The Chainlink

North Branch Trail - Condition?

Anyone know anything about the current condition of the North Branch Trail, up to the Botanic Garden, relative to snow or icy conditions?  (I've got a hybrid bike). This would be my first Winter on it.  Does the Forest Preserve District even try to keep it clear?  Thanks for any info! 

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on January 13, 2015 at 5:48pm
The trail has not been plowed in the past. Maybe a local can tell you current conditions, but I think it is safe to assume it is snow covered.
Permalink Reply by Vic Sholis on January 13, 2015 at 5:50pm

Thanks Kevin!

Permalink Reply by Tom Z on January 13, 2015 at 9:39pm

They don't clear the path since it is used by many different users including XC skiers.

Permalink Reply by David Beazley on January 14, 2015 at 6:41am

I have not ridden the NBT this winter, but I have been riding on the Green Bay Trail which is nearby.  Here are some pictures that show what it looks like as of today (January 14).   This is an unplowed section of the trail (South of Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, near Ravina):

This is what a plowed section of the trail looks like (South of Harbor in Glencoe):

To be honest, I found the unplowed trail to be basically unrideable on my cross bike with 700x42 studded tires (actually, I only ventured in there to look at it for the purposes of this post).  It would probably be doable on a fat bike.  The plowed trail is essentially packed powder--quite rideable at the moment actually.  It could probably be done on a hybrid if you've got some tires with a tread on them.

If you're looking to ride on a trail, the Green Bay Trail is plowed packed powder all the way from Wilmette to Glencoe.  Definitely rideable although there are probably some icy patches underneath.

 

Permalink Reply by Vic Sholis on January 14, 2015 at 7:41am

Thanks SO MUCH Tom and David!  I especially appreciate the pictures of the unplowed Green Bay Trail.  That tells me a lot about what kind of shape the NBT might be in.

Permalink Reply by Vic Sholis on January 14, 2015 at 12:19pm

I went out this morning and took a look for myself.  I would describe the North Branch Trail, for bikes, as unplowed and impassable at present.  Here's a picture taken alongside the Skokie Lagoons between Tower and Dundee.  Thanks to everybody who responded for their information.  

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 14, 2015 at 2:22pm

Sounds more suitable for x-c skiing.

Permalink Reply by Vic Sholis on January 14, 2015 at 2:41pm

You'e exactly right Anne!

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on January 15, 2015 at 2:38pm

There are some tracks in the picture. It's nice to see it may be set up (or at least left alone) for skiing. I've been going up to Highland Park on weekends since it's closer than big ski trails at Lemont or over the border at the Bong Recreation Area (which also has a daily fee).

Permalink Reply by David Beazley on January 19, 2015 at 9:24am

So after this weekend's meltdown and this morning's freeze, the unplowed section of the Green Bay Trail turned into a continuous sheet of solid rutted ice.  If you've got studded tires and have been itching to take them out for a challenging spin, now is the time ;-).

Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on January 19, 2015 at 2:01pm

Oh I run studded tires and use the southern part of the NBT for my commute.....studded tires are BOSS on ice.  No slippage at all.

But then I cheat and use the plowed and salted parking lot to finish my journey.



David Beazley said:

So after this weekend's meltdown and this morning's freeze, the unplowed section of the Green Bay Trail turned into a continuous sheet of solid rutted ice.  If you've got studded tires and have been itching to take them out for a challenging spin, now is the time ;-).

Permalink Reply by David Beazley on January 21, 2015 at 6:33am

So, as I was flying full speed in the big chainring down a trail of trace snow covering solid ice, holding onto the handlebars for dear life while smiling ear to ear, I got to thinking: you probably don't need studded tires to ride all winter, but if you've got them, they open up a magical new world of insanely badass technical riding.   This is fun.

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