Monday, January 20, 2014

Whitehorse Mountain, Mount Misery, Hill of Pines, Rattlesnake Hill - Black Rock Forest

January 20, 2014
Distance: 5.9 miles
Time: 3 hours 22 minutes

Total elevation gain: 2,107 feet

Map: West Hudson Trails Map

Parking: From route 9W southbound, turn right onto Reservoir Road.Take right at T intersection. Follow to Black Rock Park. Parking area with room for around 15 cars.

GPS coordinates: 41.418627, -74.010401


Restrooms: none
Post hike dinner: n/a

Directions: 
Cross the street from the parking area, and take the yellow blazed Stillman/blue blazed Highland trails.
Continue up Whitehorse Mountain
Pass Upper Reservoir on your left
Where Stillman/Highland trails split, stay left on blue blazed Highland trail
Where Stillman rejoings from right, stay left on combined Stillman/Highland trails
Continue up Mount Misery
Left on white blazed Scenic trail
Continue up Hill of Pines
Cross Carpenter Road (park/woods road)
Continue up Rattlesnake Hill
Right on Meadow Road (park/woods road)
Pass Carpenter Road on your right.
Right on White Oak Road (park/woods road) where Meadow Road ends
Pass blue Swamp trail on right.
Pass yellow blazed Stillman/blue blazed Highland trail on right.
Left on yellow blazed Stillman trail 
Left on blue Reservoir trail, right before Reservoir Road
Cross Ben's bridge
Right on red Duggan trail
Arrive at parking lot.

Notes: First half of the hike is moderate/strenuous. Second half of the hike is easy. We saw no other hikers today, though there were other cars in the parking lot.

Year to to date miles: 24.1

Parking Area. The hike starts up the stone steps to the left of the gate.

Cross the park road and look for the yellow blazed Stillman trail and blue blazed Highland trail.

On the way up to Whitehorse Mountain

Wooded summit of Whitehorse Mountain

View of Upper Reservoir

Mount Misery summit


White blazed Scenic trail

Hill of Pines - very nice view


I do believe he's smiling





Rattlesnake Hill summit

Rattlesnake Hill summit

After Rattlesnake Hill, the second half of the hike is easy, often following woods roads


Sunday, January 19, 2014

CT Appalachian Trail - Section 4 - Dawn Hill Road to Stewart Hollow Lean To

January 19, 2014

Miles: 5.5
Time: 2 hours 32 minutes

Parking: Intersection of River Road and Dawn Hill Road, Cornwall Bridge, CT. 
GPS: N 41 degrees 48.479', W 073 degrees 23.475'
There is room for around 4-5 cars alongside the road.

Rest rooms: Privy at Stewart Hollow Lean To

Hike directions: 
Start down River Road (unpaved road at this point). After a short distance the AT splits off to the left (next to the Housatonic) away from River Road. Continue along the AT until the blue blazed side for Stewart Hollow Lean To. Retrace steps.

Map: Appalachian Trail Guide to Massachusetts Connecticut


Hike description: This is an easy hike, with virtually no elevation gain. The hike parallels the Housatonic River, which I don't let my dogs swim in - it is fast moving, and polluted with PCB's I've learned. Part of the hike passes by bucolic fields - which can't be walked on during growing season, but can be in the winter. What a great place to let your dogs run! We did see cross country skiers in the fields as well. There were a LOT of off lead dogs (mostly labs) on this hike, so this hike is best for dogs with very good social skills that don't mind other dogs running at them.

Post-hike dinner: Chipotle, Danbury, CT


Year to date miles:   18.2


The hike starts out on River Road.

The highlight of the hike was these fields.


Passing by a blue blazed trail on the right for Stoney Brook Campsites.


Our turn around point

We stopped by the lean to.

Glen reading the trail register while I had a snack.

On the way back, we let the dogs run in the fields





Sunday, January 12, 2014

CT Appalachian Trail - Sections 3 and 4 - Breadloaf Mountain to Housatonic River

January 12, 2014

Miles: 6.4
Time:  3 hours 52 minutes

Parking: Route 7, just north of intersection with Route 4, Litchfield, CT
GPS: N 41 degrees 49.290', W 073 degrees 22.560'

Rest rooms: None

Hike directions: 
Start at kiosk in parking area.
Follow blue blazed Mohawk trail.
Ascend Bread Loaf Mountain
Turn left (southbound) at intersection with AT.
Follow white blazed AT.
Detour: Turn left onto Old Sharon Road (dirt road) - walk .25 miles
Turn right onto Route 4 (busy road) - walk .25 miles
Turn left onto AT.
Ascend Silver Hill
Descend and arrive at Housatonic River.
Turn around.
Ascend Silver Hill.
Turn right onto Route 4 (busy road) - walk .30 miles
Turn left onto Route 7
Arrive at parking area on left.

Map: Appalachian Trail Guide to Massachusetts Connecticut
This map shows the beginning of the hike including the detour: Housatonic Meadows Trail Map

Hike description: This is an out and mostly back hike. The parking lot isn't next to the AT. There is no parking where the AT crosses Route 7. 
We had two choices - hike the Mohawk trail and turn left when it intersects the AT, or do a road walk on a road with fast moving cars, to the AT. We opted for hiking along the Mohawk trail. We reached the AT, but after a short while on it, there was a detour off the AT back to the road we were originally trying to avoid. There is a fast moving wide brook which has to be forded in order to cross. It was too dangerous to cross. There was a sign recommending a detour. I would try to avoid the road walk. 

Post-hike dinner: Chipotle, Danbury, CT

Year to date miles:   12.7
Sign at the parking area. Looking towards intersection of Route 4 and Route 7

Kiosk at the Mowhawk trail's trailhead

View from Bread Loaf Mountain

Intersection of Mohawk Trail and Appalachian Trail 

Intersection of Mohawk Trail and Appalachian Trail. Turn Left on Appalachian Trail (southbound).
At an intersection with a gravel road, this sign recommends a detour. Guinea Brook was raging.
We took the left onto this gravel road, and then right onto Route 4.

View down to the brook - which looked more like a river.

Detour along Old Sharon Road. The detour has blue blazes.

Turning right onto Route 4.

Walking along Route 4, just before we reach the AT, where we take a left to continue southbound.

View of Silver Hill.

View near the summit of Silver Hill.

Short side trail to camping off of the AT.

Road crossing right before the Housatonic.

Housatonic River - the AT splits off what I assume is River Road on the right.

Another sign about the detour on the return trip.


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Mount Tom State Park, Litchfield, CT

January 1, 2014

Miles: 1.6
Time:  1 hour

Parking: Route 202, Litchfield, CT. Turn at sign for park, and park in parking lot next to Tower Trail sign.

Rest rooms: Yes, and more near the beach are.

Hike directions: AMC's Best Day Hikes Connecticut Hike #13 (this is the older edition of the book).
We missed the turn that would have made this a loop, so we did an out and back.

Map: Mount Tom State Park

Hike description: Easy and very short. Gentle climb to the summit. At the summit there is a tower which you can climb to the top off and get 360 degree views. Saw just 2 groups on the trail.
We came across two spots of thick solid ice. We carefully walked across the first patch.
The second patch was on a climb, but we could easily walk up the right side of it.


I combined this with another short hike at White Memorial Conservation Center, just a few miles away.

Post-hike dinner: Chipotle, Danbury, CT

Year to date miles:   6.3

Sign for the Tower Trail parking area

The trail is yellow blazed

Thick solid ice, even the dogs had problems


View just below the tower


Summit tower

Summit marker on the top of the tower

Views from the top of the tower





Must I pose?

View from tower keyhole