FALL/WINTER 2016 SCHEDULE
Thursday, September 15, 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:
Ethel Walker Rainbow Hike
We will hike the orange, green, yellow, red, purple and blue trails. A good first hike of the season.
Meet: Town Forest Parking Lot/Simsbury, CT. From RT44 & RT167 go north to
Stratton Brook Road, turn left and go 0.6 mile to turn left onto Town Forest
Road and drive approximately 1 mile. Parking lot on left. (41°51'36.7"N,
72°50'48.3"W)
L: Jerry Marcum 860 810 0087 geraldwmarcum@yahoo.com
Thursday, September 22, 8:45 am , FCE -- Sessions Woods/Tunxis Trail, Burlington
Park at the Sessions Woods Education Center, just off Rt. 69. The hike will start on the right-hand side; off the gravel parking lot. We will hike into Sessions Woods on the joint Tunxis/Beaver Pond Trail and then take the Tunxis Trail around the Beaver Marsh. Using the Tunxis/Nature Center Connector Trail, we will return to Sessions Woods and use the Beaver Pond Trail to complete the approximately 5 mile loop. CWB map TU-3b. L: John Vibert (860-675-7007) (cell 860-874-3747)
Thursday, September 29, 8:45 am , FCE -- Holcomb Farm, 113 Simsbury Road, Granby
We will hike the farm and forest trails on the Eastern and Western Trailheads. After the hike, you can visit the Holcomb Farm Market and the Garlic Farm.
From Simsbury Center: Follow Route 10/202 through the center of town. Take a left at Antonio's Restaurant onto Hoskins Road. Continue on Hoskins and then stay straight onto County Road which becomes Simsbury Road when you cross into Granby. Stay on Simsbury Road until you reach the Farm.
Go to HolcombFarm.org for more info and a trail map.
L: Tom Iezzi 860-413-2627(H); 860-856-1753(C day of the hike).
Thursday, October 6, 8:45 am, FCE -- Tunxis Trail, Devil's Kitchen, Burlington
Park at the Sessions Woods Education Center, just off Rt. 69. The hike will start on the right-hand side; off the gravel parking lot. Starting on the Tunxis Yellow Dot Trail in Burlington, we will hike into the State Forest, on a 4.8 mile loop section of the Tunxis Trail, returning through the "Devil's Kitchen," a beautiful box canyon. With typical Tunxis ups and downs. CWB map TU-3b. L: John Vibert (860-675-7007, cell 860-874-3747)
Thursday, October 13, 8:45 a.m., FCE, West Peak/Metacomet Trail, Meroden
Meet at Trail Head (End) on
one-way "Park Entrance" into Hubbard Park at 8:30 A.M. with prompt
car-spotting departure at 8:45.
Googled from Simsbury to Meriden, approximately 40 minutes: take Rte 10 to
Farmington Center, Rte 4 to Rte I-84 West to Southington, Rte I-691 East. Take
exit 4 off of I-691 onto West Main Street (right turn) to Barberry Lane (approx.
0.6 miles on right) and take an immediate left turn into park entrance (one-way)
to Trail Head Parking up little hill on left.
Some cars will then be spotted at the Edgewood Road Trailhead which can be reached from Exit 5 on I-691 onto Route 71 North for about 2 miles to Orchard Road, which is followed West for 0.9 miles, then left onto Edgewood Road for 0.5 miles to Trailhead. From here it is 3.1 miles on the Metacomet, North to South (Page 159-161 CWB 19th Ed.) to West Peak, and an additional mile descent on a White Blazed Trail to Hubbard Park Trail Head.
As parts of the Metacomet Trail are strenuous, sturdy boots, poles, and drinking water are required.
E-mail posting by 7 AM should bad weather cancel. L: Ed Shaskan. Cell on hike day only: 860-833-8009.
Thursday, October 20, 8:45 a.m., FCE, Ratlum Mountain, Tunxis Trail
Meet at Ski Sundown parking lot, just east of New Hartford town center. From Rte. 44 take Rte. 219 North 1.5 miles to Ratlum Road. Go right (east) on Ratlum Road 0.5 miles to parking lot on right.
Some cars will then be spotted to the trailhead on Farmington River Turnpike. As parts of the Tunxis Trail are strenuous, sturdy boots, poles, and drinking water are required. Initial ascent will climb a steep hill using switchbacks so limber-up!
E-mail posting by 7 AM, should bad weather cancel.
L: Ed Shaskan. Cell on hike day only: 860-833-8009
Thursday, October 27, 8:45 am, FCE -- Boyd Woods Audubon Sanctuary, Litchfield
Off Rt. 4 West in Harwinton, take Rt. 118 West for 6.3 miles. Turn left onto Rt. 254 South, and in 1.6 miles, Boyd Woods will be on your right. Please try to carpool. We will hike a variety of trails that will include open space, woods, rolling hills, stone walls, several mild hills, benches, bridges, birds, and Margery (Boyd's) now-very-low-level Bird Pond. The two hour, 3.35 mile hike may be extended by 1/2 hour/.93 mile for those who would like. L: Anne Fitzgerald (860-673-1216) (Cell that day 860-221-4225)
Boyd Woods
Hike, Litchfield - 10/27/16
Thursday, November 3, 8:45 a.m., FCE, McLean Game Refuge Trails, Eastern Division, Granby
Meet: McLean parking area Route 10/202,
Granby.
From junction of Route 10/202 and Route 20 in Granby, travel south approximately
1 mile. Parking on right. We will hike several marked & unmarked trails within McLean Game Refuge
leading to the Summit. Click here
for more information.
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Lunch: Attilio's Family Restaurant, 775 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury,
860 658 2295. Parking on street and lot behind restaurant.
Moderate prices and individual checks. Click here
for more information.
L: Jerry Marcum, 860 810 0087, Tom Iezzi, 860 856 1753
Hill-Stead Museum - 2/16/17