"He dared to lead where others dared to follow."

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.

Chesterfield Gorge

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.

Mine Hill Preserve, Roxbury Land Trust

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

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

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.

Willington, CT 12:07-2:08 pm. Cloudy and chilly. Fenton-Ruby Park and Dobney Wildlife Sanctuary.

A new hike starting on Taylor Pond Loop To Julia Trail. Spring Peepers peeping in vernal pools and pond. We made our way down to the Fenton River which is running strong and fast through farm lands and forest. We followed several wagon roads and continued on Green Trail back to Pond. We came to a wide wagon road lined with high stone walls and cellar holes on top of a hill. Old and rusted primitive iron fixtures littered the forest floor in places indicated an old smelting or blacksmith shop was in operation here a long time ago. A gravel road led back to car and parking area with picnic table offering views of the Fenton River, wetland habitat and distant farm land. It seems like a great place to fish with an old dam upstream and deep pools to support trout. 

Connecticut Path cont.

Eastford, Connecticut hike on The Connecticut Path (Walker Road)11am-3pm Cloudy and hazy but mild with breeze.

Parked off Walker Road and hiked down wooded track to site of old schoolhouse (circa 1860's). A lot of colonial development with interlacing stone walls and a few cellar holes and an old well. We came to a beaver pond and saw two herons. After we located the schoolhouse foundation we followed the sound of rushing water down a short hill. I was startled to catch two coyotes-yikes! crossing the trail and was able to capture them on camera as they stopped to check us out before they scampered off into the woods again.

We then came to the other side of the Bigelow Brook and the site of the old bridge and stepping stones. The water was high from spring thaw and good for fishing. Me and my father walked back to car along the same route. We stopped on Eastford Road to look over the Bigelow Brook bridge at the trout swimming in a deep pool.

 

 

 



 

The Connecticut Path, Eastford, CT 12:30-3:00 pm

Partly Cloudy turning to sun and mild temps with a high of 56!

The Old Connecticut Path a colonial era path over Indian Trails from Cambridge, MA to Hartford, CT. Started out with sleet and overcast conditions with slushy snow on top of an iced over dirt road. Went past several cellar holes with interesting stone wells and running springs.

Came by an iced over pond and brook and then to a hillock with extensive stone walls inundating the landscape. We decided to march down another wagon road towards the sound of a river on the other side of a ravine. We got down to rivers edge and I was amazed to find such a hard flowing river and what looks to be prime fishing habitat!

We followed a wide wagon road along the river for quite some ways and having crossed a brook with old stone abutments on either sides of it. We decided to continue on in a direction back towards the area in which we parked taking a chance of looping our way back. At least 3 inches of snow still covered the ground in this deep hollow and freshets overflowing with runoff snowmelt made it wet and slippery in places.

We did find the remains of the old stone bridge over the Bigelow Brook and the Indian Stepping Stones. An amazing spot! We followed this path which continued onwards towards Massachusetts on the other side of the river.

Climbed a steep rise to a few modern homes tucked away in the deep woods and made it back to the car in a perfect loop.

Wolfs Den, Pomfret, CT 10am-12 noon.

Very cold and in the teens. Mashamoquet Brook State Park and Wolfs Den Campground.

Drove along Route 44 and came across Brayton Grist Mill and Marcy Blacksmith Museum which is closed for season but an amazing site along snow covered and iced over brook. Old bridge and millrace and plenty of hiking trails to explore in better weather conditions.

I found location in 50 Hikes In Connecticut 5th edition book.

Skiing 10-11am.

Cloudy, cold and in the teens with a stiff occasional breeze and frozen and hard packed snow fast for skiing but difficult maneuvering ruts and snowmobile tracks.

The farm dogs across the fields are already barking just as I step out the door.

Fat Robins perched in shrubs along the pond. I fed the geese crackers. Two ducks flying over fields towards Lafayette Pond where I am heading to. Grey, blue and white landscape.


View of Bald and Perkins Mountains with some unidentified peaks to the north including a cone shaped hill in either Somers or Hamden MA. A new hunting blind built into small rise. I flushed barn swallows from shrubbery.

I followed dirt road down to pond which is well frozen over to allow even snowmobiles to cross. I stood over dam that was erected in the 1800's to harvest ice from Lafayette Pond. Woods Stream flows out of pond creating a small wetland between housing developments twisting through downed trees and swamp thickets.

I crossed the pond again and had to herringbone my way up a steep rise above the pond before getting into the field and past several huge brush piles stacked in the wood line.

Many deer tracks skirting open fields. Snots flowing and jacket stiff from cold as I grasp for handkerchief.

2/27/14 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.

Cross Country Skiing in backyard.
Breezy and cold about 20 degrees with partly sunny skies.

Me and my Father crossed Shaker/Somers Road and skied along Terry Brook Marsh which was running strong underneath the ice where reeds were bent and frozen. Bull rushes and cat tails stood over the snow along with the bare tree trunks. Marsh birds flitted about including one American Tree Sparrow picking through the reeds at the edge of the brook. A small hairy woodpecker knocked for wood boring insects. We followed deer and snowmobile tracks with fast conditions for skiing and hard packed snow. Old rusting lubrication drums colorful against the white snow. I had a little snow blindness while making my way along the wide open field expanse. I watched a single page of the daily newspaper tossed by the wind get blown into the deep pine wood.

One Pine meadow was littered with several large piles of old tractor and car tires, some whitewalls from the 50's. Me and my father made our way around the back of the Rushmore Farm property. Under the tree line of stately pines were various neatly arranged farm implements in disuse including old plows and trailers, metal refrigerators and generators, children's tricycles and Tonka toys and a red wagon, and bales of wire. A flock of crows fought in the distance.

Wrights Brook wound around farm property and we made notice of large animal tracks.

 

Crossed Somers/Shaker Road again and skied hard straight up corn field to small knoll overlooking Bald Mountain and Perkins Mountain off in the distance. I caught my breath under a rustling oak tree and took in the sunny expanse of the vast bean field in snow with cloudy blue big sky.

We skirted the adjacent tobacco field following along Terry Brook past a huge compost heap stinking in the midday sun and past maintenance sheds to Trout Pond.
I fed the two farm geese stoned wheat crackers before crossing frozen over pond into the field in our backyard and headed home.