Poto: Hewen's Creek

[Green_Canoe2]

Took my 6 year old riding at Hewens May 6. The muddy spots in the trail are almost dry. Another week without too much rain and it will be great. The trail is great for the little ones. This was my 6 year olds first time on a trail and it was all I could do to get him to leave for dinner.

[lucasfoster80]

I think we need more people riding at Hewens...the trails are becoming somewhat overgrown with grass, weeds, etc.

Who maintains this? Ypsi parks and rec?

[Green_Canoe2]

I rode the entire trail this last weekend. There is no reason to avoid it now. The muddiest spots are now just a little soft the rest is like concrete... Very bumpy concrete.

[bodomaniac]

I think we need more people riding at Hewens...the
Who maintains this? Ypsi parks and rec?

Nope, the MMBA Poto Chapter does.

[vagabond]

I've been riding the trail every week now for the last 6 month, rain or shine. It is really fascinating to see it change thru the season. Just today I nearly crashed with a turtle that was 1 foot long. This is just one of the experiences I nearly have every time I ride the trail.
The down-part is that for the last 3 weeks or so I did not come home once without bloody legs and/or arms as well as ripped closing (and this is not the cheap Walmart stuff).
We really need to go out and cut away some of the bushes and trees. Otherwise it will not be possible to pass the trail without a machete very soon.
I would be willing to meet with others or be 'responsible' permanently for a certain part of the trail. If we find, lets say, 10 people who do the same we should be able to have a wonderful trail thru-out the year without a giant effort.

[cbur1650]

I rode there last week. It was getting crowded. What day coming up looks like a good trail day?

[ypsi_N8]

Took the dogs out for a walk at Hewens yesterday. Looks like someone did some 4-wheeling in the main field and tore up part of the mtb trail. It might have been motorcycle, I'm not sure. Also, some strange thing off the right of the main 2 track near the entrace. "Welcome" and "Party" signs, some windows nailed between 2 trees, and a board with bunches of bullet holes in it. Must be some bored kids in the area...
Other than that, the trail is dry and smoothing out, the trees are getting bigger and it does need a trim/ brush hog day. I'll be sure to ask Bill durring the Poto chapter meeting tomorrow at ABC.
-Nate

[jnross]

Just today I nearly crashed with a turtle that was 1 foot long... bloody legs and/or arms...

We really need to go out and cut away some of the bushes and trees.

I've had very similar experiences at this trail. I almost squashed a big snapper yesterday, and scratched my shins up something fierce. I met someone at the trailhead who had never ridden it before; I found I had to show him the trail entrance as it was very overgrown and hard to see.

I highly encourage more people to ride this trail - more traffic would help beat down the overgrowth. I'm interested in working to clear the trail, though I'll only be living close by for two more months (I'll be in Sterling Heights after that).

BTW, it was I who chopped up those two big logs blocking the way in the second treeline stretch - 30 min. with a bow saw.

[Elno Lewis]

Is there a trail coordinator for Hewens?

BTW--Dude who cut up log--good work, Dude!

[bill_m]

For folks that are not on the Poto Chapter e-mail list, we will be holding a Hewen?s Creek workday, Saturday (9 June) 10 AM - mowing, weed whacking and new trail cutting. Meet at the Bemis Road entrance.

[cbur1650]

I live down the street from the park. What can I bring to help on Saturday?

[STP300]

Yeah, I rode Poto last night and it's like the wild west out there. WooHoo! I especially like the 60+ ft long section of 1.5' deep water. Also, I like the 1' deep mud hole that slowed my bike by 10mph in 4ft. I cannot remember Poto kicking my ass so hard, as it kicked my ass last night.

I was on a borrowed bike, and the introduction went like this:

bike owner - "bike, meet Ed"
bike - "hi, Ed"
Ed - "you'll do"
bike - "where you taking me?"
Ed - "don't worry about it..."
bike - "WTF is that!"
Ed - "Hold on!"
bike - "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
Ed - "You Ok?"
bike - "This sucks!"
Ed - "No, You Suck!"
bike - "Whatever!"

End of ride.

Ed Z

[matt_mccluskey]

Yes, the Poto has been torn up by the weather. Gary Helzer was telling me last night that they got 5 inches of rain in 12 hours last Sunday.

In the 10+ plus years I've been riding Poto, I haven't seen it this bad. I've never had to "ford a river" that was once a trail, and then climb under, over, and through a downed tree that size. The sand deposits at the bottom of the hills are amazingly deep.

It was truly an adventure to ride out there last night.

[ypsi_N8]

duplicate post

[ypsi_N8]

Wrong thread guys.
This is Poto Chapter: Hewens Creek.
But thanks for the update on Poto. Sounds like it'll be knarly out there this weekend.
See you at Hewens on Saturday with my *beep* trimmer.