8/9 Hoyles Mill construction crew

[riderx]

Just an FYI, going thru Hoyles Mill this morning there was a construction crew doing some work with heavy equipment. Best I can tell is they may be repairing the washed out bridge the section of White Ground Rd that is closest to Schaeffer (where gravel turns to pavement). The trail was blocked buy you can hoof it across the stream and through the weeds to get around the work crew.

[riderx]

Construction looks almost complete as of this morning (8/14). The giant hole is gone, and dirt is in it's place. Still a bit rough but I'm guessing it will be done soon.

[Squirrel Girl]

I was at Hoyle's Mill on August 18th. I came from the Schaeffer parking lot. When you get to the road by the substation, they have the gate locked. I thought it was curious because there's no way for bikes to get around. Then they have a construction net across the road with no way for bikes to get around. Well, no *easy* way for bikes to get around. I got to the place where I think it used to be culverts where the pavement was washing away and if you didn't pay attention, you could crack your head open if you took the whoop wrong. Well, it was all under construction. The whole stream was being channelized and the banks stabilized and they've just started doing something to it. There's a front end loader and some other piece of heavy machinery parked there. They've worked on the banks for quite a few dozen yards upstream (at least). It's easy enough to take some social trails and find a crossing to make it through. My guess is a bridge will ultimately appear there, but first they're prepping the whole stream region.

Although.... *after* I got to the far side of the zone, there was a sign that said, "MNCPA: Closed to the public during construction" or something like that. :rolleyes:

Just past that is the stream crossing where you ride through the water and that is as it always is.

[Squirrel Girl]

8/24: I rode Schaeffer this morning. The trails were in good shape. They were hard packed and not muddy. There were a few spots that had the very most minor amount of hard packed mud that wasn't particularly squishy. So everyone should be good to go for the weekend.

Farm report: While riding the far end of the yellow loop, the farmer was spraying his bean fields. I assume it was some kind of herbicide. That was really bad timing on my part. I hope it doesn't cause me any permanent health problems. :rolleyes: I saw large foam "worms" on the trail as I went past, too, that I assume came out of the spraying contraption. :(

The squirrels on the other hand, were having a bonanza chowing on the corn that has matured.

[riderx]

Can't figure out what these people are doing. When I went through yesterday (8/28) on my way to work in the early AM there was a backhoe and all kinds of construction, diverting of water and work going on up and downstream from the bridge. In order to avoid getting my head taken off by heavy machinery I needed to detour through the weeds.

When I passed back through in the afternoon the workers were gone so I could see what was going on. It appears they dug up all of the previous work they had done and have started over. :confused: So, sometime in the near future there should be a bridge there. Unless they decided to dig things back up and start over a 3rd :rolleyes: time.

[jimweber1]

I did a trail run thru this area this morning, and the crews were already there and hard at work before 7AM. Lots of guys, trucks, machinery there so I could not really get a close look at anything...but they do not look to be in the final stages just yet. In addition to the work they are doing right where the bridge is (or used to be), they have also done some work to shore up the banks of the stream on the downstream side of the road.

As for getting around the site, there is now a temporary (but very visible) trail you can use to get around the worksite on the downstream side (the left side when coming from Schaeffer). but there is a metal sign on the far end which says that the area is "closed to the public" due to the construction, and there is a temporary plastic orange fence set up.

With that said, I just ran right around the work site and around the end of the orange fence (I even said hello to one of the workers) and no one bothered me or asked me to keep out of the area.

[gunboats]

Rode the connector yesterday (9/15) and the work crew was there at about 10:30 AM. Talked with them, and they said something about if any mud gets in the water the construction project would be shut down (?). So we took the bypass around and they didn't mind. They weren't there when we returned later that day.

Also saw a snake eating a toad in the middle of the trail that goes through the field behind the houses. I tried to take pictures, but didn't want to get too close and scare him away (or get eaten myself):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gunboats/1387405461/in/set-72157602022819976/

I think it was probably a king cobra, or maybe an anaconda, so watch out.

[denisvtt]

Went by today (9/22/07). The barriers have been removed (there's still a construction sign) and the bridge is finished. We can ride over it.

[I still liked the gigantic pothole better...]