Great Lakes - North Branch Trail Riders

From the small segment I rode today I can report that the crossing over the small ravine between Oakton and Dempster is flooded over, and there's a lot of water blocking the path just north of Touhy.

Does anyone know if there's any significant water on the trail north of Dempster?

It's a good bet the underpass under the Edens is flooded as well as the overpass over the North branch between Lake and Happ Road. It is also likely the area around the Lagoons north of Willow is probably flooded.

I rode it tonight. Starting North of Golf rd there were many sections that had mud and were flooded very recently. Just North of the Lake St Overpass it was flooded and I had tot turn around.

I rode it tonight. Starting North of Golf rd there were many sections that had mud and were flooded very recently. Just North of the Lake St Overpass it was flooded and I had tot turn around.

Thank you sir! I'll be out tomorrow morning checking it out and will adjust my route accordingly.

Has anyone been back out to the path yesterday or today? I'd really like to ride it tomorrow if it is passable. TIA.

-T. (1st post! woohoo!)

Has anyone been back out to the path yesterday or today? I'd really like to ride it tomorrow if it is passable. TIA.

-T. (1st post! woohoo!)

Congratulations on your first post. :thumb:

I was back out there today. All the flooded areas are gone from Touhy north except for a little bit just north of the Lake Street bridge. To get around that I took Lake Street east to Laramie, north to Illinois Road, west to Happ Road, then north on that to rejoin the trail. North of Happ Road it's clear all the way through.

Excellent! I've got to pull an afternoon shift at work tomorrow, so I was looking forward to a ride in the morning. It is going to be a beautiful day. Almost makes it worth having to work the evening shift.

Thanks for the info.

-T.

Well I just got back from a ride, but I didn't get to run much of the North Branch. I made it from Caldwell woods almost to Dempster, but had to turn around. Not because of water, but because they are working on the path and had a bunch of heavy equipment on the path. Looks like they are making the path wider. I probably could have gotten around everything, but I had already gone past the signs stating that the path was closed for construction. I felt that was enough bad form for one day. Just came back home and rode around the neighborhood for a while.

Oh BTW, thanks Mr. Daley for taking all the nice, smooth, quiet side streets and filling them with speed humps.... :notamused:

But aside from the construction, the path looked pretty good. A little silty here and there, but dry.

-T.

Didn't they just repave the whole path last year? What are they doing now?

I had the same experience as noisy.ant today.
I had gone through 2 "Path closed" signs and guilt got the better of me once I encountered the heavy machinery.

I'm not sure exactly sure what they are doing, but it looks like they are reinforcing the sides of the path.
Almost looks like they are putting curbs on.

Tom

The new section in Des Plaines is probably gong to soggy for a while. That ares got hit hard by the flooding, and the one person who told me about riding that section said it was hard to find the way in parts before we got all the water.