Freewheeling in the Pines

By Don Sapatkin
Philadelphia Inquirer
October 8, 2005

At first blush, building mountain-bike trails in the Pinelands seems silly. Mountain bikers crave the stomach-churning ups and downs of tracks carved from the hills. South Jersey is tediously flat.

But it has something that other areas don't have: extra dirt.

Copious amounts of protected dirt - already formed into miles and miles of old trails, rough fire cuts, and unmarked sand roads - mean a bonanza for mountain bikers who feel increasingly hemmed in by concrete.

The dirt of Wharton State Forest will never be dug up for homes on cul-de-sacs. Turning its flat and sandy features into loops that will draw mountain bikers, however, calls for creativity in trail-building: Back and forth, instead of up and down. Bridges, ledges, maybe teeter-totters.

Over the last few weeks, volunteers have been setting up trails for mountain bikers behind the state forest's Atsion Office. Two trails - both intermediate-to-advanced but very different from each other - have been fully cleared and marked.

A 16.6-mile Blue Trail strings old sand roads together into a giant loop. The difficult patches are merely deep, like sand traps on a golf course. These will firm up in cool weather.

A 6.3-mile White Trail cuts across the southeastern corner of the loop, using old hiking trails and other features to form a single-track challenge that requires more agility.

"It's meandering, winding, lots of changes in elevation, lots of little whoop-de-doops," Jay Jones said, describing the 2- to 3-foot drops.

Jones started the Jersey Action Riders eight years ago, a rare mountain-bike club in a region that is home to nearly a dozen active road-bike organizations. The Jersey riders have always been committed to service, working monthly to maintain mountain-bike trails in Philadelphia's Wissahickon Valley.

Wharton State Forest, meanwhile, has been interested in designating some of its trails for mountain bikes. "People were asking for it," said Terry Schmidt, who works in the Atsion Office on Route 206, about an hour's drive from the city.

At 115,000 acres, Wharton is more than three times the size of any other state forest in New Jersey. Its 500 miles of sand roads to long-gone towns, not counting abandoned rail lines and pedestrian trails, are shared by equestrians, hikers, Jeeps, enduros, birders, 4x4s, cross-country skiers, and motorcycles. (Motor vehicles must be registered and "street-legal," which excludes ATVs.)

Although conflicts are infrequent, the various recreational groupings have different trail needs - equestrians, for example, are seeking permission from the state to mark and map three sets of trails where overhanging branches have been cut high enough to avoid knocking riders off their mounts.

Forestry workers don't have the expertise to map out all sorts of trails, Schmidt said. But the enthusiasts do.

In the spring of 2004, Jones and other experienced trail-builders examined maps and rode trails, roads, and what looked like overgrown ditches near Atsion. They stored in handheld GPS devices the coordinates for possible links and loops.

One section became what is now marked as the White Trail.

"Great fun," declared Jones, 41, after riding it the other day. "It was undulating, switchbacks; some sections went through tight woods."

Since most of the trails already existed in some form, getting them ready did not require a lot of heavy lifting.

Eric Hallberg spent part of a recent Saturday cutting back branches and firming up sandy areas of trail, along with other volunteers (including his 3-year-old son, Ethan).

Then they went for a ride.

Hallberg, 30, has been looking for places to take his bike since transferring from England to McGuire Air Force Base in June. Small paths perfect for riding are all over England, said Hallberg, a tanker pilot who lives in Mount Laurel; there are far fewer here.

He heard about the work day from another pilot, Meng Tatel, 29. She also has been trying to find trails to ride.

"Just something continuous, without a lot of hazards, a little challenging, varied terrain.

"The big thing," she said, "is someplace to ride that's dirt."

If You Go

Blue Trail: 16.6-mile loop on wide, flat sand roads (deep in places). Access is from Quaker Bridge Road, a short distance east of where the sand road runs behind Wharton State Forest's Atsion Office (east side of Route 206).

White Trail: 6.3 miles of twisting single track inside the loop. Access to either end is more than 6 miles up or down the blue loop.

Skill levels: Both new trails are for intermediate to advanced riders.

Future trails: A figure-eight trail for beginners and additional White Trail, access closer to Atsion, are expected soon.

Maps: Rough maps are online and at the Atsion Office (609-268-0444).

Halloween Night Ride: The Jersey Action Riders' costumed ride (for all levels, with prizes) meets 10 p.m. Oct. 29 at Atsion.

ONLINE EXTRA

For links to maps, clubs, and mountain-bike trails around the region, go to http://go.philly.com/biking.

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	Freewheeling in the Pines By Don Sapatkin Philadelphia Inquirer October 8, 2005 At first blush, building mountain-bike trails in the Pinelands seems silly. Mountain bikers crave the stomach-churning ups and downs of tracks carved from the hills. South Jersey is tediously flat. But it has something that other areas don't have: extra dirt. Copious amounts of protected dirt - already formed into miles and miles of old trails, rough fire cuts, and unmarked sand roads - mean a bonanza for mountain bikers who feel increasingly hemmed in by concrete. The dirt of Wharton State Forest will never be dug up for homes on cul-de-sacs. Turning its flat and sandy features into loops that will draw mountain bikers, however, calls for creativity in trail-building: Back and forth, instead of up and down. Bridges, ledges, maybe teeter-totters. Over the last few weeks, volunteers have been setting up trails for mountain bikers behind the state forest's Atsion Office. Two trails - both intermediate-to-advanced but very different from each other - have been fully cleared and marked. A 16.6-mile Blue Trail strings old sand roads together into a giant loop. The difficult patches are merely deep, like sand traps on a golf course. These will firm up in cool weather. A 6.3-mile White Trail cuts across the southeastern corner of the loop, using old hiking trails and other features to form a single-track challenge that requires more agility. "It's meandering, winding, lots of changes in elevation, lots of little whoop-de-doops," Jay Jones said, describing the 2- to 3-foot drops. Jones started the Jersey Action Riders eight years ago, a rare mountain-bike club in a region that is home to nearly a dozen active road-bike organizations. The Jersey riders have always been committed to service, working monthly to maintain mountain-bike trails in Philadelphia's Wissahickon Valley. Wharton State Forest, meanwhile, has been interested in designating some of its trails for mountain bikes. "People were asking for it," said Terry Schmidt, who works in the Atsion Office on Route 206, about an hour's drive from the city. At 115,000 acres, Wharton is more than three times the size of any other state forest in New Jersey. Its 500 miles of sand roads to long-gone towns, not counting abandoned rail lines and pedestrian trails, are shared by equestrians, hikers, Jeeps, enduros, birders, 4x4s, cross-country skiers, and motorcycles. (Motor vehicles must be registered and "street-legal," which excludes ATVs.) Although conflicts are infrequent, the various recreational groupings have different trail needs - equestrians, for example, are seeking permission from the state to mark and map three sets of trails where overhanging branches have been cut high enough to avoid knocking riders off their mounts. Forestry workers don't have the expertise to map out all sorts of trails, Schmidt said. But the enthusiasts do. In the spring of 2004, Jones and other experienced trail-builders examined maps and rode trails, roads, and what looked like overgrown ditches near Atsion. They stored in handheld GPS devices the coordinates for possible links and loops. One section became what is now marked as the White Trail. "Great fun," declared Jones, 41, after riding it the other day. "It was undulating, switchbacks; some sections went through tight woods." Since most of the trails already existed in some form, getting them ready did not require a lot of heavy lifting. Eric Hallberg spent part of a recent Saturday cutting back branches and firming up sandy areas of trail, along with other volunteers (including his 3-year-old son, Ethan). Then they went for a ride. Hallberg, 30, has been looking for places to take his bike since transferring from England to McGuire Air Force Base in June. Small paths perfect for riding are all over England, said Hallberg, a tanker pilot who lives in Mount Laurel; there are far fewer here. He heard about the work day from another pilot, Meng Tatel, 29. She also has been trying to find trails to ride. "Just something continuous, without a lot of hazards, a little challenging, varied terrain. "The big thing," she said, "is someplace to ride that's dirt." If You Go Blue Trail: 16.6-mile loop on wide, flat sand roads (deep in places). Access is from Quaker Bridge Road, a short distance east of where the sand road runs behind Wharton State Forest's Atsion Office (east side of Route 206). White Trail: 6.3 miles of twisting single track inside the loop. Access to either end is more than 6 miles up or down the blue loop. Skill levels: Both new trails are for intermediate to advanced riders. Future trails: A figure-eight trail for beginners and additional White Trail, access closer to Atsion, are expected soon. Maps: Rough maps are online and at the Atsion Office (609-268-0444). Halloween Night Ride: The Jersey Action Riders' costumed ride (for all levels, with prizes) meets 10 p.m. Oct. 29 at Atsion. ONLINE EXTRA For links to maps, clubs, and mountain-bike trails around the region, go to http://go.philly.com/biking.


Help \| Site Map \| Copyright