Finding Hoyles Mill Trail From Schaeffer

[davemagill]

Come out and try the new trail to Black Hills! Hoyles Mill is not yet marked and has 7 places you can get lost. but since it is an out and back, so what if you make it all the way!

From Schaeffer
1. Ride out the trailhead gravel, road, cross Schaeffer Road and the trail begins in the grassy field, with a quick right turn
2. After about a half mile, you daylight near the big indoor soccer building in the Soccerplex. Ride toward and past the building toward the woods behind it, and find the next entrance into the woods at near the power lines. Go about a mile and a half
3. When the singletrack ends, turn left on the gravel road. You go about a mile and cross a major stream.
4. At the end of the gravel road, enter the gravel parking lot for Hoyles Mill on the right and pick up the singletrack again.
5. At the end of the singletrack through the field, go straight onto route 121, under the railroad bridge. Go about 1/4 mile, and cross the bridge over the lake
6. About 100-200 yards after you cross the bridge, pick up the singletrack on the right.
7. Turn right at the end of the singletrack, and follow the gravel road to the Black Hills trail system, about a half mile.

[jfoley]

about step 6... aren't there 2 sections of singletrack with a bit of road between them?

Come out and try the new trail to Black Hills! Hoyles Mill is not yet marked and has 7 places you can get lost. but since it is an out and back, so what if you make it all the way!

From Schaeffer
1. Ride out the trailhead gravel, road, cross Schaeffer Road and the trail begins in the grassy field, with a quick right turn
2. After about a half mile, you daylight near the big indoor soccer building in the Soccerplex. Ride toward and past the building toward the woods behind it, and find the next entrance into the woods at near the power lines. Go about a mile and a half
3. When the singletrack ends, turn left on the gravel road. You go about a mile and cross a major stream.
4. At the end of the gravel road, enter the gravel parking lot for Hoyles Mill on the right and pick up the singletrack again.
5. At the end of the singletrack through the field, go straight onto route 121, under the railroad bridge. Go about 1/4 mile, and cross the bridge over the lake
6. About 100-200 yards after you cross the bridge, pick up the singletrack on the right.
7. Turn right at the end of the singletrack, and follow the gravel road to the Black Hills trail system, about a half mile.

[IFBikeMD]

There are a couple of clarifications needed... I'll post something later tonight.

- James

[hookukookoo]

There are a couple of clarifications needed... I'll post something later tonight.


Road the trail this weekend. Parked at the lake (121) and road back to shaeffer then looped back. Great ride!

THE RASBERRY TRAIL! (RT) That's what you should call that stretch from 121 to Hoyles Mill. That thing is bordered with rasberries the entire way...leave your power bars at home kids, this time of year you can eat your way to hoyles mill!

Anyway, the RT was the frog prince IMO. Needs to be ridden more and it'll be killer this fall when some of the brush moves back, but its a really neat trail. Nice crushed stone path through the pines and some well built bridges. The field border is nice as well, brings you back to a side of boyds most haven't seen.

Hoyles Mill is a blast. Love the stream crossing. After 2 failures I finally road across it twice without wrecking. Nice ride on a hot day and a total throw back to old town Germantown. You do not feel like you're in Montgomery County riding down that road, its very unique for this area.

The remaining trail from Hoyles to Shaeffer is much more broken in and a lot of fun.

Definitely encourage anyone to give the ride a try. It was easy to follow in reverse. Only place you have to pay attention is coming through the soccer plex, but that's pretty obvious as well if you just look for the trail.

Thanks Kona!!!

-todd

[JLambert]

there is some major brushwork that needs to be done between schaefer and the soccerplex. arms and legs all kinds of bloody from all them briars andd other such floral overcroppings.

[IFBikeMD]

For those of you looking for the Hoyles Mill Connector, I've posted a description of the trail and Montgomery County has just made their map of the trail available. See the Hoyles Mill (http://www.more-mtb.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3406) posting in the Where to Ride section.

There are a couple of downed trees that I've called in. I hope to get out and guide the chainsawer to just cut ride-arounds and leave some for the more technical riders.

The trail's in great shape and MC-MNCPPC is keeping the the briars cut back.

See you on the trails,
James

[Dirt]

Thanks James.

I think a few of us may head out there this weekend if the weather holds up. :D

Pete

[IFBikeMD]

I haven't made weekend plans or checked the weather... I really owe Squirrel Girl a trail work day as much as she's come out to help me. If the weather proves to be a non-event tomorrow/Friday, I may lead a Hoyles/Schaeffer/Black Hill ride Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

- James