Patricia Ellis

Jan 21, 2025

Needs drainage work

Hiked 18 miles of the 22-mile Shockaloe NRT yesterday, January 20, 2025. Actually, four miles of that was adjacent rural road to avoid massive miles of bog. This trail was primarily made for equestrian use and is the second oldest NRT ever designated according to an area sign…and since its designation I don’t think anything has been done to fix drainage issues. The trail was easy when I started on an extremely cold morning. Temps in the low 20s meant the trail was frozen and firm. As the day progressed, the ground warmed, and by mile 13 I was fighting through constant sucking mud and standing water. Reached a point where I couldn’t continue without losing my shoes and bailed through some thorns to a nearby road. Took the local roads back to my car while fending off aggressive neighborhood dogs with a fallen tree branch. I rate this as a three since the trail is easy to follow, and maybe the soft ground and deep mud is okay for horses? I have no idea. For a hiker, this trail was not doable once the ground warmed past the freezing point. If this was a hiker-only trail, I’d give it a two for the constant shoe-sucking mud and water issues. Using the roads to get back to your car is also a bit harrowing because of multiple dogs leaving their property and coming out onto the road.