Poto: Hewen's Creek

[Todd Scott]

Post trail conditions and problem reports for the trails at Hewen's Creek.

[Todd Scott]

The update as of August 29th, 2005 is at http://www.mmba.org/viewtopic.php?t=32380

[JJ]

I don't like to be negative but it is only fair to anyone considering riding this trail. The trail (or mown path) is a twisty guantlet of punji stakes left behind by the sappling trees cut down. Full suspension is a must, extra tubes and a patch kit would be smart too. After the ride I found a sliver of wood that punctured my tire and tube (which will go flat when I pull it out later today). Rides real slow on 90% of the trail. The effort to create distance by twists and turns really sacrifices flow. I don't think this will improve a lot even when the trail is broken in. Trail is 100% flat and the mature wooded sections are sparse and real tight. This trail won't be much fun to ride until the paths are worn to the dirt.

[bhollen666]

I rode it last night, just 10 minutes away by bike from the house. There are lots of mowed saplings that also slowed me down, as JJ has posted. I rode it with a hardtail and a sore lower back, but came away with no serious damage. I also used a GPS to record the trail, and I measured 2.6 miles around the whole circuit, with the eastern loop taking up about 1.2 miles of it. About 0.2 miles south from the loop choice marker there is a big hole in the ground from a bee's nest (N42?10.6', E83?37.5'). I could see it before I got to it, but others should be aware. I did like the wooded parts of the ride, and will be more geeked when the open trails are more groomed, but I'll still ride it. Stush666

[bill_m]

It is true - think of yourself as a pioneer riding a bumpy trail that will wear in to a nice groomed trail for future generations. I have to admit, the first few times I rode the Central and East loops it was really slow going. But the last time I rode it I really upped the speed. Aside form drifting in the corners, they trail flowed pretty well. It just takes some learning of the lines as you are working with reduced traction from the mowed vegetation that needs to be worn down. We will make adjustments as the trail develops. (I warned you about the hardtail )

The trail just needs to be ridden - a lot. I also got a flat, which I'm sure is from the multi-flora rose branches in the trail. We will continue working on cleaning up the debris from mowing the path, but some tire sealent is probably a good idea for the time being. Most of the trail that will be added going forward will be in the woods. By creating the field trails first, we could get the park open quickly with a rideable loop. The wooded sections are going to be more complicated and slower going with some bridges needed, but we will start to build them as soon as the leaves are down. The park is flat, not much we can do about that!

I am surprised the mileage figure came in that low. None of us has a computer on our bikes so we were just guessing based on it taking around 50 minutes to ride the loop. It feels longer than that! Thanks for pointing out the bees nest, I can't believe I didn't get attacked as I passed over that section with the mower 4-5 times. How the heck to you get rid of that? Any suggestions?

[Dirty Tires]

I heard pouring boiling water into the bees nest should cook them quite nicely, without doing unnecessary ecological damage.

[bhollen666]

Rode it again on Friday night with a friend. We both came away with either thorns or pieces of wood in the tread. I pulled the tubes and had three holes in the back tire and two in the front tire. My buddy had at least one in each. I replaced the tubes and hit the trail again today, and this time came away with only a little piece of wood in one of the side knobs. Some of those tree stumps look like they've exploded from people riding over them!

The trail seems to be getting a little beaten down in spots, which is better. Today I measured the distance with the bike computer and not the GPS and got 4.1 miles roundtrip -- trailhead to trailhead. This doesn't include the 1/4 mile distance from the parking area to the trailhead, another 1/2 mile. Much closer than the GPS, so I get I had some drop-outs and lost a buncha distance with the GPS.

On the way out I met two couples who were there to check out the trail. One couple was on road bikes and said they'd come back, the other was on trail bikes and headed to the trail after we talked.

The trail's starting to get better, we just have to keep at it.

Stush666

[J.knight]

Rode HC today. The trails must be getting some use, it is starting to look like a trail in most spots....kind of. The East loop still needs about 10000000 people to ride it to pack the trail in. Or maybe just a few Really fat people.

[Climber92]

rode the trail with my dad and brothers. the trail is..........flat, which was a little different. we ended up with 1 flat, but i had fun. i am curious if any obstacles are going to be put in, to make it a bit more interesting, except the rock garden at the begginning of tehe central loop. with some more technical stuff, and a hard beat trail, it would be a ton more fun.

overall i enjoyed it, andhope to see it continue progressing

[slepri]

My husband and I rode the trails a couple of times in the last few weeks. It is generally a pretty cool trail, although it definately needs more people riding it to break down the weed roots and stuff that are sticking up in the trail. We especially enjoyed the parts that went through the tree lines, although riding through there at dusk is pretty dark and a little dangerous. Otherwise, it winds around a lot and is remarkably long for the small space it occupies. At dusk, you should look out for the crazy bow hunters we saw shooting along the trail, closer to the entrance on bemis, as we rode up toward them, we could have been skewered--this was a little disturbing. The sad thing is that just as this trail opened, we decided to put our house on the market and are moving away from this area. But, if you want to live literally across the street from the east side of the park, you should look for our house on Crest Dr. as you drive down hitchingham. You could be a 1 minute bike ride away from the park!

[bill_m]

At dusk, you should look out for the crazy bow hunters we saw shooting along the trail, closer to the entrance on bemis, as we rode up toward them, we could have been skewered--this was a little disturbing.

I was wondering when we would get our first report of hunters in the park. Hunting is not permitted in Hewens Creek. However, people have been hunting on that land for years, so I'm sure some of them are reluctant to give it up. We have a call in to Ypsi Township and will put together an official procedure for reporting illegal hunting.

In the meantime, please be careful and use good common sense. Don't try to confront hunters in the park. Wear bright colors and be extra alert around dusk. If you do see hunters, try to spot anything that would identify them such as the liscense plate of their car. We can then pass that info along to the township and the police for them to enforce.

We will also work on getting a phone # to call for anyone carrying a cell phone while riding. As more and more people use the park, it will become less desirable for the hunters.

Stay tuned for more info.

[bill_m]

We spoke with the Ypsi Township Parks Dept and here is the scoop:

No Hunting signs have been posted but are being torn down. The parks folks are going to put up more signs for us. It looks like this may be an ongoing problem that we will have to stay on top of. If you notice a No Hunting sign that has been torn down, please report it to Ypsi Township ASAP.

If you encounter hunters (aka Poachers) at HC Park, please report them to either Ypsi Township or the DNR RAP Program.

Ypsi Township Parks Dept 734-484-0073

DNR Report All Poaching Program (RAP) 1-800-292-7800

Click here for more information on the RAP program

But, please remember if you encounter hunters always follow the no confrontation guidelines, avoid using the trail around dawn and dusk, and wear bright colors. Our efforts will hopefully curb this problem quickly. The penalties for poaching can include large fines, confiscation of firearms, ineligibility for a hunting license as well as jail-time.

Thanks for your help!

[Climber92]

will there be more log piles and rock gardens added there??

[bhollen666]

Walked through it today, just to see how it looked. I found some recent tire tracks, but mostly just boot and animal prints. There are a few spots that are all water after the snow melt, so be on the lookout for them.

[bill_m]

For those who can't wait until the Spring Thaw is over

This trail could actually use some riding during the thaw. It is so new that the churning effect of riding it while muddy would actually help smooth out the bumps. Your bike may not be happy with you afterwards, but it is a good choice if you have to ride the dirt before it is ready.

Best of luck to those who do!