Mableton

I wouldn't usually write anything about a local ride, but one of last week's rides was semi-interesting.

There's a whole network of local trails that can all be sort-of accessed from the Silver Comet. They have been known by many names over the years, but these days are often referred to as the Comet Vomet.

They were recently disrupted pretty severely by logging along the edge of the railroad tracks. It's not even clear what the objective was, other than maybe just to clear stuff back so it can't fall across the tracks. They didn't even pull the timber out, it's just piled up where it fell. The "roads" they cut to get in and cut lie unimproved, overgrown, and largely blocked by fallen trees as well. Tangles of downed trees blocked some of the existing trails, and the road construction obliterated bits of others.

That was a while ago though, and since then, strategic fallen trees have been cut, and many of the trails are either reopened, or have been realigned.

In addition, it used to be that if you wanted to get to the Camp Highland Trails from the north side of the tracks, you had to ride down to the tracks, then ride down the tracks, then finally enter the camp where the old road used to cross the tracks. It was a crapshoot though, as you would often find trains parked on the tracks there.

There has always been a tunnel under the tracks though. I've walked through it before, exploring, but there was never a proper trail to or from it. At least not in modern times.

Well, now there is.

It looks like you're meant to ride through it north-to-south, then scramble down off the ledge, ideally with a buddy.

I, of course, went the wrong way, and had to use some light OCR skills to get up that ledge without getting soaked, and then also get my bike up it.

The ledge is about 5 feet tall, and the creek is about 3 feet deep. So, it's not trivial in either direction.

But, yeah, tunnel...

Yay, tunnel!