Trail C4 from Jerseyfield Lake Rd to Ohio
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Well folks, we wont be riding this trail this year either. We have’nt been able to ride it for the past several years. If you see my posts thru these past years you will see the I have been trying to get the DEC to fix it to make if safe for snowmobiling. It is not safe and in fact its dangerous. For some reason the DEC for 25 years now refuses to fix it. I have brought the condition of the trail up every year we had a Adirondack Trail Conference. Their answer was, we have other priorities and can understand my frustration. 25 years of frustration.
I walked in this past spring and took several pictures of these dangers and turned them over to DEC and NYSSA. NYSSA has these pictures in their possession and hopefully will use them when meeting with the DEC. Dont hold your breath. You cant believe what we are trying to ride over.
To my amazement I found washed out, perfectly good bridges that the Ohio Club has the authority to fix with out DEC permission. They wont do it saying that they will only go in there when the snow it over 2 feet deep so can use their big snow cats to get material in. I found out from a DEC Forester that they can get a TRP (temporary revolkable permit) from the local Forest Ranger to fix any trail using ATVs after Labor Day to do work on any trail in the Forest Preserve.This club have been receiving 70 % of their grant monies from Parks and Rec ( high snow formula for a corridor trail) to work on trails before January of that year for years now and they wont do it.
If any of you folks out there has any pull with this club or Parks and Rec. Maybe you can beg them to fix the trail or close it and de fund it.. ITS DANGEROUS TO RIDE
I should give up as I’m 83 now and probably wont be riding this trail in my life time
RonYou have to wonder, after that many years, whether its intentional and that someone simply doesn’t want that specific trail – in that specific location – functional. Think about it ……. Never underestimate the power of money/wealth in the functioning of our government.
If you want to see another abandoned trail that someone STILL gets money for, take a look at the section of C4 that runs south from Route 8 below Griffin Gorge (east side of Route 30 between Speculator and Wells). I’ve taken a sled up there a couple of times and rugged would be an understatement – don’t go in there unless you’ve got a young buck with you. Plus, there’s a bridge out over Cotter Brook that’s been out forever and a day. On a “corridor” trail no less!!! I took my kids up in there a few summers ago to do some maintenance / fix some of the minor bridges – we were on foot and I don’t think even a 4-wheeler could get through some of the boulder sections. That portion of C4 was one of the trails slated for elimination with the new proposed trail re-alignment plan – you know, the one that got overruled in court?! Maybe if the new community connector trails aren’t going to be built, the State should start using our registration monies to actually fix the existing trails!! NYSDEC falls over themselves scrambling to fix any hiking trails that get washed out – but snowmobile trails? Of course not!
We have had to temporally close the C4C trail from French Rd. to Mosquito Hill and Ohio. We.re working on it and hope to have it open soon
Thanks Icicleal
If you want a plow for the drag machine go to your town clerk and have her apply for a grant from Parks and Rec. She or some one in town should know how to do it. I believe you first have to buy it or at least put a down pmt on it then apply for the grant. Arietta does it all the time. Call Craig Small over there. He’s the highway super. and should be able to help you. They put in for a grant to replace the bridge over Sheriff Lake out let and got it. Its on private land so the DEC was not involved I got a call from Parks about it and told them it definitely was needed.
RonE.Emil
You are absolutley right about some one not wanting that specific trail. Its the OHIO CLUB. They want the high snow corridor formula trail money but they do not want the work involved to keep it safe. They also should be working on C4C to Mosquito Hill but will not do it. Reason ? Here’e my opinion. They can not get into these trails with a nice heated cab machine in stead of using a Scandic snowmobile so they will not fix them until there is enough snow to cover all the rocks and the mud holes are frozen . With climate change frozen mud holes are a thing of the past. They want up wards of 2 feet or more on the ground. Is this not ironic as Morehouse can get to their end ( Mosquito Hill ) and do it every year and they work on it constantly.
I have been the only one to complain to the DEC and the club to do some thing so I guess you could call me a trouble maker. Stop complaining and do it your self as I was told by the past president of this club.
If we could get more people to complain the the DEC Forester ( Keith Rivers ) on 315 785 2610 and the current Ohio Club president ( Matt Kermizian on 315 790 2580 maybe these trails would be just a little safer than they are right now,
As far as that trail from Rt 8 south to Cod Pond that belongs to Stoney Creek Club. They never even cut it out one year and the director of Parks took a group it from Bennett Lake Lake trying to get to Stoney Creek. They pulled and pushed their sleds almost to Cod Pond and gave up. Again a corridor high snow formula trail that never got worked on. Needless to say the clubs trail milage and funding was threatened to be cut until it was fixed. The club fixed it.
PS You and I can complain all day but until more people take the time to go after the clubs and DEC that are getting paid with our registration money to maintain these trails nothing will happen or Until a disabled person riding these dangerous trails gets hurt and goes thru the Americans with Disability Act and a law suit is started nothing will happen. So stop complaining and go do it your self. Ha Ha
RonMorehouse has temporally closed the trail (C4) at Jones rd. It’ s cut out from Town Barn to Sheriff Lk turn around. Didn’t look like Arietta has been through as of Jan.7. Evergreen trail is not opened yet . Will wait for your report on the Panther Mt. end and ice on Evergreen. Thanks for the grant info Ron.
Ron – I agree with you. Nothing else we can do but stop complaining and do it ourselves. The Governor seems only interested in NYC while our favorite Congresswoman is only interested in ivy league schools that aren’t even located in our state.
One day the bridge over Cotter Brook will be back in place. And it won’t be because our glorious government got off its duff.
Unrelated, do you know if the Salt Shed Trail from the parking lot on Route 10 over to Powley Road has been maintained/still exists? I tried following that a number of years ago and nearly sunk a couple of sleds. True swamp at the time and could prolly not be traversed absent an old-school cold snap. I was going to check it out last year when we were running the Wagoner Loop but ran out of time.
Thanks
E-Emil
I believe the forester did get in there before the Law Suit and moved the trail out of the swamp but dont hold me to this. I dont know of any one who has tried it recently. I see tracks along Rt 10 but I also see tracks on the trail where it comes out on the Powley Rd. So some one is using it but cant tell you how good it is. I do know the town does not groom it at all but I heard they do cut it out.
I suggested to the forester a long time ago to widen it out enough for the town’s BR 180 to get thru and maybe more people might start using it. But like every thing, this town has to pay workers to groom and clean out trails. Dont expect them to work on trails in the off season.
If I did’nt walk the DEC in on the Sheriff Lake trail and the S88 trail off the Powley Rd to build by passes around mud holes we’d still be plowing thru them. I was called a trouble maker by some town folks for causing more work for the town to cut these by passes. There are probably a hand full of locals that actually ride snowmobiles in these towns up here and they might get out one or twice a season.
Now after the Law Suit and the DEC running scared to cut even a twig in the forest preserve so dont expect any work on snowmobile trails that might involve cutting a twig or two, let alone a tree. Even the forester cant get permission from Albany to re route a hiking trail up Echo Cliff out of severe washouts on this trail. Snowmobile safety is not part of the greenies vocabulary. They want our business’s to close and every one to leave the park so they can have a wilderness experience all to them selves..
I heard form one forester that Legal in Albany is pushing the Legislature to allow re routing of trails ( cutting of trees ) around dangerous situations. See where this goes. Now you got me going. I’m on a rant now.
PS I have seen folks drop their sleds at the Powley Rd and park in the sand pit and walk back and forth. Its a 1/4 mile walk one way.
Have a great week end.
Ron
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