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Illegal trails at Bluff Point and other stuff.

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  ctvette2003 
#1 ·
OK, been back and forth with the State Ranger who's the land manager for Bluff. We're trying to set up a time in the next week or 2 to get out there and go over a few things. He's busy right now with all the parks he runs and the lack of personnel they have this time of yr. but when we get a time stamped in I'll post up here and other places so if you are interested in joining in the conversation you can come.

He has noticed that there are a TON of illegal New Trails being made and asked if some of us could help by giving him locations on a map or GPS info marking just the new stuff. Anny help would be great. If you carry a GPS or a Smart phone where you an mark spots that would be sweet.

if there is anything you see and think needs to be done there but don't have the time to come to meet with him feel free to post up here and we can raise the questions.

PLEASE DON'T just rant, joke or make stupid remarks here.. I don't mind that stuff normally, but, Let's use the section for actual information and discussions so we can Make Bluff and even better place to ride!! And to keep it from closing down on us :(
 
#2 ·
Much of the illegal stuff is poorly designed and without approval, land managers tend to get really pissed off that this activity goes on, with a little communication with the land manager, a proposal and qualified people doing the work you will be amazed what gets approved....Keep up the good work at that park....
 
#3 ·
I had a meeting/walk through with the DEEP Maintenance guys on Friday. They are REALLY pissed about the new trails cut going to the bathroom out at the point. Not so much that they cut the trail but more the damage they did around it, cutting arrows in the Cedars and making the trail wide enough in some areas for a small truck to drive on geeshh.. :madman: morons.

They don't want to CLOSE any trails per say. they would like multi crossing trails to kinda go away, which there are a lot in some areas.
Here's what I'm proposing to them

• Mark/blaze the trails wished to be "legal" (right now the only legal trails there are the fire roads, any, and all single track is considered illegal by DEEP)
This will lower (though not stop) the casual traffic from using the less desired trails as most people will follow blazing's and don't search the sides of the trail for branches, as much anyway.

• get the word out and get those who want things done right looking for those that aren't. We don't want to "stop" those building trails, we just want them to ASK and get PERMISSION before doing it. that way we can mark them out, avoid issues with all the crazy diff nature groups and such. AND STOP HACKING TREES!!! :rolleyes:

one thing I didn't know is that the section north and east of the road section going from the bluff to the foundation is actually a preserve and if caught in there cutting anything it's jail time offense not just a slap on the wrist like the rest of the park.(if you look at the state map it shows that area)

other things too but I gotz to go.. anyne has input please post up.!
 
#6 ·
I ride BP a lot. Hurricane Sandy blew down some big trees. Thanks to whoever cut the large trunks across the trail on the lower Mumford Cove side. But what I saw today was unlike anything in the 14 years I've been riding there. A large blowdown oak tree on the east side middle has just been carved into a large freeride playscape. A new trail connects it to another existing trail down the hill through a wet area. This was a major undertaking with many people working together with chain saws and moving dirt. How can this this sort of banditry possibly be justified? BP is a State Coastal Reserve. We are privileged to be able to ride single track there. This will raise alarms in DEEP and the hackles of anti mtb activists. Sure it will be great fun for those few who can ride it's narrow elevated twists and turns but it probably won't last long and is going to be really bad PR for the mtb community in SE CT
 
#7 · (Edited)
I cleared the trails and closed a dozen braids. Because no one will get off there lazy asses and do it. I also made the log ride. took about 30 hrs and i had 1 friend help for about 6 hrs total. Dozens saw me and everyone thanked me. DEEP rarely leaves the fire rds in there. I have been riding there 10 yrs.
With all the dangerous crap the local kids build in there, no one says a word. I have ripped down dozens of things in there over the yrs that were to dangerous to ride on. Most recently a 3' drop in into a main trail made out of fresh cut birch and nailed with 8p nails.
As for the dirt moving, it was 8 buckets of dirt taken from under the root ball of the blown over tree.
Feel free to email me directly if you like. ctvette2003 at vzw.blackberry dot net[/email]
 
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