MT MANSFIELD SUMMIT ( 4,293')- National Trails Day Hike,
Saturday June 6, 2015.
8:30 am 12:45 pm Overcast and eventual clearing.
Underhill State Park, Sunset Ridge Trail to Long Trail to the Chin. Descent down Long Trail to Laura Cowles trail and back to Underhill State Park.
Mobb's Farm -46 degrees with sun and clouds and slight breeze. Jericho, Vermont
9-10:15 am. A short planned weekend hike to new area I recently discovered.
I climbed up through boulder strewn ridge on unmarked trail from Fitzsimmons Road. There was some mud and a few spring freshets and vernal pools on the many unmarked trails that intertwine and go off in all directions. I looked at a map early on and head downhill towards the east with no problems. A wide cart track winds its way through a 50's car graveyard with several rusted hulks including a mercury with huge chrome front end and several oil pails litter the ground shot through with bullet holes.
I observed a red squirrel, hairy woodpecker knocking into a tree and a grey squirrel as well as other common birds. Atop the hill and looking west are views towards the lake seen through the trees. I follow the arrow markings in red down a gulch and past a group of hemlocks clinging to the edge of the ridge with obstructed views looking west. After a brief descent I come out of the woods onto the capped town landfill covered in brown grasses and soggy from the thaw and spring rains. I walked along the perimeter bordered by stunted pine shrubs and paper birch.
I noticed an adjacent farm meadow and decided to climb up the property. I followed a stone wall to the top where several brush piles have been carefully erected for a future controlled burn. The open space allowed for a fantastic view of the distant pine and leafless tree covered hills. A grey and green tapestry that would make for a fine translation into paints and colored pencil. A great spot to return with my art supplies. I scribbled into my green pocket notebook and sat for a moment to enjoy the sun on my face.
There is a trail on the other side of the stone wall and I was able to follow the trail back to the parking lot. I passed a family with two kids and their two dogs who were exploring the car graveyard before I reached the road.
5/14/14 Wed 1-4pm. Mashamoquet State Park, Pomfret, CT
5 mile hike with mix of sun and clouds and chilly start.
Me and my Father started up the blue trail above the parking lot and visitor center and climbed a steep rise. Three large military cargo planes flew maneuvers overhead and veered off as if taxiing to a runway.
There are a large network of stone pasture walls. I spotted a lady slipper along the trail. We hiked up several rocky mounts before coming to the Indian Chair in which we sat in to take in the sights and take advantage of the photo op.
We climbed a steep hill and arrived at the legendary Wolf's Den cave.
I am currently reading "War On The Run" by John F. Ross the story of Robert Rogers and the conquest of America's first frontier. In it he describes Israel Putnam a farmer in Pomfret, CT who would become a hero of the Revolutionary War. In the spring of 1743, when Putnam was 25, him and his neighbors tracked a she-wolf that had devastated farms for years in Northwestern Connecticut and even killed 70 of his sheep and goats in one night at his farm. Put and his neighbors tracked her paw prints through the snow to a narrow cave. Eventually they killed it and dragged it out of the cave by its ears. A placard marks the spot.
We hiked to table top rock to Wolf's Den Drive and then continued on the blue trail. At this point the landscape changed to a more rolling bottom land hike past pastures and farmland. I noticed hoof prints from horse tracks along the trail. We came down to Mashamoquet Brook and some ruins of dam works along the yellow trail. The blue trail continued down to the entrance to the park with just a short walk to the lot. The 5 mile loop ended up being more of a hike then we bargained for but the history of the place was worth it.
1:18 -3 pm. Sunshine and warm breeze with high of 88!
Chesterfield Gorge hike, The Trustees of Reservations, Chesterfield, MA
We parked at the visitor center lot and immediately ate our lunch atop the gorge overlooking the Westfield River and a tall stone colonial era bridge abutment (Old Post Road and Old Route 9). An awesome view of the steep gorge with tall pines rising up from sheer cliffs and with the swiftly running current and rapids far below.
A fly fishermen plied his trade in a deep pool below us and then disappeared through the forest on the other side of the ravine where the post road continues eastward.
We made a quick descent to the banks of the river. We walked along River Road, a fishing access road and after a brief hike we turned around and headed back to the car. There was many people out enjoying the weather as they walked their dogs, hiked or sun bathed. We passed several feeder streams running down precipitous slopes high above the river and added to the already swift currents which must be supplied by ground water as the snow melt has abated for this year.
We stopped at The Williamsburg General Store for old fashioned soda and candy on the way back.
12-4 pm Sunshine and clouds with slight breeze and pleasant.
Hike at Mine Hill a 19th Century iron mine and furnace in
Roxbury, CT.
Upon entering the preserve we parked in front of an old barn to scope out the area and was greeted by the property owner. He was in the antique selling business for a long time and had sold some amazing things to well known wealthy clients to include a weathervane he sold for 100,000! He gave us a brief tour of the lower structures to include the general store, railroad station and freight depot and a tobacco barn. We parked up the hill and started our hike by walking around the furnaces.
An old tramway wound its way up the hill to the mines and provided a great trail surface to hike on up to the old mine shafts. A lot of tossed aside rock-literally a geologists dream of shiny quartz and granite chunks were strewn alongside raised narrow gauge track.
The mine shafts are now covered with iron cages and are the home of many bats. The cold air and running spring water issued from one of the entrances to the caves within the mountainside. The amount of labor it must have took to mine and process the iron ore was staggering and this place stands the test of time to serve as a testament to the tenacity of the colonial laborers who mined here. We turned around after exploring the mine shaft entrances and backtracked the blue trail down to the car.
Fliegel Farm Woods, Ashford, CT
04/14/14 12-1pm Blustery and mostly cloudy with mild temps.
I discovered the Joshua Trust website (joshuatrust.org)
which lists the properties that have hiking trails in the Ashford, Connecticut area and I have a lot of exploring to do this spring!
Parked at Sean Patrick's Plants on East Howey Road at the top of a blustery hillside farm. The trail started off on a discontinued portion of East Howey road which is an old wagon road lined with stone walls and descends to Knowlton Brook where stone bridge abutments still remain and the road continues on the other side of the brook as it winds it way up into the woods. We followed the yellow trail which brought us along the brook amidst the skunk cabbage and frogs and back to the lot.
A short hike and an amazing area to see for its old farms and fields.
Bare Mountain, South Hadley, MA
04/13/14 11:00 am-1:50pm 60's and hazy skies with partial clearing.
Parked off Amherst Road and walked through the Judd Reservation to Robert Frost trail to summit.
Brief shower on the way but nice spring Sunday morning. We had to resort to off trail wandering a little before we came to the yellow trail and eventually the Robert Frost trail (Red) which led us up the seven sisters ridgeline to the summit of Mt Hitchcock at 1005'. A tough climb for the first hike of the season! We went up and down the humps that straddle the ridge line before coming to Bare Mountain at 1010' with a 360 degree view of the pioneer valley. There were many hikers on the trail today. We decided to make a loop back to the car and descended the ridge to the Notch Visitor Center and a brief walk along Route 116 and past huge stone quarry to car.
We had lunch at Fitzwilly's in Northampton, MA and the town was bustling with people enjoying the bright warm sunshine.
