Back to Business on the Gussy

The Gussy has been reopened thanks to Nathan Hale of DEEP

Just when I thought I was going to have reroute the trail
the State comes through!

Widow Maker I is down and now we have Widow Maker II
I have started rerouting around this

Summer at Gussy

Blue Trail Entrance from the Echo Valley Lot

Someone forget something?

This looks kind of intentional to keep horses out?

Oak Tree is still Blocking the trail

People are cutting in front of the blow down

Got an idea for a re-route

Replace one Widow Maker for another?
Did we have another Tornado that wasn't a Tornado?

The Mulikin is Blocked!

The Tornado that wasn't a Tornado had an impact on the Mulikin Trail as well. I found this blow down after the muddy stream crossing today.

You couldn't curb your horse?

Not for nothing but there is no way the rider could not have know that their horse wasn't dropping this load on the trail and then to continue on with dismounting and kicking it off the trail.  C'mon!  It may be chewed up grass to you but it's still horse shit to everyone else!

Trail Maintenance @ Upper Paugussett

Opened up the Jeep Trail off of Sandford Rd.

Re-Route around the big blowdown at the hairpin turn before the Wetspot.  Still need to re-route the trail on the other side of this but that will be a bigger project that I want to get permission from the State of Connecticut first.  It will result in an interesting technical descent/climb with some nice rolling grade dips.

I opened up the leafy section of the trail before the new blow down.  This section needs to be cut back about every two years.

This was a tough old tree.  First I started sawing then spent some time on it with the hatchet.  Finally back to sawing till I got it to a point where I could jump on it and it broke.  If I can get someone in to help me, we can probably move the log and ride it as another skinny.

The last blowdown on the Gussy just needed a few branches removed to open the trail back up.  Another future skinny in the making, however it this one will probably require a chainsaw.  There is also another tree down nearby, whether it was caused by this last storm is uncertain but it too is great skinny potential.  It's located north of this position in an area where I was thinking of rerouting the trail at some future point.

This barberry shrub has been nagging at me for quite sometime, and scrapping at my legs as I ride by it each time.  Since I had the right tools on my I took care of it.  Still need to go in and dig it up because after all it is an invasive.

Also took care of this branch blocking the Poly Brodie.  There is a lot of poison ivy here so I had to be careful not to step in any of it.  I would rather step in dog shit because that will come off but if I get poison ivy on me it will wind up all over me in a matter of days.  No thanks!

Upper Paugussett got hammered, too!

After Sunday's ride at George C Waldo State Park I had to check out Upper Paugussett and it received it's fair share of blowdowns as well.  In fact there are there is one section of forest road that leads down to the lake that is blocked and three section on the Upper Gussy Trail that are blocked as well.

If it weren't for the poison ivy, this would be an easy fix

Forest Road to the Lake is blocked

This area is marked for a firewood cut and one of the trees was felled already

3/4s of mile into the Gussy, the first blockage - can be fixed with a hand saw

No impact to the trail here but up from here is an old dead tree about waist high
blocking off the whole trail.  Handsaw will fix it.

A Chainsaw is needed here!

Done right, could get another nice skinny out of it

Saturday Morning on the Gussy

The Gussy is looking pretty good

This Up-and-Over needed a little fixing

Nice to see a shared use trail getting used by our Equine friends

Couldn't tell whether this was a natural fall or some feeble attempt
by a hiker to slow mountain bikers down.  Well it got moved.