Biking in the Huber Warbler Preserve

[BobN]

On a Saturday in October, I brought my mountain bike back to the Huber Warbler Preserve to see if I could finally reach the back trails. On all my hikes, I never got much farther than the creek crossing. The trails are not great for biking. The sand on the main roads doesn't give great tire traction, and on the smaller side trails, which don't get much use, you're mostly riding on close-cropped foliage stems.

Still, the leaves were pretty in the fall, and it was pleasant enough. A number of deer jumped out from their resting places and took off on my approach. As I got into the back section, the sounds from route 70 were loud and annoying: loud engine noises of cars flooring it, repeatedly.

I targeted reaching the "spung," which is on the map. After a wrong turn down a narrow path that only led to a deer stand, I found the right trail and made it to the end. A wooden seating platform had been built so people can sit and contemplate the spung. But the spung is not all that fascinating to contemplate. Just an open area of low bushes. Not water visible. No wildlife. Nothing to see. Too bad. Here's a picture of the spung.

One thing that always unsettles me about being in the Huber preserve are the trucks I see parked off to the side. I assume the drivers are in the woods, hunting, which does not make me feel very safe. Also, I NEVER see anyone hiking here, so it feels very forlorn.