Swanzey/Troy NH Trail Update

[Sporin]

There's been a bit of drama behind the scenes in the last few weeks surrounding the Carnage Hill area and the "stocker" trails we ran after the April meeting which are owned and maintained by "Little Monadnock Family Trails."

It seems another large group came through uninvited a week or so after us and did a lot of damage, they also tore up the local roads and the parking lot at Arctic Cat of Troy.

Scott Hatch and the NEA4WD stepped in and made a donation to LMFT, as did JonFund and Yankee Toys to facilitate cleanup operations.

Scott and our very own Lane Noyes met with Todd who runs LMFT last night and seem to have cleared things up, establishing that it was renegade wheelers and not us who caused the problems. They also struck a deal to share land with the nea. What was a negative has been turned into a positive and we all owe Lane and Scott our gratitude for facilitating all for this.

The bad news is the situtation in Troy is still fragile. For the next couple of months we are recommending that no one access the property from Troy center down Old Richmond RD. LMFT has made other recommendations for access but I think YT should try to let the area recover a bit before planning another run there.

For the Stock people I have committed our club do do maintenance on the trails that we ran in April. This will involve building a few bridges (they supply materials and a leader) and other work as necessary, (mostly getting water off the trail.) Todd also suggested cutting more Mod/Hard trails, his reasoning is with all the logging that was done anything we do now is an improvement. Scott suggested working with the Town and closing access to the roads during mud season (a good idea).

We'll be announcing details in the Calendar topic as they come, thank you.

THANK YOU LANE!!!

 

[82cruiser]

Nice work

Thank you Dave, Lane & Scott for your efforts. Please keep us in the loop on how things develop and how the club can best support LMFT.

Randy

 

[grime]

AGREED

thanks for the effort to rectified the situation.

If any help is needed let me know, I ran the stocker and would donate my time for any clean up, building, etc.

Thommmy

 

[green40]

It was a very good meeting with LMFTC.
A little backround on this club.
They are a multiple use club, promoting TRAILS for the
use of all groups. These include ATV, 4x4, Horse, Snowmobile, Ski, and Hiker.
Spending 2 hours with them last night I came away in awe of all the incredible work that they have done to gain access to land. They have reseached deeds back to the 1700's, they know who owns every bit of land in about a 20 square mile area and they have permission to use most of it.
The have worked to get grants to develop the trails. They own several grooming machines for the snowmobile trails.
Members have donated backhoes and dozers to do maint.
Several members have built a rake unit and have been trying to smooth
out the mud pits (our Mod run).
They are very excited about having us on board and look forward to working with us.
LET'S NOT LET THEM DOWN!
Our stock run only covered about an 1/8 of the trails in the area, you stock guys want some trails then YOU need to make it to a work day or 2.
I'll be working with them in the next month or so to figure out a plan and we will get some dates set up.

See you on the trails!

Lane

 

[crusier72]

thanks guys let us know when you get the dates
mark

 

[nat88toy]

just get a date and time for a trail clean up and ill be there

 

[LCCRUISER]

Howdy,

I was a participant on the Toy's April meeting run on the "stocker" trails and greatly appreciated the opportunity! I'll be signing up with the club soon. We encountered an "independent wheeler" near the beginning of the stocker run and later when Junior and I went to pick up his friend at the power line. I was a NH redneck wheeler myself 30 years ago, so I could tell the independent was only interested in going wild where he wanted and was looking for more info on the club land.

Along the way I stopped to pick up some trash and defrag a burn pile that some other juveniles left behind last winter. (I know it was last winter because of the unopened and bulging Budweiser can had all the signs of being frozen and well past the "born on date " ). Damn!

I'm thinking that all the forums are great, but then the next thing you know all the "independents" are wheeling club areas and having a great time at our expense and spreading more bad Karma about us responsible folk.

I just showed up that day at the Toy's meeting and wheeled. Who's to say someone else like me didn't do the same and go back with friends later and cause problems? Perhaps their should be a more formal process for registering? Also, maybe the specifics on wheeling locations shouldn't be advertised so widely on the web?

Food for thought?

LC

 

[Sporin]

Neither we, nor any other nea4wd site advertise trail locations specifics on the web, but you are right, you can meet the group at a set meeting location (Lane's House) and go through the motions and you'll find the spots to wheel. Then irresponsible people can go back and cause trouble if they want.

It's the "risk" we take to expand membership and educate the public. "We" do the best we can do.

The "renegade" wheelers will always be out there, they will ruin land, they will get land closed. The best the organized clubs can do is keep educating, keep organizing, and keep working towards common goals.

 

[green40]

On that note, I spent 3 peaceful hours this morning doing trail maint.
Cleaned up quite a few water bars, managed to drain a pretty big hole and just had a nice quiet time out in the woods by myself.
The trail we ran is drying up nicely doesn't look to bad.
The locals have been up doing a trash pick-up on the trails, several bags and tires still needing to be hauled out but the area is looking good.


Lane

 

[Sporin]

Awesome, thanks Lane.

Did you get to the Homestead at all?

 

[green40]

Nope, never made it to the Homestead. Wasn't sure if there were going to be other YT'ers there to run with on Sunday, so I just hung around here.
Got some much needed work done on the "honey do" list!
How's the kitchen coming along?

 

[LCCRUISER]

'Preciate all the hard work everyone is doing to maintain trails and keeping them open. Would be glad to help when I can, so keep posting up some maintenance dates whenever possible. Thanks! LC

 

[green40]

Carnage

After fishing this morning I drove down to Carnage to walk the trails.
NEA had a cut there not to long ago and have opened up 3 new loops.
The FG mod runs should be alot of fun!
I walked all the trails, there is one that could be run by near stock, except for the
first hill it's not to tough, once a few more clubs go thru its going to get interesting!

Lane

 

[peepers]

After fishing this morning I drove down to Carnage to walk the trails.
NEA had a cut there not to long ago and have opened up 3 new loops.
The FG mod runs should be alot of fun!
I walked all the trails, there is one that could be run by near stock, except for the
first hill it's not to tough, once a few more clubs go thru its going to get interesting!

Lane

fishing? this looks like "bait" to me... thank goodness i will be getting married that weekend and not damaging my truck.