By gfoote in October, 2011
Rode the trail from Manchester to Andover today, and found a large section of a bridge sitting near the Rt 316 crossover point. The town was also clearing access from the trail to the old bridge abutment. Hopefully this trail will finally be complete sometime this year!
By modog in August, 2011
The section I rode on July 31, 2011 (~13 miles out & back) started on Lake Road in Andover, CT (next to Benjamin Franklin Plumbing) and ended about 6.5 miles West. The trail is mostly wooded, and for the most part, except for a 1 mile stretch, not well maintained. It starts off looking like a farm road with weeds growing in the center line of the trail. There are some good sized rocks, ruts, and debris for the first 2 miles, then the trail becomes beautifully groomed for a mile or so, then turns back to farm-like access road. The trail continues to get narrower until it becomes a single track. Downed trees, rocks, and low hanging branches, coupled with sections where the rail ties were still embedded were a challenge. I made the ride on my cross bike, but a mountain bike with better suspension would have been preferable.
The path is scenic with rivers, bridges, hay fields, and wildlife. This trail section is not for the, little ones, handicapped, or road bikes. Local equestrians seem to use the trail frequently and there is a good deal of droppings to watch for.
The really well groomed section is encouraging and I hope those responsible will continue in this endeavor.
By osborn2ride in July, 2011
I did this trail today July 20th, it was going to be a very hot day so I got an early strat. I did 13 and a half miles or 27 miles round trip. The first third of the trail is well marked but the rest is hit or miss. I did this on my Mt bike with a street tire and it worked great. By and large it is well groomed except for a couple of short sections on the north end. This is a beautiful trail and very family friendly, lots of shade. Out of Vernon there was a lot of traffic for the first few miles and then very little once you got to Bolton. There were lot of historic Markers and a number of benches and a few picnic tables along the way.