Zim Smith Trail - Ushers Road to Mechanicville

It was surprisingly,  a really cold morning and I froze on this short ride!

I had already done the Zim Smith Trail between Ballston Spa and Ushers Road, way back in 2013. This section I rode today was added since that ride.

at the start

The trolley crossed here

Behind this bridge/trestle remnant is the old trolley bridge which I visited back in 2012

Caution - strange "tunnel" ahead!

-Short video-

On the way back, I encountered a bunch of wild turkeys!

Riding the little-known Trolley Line north of Round Lake

Saturday - May 17th, 2014
I was up in the Burnt Hills - Saratoga area and determined to explore the old, little-known Trolley Line north of Round Lake.

Back at the beginning of April 2014,  I  had been on the section southeast of the Northway and the recently renovated section going southeast of Ruhle Road but the section in between those two still eluded me and I was intrigued.

Where I rode...

 -Topographic Map - 

note the steep banks of the Ballston Creek along here

Saturday was a gorgeous day - sunny and bright and still a bit cool - perfect weather for riding. I parked at Shenantaha Creek Park and rode south on the Zim Smith Rail Trail. Knowing I was going to hit some rougher undeveloped trails, I rode the mountain bike.

Shenantaha Creek Park

Before I stepped out of the house, I browsed  the usual internet map tools and knew from Google aerial views that there was a visible trail that hugs the west side of the Northway as it crosses over the Kaydeross. I knew this was my ticket to get to the Trolley ROW.

The Trail by the Northway

Sure enough, bombing down the rutted ATV trail got me to the other side. Right before I connected to the Trolley ROW, there was a small shale strewn gully to cross but—as the video indicates—the Trolley ROW was still clear and an easy ride North.

NOTE: I took a few short one-handed videos with my iPhone while riding and merged them together (YouTube link below). 

When I emerged at the clearing, I  stopped to take photos  where the Power and Gas Lines converged. This location can be seen on the satellite map. Clearing on satellite map >

The next section was very “developed” and soon I wound up on the section of the trail I hiked in April riding by the stream, etc.

When I got to the gate on Ruhle Road, I turned south to check out the historic bridge.

Lastly, I reconnected with the Zim Smith trail and returned to the car.

Short Video Summation

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Still having more time (and energy) to bike, I drove over to Luther Forest and had a great time there as well.  See Post >

Zim Smith Trail

Sat Nov. 9th, 2013 - Zim Smith Trail

-Ballston Spa to Clifton Park NY-

I was up visiting my parents this weekend which gave me the opportunity to ride a few of the local rail trails in the area.  On Saturday,  I headed up to Ballston Spa and rode the 9-mile Zim Smith Trail end to end.

After driving through a roadful of chickens and a large black cat, I parked at the end of Oak Street in Ballston Spa.

It was cold that day and I wore a winter headband under my helmet. The thin work gloves I pulled over my fingerless riding gloves were inadequate and I switch out to winter gloves when I stopped at Underpass Road.

The trail was flat and easy.  After paralleling the still active railroad tracks for a bit, it primarily skirted through marshy woodlands. Occasional manhole covers and the large pipe over the rocky stream at the Underpass Bridge area indicated there is a water line tied in with the route.

The trail passes an industrial area (Curtis Lumber, etc.) in a open field but once past East Line Road it becomes woodsy again.

I took a super-short hand-held video while riding thru Shenantaha Park. 

The creek has carved a deep ravine and interesting tributaries slice thru the hillsides by the trail as well.  It looks like an interesting place to explore and I hope to return here at a later date to walk down into the ravine and check the ruins of an old mill.  Park Details>>

I continued on and took another super-short hand-held video while approaching the underpass under the Northway.

A sign indicates a trail off to the side that heads up to the Luther Forest Tech Campus.

I soon cruised into Round Lake and stopped to take a photo of the village. This quaint gingerbread-adorned charming small town warrants further exploration on another visit -- but I wanted to press on due to time constraints.

Continuing on, below are a couple of photos from the railroad bridge over Route 9:

A visit to an historical topo map site later that day confirmed my suspicion that this was a double track.

Source Map >

The pavement soon turns to hard-packed gravel and--after passing a few scattered houses--the surroundings turn to marsh and a long narrow shallow pond is on the right.

The sunlight on the autumn brown trees and the glistening water was very beautiful at the time so I stopped to capture the moment.

I soon ended up at the trail end and took a pic of the Coons Crossing trailhead. 

I was starting to get dark (I was in a valley) so I headed back northward again.

All in all a pleasant easy scenic and historical filled ride!