Fourth Paumanok Path Inventory Hike
Suffolk County Community Campus to Pleasure Drive
Wednesday 04/15/15
Jim, Phil, Bob, and I, met where we would end the hike, on Pleasure Drive, then we shuttled in one car to SCCC parking lot #1. It is important to note, that this parking is inaccessible on Sundays; the college locks the gates at its entry. We travelled west on Sunrise Hwy. to C.R. 31 North, then turned left onto the Hampton Hills Golf Course Road. When we reached C.R. 51 we turned left, and then when we reached Speonk Riverhead Road we turned left again.
There needs to be something marking the trailhead here. Signs from the SCCC entry directing hikers would also be nice. There used to be a kiosk and green parking spaces at the NE corner of parking lot #1.
From the parking area we followed the yellow access trail. We need to trim open the entry. It is hidden by branches. We hike past the entry to the “students blue loop”, judging from the now obvious trail destruction, this is a destination for the illegal ATVers. Where the trail crosses Speonk Riverhead Road there is a hikers sign on the road beyond where traffic passes the trail. Bob found a “Paumanok Pursuit 70K” sign that the clean-up crew missed. Bob Beattie is creating the Hiking and Running on the Paumanok Path blog to augment outreach for these inventory hikes.
Two appropriately placed hiker signs on Speonk Riverhead Road are needed, one for each direction of traffic. Reaching the PP after a short distance we turned left to continue east. Damage to the trail is apparent. The trail alternates between a one or two foot ravine and the “washboard bumps” I described in the last installment of the inventory. The trail splits only to rejoin a number of times. Jim, threw some logs across the trail to slow down the dirt bikers.
This section of trail hasn’t been re-blazed for over a decade. Phil points out, that if the trail crew knew how badly this section needed blazing, they would have been working here instead of Sarnoff last week. The next two turns are ambiguous, and it would be easy to lose the trail. We pass several abandoned fox dens in the sides of this trail characterized by deep ravines. The beauty of this lovely undulating pine woods helped distract us from the destruction underfoot, until we look to the north of the trail, and see a hill riddled with a spider web of trails. As we cross the LIPA ROW it becomes obvious where much of the illegal traffic is coming from. The kissing gate protecting the trail at the crossing has deteriorated to the point of uselessness (4 posts, 4rails, trail crew one day).
Here the trail runs straight down and up two kettle holes. Jim points out the ends of rebar sticking out of the trail tread. This is a hazard, and needs to be removed. A boy scout project, meant to “harden” the trail with check steps has rotted away, and the trail is eroding. I suggest a re-route along the rims of the kettles. This would require less maintenance and offer a better visual experience to the hiker. We should do this when we push the dirt bikes off of this trail.
Where the PP intersects the straight woods road that runs north to the Hampton Hills Golf course Road, we notice a number of interesting things. First of all the dramatic damage to the trail suddenly abates, obviously the dirt bikes are heading north off of the PP here. Secondly, there is a lot of dumping on that woods road. Thirdly there are red ribbons a short distance north and parallel to the PP here. This area calls for a closer look in the near future. So, between C.R. 51 and this woods road is about a mile of trail that needs to be rehabilitated or re-routed (Trail crew two or three weeks). As we approached Wildwood Lake, a dirt bike damaged trail cuts across the PP and runs down to the SE shore of the lake, but the PP itself shows no sign of abuse. East of the Lake the blazing that John Virgilio and I did about five years ago is a bit faded, but adequate.
We are now walking two miles of trail built solely by my friend Ken Spadafora. It is in good condition, only needing a couple of passes with a lawn mower (one person, one day). Not only is this section of trail flawlessly engineered, but Ken expended a lot of energy and expertise to present the best views of the surrounding environment to the hiker. One thing I learned from Ken is to pull the trail between trees, to discourage motorized abuse. Jim stopped to examine one of the few erratics that we pass.
There is very little litter along the trail here. We cross over first, the DEC red trail and two yellow access trails marked with round plastic disks. The first one leads to the red loop, the second one runs between the pygmy pines to the south and the blue loop to the north. Jim notes that the woods are predominantly pitch pine, and there is a high fuel load. The blazes from here to the trailhead were refreshed by the LIGTC Monday Maintenance Crew. They are sharply defined white rectangles, well placed at eye level. They are spaced so you won’t get lost, but there aren’t so many blazes as to cause visual pollution. Soon we arrive at a trail painted with yellow rectangular blazes. Originally this was the continuation of the PP. It is just as well executed as the rest of Ken’s trail, doing a great job of showing off a kettle hole. It then follows a boundary trail to the Sarnoff trailhead. The PP follows a DEC yellow disk access trail, taking a more direct route to the C.R. 104 trail head. These two trails form a nice 1.5 mile loop that can be accessed from the trail head at the parking area.
The PP comes within 60 feet of the parking area, and continues to follow the DEC yellow disks skirting the trailhead, and taking the hiker across C.R. 104. There needs to be marked access from the parking area to the trail, and signage at the trail needs to be updated. The trail between the lake and C.R. 104 is in better condition than it was when John and I painted it five years ago. The only issue is that someone gashed live trees along the trail. I assume that was done to mark a hunting trail.
When we cross C.R. 104 we walk through a snow fence kissing gate. This section of trail was the site of a controlled burn. They used the PP and parts of the DEC Blue Loop as fire control roads. As we walked along the fire control road we came across three small interpretive kiosks that describe and explain controlled burns. Counter to what I had predicted after the DEC and Nature Conservancy conducted their controlled burn, the extensions of the trails into the woods have all grown in, and no new ATV trails were formed as a result of the burn. The PP is closing back in and beginning to look like a trail again. Trail Tread and blazing is good. I found the ATV traffic pattern unchanged. A half mile in, the DEC yellow trail leaves the PP, turning left to link up with the blue loop. There is heavy quad damage to that trail.
As we approach C.R. 104 again the trail needs to be re-blazed for about a mile (a crew of two, one day). Where the trail turns left along C.R. 104 there is insufficient blazing. On Larry Paul’s map, it looks like there is DEC land that would allow us to recess the trail in approximately 50 feet. We should examine this option.
Need to better blaze where the trail turns into the LIPA ROW. Dirt Bikes have uncovered the ground wire. LIPA needs to recover it. After a short distance we found ourselves back at the Pleasure Drive parking area.
The last two photos are sections from two maps. Each one has information not found on the other. The second map was created by South Hampton GIS, and the first map can be purchased at the LI Greenbelt website.
Wednesday 04/15/15
Jim, Phil, Bob, and I, met where we would end the hike, on Pleasure Drive, then we shuttled in one car to SCCC parking lot #1. It is important to note, that this parking is inaccessible on Sundays; the college locks the gates at its entry. We travelled west on Sunrise Hwy. to C.R. 31 North, then turned left onto the Hampton Hills Golf Course Road. When we reached C.R. 51 we turned left, and then when we reached Speonk Riverhead Road we turned left again.
There needs to be something marking the trailhead here. Signs from the SCCC entry directing hikers would also be nice. There used to be a kiosk and green parking spaces at the NE corner of parking lot #1.
From the parking area we followed the yellow access trail. We need to trim open the entry. It is hidden by branches. We hike past the entry to the “students blue loop”, judging from the now obvious trail destruction, this is a destination for the illegal ATVers. Where the trail crosses Speonk Riverhead Road there is a hikers sign on the road beyond where traffic passes the trail. Bob found a “Paumanok Pursuit 70K” sign that the clean-up crew missed. Bob Beattie is creating the Hiking and Running on the Paumanok Path blog to augment outreach for these inventory hikes.
Two appropriately placed hiker signs on Speonk Riverhead Road are needed, one for each direction of traffic. Reaching the PP after a short distance we turned left to continue east. Damage to the trail is apparent. The trail alternates between a one or two foot ravine and the “washboard bumps” I described in the last installment of the inventory. The trail splits only to rejoin a number of times. Jim, threw some logs across the trail to slow down the dirt bikers.
This section of trail hasn’t been re-blazed for over a decade. Phil points out, that if the trail crew knew how badly this section needed blazing, they would have been working here instead of Sarnoff last week. The next two turns are ambiguous, and it would be easy to lose the trail. We pass several abandoned fox dens in the sides of this trail characterized by deep ravines. The beauty of this lovely undulating pine woods helped distract us from the destruction underfoot, until we look to the north of the trail, and see a hill riddled with a spider web of trails. As we cross the LIPA ROW it becomes obvious where much of the illegal traffic is coming from. The kissing gate protecting the trail at the crossing has deteriorated to the point of uselessness (4 posts, 4rails, trail crew one day).
Here the trail runs straight down and up two kettle holes. Jim points out the ends of rebar sticking out of the trail tread. This is a hazard, and needs to be removed. A boy scout project, meant to “harden” the trail with check steps has rotted away, and the trail is eroding. I suggest a re-route along the rims of the kettles. This would require less maintenance and offer a better visual experience to the hiker. We should do this when we push the dirt bikes off of this trail.
Where the PP intersects the straight woods road that runs north to the Hampton Hills Golf course Road, we notice a number of interesting things. First of all the dramatic damage to the trail suddenly abates, obviously the dirt bikes are heading north off of the PP here. Secondly, there is a lot of dumping on that woods road. Thirdly there are red ribbons a short distance north and parallel to the PP here. This area calls for a closer look in the near future. So, between C.R. 51 and this woods road is about a mile of trail that needs to be rehabilitated or re-routed (Trail crew two or three weeks). As we approached Wildwood Lake, a dirt bike damaged trail cuts across the PP and runs down to the SE shore of the lake, but the PP itself shows no sign of abuse. East of the Lake the blazing that John Virgilio and I did about five years ago is a bit faded, but adequate.
We are now walking two miles of trail built solely by my friend Ken Spadafora. It is in good condition, only needing a couple of passes with a lawn mower (one person, one day). Not only is this section of trail flawlessly engineered, but Ken expended a lot of energy and expertise to present the best views of the surrounding environment to the hiker. One thing I learned from Ken is to pull the trail between trees, to discourage motorized abuse. Jim stopped to examine one of the few erratics that we pass.
There is very little litter along the trail here. We cross over first, the DEC red trail and two yellow access trails marked with round plastic disks. The first one leads to the red loop, the second one runs between the pygmy pines to the south and the blue loop to the north. Jim notes that the woods are predominantly pitch pine, and there is a high fuel load. The blazes from here to the trailhead were refreshed by the LIGTC Monday Maintenance Crew. They are sharply defined white rectangles, well placed at eye level. They are spaced so you won’t get lost, but there aren’t so many blazes as to cause visual pollution. Soon we arrive at a trail painted with yellow rectangular blazes. Originally this was the continuation of the PP. It is just as well executed as the rest of Ken’s trail, doing a great job of showing off a kettle hole. It then follows a boundary trail to the Sarnoff trailhead. The PP follows a DEC yellow disk access trail, taking a more direct route to the C.R. 104 trail head. These two trails form a nice 1.5 mile loop that can be accessed from the trail head at the parking area.
The PP comes within 60 feet of the parking area, and continues to follow the DEC yellow disks skirting the trailhead, and taking the hiker across C.R. 104. There needs to be marked access from the parking area to the trail, and signage at the trail needs to be updated. The trail between the lake and C.R. 104 is in better condition than it was when John and I painted it five years ago. The only issue is that someone gashed live trees along the trail. I assume that was done to mark a hunting trail.
When we cross C.R. 104 we walk through a snow fence kissing gate. This section of trail was the site of a controlled burn. They used the PP and parts of the DEC Blue Loop as fire control roads. As we walked along the fire control road we came across three small interpretive kiosks that describe and explain controlled burns. Counter to what I had predicted after the DEC and Nature Conservancy conducted their controlled burn, the extensions of the trails into the woods have all grown in, and no new ATV trails were formed as a result of the burn. The PP is closing back in and beginning to look like a trail again. Trail Tread and blazing is good. I found the ATV traffic pattern unchanged. A half mile in, the DEC yellow trail leaves the PP, turning left to link up with the blue loop. There is heavy quad damage to that trail.
As we approach C.R. 104 again the trail needs to be re-blazed for about a mile (a crew of two, one day). Where the trail turns left along C.R. 104 there is insufficient blazing. On Larry Paul’s map, it looks like there is DEC land that would allow us to recess the trail in approximately 50 feet. We should examine this option.
Need to better blaze where the trail turns into the LIPA ROW. Dirt Bikes have uncovered the ground wire. LIPA needs to recover it. After a short distance we found ourselves back at the Pleasure Drive parking area.
The last two photos are sections from two maps. Each one has information not found on the other. The second map was created by South Hampton GIS, and the first map can be purchased at the LI Greenbelt website.
All rather difficult to follow unless you have already hiked the PP! I have searched in vain along CR 104 for the west entrance to the PP (I've found what I think is the eastern entrance, which is vaguely marked and has an overgrown structure which might be your "kissing gate". But I cannot find the beginning of the western section of the PP.
ReplyDeleteI was able to get onto the section that passes near the southern section of Wildwood Lake, but did not have enough time to get all the way to route 104.
The PP is in the middle of one of the world's most densely populated islands, but seem as mysterious, and far less traveled, than the road to Mandalay. Is there anywhere that gives the coordinates of the various trail-heads and access points along the PP?