Sunday in The Valley - "Yay" to Braiding Blockage

I got started around 2 pm Sunday afternoon but it was not too hot as the Fall weather seems to be the norm now. I did a few trails in the reverse of what I normally do and that made the ride a little more fun.  Once up in the Central Maze I stopped to photograph the braid blockage on the Yellow Slab Rock Section. I can't believe it -- braiding is so prevalent here - its a shame!

Braiding Blockage - Yay!
Braiding has always been an issue in the Valley. The Park--being unmonitored and unsupervised basically by either the Town or State (co-landowners)--has brought a certain sense of freedom and creativity in the "evolution" of trails but the all-too-often dumbing down occurs as well.

It's a shame because there really are an enormous amount of trails with a wide spectrum difficulty levels. The Yellow Trail traverses through the Central Maze across a challenging series of rock slabs. It's not overwhelmingly hard and really can't even be called a "rock garden" but it offers a great chance to hone your skills for an intermediate! :-)

Why folks braided this is beyond comprehension! It has been one of my favorites trails in the park for years. Kudos to the Pequonnock Valley Trail Care crew for blocking this totally unnecessary braid! Ride the White Trail if the Yellow is too much for you!

Braid Blockage - Slab Rock Section of Yellow Trail

Descending from the Central Maze, I rode down the side trail (nearer the Fire road) instead of the usual Main Yellow and did the mini roller there - no big deal but it's been a long time since I tried that!

I turned around on the White before the dam and headed back north and decided - since it was dry -- to take the offshoot before the boardwalk in the Serengeti. Much to my surprise the dead-ended trail that used to head further south thru swamp was gone! Totally overgrown now - it shows that loops are needed to make a trail worthwhile to ride and of course mucky swampland and mosquitos can make any trail less enticing no matter how interesting the plant life is around you! :-)