Trails North / Trails South / Trails East
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Trailman's (Last update: Tuesday, November 2)
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The trails hidden away downhill off Danforth Street and along Commercial Street are fun when you're in the 'hood, or if you're taking the junky back way to Stroudwater. Behind the high rise at the dead end of Emery Street - or Salem Street - the steep down has been altered by the drainage project, but it looks like a sick jump! The high ridge trail is leaf-covered but recently had its prickly overgrowth cut back (click photo) and it's a much nicer ride! It ends with a hard-to-find super-steep downhill that may land you head-first onto the railroad tracks below if you don't keep your weight back off your seat and over your rear wheel! Don't overdo the brakes - and enjoy the ride... Then snake thru the trees along the tracks skirting Tent City, but bypass a greasy meal at Benny's if you want to make it to Stroudwater with your lunch intact!
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The Western Promenade Traverse (click photo) is a rippin' off-camber Intown challenge, and remember, always fall uphill! The path is clear for non-stop riding, although the major root area is still a bit tricky even after the gravel fill. Fallen leaves have covered the rocks and roots but they're still there... Toward the bottom on a couple of difficult twisty-rocky sections it seems best staying to their uphill side. The real key is keeping your body weight off the center line of the bike and shifted toward uphill, with momentum. Several sections of this trail are dangerous, so remember to keep your eyes where you want your bike - and body - to go. Don't look to the sides, especially the downhill side... Trails shoot down to Valley Street via an early out or farther along past the gardens and hoop court.
Through Hobo Jungle off St. John Street and along the tracks is the best traffic-free route to Stroudwater. The grassy section of trail is full with handlebar-grabbin' overgrowth. The tricky ruts are slick with wet and leaves and continue to remain well-hidden. Great practice for rut-ridin'! An alternative route is available by taking a roundabout, wider, dirt access road.
Don't be late, but definitely do the figure 8 when you cross the tracks out of the jungle, in the raised section along Interstate 295. It's survived so far after lots of construction around it.
Along the tracks after crossing Sewall Street at Thompson's Point is the best part of the trail. The dip & up near the end approaching Congress Street is challenging right now with wet ruts, puddles and a mudout at the base!
Fore River Sanctuary at Stroudwater (click photo at right) is fast becoming about the only peaceful, wooded area in the city limits of Portland. Spared by our city council, this vicinity will not be bordered by a huge mail processing plant for the U.S. Postal Service! Poor losers, the postal service has decided to build its new plant in Lewiston, grabbing its little payroll ball and leaving town crying. A lot more walkers are using the trails these days now that the bridge at Stroudwater is in place, and remember that they have the undisputed right of way! Explore the several trail routes through this area, which will take you to Westbrook Street or outer Brighton Avenue, depending...
As you approach the farther, snaky, uphill singletrack across the railroad tracks heading for Jewell Falls - the only natural waterfall within city limits - lots of loose sand and the washed-out bridge make this section more difficult. A higher crossing needs to be assembled by the looks of it: the sand bankings placed there just don't hold up to rainwater erosion.
Rootsy sections leading to the waterfall look cool all covered with leaves but they can be tricky. The ascent directly along the falls is challenging, and easier to climb if you don't watch the waterfall! The sound of the roaring water right now is an extra rush! Erosion from usage and nature is becoming apparent as more of the buried rock near the top is exposed...
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Conditions are fine along the Stroudwater River/UNUM Campus Trail. It's been tamed by Portland Trails with added gravelly sand over tree roots, plus several convenient foot bridges and some nice wooden benches. In some sections, the gravel is completely covered with fallen pine needles and leaves and the scene looks incredible, albeit slippery. A bit of old world remaining on the city's edge, the banks of the Stroudwater are a trip through time. However, everything but the river bank appears to be headed for development, with the UNUM expansion, plus what looks like a bunch of house lots being prepared for the jet-set commuters of the future.
When you find the turn-off from Congress Street near Stroudwater, there's a small, unmarked, designated parking area to the left - avec some illegal dumping. A new trail head
to the right introduces you to the first of two wooden staircases along the journey. They're great, but accommodations for bicyclists really should have been included. The good-sized quicksand pit through this section has been made navigable by a long section of wooden footbridge connecting you to the "original" trail head. This route is pretty much the same, only it has been groomed over with gravelly sand which makes turns close to trees a challenge but should help control erosion. Also, a big plus are the many new footbridges throughout. Another staircase made into a steep banking (click photo at left) stops you on your bike where once was a nice, little uphill. But it should help keep erosion at bay.
Just what we needed? They have enlarged UNUM's tarmac footprint along the Stroudwater and there's a huge retaining wall (click photo at right) disturbingly close to the river bank, holding in all the parking lot landfill. To the right, several huge drainage gullies direct the runoff pollutants of oil and gas downhill into the river. What's wrong with occupying a vacant building or lot in the city? Doesn't anyone notice that huge hole in the landscape - Intown - next to Franklin Arterial on Congress Street? Do we have to tear down every tract of woods we can find? And give corporations tax breaks doing it?
A good thing happening is that the amount of negotiable trail along the Stroudwater continues to expand! You need to dip in and out of the woods and borrow the rough access road for bits to avoid the river's small but steep natural inlets. One new strip of woods trail frightens you because it looks like new tar until you realize it's just a trail blanket under-bedding, which I believe will combine with gravelly sand to prevent trail undergrowth. The most recent addition, utilizing part of the rock drainage gully related to the UNUM construction, crosses one of the tidal inlets and loops uphill, returning to the rough access road at the back of UNUM's 2211 Congress Street building - a sign of more woods trail to come...
You can ride beyond this point - across the challenging rock drainage gully - underneath the Maine Turnpike, connecting with Blueberry Road. I believe Portland Trails has plans to extend the route around - and beyond - the Regional Waste Systems plant, one of the state's premier mercury polluters. I bush whacked through the woods on the other side of the plant last season and found my way to the pole line that crosses the town line into Westbrook, exiting onto Spring Street. This area has huge potential. There are some nice spots along this forgotten branch of the Stroudwater that make the vicious bush whacking almost worthwhile. With some work, a few bridges, and several pollution sources eliminated in the vicinity, a spectacular stretch of trail could be established to connect this part of the trail system more fully with the Fore River Sanctuary and parts of Westbrook.
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Explored some potential trails off Spring Street down the pole line heading west along County Road, which is outer Congress Street with a different name. Seems like lots of area, but not much for established trails through the woods on each side of the pole line. Any input? I veered left onto another pole line so I wouldn't end up in Gorham, which brought me to Saco Street north of Wassamki Springs.
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Taking Spring Street to Intown Westbrook is a possibility, and tar pathways along the Presumpscot River will lead you to the River Road. Head out beyond the paper mill to catch some awesome trails behind Congin School that will connect you with the Prides Corner area if you go the right way...
The gas pipe line (click photo) to Montreal goes directly through this area and things have changed since the big dig. Sections of wooded trail remain to the sides of the main pole/gas line, but they are fewer and harder to find. The singletrack directly along the line has been devastated and some cool sections have been bulldozed for the sake of the expulsion of excess Canadian gas. It's all ridable, even fairly fast-going, but you're out in the open sun and it's not exciting terrain.
When you finally reach the perpendicular pole line heading to Pride's Loop, check out the huge (natural) gas station in the middle of nowhere...
Schlocking the rocky pole line road toward Pride's is an intense uphill challenge. Combined with the uphills at the start of the trail behind the school, this climbing workout is arguably the toughest hill challenge in Greater Portland, definitely so if you combine it with Refrigerator Hill and the Three Sisters of the Pride's Loop!
-Trailman
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Trails North / Trails South / Trails East
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