The Berm controversy

Yep its Berm.  I was discussing this with some coworkers and we had a collective strike of genius and looked on Wikipedia.  Duh. 

It quotes “A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas. Berm originates in the Middle Dutch and German berme and came into usage in English via French.”

So hence forth, ‘mounds’ will revert to the proper term of ‘berms’ now that I know how to correctly spell it. 

And FYI – I left a voicemail on Monday for the Forest Service about those fire roads, and today is Thursday.  Still no call back.  I repeated my phone number and name 3 times on the call too, speaking nice and slow and clear, so I really don’t think that is the problem.  Maybe they are out on vacation though.  I’ll try back soon.

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by riderofchaos on December 22, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by riderofchaos on December 22, 2011

https://blueridgepony.com/2011/12/22/the-berm-controversy/

Bear Trap Exploration

Bear Trap, Ridge Top exploration

Trail Report: December 18, 2011

On this ride I did some exploration at Bear Trap and took some photos to make things a little clearer.  Its mostly the same ride as the one I did on December 4th and listed here on December 13th. https://blueridgepony.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/trail-report-bear-trap-ridge-top-loop/

Here is a quick shot from the fire road entrance of the parking.  You can see I just pulled over on the side of Bear Trap Rd.

Parking

Hack in along the fire road, barking dogs to the left, and continue to a year round creek crossing.

Then up a slight incline in the fire road and around a few bends to the this spot.  there is a smallish parking spot on the left followed by the trail entrance.

Over some mounts in the start.

And then around some bends and over a few more mounds.

It really could be a fire road, don’t you think?

Or maybe just a wide trail that’s become over grown.

Eventually it comes to a circle that has an old fallen tree in it.

There is a very over grown trail to the left that I haven’t really tried to go more than a little ways on.  its just too over grown.

And there is a trail to the right, that’s very fire road like.  but it is hard to access because of the large mound with low hanging branches over it.

Or you can head straight over the big mounds and up the mountain.

Closer up to the mounds

It gets steeper and steeper as you go.

At the top the trail comes to a T on the ridge top.

The tree is marked with a spray paint line visible when reversing the ride and making a left to go down the mountain.

Some one piled up some marker sticks to help prevent missing the turn.

It would be really easy to miss from the top.  Usually I go right, but this time I went left to see what there is to see.  It is not as used and it’s a bit more over grown.  There are two really nice look out points.

Simon took a break and got in a good scratch on some trees while me and the dogs climbed up on the first one for a quick look around.

The second lookout point is a large rock pile.  The trail goes straight over it, but there is a less distinguished trail that passes below it.

A little farther on I called it quits.  The trail had become more and more over grown and eventually ended at what would be  a nice camp spot.  There was a smallish rock set up ornamental style.

I headed back to where I came up the mountain and headed straight ahead (which is where I would normally would have gone). I passed some sights like these branch square things.

Eventually the trail pops out on the fire road.  Here is what the trail looks like from the fire road.

Just a super short ride on the fire road brings you to the next bend (left) and a trail on the right.

It seems they have replaced the previous wooden sign with this little green tree tag.

And yellow blazes along the trail

Ride down the hill for a while.  And eventually hit the fire road again.  The wooden sign also appears to have been removed from this end and replaced with a green tree tag.

And then back out to Bear Trap road and head on home.

 

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by riderofchaos on December 21, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by riderofchaos on December 21, 2011

https://blueridgepony.com/2011/12/21/bear-trap-exploration/

Where is that Fire Road?

The entrance to the fire road from Bear Trap Road.

Trail Report: Bear Trap Access Point

December 18, 2011 

I went to Bear Trap this weekend with the intention of trying the Ridge Top Trail in the other direction.  Which I did and Ill comment on that in the next post (so above this post).  While I was there I again admired how many side trails there are off of this fire road.  And I decided that next time I need to bring a marker with me so I can add all these smaller trails to my map.

While I was pondering my map, and trying to triangulate exactly where certain trails are, I noticed, not for the first time, that the first two fire roads that come off of the main one, 536, which are 536C and 536F are simply not there.  Previously when I mentioned this to a trail riding friend while driving home from a ride, she responded that they are there, I just missed them.  I knew this was not correct.  I am a bit obsessive about side trails and fire roads that turn off of the main route, so I know I wouldn’t miss these two main roads that should, according to the map, even have gates on them, but I stored it away for future thinking.  Which I promptly forgot about.

When I was riding this weekend, it popped back to me and I kept thinking about it, although I didn’t really focus on it totally while I was out there riding.  And now that I am back to my work week, and won’t be able to get back out to the trails for a bit, I can’t stop thinking about it.  I have pulled my map out more than once and stared at those two roads, trying to be sure that I *know* where they are suppose to be, but until I am back at Bear Trap, pulling the map out is not going to answer any of my questions.

Were these roads intended to be built and put on the map to plan ahead?  Were they started and not finished?  Were they built and then left to become over grown for years and years?  Its driving me nuts.  I tried calling the local National Forest office and left a message.  I am hoping someone there can give me some insight.

I suspect I know where the first one 536C is intended to be/or was, but that it is still a foot trail or has become severely over grown.  I will explore this area soon and see what I can figure out.

The second one is a little more tricky.    I need to have my map out with me and make sure I acknowledge each curve in the road and its correspond on the map as I ride.  I am not sure, but it’s possible that the trail I ride up to the ridge top is actually the second fire road turn 536F.  It is certainly wide enough, minus all the small trees and brush growth, and is very clearly cut in several places.  Meaning there was most likely machinery used to create this trail and it was meant to be much wider, more like fire road width.  It also comes to a circle that has several trails that come out at that point, straight ahead (which goes to the Ridge Top Trail and is very steep), to the left, which is very over grown and looks like a very old trail that is not really pony passable, and a third to the right.  This one to the right is a bit of a pain to get started on  because there is a large mound at its start combined with some low branches over it.  I did follow it a ways one time and it is a clearly cut trail the width of a fire road and has young growth on it.  Although I am sure this trail was intentionally cut out at one time and wide enough for vehicles, I am not sure if it is the FR 536F marked on the map.

over grown fire road?

If it is that FR536F, then I am way off on where I speculate the trail shoots off of the road.  Which is totally possible and will be easy to figure out next time I am there.  Although looking at my map, I am rather uncertain it’s at that point.  The main fire road has a few squiggles in it before reaching the trail on the left and the distance feels longer than the map shows it being if it is FR536F.  I just need to have my map out for each turn, like I already said.

There are quite a few trails that lead off on that side of the fire road that are cut in and pretty flat, but I have thought of them as more appropriate for 4wheeler access vs. dilapidated fire roads.  And the other side of the road actually has some vehicle entrance points that are in current use that probably make good camping points for hunters staying out for the night, none of which are on the map.

My other thought, and I am not sure how much this could help, is to drive to the trail head and up the fire road.  The gate is still open, but probably won’t be for much longer with the main hunting season ending in two weeks.  But my thought is that, in a vehicle it might be more obvious since I’ll be at the right height.  I am not sure if the second gate is open on the fire road thought.  It wasn’t last time I went through there, but that was about two months ago and I do not remember if the main gate was open at that time either.

I think I know where my next ride will be at.

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by riderofchaos on December 20, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by riderofchaos on December 20, 2011

https://blueridgepony.com/2011/12/20/where-is-that-fire-road/

Berm? Bern? Barm? well shoot, mound.

I do realize that the ‘mounds’ at the start of trails, intended to prevent vehicles and 4wheelers from accessing them are actually called berms.  But I am not sure if that is spelled b.e.r.m. or b.a.r.m. or b.u.r.m. or what and spell check doesn’t like any of them.  I suspect is berm, but until I am sure I’ll just call them mounds.

not the best photo of a 'mound' but you get the idea.

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by riderofchaos on December 19, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by riderofchaos on December 19, 2011

https://blueridgepony.com/2011/12/19/berm-bern-barm-well-shoot-mound/

The Big Pink Ball

Simon is one of those mischievous ponies that likes to mess with things in his field.  And since Simon doesn’t have any of that natural instinct for self preservation around other horses (really, he just stands there while they beat him up), he is in his own field, which happens to be the riding field. 
 
The riding field has about a dozen jumps, an assortment of games equipment and two water tubs.  Simon knocks down jumps on occasion, and he loves to push the bending poles and traffic cones over.  One time the ground was frozen so hard, that when he knocked a bending pole down, the steal spike on the bottom snapped off.  He has broken a good half dozen poles, more flags than I can count and one time, he shredded one of our barrels.  I assume he attempted to climb inside of it and then thrashed around breaking it into a couple dozen pieces before spreading them all over the field.  I have caught him walking around with flags hanging out of his mouth, and another time I caught him half inside of one of the water tubs.
 
We added electric wire around his field because he started to use the fence to pull his shoes off and was attempting to climb over it.  A few times he was found standing in a complete tangle in the fence, just waiting to be rescued, and more than once he has come in from the field covered in wire rubs and cuts from rescuing himself.  Electric fixed that problem, but it didn’t do a thing to stop him from tearing down the jumps and games equipment. 
 
So about a month ago when I was at an auction with some friends we picked up a big pink horse ball for Simon.  It is very similar to the exercise balls that are popular with palates.  Actually I am not so sure there is any difference other than the one I got Simon says “Horse Ball”, or something like that on it, and the palates ones do not.  We thought Simon could entertain himself rolling it around instead of the water tubs. 

I introduced him to it and he rolled it around and kicked it a few times.  Then he ran off bucking and circled back to push it around again.  After a few rounds I took the ball up and put it away to save some of the hilarity for the next day when I had someone around to enjoy it with me.  Not surprisingly, the next day he had very little interest in it.  His lack of interest in the ball has persisted and the jumps and meager amount of games equipment we leave out are still being knocked down and the ball remains in the same position in the field, untouched, day after day. 

Jumping a few weeks forward, I was at Goodwill, and for a few bucks I picked up some children’s golf clubs.  I envisioned Simon and I starting to play a fun new game with the golf clubs and the pink ball.  We could try knocking it through the bending poles or over jumps, and when we have someone to play with we could set up goals!

Last night, I tacked Simon up, grabbed the golf clubs and headed out to give it a try.  I grabbed up the pink ball and Simon took off bucking up the field, where he stopped to watch me and the ball from afar. 

after bucking off up the field
I spent about 20 minutes on the ground, with Simon in hand, bouncing the ball, kicking the ball and having him push it with his nose.  I rewarded his bravery with pony treats and although he wasn’t terrified of it, he seems to have developed a weariness about it. 
 
It made me laugh that this pony that doesn’t seem to spook at anything and has never flinched at games equipment has to be bribed with treats to stand next to a big pink ball.  

He watches as I approach him while carrying the ball

Eventually I called it and hopped on for a ride before it got too dark.

I suppose we are just going to have to spend more time getting accustomed to the ball.    

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by riderofchaos on December 16, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by riderofchaos on December 16, 2011

https://blueridgepony.com/2011/12/16/the-big-pink-ball/

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