APRIL 2013 SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 11, 8:45am, FCE Hikes Begin
Please call FCE at 860-404-0290 and register for Course NAT102 "Hikes", or click here to enroll on-line. Distances will be about 4 - 6 miles, with back-to-cars goal before 12:30pm. Also see Hiking Notes.
First Hike: Great Pond, Simsbury
A 2-3 mile flat terrain hike around Great Pond. We will be joined by Jim Ray and Roger Preston of the Simsbury Land Trust. Roger is an accomplished birder and will be able to offer insight about the wildlife in Great Pond. Jim has helped develop and maintain the trails within Great Pond and knows every beaver lodge.
Meet at Great Pond State Park, Great Pond Road, West Simsbury. From Rt.44 in Avon/Simsbury take Rt 167 [Bushy Hill Road ] towards Simsbury. At the Stratton Brook Road traffic light turn left and continue to next traffic light. Go straight through the light; this now becomes Old Farms Road. Continue until you reach Great Pond Road and turn right for about a mile to park entrance on the left.
Click here for the trail map.
CL: Tom Iezzi 860 404 8945 & Jerry Marcum 860 810 0087
Thursday, April 1
8, 8:45am, FCE, Chauncey Peak, MeridenApprox 3 mile hike with a challenging climb of this traprock mountain and memorable views of Crescent Lake and the hills of Meriden and the New Haven skyline.
To reach start of hike at Giuffrida Park: Travel West on 84 and take 691 towards Meriden. Get off Exit 8 (Broad St); go right at the light (Broad St) and travel .4 mile to Westfield Rd. Turn right on Westfield and pass under Rt 15; continue straight to intersection with Bee Street on your right. A golf course is on the left. Turn left and follow Westfield for about .1 mile to the entrance to the park on the left. L: Tom Iezzi 860-404-8945.
Thursday, April 25, 8:45am, FCE, Mt Lamentation Loop, Meriden
Approx 4.5 mile hike with a gradual climb to the Mountain and the Mattabessett Trail and fantastic views along the ridge of Silver Lake and the Meriden hills.
To reach start of hike at Giuffrida Park: Travel West on 84 and take 691 towards Meriden. Get off Exit 8 (Broad St); go right at the light (Broad St) and travel .4 mile to Westfield Rd. Turn right on Westfield and pass under Rt 15; continue straight to intersection with Bee Street on your right. A golf course is on the left. Turn left and follow Westfield for about .1 mile to the entrance to the park on the left. L: Tom Iezzi 860-404-8945.
Thursday May 2, 8:45 am, FCE - Mattatuck Trail - 1st Leg - Buttermilk Falls
Meet at the Peterson Memorial Park
area on Mad River Rd, Wolcott (about .2 mile from the start of Mad River Rd off
Rt 69). Park near the skateboard park. We will hike approx. 4.5 miles from the
park to the falls. For more information, check CWB pgs 119-120, 134. Note: the
parking at hike's end is limited so we will be spotting 2 or 3 cars at the end
to carpool drivers back to the Park. L: John Vibert (860-675-7007) (cell
860-874-3747)
Thursday, May 9, 8:45am, FCE, West Mountain Trails, West Simsbury
From Rt.44 & 167 "Bushy Hill Road" go North and turn left onto Stratton Brook. Go 1.5 miles to traffic light and turn left onto Farms Village Road. NOTE: Farms Village Road turns into West Ledge Road, Rt 309. Just past the Masters School you will see Pasture Lane on your left. The entrance to parking for West Mountain Trails is directly across from Pasture Lane.
From Route 44 & 179 in Canton, go North on 179 and turn right on Rt 309. Follow 309 to entrance of West Mountain Trails on the left, directly across from Pasture Lane.
We will carpool to start of hike on North Saddle Ridge Drive.
The 3.5 to 4 mile hike will follow the white blazed trail past the waterfall and connect with a red blazed trail. We will follow the red blazed trail back to the entrance of the West Mountain Trails. This is a great hike on Simsbury Land Trust and The Master School's trails. L: Jerry Marcum 860 810 0087 geraldwmarcum@yahoo.com
Thursday May 16, 8:45 am, FCE - Roraback Wildlife Management Area, Harwinton
Meet at the parking area on Swimming Hole Rd., Harwinton. From Burlington, take Rt 4 west to Harwinton center, and turn left onto South Rd. About 1 mile down take 1st right onto Swimming Hole Rd. Parking is down the hill on the left. We will hike approx. 2.5 hours on unmarked trails and farming roads, looping through the preserve. L: John Vibert (860-675-7007) (cell 860-874-3747)
Thursday, May 23, 8:45am, FCE, Talcott Mountain Ridge Trail/Heublein Tower, Bloomfield/Simsbury postponed to June 6 due to thunderstorms
Meet at Penwood State Park parking lot off Rt. 185 at Bloomfield/Simsbury Town lines. From rte 202/44 go North and turn right and stay on Rt.185 to Park entrance on the left (just past entrance to Heublein Tower).
We will carpool to an area near the LifeStar Helicopter Pad. The trail goes up along the ridge past King Phillips Cave. We will continue to the Heublein Tower and then head back down on the blue trail meeting up with the blue/red dot trail. From here we will hike back to the Penwood parking lot. Plenty of viewing opportunities on this 4.5 mile hike. L: Jerry Marcum 860 810 0087 geraldwmarcum@yahoo.com
Thursday, May 30, 8:45 am, FCE - Ethel Walker Woods, Simsbury
Meet at Stop & Shop, 498 Bushy Hill Road near Rt. 44, Simsbury. We will car pool to the residential Woodhaven Drive entrance for a different perspective on the trails at Ethel Walker. Many are wide and flat with some a bit more challenging. After about a two hour hike, we will return to our cars then will drive to Amici Italian Grill, 401 W. Main St, Avon for our semi-annual end-of-season lunch with separate checks. If you can't make the hike, perhaps you can join us for lunch (at about 11:30). L: Anne Fitzgerald (860-673-1216; Cell 860-221-4225) anne@cthikes.com .
Thursday, June 6, 8:45am, FCE, Talcott Mountain Ridge Trail/Heublein Tower, Bloomfield/Simsbury
Meet at Penwood State Park parking lot off Rt. 185 at Bloomfield/Simsbury Town lines. From rte 202/44 go North and turn right and stay on Rt.185 to Park entrance on the left (just past entrance to Heublein Tower).
We will carpool to an area near the LifeStar Helicopter Pad. The trail goes up along the ridge past King Phillips Cave. We will continue to the Heublein Tower and then head back down on the blue trail meeting up with the blue/red dot trail. From here we will hike back to the Penwood parking lot. Plenty of viewing opportunities on this 4.5 mile hike. L: Jerry Marcum 860 810 0087 geraldwmarcum@yahoo.com