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New Trail Review - Mary Moore Searight park


AustinBike
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Went out last week to have a look around. I had ridden here a few years back and walked away saying "not worth the trip." It was pretty deep in the south side and only had about 5-6 miles of trail, much of it seemed to be double track or non-inspiring singletrack. But a lot has changed since then. Not as much because of the trail itself, but the connection to SATN. Now we are at the point where a ride that starts here has connection to another huge network of SATN trails. 

I started out by doing the mileage in the park and then decided to venture out. After putting 15 miles on the clock I decided to call it a day and yet there were so many places that I could have been exploring but had to pass on. There are a million different trail options down there and they are all easily accessible. I ended up under I 35 and over by Southpark Meadows before I finally turned around.

It is easily singlespeedable, never had an issue on any features. I would not take this as a trail that I want to ride for the challenge and instead think of it as a place to start your destinations and then branch out from there to go all over the south. I plan to hit it up again some time when I have a lot of time to kill and am not worried about the traffic back to home.

You can see all of the info here: http://www.austinbike.com/index.php/austin/381-mms

 

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Cool for you to give some publicity to MMS. I say all the time it's an under appreciated (and used) interesting mountain biking spot. 

Before you go out to "review" an area, do you ever try and locate a rider that knows that particular area well? Having a guide to show you the best stuff would be advantageous. Here it seems like you have done what most newbies to MSS do. That is just riding the area around the main part of the park. Scenic along Slaughter Creek, but yes, mostly easy. The more challenging stuff is east of South 1st and also on the most southern edge of the park.

There is 15+ miles of single track in the park proper. I'm not sure how much of your 15 miles was in the park or when you ventured out.

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I did a 24 mile loop from Circle C park to MMS last week.  There are some fun features after you pass under S 1st.  that offer some challenge.  The trails south of the creek/main park proper are worth checking out as well.  What makes that ride even better is the bailout trail at Menchaca on the way back which pops you out near SABG for a cold one.  

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11 hours ago, The Tip said:

Cool for you to give some publicity to MMS. I say all the time it's an under appreciated (and used) interesting mountain biking spot. 

Before you go out to "review" an area, do you ever try and locate a rider that knows that particular area well? Having a guide to show you the best stuff would be advantageous. Here it seems like you have done what most newbies to MSS do. That is just riding the area around the main part of the park. Scenic along Slaughter Creek, but yes, mostly easy. The more challenging stuff is east of South 1st and also on the most southern edge of the park.

There is 15+ miles of single track in the park proper. I'm not sure how much of your 15 miles was in the park or when you ventured out.

I normally try to ride with someone who knows the trail, but in covid times I have to ride solo.

If anyone has a clean GPX of the trail I'd love it. John at austinbike dot com

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Yes, there is a Homeless Fortress on the south side of Old San Antonio Rd, across the road from South Park Meadows. But it's easy to avoid by just staying on the road as you head east to get on the I35 frontage road to cross the bridge over Slaughter Creek. That bridge has a VERY wide shoulder so it's a safe passage.

That's the only homeless camp that I've seen anywhere out there now.

Edited by The Tip
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After 3+ years, got off my ass and spent some time with Mary yesterday. Before this, I'd stuck to the trails at the park, thanks to @The Tip  was able to roam a bit more this time. Can say I was really surprised at what was out there. Rode equestrian to black squirrel, to camino connector, and down jungle till the 1st bridge. Then the jeep road back to creekflyer , cutting back over onto squirrel then mary's gateway back to the truck. Nice little loop.

Once I got south of the creek, the terrain changed a lot and for the good. Remined me a lot of rim trail with a little suburban ninja mixed in for good measure. The main trails in the park are more in the style of the infinitely maddening criss cross of walnut creek.  All in all, a fun ride with some really cool historic bridges and foundations of homes/business out there too.

My crap pics:

 

 

 

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The trail runner here. I've ran MMS twice, it's like 45 minutes away. But yes, all the trails in the main park seem pretty simple and maybe boring on a bike. Bu running through the woods on the edges, I found myself having to zig and zag quiet a bit, had to sway and duck and protect my arms quiet a bit due to the winding and skinniness of the trails, all the branches and vines poking out. I don't know if mtb.ers like that stuff. And there were plenty of places to go across the creek that seemed like they'd be crazy on a bike- some are drops and some just go down rockrockrock bumpbumpbump. And yes it seems to connect to lots of other trails. I ran from there west to Bauerle Ranch, and that was quiet fun.

Anyway, have fun out there.

Edited by B.J.
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Rode MMS last night and managed to navigate to some of the good stuff on my own. yes, as @B.J. pointed out, there's a lot of pokey stuff over-growing into the trail that I need to go cut back. there's not need to make the trail "wide," but constantly ducking under collapsing ashe junipers and getting poked and scratched in the face and arms with thorny vines and spear-like cut branches is not fun.

it looks like the weather is about to get crappy. if anyone who knows how to navigate the trails better than I do wants to meet me out there this week to do some trail work, I'm in. most just cutting face-slappers and that sort of thing.

the user-built wood bridge that takes a battering after every rain event is dangling across the trail tilted at an awkward angle. I had to gingerly tiptoe across it last night. that's a big undertaking though.

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