Sunday, April 22, 2012

CT Appalachian Trail - Section 5 - Bulls Bridge Rd to Hoyt Rd (NY border)

April 21, 2012
Distance: 4.6 miles
Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Map: Appalachian Trail Guide to Massachusetts-Connecticut
Parking: Requires 2 cars
Leave car for end of hike - dirt hiker parking lot on Route 55 near Hoyt Rd (approximately enough for 8 cars). Alternate - there is room for around 4 cars on Hoyt Rd where the AT crosses it.
Leave car for start of hike - intersection of Bulls Bridge Rd & Schaghticoke Rd at trail crossing (enough room for around 4 cars - we parked next to arch over road)
I used this site to find parking areas: Appalachian Trail Parking
Restrooms: Outhouse at Ten Mile Hill campground
Post hike dinner: Thai Elephant 2, Patterson, NY
Directions: Start AT on Bulls Bridge Rd side (not Schaghticoke Rd side).
Follow white blazes for 4.1 miles to intersection of Hoyt Rd.
If you parked in the dirt hikers parking lot, turn back and continue until you reach the gate on the left side (about .5 miles) to hiker parking lot.

Notes:
The beginning of this hike parallels the Housatonic River. There are many people in this section, as the river is a pretty spot. There are steep drop offs down to the river. We kept the dogs on leash until we left the river.
This hike crosses route 55 (busy road) and goes to Hoyt Rd (much less busy road). Dogs must also be leashed in this section.

Start of trail from Bulls Bridge Rd
We found a sand beach where the river was calmer.
Bridge over the river
Which has very steep metal grating steps - we had to carry the dogs down.
In the distance is Ten Mile River campground and the outhouse.
This is the first hike of the year where things were looking green.
We also saw many kinds of wildflowers.
The dogs got very warm hiking up to Ten Mile River Hill.
We took a break to give them water and let them cool down.
Passing a side trail.
We have a long way to go ;)
Trek at Ten Mile River Hill. Another rest stop to cool off. After this, it's all downhill.
It's starting to look green.

Year to date miles: 121

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Great Brook Farm, Heartbreak Ridge/Tophet Loop trails

April 14, 2012
Distance: 4.3 miles
Time: 1 hour 43 minutes
Map: Great Brook Farm
Parking: Large parking lot. $2 metered daily fee until 6pm. You can also get an annual MA park pass ($25 MA residents/$45 non-residents).
Restrooms: Ski center lot has pit toilets. Main lot has restroom with sinks as well
Post hike dinner: Chipotle, Nashua, NH

Directions:
From main parking lot, head towards the park road.
Turn right on the park road.
Turn left onto Maple Ridge trail to post 22.
Turn right onto Pine Point loop to post 18.
Turn right onto Heartbreak Ridge to post 44.
Continue and reach road. Put dogs on leash.
Turn right on road (Woodbine Road). Follow to the end.
Turn left on East Street. This road has more cars on it.
At gate on left leave road, and continue on trail.
Trail hits the road again, but this time it is a quite road where we saw no cars.
Turn right when you see the trail restart. Dogs off leash again.
Follow Tophet Loop East to post 15.
Turn right on Pine Point Loop.
Turn left on trail that parallels park road (don't cross road).
Cross over bridge.
Turn left on Pine Point Loop to post 26.
Turn right on Pine Point Loop.
When trail reaches road, turn left, until you just pass the farm.
Cross road and head towards farm animals.
This is where the ice cream is.
Return to parking lot.

Note: Well behaved dogs are allowed off leash. Dogs are supposed to be put on leash when passing others. Some trails allow horses & bikes. Trails that are noted as "Heart Healthy" are very wide and tend to have more people on them.

This set of trails includes some road walking, by some nicely landscaped houses. Some of the trails back up to backyards of houses. The trails pass by many stagnant water areas. They are more swamps than ponds. The water in them is very black/green.
The hikes here are very easy.

The farm sells their own home made ice cream. This year, the ice cream shop opened on April 14th. For dog walkers, they have a window in the building where you can order your ice cream from, since dogs aren't allowed in the shop.


Trek ran up to this horse jump and tried to jump up on it.



Trek preferred going through the muck than on the boardwalks.

Example of a "Heart Healthy" trail

Great Brook Farm, Acorn Trail

April 13, 2012
Distance: 4.1 miles
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Map: Great Brook Farm
Parking: Large parking lot. $2 metered daily fee until 6pm. Ski center parking is closest, but the meter there has never worked. I have always gone to the main lot to use the meter. You can also get an annual MA park pass ($25 MA residents/$45 non-residents).
Restrooms: Ski center lot has pit toilets. Main lot has restroom with sinks as well
Post hike dinner: Udupi Bhavan, Lowell, MA

Directions: From main parking lot, take trail towards ski center. Cross Lowell Street. Acorn trail starts right across the street from the ski center. After returning to the ski center I turned left and did part of the Lantern trail. Numbers on the trail map have numbered posts on the trail.

I used to get lost all the time doing the Acorn Trail, but I've finally got it. It isn't a huge park, so getting lost is not so bad. And there are numbers at intersections.

Note: Well behaved dogs are allowed off leash. Dogs are supposed to be put on leash when passing others. Some trails allow horses & bikes. I believe the Acorn trail doesn't. It is a less used trail compared to some of the other trails in the park. We do tend to find a lot of ticks on this trail.

The hikes here are very easy.

The farm sells their own home made ice cream. This year, the ice cream shop opened on April 14th. For dog walkers, they have a window in the building where you can order your ice cream from, since dogs aren't allowed in the shop.

Main parking lot with view of farm. Go the opposite way towards the ski center.



At this point, I take my dog off leash.


This trail passes by many fields which are leased out to farmers.



Trek with baby pines

Looking up - same location as previous photo


Skanky pond

Trek in skanky pond

One of the huge fields on the Lantern trail - great for running in

We stopped by the farm where they have some cows and goats. They came running to see us.

The farm sells their own ice cream. Tons of flavors and really good. I *always* stop here after our hike.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Ramapo Torne, Harriman Park

April 8, 2012
Distance: 4.5 miles (didn't complete hike as planned)
Time: 2 hours 37 minutes
Map: Harriman Bear Mountain Trails
Parking: Parking lot at visitor center, plus on street parking
Restrooms: At visitor center, seasonal
Post hike dinner: n/a
Directions: Seven Hills/HTS/Reeves Brook Trail Loop to Ramapo Torne and Torne View

This is a popular place to start a hike. The parking area/street was packed with cars, and we saw many groups returning from their hikes. If you want solitude, this might not be a good hike to try on a weekend. Strangely enough, we only saw 2 other people on our hike, even though there were around 60 cars parked.

We didn't complete this hike.
When we got close to the summit of Ramapo Torne, there was a forest fire, so we had to turn around.
We turned back, and by that time, someone had put up caution tape across the trail we were on.
Then we saw helicopters arriving - they circled the summit for a while.

Here is a link to the news story:
Torne Mountain Brush Fire
Visitor center parking lot. There are also many cars parked on the street.

I see water!

Trail up to Ramapo Torne. This trail was later closed off.

It was above this point that we saw the edge of a forest fire.

Above those rocks we came to an area of smoldering ground. Smoke was coming up from the ashes.
Occasional patches of flames came up as well.
The area looked small, but if you continued, there was more smoke/fire.

Glen on right, checking out a tree on fire.
You can sort of see smoke in the background.
When the wind picked up, you could see the smoke blow.
 He was thinking about trying to put out the fire with his water, until he saw how many trees were on fire.


Year to date miles: 116.4

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Bluff Point State Park & Coastal Reserve, Groton, CT

April 7, 2012
Distance: 6.0 miles
Time: 2 hours 53 minutes
Map:
Bluff Point State Park
Parking: Large parking lot on Depot Rd.
Restrooms: Pit toilets
Post hike dinner: Mangetout New London, CT
Directions: AMCs Best Day Hikes in Connecticut - though we extended the listed hike

Most of the trails are wide carriage roads, which have joggers, mountain bicyclists, walkers, and occasionally horses. Plenty of other dogs as well. This is an easy hike, so there were many people.
We kept the dogs on leash, except to let them go swimming. The beaches tended to be pebbly & had tons of sea shells. Not sandy. We did go off the main trail and walked along the salt marshes when we could. They were more secluded, but very muddy walking.

Walking along the salt marshes - there is a faint trail through the grass which we tried to follow as long as we could.

Swimming along Bushy Point Beach


Map of the main trails of the park.
The main loop is 3.7 miles long, but by taking additional trails, we extended the trip to 6 miles.

Standing in front of a split rock - glacial erratic

We took a path to Mumford Cove. Very muddy beach, where we saw 2 people looking for clams/oysters. 

Final swim at Mumford Cove


Year to date miles: 111.9

Friday, April 6, 2012

Vly and Bearpen, Catskills

April 6, 2012
Distance: 7.8 miles
Time: 5 hours 56 minutes
Map: Catskill Trails Map Set
Parking: See directions link
Restrooms: None
Notes: Catskill 3500 footer
Post hike dinner: Garden Cafe on the Green, Woodstock
Directions: Vly and Bearpen

Parking across from the snow plow turnaround.

Continuing 1 mile along Route 3 - which is basically an unpaved, unmaintained rocky woods road.

Approaching the hunters cabin. Ironically there are no hunting signs posted on it. Right to Vly, left to Bearpen.

The herd path to Vly is pretty easy to follow - just look for blue (and sometimes yellow) blazes.
They take you all the way to the summit. There is some whacking, but the navigation isn't difficult.

Glen opens the canister at the summit of Vly.

Moxie, Lynn, Trek - Vly summit

Trek, views in the background


Heading back down Vry

Heading towards Bearpen. You can reach the summit taking snowmobile paths the entire way.
The problem is figuring out which ones to take.

This was NOT the planned route. We got lost on the way up. Followed the wrong trail quite early on.
But I found this snowmobile path name amusing :)


The remains of a really old car

Trek and Glen, view near Bearpen summit




Remains of another old car.


Heading back down - hey...I think we were supposed to look out for this sign on the way up.
But, we took a wrong turn way before it.


Heading back down.


Year to date miles: 105.9