Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Mountain Bike Report: JB Hudson Trail

The John B Hudson Trail in Arcadia Management Area is approximately 1.6 miles and is fairly technical, personally rated intermediate. There is hunting allowed in Arcadia Management Area and orange should be worn during hunting seasons.

Photo Courtesy Google Maps
To access the trail park in the West Exeter Church (small white church) parking lot, it is at the very beginning of Frosty Hollow Road. There is a parking area at the trailhead, but it is usually washed out and can be tricky to navigate with a car.  Take a left onto 165 and begin climbing a small hill to the trail. The trail is the second left. Directly off 165 is a brown sign with white letters that read J B Hudson Trail.
Photo Courtesy Google Maps
 
The trail goes through pine and hardwood forest. The footing is packed dirt, grass, sand, gravel and rocks.


The trail has a steep ascent at the beginning. Then the trail becomes more technical. There are numerous creek beds to navigate. The footing is rocky and can be very slippery. There are also 2 stone walls to ride over that are difficult to navigate.  


J B Hudson is a technical trail that may be intimidating for a beginner; since it is only 1.6 miles and backtracking is not required it is worth a try. After the more technical part continue through the easier trails around Breakheart Pond and make a day of it. I will add more about Breakheart trails in a later post.


Caveat: This trail report reflects my opinion. I am not a great technical rider. I ride for the pure enjoyment of it and to experience the outdoors. I like to challenge myself, but I don’t want to break bones every weekend. I hope this information is helpful when planning a trip.


I ride a 20 inch frame bike with 29 inch rims; it is a little harder for me to navigate the rocky areas with a longer bike than it is for my husband who rides an 18 inch bike with 26 inch rims. It is a lot of bike for me to control, particularly at the beginning of the year when I am out of shape.


Get outside, ride and enjoy!

No comments:

Post a Comment