March 26, 2018

Location: I show this in the video – not super exciting but maybe helpful. I approach on 211 from New Market near rt81. Heading east on 211, I go up to the top of the mountain, this is where the video picks up, and the parking lot is a short ways down on the right hand side. Again this is easy bound.

From this lot there is a trail – which I point out in the video – on the side of the parking lot. But for today’s ride I crossed the road, directly across. There is a break in the hill, with a road through it with a closed fire gate. Can’t miss it. It is well marked on the map, fire road 410.

Parking: it’s a big lot on the side of Rt211, paved. It’s a park and ride type of lot, smack on the side of the road, plenty of space to get a big rig in and turn around.

I headed out on a brand new trail today. From the parking lot it’s directly across the road, and around the closed fire gate. There is actually a wooden bridge built on the right hand side of the gate to help go around it.

It’s a nice rolling fire road ride for a while. Really pleasant and simple. Well groomed and clear.

White blaze!

After a bit the white blaze turns off to the left onto a very clear and well maintained trail. There is an arrow on the tree and it’s very easy to spot. The fire road continues ahead. I check it out on the way back.

This trail is lovely. Still white blaze and just simple, clear, maintained. Some recently called trees were cleared. Wow. I am not often on trails this well kept, or frequently used. I saw pony poo, fat bicycle tracks and boot prints.

At one point there is a clear trail branching off to the left, with s small pile of branches in front of it. We stayed straight/right and kept with the white blaze.

The trail eventually dips down and there is a sign, with clear writing still visible! I laugh about this because it is so rare for me to ride anywhere with a sign still standing, and on the rare occurrence there is one, the words are either vandalized or worn out. I had to take photos.

So this is where 410 hits the orange blaze 408. I can go right, or left towards Cressman Hollow Rd. Eventually I want to do this loop, but today there was not enough time and daylight. So I decided to go left and explore just a little ways.

Steep climbing up. Well not too steep, but it was going on. And Simon stopped to breath. At this point I whip my forest service map out and point out where we are on the video. And I realize the loop and back to the trailer is probs my something like 13 miles or so. Give or take.

I kept looking up, and then down and I decided to turn around. After a bit of slow down hill crawling I got off and led Simon. This is in part because I hate down hill and he is built down hill so it’s like double down hill. But he also crawls down hill. It wasn’t all that steep so I think we went way faster with me on foot. Hilariously. Usually when I do this I feel it in my legs the next day. Tomorrow shall tell.

So back to the sign, and I decided to explore the other direction. Super nice. There was one point where it was rather narrow with a bit of a drop to the right. I was fine but wouldn’t want to be on a stupid young horse I didn’t trust. But it was short.

There was a sweet little camp site along a creek.

Then over the creek. While letting Simon get a drink I noticed some hair on a tree. Probs my deer. Had to snap a photo.

I only went a short ways more than decided to turn back around and head back. I wanted to explore some of the side trails before heading back.

So back past the sign, onto white blaze 410, to where the pile of branches blocked the trail. I hopped over those and cantered up the path and it ended very quickly in a clearing. Nothing special.

Then on along to a clearing on the right hand side of the trail that had a path at the back of it. I zipped up that to another clearing. There appeared to be a trail at the back of this clearing too but I did not check it out.

On back to the fire road turn. I made a left and continued up the fire road. It was not much longer, but still. Ice and clear. It ended in a circle with a nice peak behind it.

In the back of the circle there was a double trail and I checked them both out. They sort of both ended but not hard. When I looked at the tracker later it looks like one met up with the trail I was on earlier and I think I remember seeing a spot that was a poor looking trail. I bet that was where it connected.

After turning back around to head home, and just after exiting the circle, there was another trail to the left. I did not check it out but would like to at another time.

Time was short so I headed on back along that lovely fire road. It was a nice trot, canter, gallop stretch back to the parking.

Check out the two part video blog of the ride if you like. I’ll admit I do. It watch these myself so I have no idea how bad they are. I save them for later when I can’t remember what a trail was like. It’s a great way for me to see different parts of the trail.

part 1 video

Part 2 video