Croisan Scenic Trail... conflict?...
There's this trail near where I work over in South Salem that's been around since the 70's, and apparently the home owners with backyards along where this trail is are getting all up in arms that people are "trespassing". The trail is city property. They've all got trails leading down from their backyards to this very nice hiking/jogging trail. The issue is going to the City Council soon. They want to close down the trail for public access.
So today it seemed like a good afternoon to scope it out during my lunch break.
I found a "Private Property" sign snapped off and toss beside the trail, but also encountered some chicken wire fence stretched across the trail with a white plastic sign. I was walking downhill on the trail, and had to go around the fence to read the sign... on the other side it read: "Private Property".
Thought that was odd because I was already on the trail and apparently was walking OFF of the "private property"!
I took pictures.
I continued down the trail to a section of what appeared to be an old paved road. It was overgrown with moss and stuff.
I took pictures.
I continued back onto the trail for awhile... it kept going downhill, and I had to get back since this was just my lunch break.
I took pictures.
Overall, the trail looks excellent for a hiking/jogging trail. It has 1/8" gravel that makes for very hard pack and has a wooden bit of bridge work (only easily ridable in one direction due to some small steps). The trail has good drainage. It'd been raining for a couple of days, but the trail was not muddy or difficult to walk on.
I think that I might place an urban geocache somewhere along this trail. More people enjoying and using this trail, the less likely the home owners will be able to get it shutdown to public access.
As far as a mountain biking trail... It does NOT seem like a very fun trail (in my opinion), in fact, if one were on a bike and bombing downhill - there would be danger to hikers - since in most places it's not easy to jump off the trail (for either the hiker or the biker). However, it'd be a fine grind UPHILL for cross-country riders however - not a steep incline, but you'd feel the burn by the time you reached the top!
This trail is only 10 minutes from where I work, and there wasn't anybody on the trail and it made for a nice afternoon hike.
If only there was a real mountain biking trail just 10 minutes away! That'd make for a great destination to take a mental break during the middle of the day.
So today it seemed like a good afternoon to scope it out during my lunch break.
I found a "Private Property" sign snapped off and toss beside the trail, but also encountered some chicken wire fence stretched across the trail with a white plastic sign. I was walking downhill on the trail, and had to go around the fence to read the sign... on the other side it read: "Private Property".
Thought that was odd because I was already on the trail and apparently was walking OFF of the "private property"!
I took pictures.
I continued down the trail to a section of what appeared to be an old paved road. It was overgrown with moss and stuff.
I took pictures.
I continued back onto the trail for awhile... it kept going downhill, and I had to get back since this was just my lunch break.
I took pictures.
Overall, the trail looks excellent for a hiking/jogging trail. It has 1/8" gravel that makes for very hard pack and has a wooden bit of bridge work (only easily ridable in one direction due to some small steps). The trail has good drainage. It'd been raining for a couple of days, but the trail was not muddy or difficult to walk on.
I think that I might place an urban geocache somewhere along this trail. More people enjoying and using this trail, the less likely the home owners will be able to get it shutdown to public access.
As far as a mountain biking trail... It does NOT seem like a very fun trail (in my opinion), in fact, if one were on a bike and bombing downhill - there would be danger to hikers - since in most places it's not easy to jump off the trail (for either the hiker or the biker). However, it'd be a fine grind UPHILL for cross-country riders however - not a steep incline, but you'd feel the burn by the time you reached the top!
This trail is only 10 minutes from where I work, and there wasn't anybody on the trail and it made for a nice afternoon hike.
If only there was a real mountain biking trail just 10 minutes away! That'd make for a great destination to take a mental break during the middle of the day.
posted by Joe R at 5:33 PM
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