Poto: Hewen's Creek

[carlvjack]

I went to this trail today and saw the white sign but the gate was closed?

[grnd93]

The trail entrance is just before and to the left of the gate. Not marked, but easy to see. I was expecting more myself.

[carlvjack]

Aww ok thx

[dnale]

I rode it tonight. Isn't the trail start off to the right a couple of hundred yards up the grass path just near the sign about hunting or boats or something. It's been a while since I was on this trail and it's better than before with the added woods sections. It's pretty confusing about half way through the trail. You are headed west and then it goes to the north through some woods. All is good. You come out onto another mowed path around a grown up field. I went to the east/right and took a trail into it. This path ended being really over grown and confusing. I wasn't sure where this was going. It turned my shins and forearms into ground meat. It eventually spit me out and the rest of the trail was good again.

Was the really over grown portion of the trail even open? It looked like it had been a long time since anyone had been there. I don't know if a mower would even help.

I'd like to ride this trail as it's really close but I don't care for those bushes tearing at my skin.

[wernerlueken]

Major parts of the trail is completely overgrown. There is a nasty problem with thorn bushes, so beware. One can however ride a circle if one includes the wide path that was moved with a big tractor.

[dnale]

That's what I do now. It's too trecherous to run that middle section. Just do a counterclock-wise loop.

[G.Cook]

I'm dream'en ;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDxG9nGE ... re=related

[dnale]

that would work nicely on the middle section. It would be alot of turning but oh so nice afterwards! I don't even know how you could start thining it out other wise. I thought about trying to bike back to it and clear some with loppers or a machete but I'd never make it through the lenght of the middle section.

[bhollen666]

Rode through the central loop today just to see how bad it is before we try to get together for another trail day to see if we can clean it up and salvage some autumn riding.

I didn't ride the eastern loop at all, but I know that it was bad when we tried to clean it up last trail day where only a couple guys showed up. This eastern loop might be lost unless we get a serious turn out next upcoming trail day.

The central loop is exactly as reported by other posters on this site -- my arms and legs were shredded from the thorns. When I got out to the wooded section I stopped to pull the thorns that were still stuck in my skin like bee stingers. I think that I freaked out a hiker in the wooded section when I passed him with all the blood on my arms and legs. He must've thought I was nuts.

I think that if we get the sickle mower, one or two regular mowers, loppers and potentially a couple of machetes we can make that central loop safe and comfortable to ride through the leaf-changing season. It would be worth it, because it's a nice ride this time of year.

We would really like to get this cleaned up before we start to work on the phase four in the next weeks. If you are local to this trail and can give a couple hours to help clean it up, private message me, Norm, or Bill and show your support for the trail at the next upcoming trail day. I hope to see you there.

[tacmed1]

Hey guys I'm new here, but wanted to let you know that last week I took a weed whipper to a good part of the eastern loop. I mowed down a good number of weeds and thorny overgrowth after getting shreded on the trail a few days prior. I'm not sure how far I got but it took me 30 minutes to walk back out the way I came in. I would have finished the trail but I ran out of time. I'm currently in Fla. and plan on doing more next week Thursday or Friday when I get back unless you have a scheduled trail day.

[CoachYork]

I rode it Tuesday. It was flatter than I expected. Glad I took my singlespeed, since the geared bike would've hated the weeds/foilage. Wish I brought a map, as after I got out of the weeds it spit me out and I took the fat path back.
Thanks for mowing/whacking part of the trail tacmed1. I can only imagine the time it took to do as much as you did.
I just moved to this area, and I have to be honest. I don't see much potential here for a great trail. I'm willing to show up for trail days, since I've been wrong before and would love to see something local that's decent to ride. Please PM me if you need an extra hand...

[dnale]

I think the trail can be good. It's not going to be a hard super technical trail like Highland or Yankee Springs or something like that. But it's a decent trail for a relatively flat area that we have.

[tacmed1]

Yesterday I went out to finish cleaning up the trail. I went in the way I left last time, and it was a good thing. The weeds had fallen into the trail in many areas due to height and weight and needed to be cleaned up again. I ran out of time again and was only able to get another couple hundred yards further that where I left off last time. I will try again next week Thursday or Friday to finish the trail. Vince

[tacmed1]

Well I went out again yesterday and tried to finish clearing the trail. I had to quit again after about 4 hours due to time constraints. This time I started with the West loop and worked to the East, trying to connect the 2 loops. As best as I can figure there is still about 1/2 mile of trail left to clear between the two loops. It should be done and rideable again by the end of next week.

[bhollen666]

Great job too, tacmed. I hiked the trail in reverse today to see what needed to be done and found the section that you had worked on. When I realized that there was just one wooded section and the northern field left I drove back home for the weed whacker and got to it. Unfortunately I ran out of whacker cord after getting about halfway done with that section. Now there's just some left in the field section of the northern loop and then to connect to what you already did and it would be completely rideable throughout the central loop. Thank you so much for your help, I certainly appreciate it as I'm sure some of the other riders do too. If there's any riders out there with a little time this week and a weed whacker we could get it completely opened up with about an hours worth of whacking.

P.S. In the last wooded section down the little hill with the sharp left turn I came onto three turkeys. I've seen tracks in that section before so keep your eyes open through that section so there are no bike-to-turkey collisions.