Conference 7.286::mtb

    While I am concentrating on my road cycling right now I did get out
    into the woods last night just to scope out conditions and relax a
    little. Besides, my legs were chopped from some intense training this
    week so I need a little break.
    
    Break? Ya right! The loop I normally do takes about 1:09. It took me
    1:30 minutes on top of my cutting out a chunk and opting (read: wimping)
    for some asphalt on the way home.
    
    The conditions were rather inconsistent. The normal hard pack where the
    sun hits it was like pudding. The shaded areas were still frozen and 
    (the best) there were still some pretty good patches of that frozen
    snow (just above ice) that the tires can dig in a little but don't
    dive into. Fast and smooth stuff.
    
    Of course, I had the mountain bike dialed in for road riding. The tires
    were at max, the front shock very stiff and the rear just about locked
    out. Naturally, the my tires sliced and bogged into the pudding with a
    lot of enthusiam making the effort twice as hard. 
    
    Not as much standing water as I expected and not as much wood around,
    although more than normal. One thing I did notice was that there
    seemed to be more car parts kicking around the old road sections. You
    know, the folks that get out there with their mock 4-wheelers and bounce
    off boulders and flora. Plastic pieces of bumper ends, little pieces
    of colored metal, smashed hub caps, etc.
    
    Even though I ended up with a fairly intense workout, it was still neat
    to get back out to the woods.
    
    Chip

    Well, I took my Y22 out yesterday (in the rain) for the first time since
    March. I had a wicked ball, which isn't easy to do if you're not riding
    in Maine :-).
    
    The mud, the puddles, it was warm and the forest just smells so clean
    in the rain. I could have stayed out there all day. I even scared a
    bunny rabbit.
    
    One small transgression, I did lose an argument with a rather large
    pine tree and lost about a square foot of skin on my forearm and leg,
    but hell, skin grows back, right?
    
    Oh yeah, I expected the black flies to be horrendous. Nope, but every
    locally available squadron of mosquitoes were active in the area. When
    I went down it took a mere 20 seconds to get hit 7 times. How they
    found skin on my legs between the mud, pine needles, leaves and asundry 
    flora fragments I'll never know. In fact, I didn't even notice until I
    got home. 
    
    The important thing was that the bicycle is fine :-).
    
    Anyone notice how it seems as though you can breath easier when you're
    in the woods and it's raining?
    
    Just a great day. I was going to do my usual rainy day trainer thing in
    my basement. The thought came to me to get out. I did. I'm grateful.
    
    Chip     

    Here is a loop that starts close to downtown Fitchburg and can lead to
    miles and miles of riding with a good level of technicality and some
    pretty good uphills.  Starting from Coggshall Park near the corner of
    South St. and Electric Ave. in Fitchburg, go in the Electric Ave.
    entrance of the park near the K of C.  Park at the first small parking
    area on the right as you enter or continue down to the reflecting pond.  
    You end up here regardless.  It should be safe to leave cars there during 
    the day and there is no fee for parking.  The loop described is an out and
    back of about 8-9 miles with some good climbing and consequently some
    good descending.  You can put together a truly epic ride in excess of
    30 miles by entering Leominster State Forest from here.  We have done
    an out and back of 18 miles without doing any side loops in the state
    forest.  
    
    From the reflecting pond, follow the road along the pond where the main
    parking area is.  You will be across the road from the stone house
    overlooking the pond riding away from the house.  The road angles up
    and to the right and is usually gated.  Go around the gate and up the
    hill.  There will be a single track on your left that heads down to
    the pond.  Go past this to the next trail that cuts across the hill. 
    This is a nice rolling singletrack that more or less goes straight
    through the woods.  It will dump out onto some power lines which cross
    South St.  Cross the power lines and reenter the woods on the other
    side.  There are a couple of very short pitches in here that should
    provide no problems.  At the top of the last pitch, the trail drops
    away into a nice fast downhill.  Be careful as there are at least two
    90 degree turns at the end of the steeper sections.  
    
    Follow this hill to a paved road, Wanoosnoc Rd.  You will be at the far
    end away from South St.  Bear right onto the pavement and go past the
    small house.  On your left will be a small trail and a stream.  You
    will be looking into the maw of a large culvert that goes under Rt. 2. 
    I have seen a few folks attempt riding the stream but they did not get
    very far and it gets rather dark in the middle of the culvert.  Stay on
    the near side of the stream and walk along the cement shoulders in the
    tunnel on the right hand side.  There is a rickety woddent bridge at
    the other end to help cross the stream or you can hop across the rocks. 
    Take care if they are wet as they will be slippery.  
    
    You will be looking up an embankment which you need to scale.  It is
    most likely not rideable as it is quite loose and sandy.  Scramble up
    the bank and you will be on a cindered road going up and right or left
    and down.  There are several large tree trunks laying in the road to
    discourage casual vehicle traffic.  You are going up.  
    
    Follow the cindered road to the right and keep going up.  There are a
    few switchbacks in here and the pull is steady but not too tough.  You
    will reach a water tower about 1/4 - 1/3 of mile up.   This is not a
    bad spot to rest and take some water.  There is another 2/3 to 3/4 or a
    mile of climbing left and the "road" deteriorates quickly from here.  
    
    Peddle past the water tower and keep heading up and to the left.  The
    road turns from cinders to dirt/rock/gravel/washed out ruts.  It is a
    road but essentially is singletrack as you have to pick your routes
    carefully so as not to lose traction.  There are a few ledge
    outcroppings to negotiate as well as some off camber stuff that can
    suck you down into some pretty deep ruts.  Keep peddling up and
    eventually you will reach a fork in the trail.  From here you can go
    right or left.  Go left for a great view of the Lunenburg hills from a
    ledge outcropping.  The trail climbs slightly and then levels out
    before coming out into a clearing.  You should be overlooking the
    K-Mart shopping center and staring straight at the neon Kappy's sign
    off in the distance.  You are on North Monoonsnoc Hill.  
    
    To leave this area, turn your back K-Mart etc. and head up and to the
    left.  There is a false trail which will be the "easy" way up.  Go
    straight up the ledge outcropping you will see off to you left at about
    10:00.  This little piece of granite is rideable and quite fun.  As you
    crest the ledge, the trail angles off to the left and into the trees. 
    It is quite rocky at first but it levels out and starts heading back
    down.  This is a pretty technical downhill.  There are washed out
    sections, exposed ledge, large rocks, loose rocks, ruts etc.  Pick your
    line carefully and stay back off the saddle for a fun roll down the
    hill.  Eventually you will come to an intersection requiring you to go
    right or left.  Left keep going down and I have no idea where it ends
    up.  Right will take you out onto Granite street.  Take the right to
    finish this loop.  
    
    You will immediately cross a stream and have to climb an embankment of
    sorts on the other side.  There are a lot of roots in here which make
    it tricky but it is pretty easily rideable.  Follow this trail to
    another intersection heading more or less straight or off to the left. 
    Keep right and straight.  Both will take you to Granite St. but the
    right will be farther up the hill.  When you finally pop out onto a
    not very well kept dirt road, you have hit Granite St.  Left will
    eventually take you downhill and past the Leominster High School. 
    Right and up is where you want to go.  The road climbs farily steeply
    in here and is made tricky by a pretty loose surface.  There are also a
    few pieces of exposed ledge and some sizeable boulders to scramble over
    as you climb.  Not bad though.  About 1/2 mile or so you will come to
    an obvious road even more poorly maintained up and to the right.  You
    want to take this.  It is at the crest of a steeper section of Granite
    St. and maybe marked with a dark green F painted on a rock.  Turn here. 
    
    (Side note: Staying on Granite Street was explained in an earlier note
    about entering Leominster State Forest from Exchange Street.  See that
    for a description of how to get into many more miles of single and dual
    track.)  
    
    This is quite washed out in spots and climbs steadily back up the other
    side of the hill you just came down.  The road will have a few 90
    degree turns in it.  It is all rideable but again watch for the loose
    surface.  When the road becomes less discernible and the trail becomes
    more grassy with large sections of exposed ledge, you know you are near
    the top.  The next section is a fairly wide trail through the woods
    with quite a few obstacles to negotiate.  Keep following this and it
    will eventually enter a pine forest with huge pine trees.  There is
    evidence of fallen trees everywhere.  Stay on this for a short while
    longer.  You will come to a sharp right turn that climbs a short rocky 
    pitch.  Just past this is the fork that leads back to the ledge
    overlook you were at before or left and back down to the water tower. 
    Take the left.   
    
    Be careful of the large loose rocks on the way down.  I find myself
    switching sides of the trail frequently looking for a "good" route
    through the debris.  Brake early and be careful of the exposed ledge
    sections if it is wet.  These get treacherous after a rain.  Stay left
    at the off camber section you climbed on the way up.  Don't be lulled
    into thinking you are safe after you can see the exit near the water
    tower.  Some of the worst junk is right near the bottom as you exit. 
    Once you pop out into the clearing by the water tower, you should be
    okay.
    
    Follow the cindered road back down to the embankment.  This is rideable
    back down but it is very loose.  You will want to cross the stream to
    be on the other side as you transit the tunnel back to the park.  Once
    out of the tunnel and back on the road, you have two options.  Climb
    the hill you originally came down and take that trail back to the car
    or bang a right on the paved road and enter the park lower down.  
    
    If you choose to go right, stay on the main road and pass the roads
    that go left and up.  Actually, you can take these if you wish as there
    are entrances back up to the power lines at the ned of each of these
    roads.  As you pass these roads, there will be a wooded section on the
    left.  Look for a trail opening.  There will be two and either of them
    will work.  Pop into the woods and wind through the trees for a short
    while.  You will come to a fairly steep but short hill whcih is loose
    with pine needles and stuff but rideable.  There is evidence of a
    firepit at the top of this little hill.  Stay on the trail and you will
    pop out onto the power lines again.  You will see South St. off to the
    left about 1/4 mile down.  I have never ridden this section but may try
    riding up it before I attempt the down.  There is no discernible trail
    that I have been able to see from the road.  Cut across the power lines
    and follow the trail up and back across.  You will be climbing for a
    short while until it levels out.  The trail keeps going up the power
    lines but look for an obvious right that heads back into the woods. 
    You are reentering Coggshall park.  
    
    The trail will be more or less flat and more or less straight for
    awhile.  There are a few small logs across the trail here and there but
    nothing serious.  There are also some trail heading off to the right
    but they really don't go anywhere.  You will come to a fork heading
    right and down or left and sort of up.  Stay left.  This climbs
    gradually and ends at another trail heading up to the left or down to a
    paved road.  Go down and turn left on the paved road.  You will see the
    pond where you started.  There are some decent trails to explore in
    Coggshall proper as well if you are looking for a few more miles of fun
    before heading out.  Allegedly, you can climb the power lines all the
    way up to Mt. Elam Rd and beyond.