Before Horse Hill, I used to ride most often in what's now called the Grater Woods area of Merrimack.

The last time I visited, a couple years ago, the area looked awful. Trails had been rutted by knuckleheads on quads (what they lack in finesse, they make with throttle) and some areas had been logged, so I haven't been inspired to go back.

I thought I'd check it out last weekend, but was thwarted. The trailhead behind the school was taped off and emphatically posted as closed. Developers seem to have sunk their claws into the property at the end of Old Blood Road, and I didn't feel like driving all the way out to the Parish Pond lot in Amherst.

On the bright side, if access is limited for a while, perhaps the area will look nicer once it reopens.