rumrunn6

the one with the red roof, right next to the trail? it's still for sale

rumrunn6

OK, I'll look into those! I think 20-30 miles of dirt/gravel/whatever is my limit

2metalhips

Yes! That's the one, been for sale over a year, wow. It was beautiful inside, the owner let me in.

rumrunn6

what bikes do you guys ride on these trails? I'm pushing the limits of what I have now (old hybrid w 45mm tires) & been thinking about getting a used 29 MTB w a fork such as

Nishiki Men's Colorado Comp
Apecialized Hardrock Disc
GT Timberline 1.0 29er

2metalhips

I ride a Salsa Warbird gravel bike. IMO a mtb is overkill for these types of trails. A drop bar gravel rig with 38-42c tires is just right. Rolls better and more hand positions.

autonomy

Wow, awesome report. Definitely carries across the point about being self-sufficient. I wonder if this can be incorporated into a bikepacking route, not that I've done any of that.

Regarding the downed trees - I know that some people who hike in the whites carry a saw with them to clear the small blowdowns from the trail. In this case that may not be sufficient.

What do you feel is lacking in your bike? Looks like you have the gearing range, I might want disk brakes and better leverage on the handlebar (looks like the stem is quite long). Maybe wider tires. Not sure I'd want the penalty of a suspension fork on a mostly flat yet muddy/sandy trail like this, but then again - I haven't ridden this, just looking at the pictures.

rumrunn6

wood floors?

rumrunn6

that's pretty much it. the fatbike guys said they just rode thru the mudhole

2metalhips

Oh yeah

rumrunn6

here's the small piece of coal I found. Wifey moved it to the kitchen told her I was glad to find it! & she says good take a picture. now throw it out! but it's an "artifact"! gonna put it with the coal I found on another trail in MA, if I can find that one. I have a pic of that one too, it's about 5 times bigger, just don't remember where I put it. maybe I should ask Wifey

rumrunn6

so about a month & a half later ... with a better idea what I needed I was able to run this whole trail back & forth without a taxi this time hahahaha. basically got another (beefier) bike & prepped like I was prepping for a century cuz I knew it would require a maximum effort & large devotion of time. longest ride in a long time & a personal record for gravel, dirt, sand, mud & all manner of unpaved challenges

Hinsdale NH to Keene NH round trip

7:45 am left house
9:40 am started ride 52 degrees
3:45 pm arrived at car in lot 62 degrees (6 hrs away from car)
43.8 miles
5:30 pm back home (away from home aprox 10 hrs)

"the mudhole" turned out to be a non-issue. wider tires helped but the ground under the water was pretty firm. I had no idea the 1st time around. however there was a lot more water & mud this time around. especially sneaky was the mud covered by leaves! surprise! fewer stops for photos cuz I was on a mission, especially the 1st leg from Hinsdale to Keene





wonder how old this roll of paper at the abandoned mill is












the abandoned mills are still creepy

Greenhil

rumrunn6

thanks & you're welcome! I do like this kind of rough trail. It was funny that some of the downed trees I had to get around last time were cleared or moved but there were new ones to deal with ... hahaha. A cpl inches of light snow would add some excitement & challenge too. Deep snow or frozen foot steps would not be fun. I was thinking a nice ride could be just to the covered bridge & back, for other ppl who didn't want to do a whole day ride. Or like on a light snowy day where you don't want to go as far but get out in the woods for some fun. I love that ppl such as yourself, suggested other similar trails. It's great when one leads to another. The hard part is anticipating the riding surface. It's disappointing when ppl think it's a nice hard stone dust type trail only to find out there's soft sand & mud & a cpl steep road crossings. Or vice-a-versa ... you think you're in for a rough trail but it winds up being paved. Don't get me wrong, I like paved trails, thru new & pretty areas, & even some mileage, but if it's paved, I prefer my road bike. It's so fun & more efficient. I'll look into those trails you mentioned to find out more about what they are like.

this trail has so many photo opps. wonder how long the ride would take if I took more time to explore each one more thoroughly ... this is looking west toward Vermont

2metalhips

Thanks for the update, I found that old mill interesting. I think there was a major fire and that's what closed it down. Is that house with the red roof still for sale?

rumrunn6

they are indeed. so tempted to go exploring & hopefully not fall thru a floor or something! there's a bit of broken glass on the side of the trail closest to the bldgs. didn't see any signs of fire but the buildings are collapsed it could have covered up the blackened parts. altho looking at that video clip again there does seem to bee some darker areas around the windows. looking down toward the river there appears to be abandoned cars as well. not a great sight. on my 1st ride I saw a guy walking the trail that intentionally didn't look up, like didn't want his face to be seen. I can only imagine this could be a magnet for indigent transients, etc. certainly wouldn't want my daughter riding past it without company & even I wouldn't want to ride past it at night. dunno about the house for sale situation. kinda stayed focused on "just keep pedaling ..."

oh wait just found these. the mill was built the same year as the Brooklyn Bridge & many yrs later, there was a flood!

2metalhips

A flood, yes, that's right. I was thinking of a different mill. I do remember reading about the flood. I saw a guy walking on the Airline trail with an ankle tracer bracelet once. I keep moving in those situations.