FALL 2015 SCHEDULE
Thursday, September 10, 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.
The first hike: Tulmeadow Farms/Ethel Walker Loops (weather postponement to Nov 5th)
Meet: Tulmeadow Farms Trail Head, 255 Farmsvillage Road, West Simsbury.
Note: The trail head is at the rear of the Tulmeadow Farms entrance driveway.
Hike along corn fields, gardens and meadows on the trail leading to the Ethel
Walker trails. Ethel Walker trails take us along babbling brooks & wooded
forests. Returning to Tulmeadow Farms property we will hike a slightly different
trail to the cars.
L: Tom Iezzi & Jerry Marcum 860 810 0087
Thursday, September 17, 8:45am, Onion Mountain Park, West Simsbury
Meet: Mountain Park (playground) near 217 West Mountain Road, West Simsbury (just north of the intersection of West Mountain Rd. and Notch Rd.) to car spot at 9am to Onion Mountain Park just a bit north after passing Nimrod Rd. There is room for only about 6-8 cars there.
We will take the red trail around the border and up the 900-foot trap rock mountain to the orange, blue and yellow trails covering gently rolling terrain through trees 40-50 then 80-120 years old. There is a variety of topography to challenge you and give you breaks. We should return to the trail head parking lot by 11:30. A short trail from there will take those who wish to go to picturesque Stoddard Reservoir, a popular fishing spot. The reservoir's spillway creates a pretty waterfall at the eastern end.
Click here for map and description. L: Anne Fitzgerald 860-673-1216 (H), 860-221-4225 (Morning of Hike)
Thursday, September 24, 8:45 am, FCE - Great Pond/Wagner Woods Loop, Simsbury
We will be hiking 2 - 2 1/2 hours on State Forest property and Simsbury Land Trust property. Meet at the Great Pond State Forest parking lot. We will hike from the lot to Great Pond Rd. and enter Wagner Woods. After looping the Wagner Woods, we will return to the state forest and loop around Great Pond.
From Rt 309 in West Simsbury, take Old Farms Rd north. After passing Hall Farm, turn right onto Great Pond Rd. The entrance to the state forest is on your left. Reference: click here. L: John Vibert JohnVibert@aol.com (860-675-7007) (cell 860-874-3747)
Thursday, October 1, 8:45 am, FCE - Tunxis Trail, Burlington
Sessions Woods trails have reopened following the bear incident. We will hike the Tunxis Trail Yellow Dot and Orange Dot trails, including Devil's Kitchen. Hike is approximately 5.2 miles and we should finish by 12:30.
Meet in Sessions Woods parking lot at 8:45 for a 9 AM start. Take Route 4
into Burlington center. Go left onto Rt 69 at Cumberland Farms gas station.
Follow Rt 69 to Sessions Woods sign and enter on the right.
Please note: Tunxis trails have recently been re blazed and the CT Walk Book
info is outdated. The former mainline Blue trail has been re blazed to
Blue-Yellow. The former Blue-Yellow trail has been re blazed to Blue and is now
the Tunxis mainline trail.
L: Tom Iezzi, iezzi@sbcglobal.net 860-413-2627, 860-655-9714(morning of hike).
Thursday, October 8, 8:45 am, FCE - PENWOOD SOUTH, Simsbury/Bloomfield
Start: 9am at Penwood State Park parking lot off of Route 185 at
Simsbury/Bloomfield Town Line.
Yellow, white, blue, purple and red trails. This will be the first of two
Penwood hikes. When both hikes are completed we will have done all major trails
in Penwood SP. L: Ed Shaskan ed.shaskan@gmail.com
860-561-0040, 860-833-8009 (morning of the hike).
Thursday, October 15, 8:45 am, FCE - Bloomfield Land Trust Trails
This hike features the Lasallette Trail in Bloomfield. We will meet at the Filley House property and then drive to the Penwood parking area at 9:00 AM to begin the hike.
We will hike along the Red Penwood trail until we reach the Wintonbury Land Trust's Stouts Fields. We will hike through these natural grasslands to Stone Hill. At the bottom of Stone Hill we will cross Duncaster Road and hike the right-of-way through the Roy farm continuing on the trail. At that point we will hike through Hawk Hill Farm slowly elevating until we begin our descent to end at the Filley House property.
Dale Bertoldi of the Bloomfield Land Trust will guide us on the hike which should take approximately 2 1/2 hours.
To reach the Filley House property: from Simsbury take RT 185 and turn left on Loeffler Rd (RT 178). Go past the Duncaster development and take a left on Mountain Road. Approx .5 mile up Mountain Rd, the Lasalette Filley House property is on the right.
L: Tom Iezzi, iezzi@sbcglobal.net or 860-413-2627; 860-655-9714 (day of the hike).
Thursday, October 22,2015, 8:45am, FCE.-- Tunxis Loop, Burlington
Meet on Mountain Spring Rd. just off Rt 4 in Burlington to do a Tunxis Former Mainline (Yellow Dot) & Punch Brook Trail (Purple Dot) loop. The hike is approx. 4 miles with several hills. Park along the road facing away from Rt 4. CWB map TU-3c. L: John Vibert (860-675-7007) (cell 860-874-3747)
Thursday, October 29, 8:45 am, FCE - Penwood North, Simsbury/Bloomfield
Start: 9 AM, Wintonbury Road
From Simsbury Center, take Drake Hill Road to Riverside, go left and merge with Terry's Plain Road. Continue to Wintonbury Road on the right. Turn right and drive towards end of road for parking.
Loop hike. Orange, White & Blue trails. Some nice ups and downs and a great vista.
L: Ed Shaskan ed.shaskan@gmail.com 860-561-0040, 860-833-8009 (morning of the hike).
Note: End-of-season lunch get-together. We will be gathering at Cracker Barrel Pub at 30 Main St., Tariffville after the hike.
Thursday, November 5th, 8:45 am, FCE - Tulmeadow Farms/Ethel Walker Loops (weather postponement from Sept 10th)
Meet: Tulmeadow Farms Trail Head, 255 Farmsvillage Road, West Simsbury.
Note: The trail head is at the rear of the Tulmeadow Farms entrance driveway.
Hike along corn fields, gardens and meadows on the trail leading to the Ethel
Walker trails. Ethel Walker trails take us along babbling brooks & wooded
forests. Returning to Tulmeadow Farms property we will hike a slightly different
trail to the cars.
L: Tom Iezzi