Tuesday, August 30, 2016

21.3 Mile Ride on the Cayuga County Cato-Fair Haven Trail
Tuesday, August 30, 2016

 I first looked at riding the Cato-Fair Haven rail trail a couple of summers go, but passed on it after reading some on-line reviews that suggested that allowing the local ATV club to use the trail had ruined it. Since then more favorable reviews have been posted, so I decided to take a chance today and see how it went. And I'm glad I did.

 One plus to the very dry summer we've had - the trail wasn't muddy or flooded, though there were plenty of signs that it had been that way at times in the past. Overall the trail was in pretty good shape, though there was definite ATV damage in spots (just not as bad as the damage done to the MA State Forest trails, probably because the ATV club has been working to keep their access to the trail.)

 Much of the trail was wooded, with some sections running through some wetlands. I would have liked to ride all the way to Fair Haven, but a good chunk of the ride out was downhill, so I got worried that I'd bonk out on the ride back and turned around after 10 1/2 miles. Based on how the return trip went, I probably would have been OK, but it was still probably better to play it safe. I'll just have to ride the remaining bit (and maybe the connecting Hannibal Hojack trail) another time.

 JMH
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