Trial Building Day at Wendell State forest-Jan 2!!!

[Superb Man]

Anyone interested in volunteering to do a little trail building at Wendell State Forest should meet at the Ranger Station on Wendell-Montague Rd at 9:00am this Sunday (January 2nd).

The locals of the Franklin County chapter of the PV NEMBA have already put in a few good days at Wendell during December reclaiming some long-forgotten biking trails. This Sunday we'll begin cutting the first totally new biking trail at Wendell SF-hopefully the beginning of something big. It'll be muddy, probably snowy and slushy as well (but not too cold) so come prepared (waterproof work boots, nylon/polyester clothes, decent working gloves are recommended-you all know the drill).

Any questions about this project, future projects, or just other local concerns (here in greater Franklin County) feel free to contact me! Hope to see some (all, one) of you soon.

Liam O'Brien
ginaliam@mac.com

[pk]

Hey Liam,

Congratulations! You guyz are having the first official NEMBA Trail Care day of the 2005 season -- that's pretty hard core.

May sure to take some pictures in the snow!!!!

btw: I recently got wetlands approval to put in a long boardwalk through a swamp at Great Brook Farm, and we'll have to do some of the clearing soon so we can work on the ice-- so expect other winter NEMBA trail care events in the near future!

pk

[sizlinseagulsoup]

Post directions and I'll be there.

I'll even take some pictures (for PK and the new website)!

[Capt.Shay]

Way to go Liam 8). I'll be there.

PK: I have a single use camera that I started on the last couple of work days and I'll drop it on disk and get some picks' to you when it is full.

Kev, bring your bike and your camera.

See ya' Sun.

Peace,

J

[hammerhead]

PK,
Probably won't be much of any snow left out here. I am sure there willl be some digital cameras in attendance Bob had one at the last work day, and I will have mine.

Kevin,
Route 2 to Rt 63S - Millers Falls. About 1 mile off rt 2 (the center of Millers Falls) is a sign up the hill into Wendell and to the forest. Once on that Rd there is one fork where you bear right up the hill and you are there. The forest is less than 5 miles from Rt 2. Hope to see you Sunday.

Happy New Year to All,

H

[BigMac]

Guys when you see the sign for the wendell state forest that road is called S. Prospect St. follow to intersection, go right and drive about 1/2 mile to intersection (fork) of Wendell Rd. and Mormon Hollow Rd., go right up Wendell Rd, which changes into Montague Rd about 1 mile and Ranger Station is on the left.

PK you should come check it out as well, plus we could aways use the help.
Kevin, good to hear your coming see you there.
BigMac,

[sizlinseagulsoup]

Forecast of freeze rain. 8)

[BigMac]

so we will all just have to work harder.

[BigMac]

Hello agian everyone, see you all in the am-dress warm we are expexting high of about 32.

[pk]

How did it go?

pk

[hammerhead]

PK,

We had another very good turn out the merry men (and woman) who successfully cut through another 1/4 mile of so of laurel opening a new trail - highlighted by delightful new single track skirting and ascending the Beech forested ridge and ultimately winding out to Baker Rd.

Following the work session - several of us rode for about 2 hrs first up to the lookouts - the next new trail will go up there since the existing hiking trails have a few hike-a-bike sections. We then rode along the fire roads back to the start of the old racecourse. The old racecourse, recovered during the prior two work sessions, is a pretty tough ride, still a little loamy and soft, but with a bit of traffic should work back into a great trail. Remaining issues on this trail is to circumnavigate a substantial bog - some had suggested bridging or board walking it, but it probably makes more sense to detour around to the road. After you cross the swamp this trail flows really nicely. From the end we followed the old abandoned roads to the low point of the park and then climbed Baker Rd back to today's new trail. We wound down the new trail, through the new cut in the laurel and back to the ranger station.

The new leadership in Franklin County has certainly gotten a lot done in a short period of time. A few more sessions like the past three and Wendell will once again be a prime Mountain Bike destination. Thanks Liam for the superb start.

[pk]

Nice! Congrats all around!

Can someone do a short write-up of the event and send me a picture or two for the next SingleTracks? I'd need it by Jan. 10, 9am.

Turns out there was a trail event on Cape Cod too (and if you include an impromtu event I did at Great Brook with the Couches, that makes 3 events on Jan 2! Cool stuff!!!!

pk

[MTBME]

3 and 1/2 if you count the impromtu trail work I did yesterday at the Dracut state forest clearing blow down, and trying to bury new spur trails created by ATV's to access last years Americore trail.

[Superb Man]

Thanks PK for the encouragement of our fledgling efforts up in Wendell-I must say I'm very happy with the group of local volunteers and Park Manager, Ranger Brian Stewart who have now given us three sundays of winter-time, wet work...some of it (like ripping through dense laurel stands) is not much fun and real hump work. But everyone's hard work and persistence is getting good results in a short time. We've already marked out some new trails-and if winter keeps failing to show, we'll start the spring with quite bit to ride up in Wendell.

I'll write up the Wendell report (with pictures) for single tracks.

Liam

[pk]

Cutting through mountain laurel builds character and is great for male bondage.... or is that bonding??? ;D

Thanks, Liam, for writing something up. You can email me both the words and the pics!

pk

[BigMac]

Ya know we are very fortunate, Brian the park ranger loves NEMBA and everything we are doing, he is constantly working w/us on possible new ideas and future trail projects.
And as Hammerhead put it our new Franklin County Nemba is putting fanklin county (on the map). We will never be Batcholer St, but I promise you we are most certianly going to have one of the places that everyone will eventually make there way out to to ride, and enjoy..