to the end to get a nice photo of the lake and then -- for curiosity's sake -- I rode to a trail end near Rt. 7 and saw that you could even park here to enter if you wanted.

I then turned back and rode along the pond on a nice and easy singletrack. I stopped to veer off and explore a side trail (it was a dead end) and a couple of dogs came barreling thru and dove into pond for a quick swim. It was lovely, sunny and warm at that point.

I turned right at the junction and headed west to explore the more difficult riding part of the park we hadn't visited before. After a super narrow footbridge over a rocky streambed, I took the trail to the left and headed up the hill. It was a gradual climb punctuated with some rocks and roots here and there and the occasional super steep short climb and/or sharp curve. Most of it was ridable (although some of it was a struggle for me).

I came across a very interesting area where the trail shoots thru a kind of rock crevasse and there are a few fairly large boulders (glacial erratics) perched nearby. (Link to Photo album on bottom of page) The ground consisted of moss covered rocks and it felt like this was (or could be) a mountain biker's stunt area in the making...

I rambled on, climbing higher and higher and traversing twisty tight single track along rock strewn ridges. All the trails were really incredible. All the while, I kept hearing the incessant sound of acorns raining down all around. Parts of the trail were even covered with freshly fallen ones!

Deeper and Deeper...
Well, I decided to take a right (kind of following the map Mark provided) and ended up on this winding trail thru the woods that left the ridge and wandered up and down... twisting and turning thru the deep woods. It was great, quite a challenge and obviously built by a mountain bikers. I finally ending up on what I thought was a more major trail since it was wider and yellow blazes were on the trees.

At this point I was getting a little nervous as I didn't have clue to where I was and I needed to head back to pick up Greg!

I turned left and ended walking long stretches of this trail. It was really great: rock-strewn paths carved at the foot of sheer rock cliffs, crazy bumpy up and downs, roots and roughage galore! But I wasn't in the mood for any of this at this point - I was starting to freak out and wanted to know where I was and what was the quickest way out!!

Finally I hit another major trail marked Blue so I breathed a small sigh of relief and clambered on. Once again this was a great trail - parts were bluff sweet flowing single track...but other parts were sudden rolls and small plunges over overhanging or protruding rocks. Once section (a climb up) was even a massive slick rock section.

I took out my compass and it still didn't really help me because my map didn't have any indication of the trail colorings so I still didn't have the foggiest idea where I was!

Lake Windwing Here I Come!
I finally came to a sign that said Lake Windwing so I bombed in that direction and after much more rough and tumble (but awesome) trails, I saw a lake thru the trees. What was even better was I heard voices - lots of them. I reached civilization once more! Phew.

The main trail turned right and went up the hill but I took a left and made a quick bomb down the last section of the hill to bring me to the lake's edge. Across on the other side was a sports park - kids were playing baseball.

A quick ride around the trail that followed the periphery of the lake brought me right smack in the middle of the baseball game. I asked the first couple I met ("Where am I, please??") and they explained I had reached Lake Windwing and pointed the way back via the road.

Man I was bummed that I couldn't ride more singletrack but happy to finally know where I was and have a sure way to get back to the car in time to pick up Greg!

Road Ride
The ride back to the car was mostly uphill but I did the whole stretch in a little over 10 minutes. Back at the lot, suddenly I had an extra half hour on my hands! Freak out time was past but the adrenaline was still flowing thru my veins.. What to do?

I rode back into the park an a different trail, a tighter single track right out of the lot. It was a long gradual downhill and real easy compared to the stuff on the ridge north of Lake Windwings! Finally I sat down on a stone fence in the heart of the woods, had my apple then rode back up and got in the car.

Pink Eye - eech...
Suddenly, once ready to go and in the car, my eyes hurt like mad and itched something wicked >> I must have rubbed my eyes after touching an oily plant irritant (not poison ivy I hope!). It was a rough ride back to the high school. Once I got there, I dumped water from my Hydration Pack on a napkin and tried to wash out my eyes. (It helped a bit but the irritation lingered for a another hour or so...)

Chow Time
Finally I picked up Greg and we headed into town to eat at an amazing Brazilian BBQ. I ate like a horse and drove home. (Once home, I took a bath to flush out my eyes..)

Bennetts Pond is on my list of places to revisit, I really liked it. But I better bring a map with the trail colorings marked on it next time and maybe give myself a whole day to explore! HAH..

Slide Show >

2010 - Northern Vermont (Yearly Pilgrimage)

Mountain Biking in Northern Vermont

Rich and Greg Coffey

August 2010 >

Trumbull - Giving Trail Maintenance a Rest (for a change)

Pequonnock River Valley State Park - July 5, 2010

Although I've been out almost every weekend biking or doing trail maintenance, most of my adventures end up being posted on the TTC site and are more trail maintenance oriented. Photographs and story/logs of my low-key XC riding fell by the wayside.

After a marathon TM session on Saturday in the brutal heat and getting stung by a bunch of bees (not to mention my encounter with three skunks!), I took today to take an easy enjoyable ride back at Trumbull.

Off to A Good Start
I didn't get started on the trail until 10:30 AM. I came in thru the north end at Whitney Ave and bombed down the North Bridge connecter, across the bridge and up the hill to the White Trail without even a foot dab!

Ran into a fellow biker named Phil fixing his bike on the White Trail. After offering to help (he didn't need it), we starting chatting about the Park. It turns out he grew up here and although now lives in Boston, he comes back quite often to visit his folks and rides the valley a lot.

What's interesting is he remembered when they first cut the upper trails. It was instigated by hunters who wanted to hike in away from the more-used lower White Trail. The State came in with chain saws and (according to Phil) cut the Red Trail in one day! The hunter's were happy: they now had a trail up on the ridge away from the hikers who frequented the White as well as the just-forming Blue Trail by the river.

By the Rusty River
After chatting, I hopped on the Yellow Trail and headed over to the Rusty River Crossing. Here I ran into a couple of other biker's (Jeff and Steve) who recognized me from my TM session on Sat (they were here) and thanked me for my work. I told them about the TTC and they promised to sign up and show up! FYI >>Jeff was a preacher but mentioned he doesn't preach until 1:30 on Sunday so no conflict! HAH

I rode up the hill and tried the trail offshoot just built. It was OK but needs more riders to break it in. Expanding the trail in this area (longer sweeping curves, etc.) is the way to go. We have thoughts for new routes here... just need to submit them to DEP.

Bombing Thru the Central Maze
Headed over to the Hemlock/Slab trail and cleaned it all (for the first time). Keeping a good pace (fairly fast) really helped.

Rode on to the S curve on the Yellow Trail Hill and bombed down it and even did the kicker. It strange how you can spend an hour on building a section of trail that only takes 30 seconds to ride!

The rest of the ride down this hill was a gas! It has that fast sweeping downhill vibe you get at Kingdom Trails or the ride out on the Blue West at Wilton Woods.

Roots, At the Cliff Bottom and the Moon Rocks... 
Hit the Rooty Trail and climbed a bit of the Yellow but turned downhill right after the rocky stream crossing at that nasty rocky curve. The TTC will be rerouting a short section here soon.

Right before the old earthen dam, I decided to detour back into the old trail by the cliff with the huge uprooted tree and found it was in use and rideable. Didn't ride "hugging" the underside of the cliff but shot across the straighter path and turned to enter the Moon Rocks.

Had a bit of a rough time at the start of the Moon Rocks but halfway thru I was moving good and went over that weird rocky lip without even a dab.

Blue Trail by the River
Rather than climb the White, I took the Blue by the river and was reminded at every other turn that this is a technical trail! These trails though are what makes Trumbull so special - no stunts, no wooden structures... just awesome scenery and roots and rocks galore au natural!!

I did discover another tree down on this trail but it doesn't block the trail (it tightly parallels the trail) and the flow remains great thru out.

Near the end I took a spill on a rock and bashed my knee.(see photo - 3rd in series). Gotta hit this trail more often to anticipate all the terrain challenges ahead of time! HAH. (It was bloody and hurt a bit but the best cure was to keep riding)

Log Crossing
Right below the stunt park, I discovered there is a fallen tree that spans the river and works as a crossing. It looks like the brave and daring bikers could even ride it. So it's possible to enter the Valley from Tait Road by using this crossing. Downriver about 50 feet it looks like there's a ford there as well. I added this to the TTC interactive map. Very cool stuff- I've been up on the ridge too long - I'm missing the changes down here!

Serengeti (No Mudhole and Tall, Tall Grasses...) 
Well I headed back up to the White Trail and was pleasantly surprised to find the notorious mudhole on the main trail was dry!

Next I bombed straight thru the main swath of the Serengeti and, rather then veer to the right and go up to the Sandy Shore trail which I usually do, I took the main White Trail straight thru the center of the tall fields. It was dry but like riding thru a jungle. Plants were 6-7 ft high and creeping in on both sides.

Once again the variety of riding experiences at Trumbull is so vast (tall fields of wild fecund grasses, roots, rocks, pine forests, tight twisty trails winding thru Hemlock and Laurel trees, cliffs, huge granite outcroppings, you name it -- It's all here!)

I rode down to the old Center Bridge crossing and think there is a trail you can use that comes down from the Rail Trail and shoots across the river at a diagonal. Another river crossing to note...

Along the River

The rest of the trip back was pretty straight forward. Took the White to Turtle Rock then I hopped on the Blue and hugged the river all the way to the North Bridge. Conditions were dry and the riding was fun. Did note at the swamp descent, the TTC should probably armor the usually-muddy straight away your bike naturally cascades to, rather than the rocky part a little to the south which is armored now.

Troutbrook Valley Trail Advocacy Day

Troutbrook Valley Trail Advocacy Day 

Saturday June 19th, 2010

I woke up bright and early to get to Trout Brook Bark before 8AM. When I arrived, Dave had already set up the tent. We spent the morning with a Trout Brook Trail Stewart named Lisa Brodley talking about park usage and the issues of abuse as we greeted incoming visitors as they entered.

Considering the weather was sunny and beautiful, there were very few visitors. But it was a productive time as we received some really interesting and passionate feedback from the bikers' standpoint as well as heard the local Trail Stewart's take on things.

We were there as trail advocates and there was a lot at stake. The Land Trust was threatening to close the park to ALL mountain bikers due to some abusive rogue riders hassling the Trail Stewards and riding illegally despite being told not to.

Although, at the end of the day, the air was still murky with a undetermined resolution; we did mellow the anti-biker vibe a lot and were asked to return to help fix up a couple of small spots here and there.

At the end of the meet and great session, I got on my bike and rode the loop Dave recommended. Even going a little further to the northern end (Jump Hill). Primarily XC riding thru woods on mostly double track (fire roads) it didn't seem to have that same scenic charm that keeps me in love with Trumbull. No riverside trails and although the trail circling back on the ridge was great (challenging twisty turvy singletrack over rock and roots, etc.) it didn't seems as interesting as the other spots I usually frequent (Mianus, Wilton Woods, Trumbull, etc.)

I had stupidly put my Trail Ambassador shirt over a cotton shirt in the morning and forgot to only ride with the thin jersey. I was boiling half way thru my ride and the cotton shirt was completely soaked with sweat DUH!! Maybe that detracted from my perceptions -- who knows!!

Parklng lot entrance where the CTNEMBA tent was set up
Not sure but I think here was where a massive hill was (on the main double track
Heading back, this was great singletrack high up on a ridge
Again, not sure which way I went here. It was a long brakeneck speed bomb (great fun)
Missed this little parallel singletrack alternative on the way in but saw it on the way out and jumped over to it

Ride Map

Pittsfield - Turner Trail to Berry Pond

- Turner Trail, Pittsfield State Forest -

Pittsfield MA - May 31st, 2010

It was a beautiful day and I had an inspiring ride up Turner Mountain. Surprisingly the trail was empty of folks--and even more surprisingly was the fact that I climbed the whole thing! It was slow going but not too steep. 

Of course on the bomb all that way back down, I had to stop a couple of times because my hands felt like jello - they were shaken so much as I gripped the handlebars. Little stuff animals were strategically placed along the trail - an unexpected, quirky but cute memory of the place!

Map of my route

terrain version 

 topo version

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Colonie Town Loops

Colonie Town Loops (Colonie NY)

May 30th, 2010

Slideshow > 

Trumbull - In the 50s... What a Day!

Pequonnock River Valley State Park - March 7, 2010

It has been a while since I updated this site with biking photos. Between winter weather (either frigid or soggy and rainy) and Greg being house-bound with a broken ankle, I haven't been out as much and redirected my love of biking to building websites, trail maintenance and creating interactive bike maps.

Well spring is here and Sunday was a beautiful sunny day in the 50s!

I parked at the north end and rode down to the north bridge using the Bramble path. The Blue Trail by the river was surprisingly dry and fun to ride. While blocking a shortcut with deadwood, I chatted with a couple of hikers passing by and gave them a glowing description of the park and recommended Wilton Woods as well for their freeriding teenage son and friends.

I then rode south to the lake bed edge and headed up to the ridges. At a trail at the top (off the north of the fire road) I fixed a short section of the trail that needed better drainage and then searched for the start of the cliff trail that I had discovered a couple of weeks back in crummy weather.

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- Finding the Cliff Trail -

The cliff trail starts at this rock. Going north, turn left before the rock. 

- At the Start of the Cliff Trail -

Make the turn and ride down the trail.

- Turning at the Switchback -

You'll need to turn between the tree and the rock to make the switchback onto the cliff trail. 

-- The Cliff Trail -

There's about a three foot ledge to ride on down and one rock obstacle to ride over but it's not too scary. The view out towards the valley and former lake bed is great in the pre-spring since there aren't any leaves on the trees.

It turns out I discovered this a few years ago but in the lush greenness of summer, I didn't recognize it!

Pequonnock Valley - Winter Hike

Pequonnock River Valley State Park 

January 3rd, 2010

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