Re: Shade Mountain
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 8:13 am
Guys I am sorry about having issue finding the correct trails.
All the correct trails are marked with purple paint on the trees....I didn't pick the color, the state did and it sucks because it blends with the dark color of the tree bark.
The rebar and other markers are for logging and they make a mess of things. We are soon to loose the center trail section to logging and will only have the harder trail leaving the parking lot to the right and easier trail from the lot on the left.
When you go out the trail to the left and cross Shade Mountain Rd to the north side you travel up along the property line and the locals run that area hard with quads (not allowed on the trail system). They have the illegal trails pounded and look as if that is the correct trail to run. We install signs and the locals remove them as fast as we put them up.
What you rode only scratched the surface of the available trail system. If you exit the parking lot to the right on what is marked as an expert trail it is hard to get off trail. When you get to the expert climb section if that is more than you care for you can take the connector trail to the middle trail and hook a right to Diamond trail then right again and that will put you back on the outer loop. If you study the map a little it is not hard to figure out where you are on the trail system. When you go out the trail to the left and cross the dirt road it becomes very confusing because of the local illegal trail use in that area. The majority of the trail system is single track, if you are on a trail that is ran in from quad traffic odds are you are not on the legal trail system.
I will speak with PaTRA for more options on what we can do to better mark the trails however everything must be approved by the state then somehow keep the locals from removing it.
Shame you drove all that distance and didn't get to any of the good trails.
All the correct trails are marked with purple paint on the trees....I didn't pick the color, the state did and it sucks because it blends with the dark color of the tree bark.
The rebar and other markers are for logging and they make a mess of things. We are soon to loose the center trail section to logging and will only have the harder trail leaving the parking lot to the right and easier trail from the lot on the left.
When you go out the trail to the left and cross Shade Mountain Rd to the north side you travel up along the property line and the locals run that area hard with quads (not allowed on the trail system). They have the illegal trails pounded and look as if that is the correct trail to run. We install signs and the locals remove them as fast as we put them up.
What you rode only scratched the surface of the available trail system. If you exit the parking lot to the right on what is marked as an expert trail it is hard to get off trail. When you get to the expert climb section if that is more than you care for you can take the connector trail to the middle trail and hook a right to Diamond trail then right again and that will put you back on the outer loop. If you study the map a little it is not hard to figure out where you are on the trail system. When you go out the trail to the left and cross the dirt road it becomes very confusing because of the local illegal trail use in that area. The majority of the trail system is single track, if you are on a trail that is ran in from quad traffic odds are you are not on the legal trail system.
I will speak with PaTRA for more options on what we can do to better mark the trails however everything must be approved by the state then somehow keep the locals from removing it.
Shame you drove all that distance and didn't get to any of the good trails.