spring 15

Please call FCE at 860-404-0290 and register for Course 16SNAT102 "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: The Tanager Hill and Owen Mortimer properties that are part of the Simsbury Land Trust.

Meet: The Flower Bridge at the intersection of Drake Hill Road and Old Bridge Road, Simsbury. We will walk 10 minutes along a roadside to the trailhead, and should return to the parking lot by 11:15.

SLT guru Jim Ray will join us that day, and we have selected trails that will be an appropriate warm up for the rest of the season, one incline with the rest being gentle, and it should last a little over two hours. There are a lot of different paths and some great scenery, some ponds and the possibility for seeing wildlife. The 75 acre hillside is one of Simsbury’s finest natural preserves, a true treasure. Click here for more information and the trail map.

L: Anne Fitzgerald 860-673-1216, 860-221-4225 that morning

Thursday, April 7, 7pm. Burlington Land Trust: annual meeting. Sessions Woods. The speaker is Eric Hammerling, Exec. Director of the Connecticut Forest and Park Assn., which runs the CT Blue Trail system. Should be very interesting to hikers.

Thursday, April 14, 8:45 a.m., FCE, Crescent Pond and Metacomet Trail, Plainville/Southington

Meet in the Crescent Pond (aka Crescent Lake and Plainville Reservoir) parking lot on Shuttle Meadow Rd in Southington.
From Farmington Center take RT 10 south and bear left onto Cooke Street when you see the Mobil station. Go left onto RT 372 and continue past Shopping Centers to the traffic light and sign to 84. Go right (this is Crooked St) and continue to traffic light at the end. Go right (this is Woodford Ave) and then take the first left onto Ledge Rd. Follow Ledge Road (Plainville) which becomes Shuttle Meadow Rd in Southington.

We will hike the Crescent Pond Orange trail, connect to the Metacomet trail and then return on the Crescent Pond Orange trail.

Meet at MDC Reservoir #6 at the Treatment Plant on the east side of the reservoir. Entrance is on the left side of RT 44 (Albany Ave) after you pass from Avon into W Hartford. Bear right when you enter and drive 1.4 miles to the Treatment Plant parking lot.

We will hike the MDC trail to the Metacomet Blue trail and hike up to Talcott Mtn State Park and Heublein Tower. We will then continue on the Metacomet trail until we meet the Blue/Red Alternate trail, which we will take back to the Treatment Plant parking lot. Approximate distance 5.1 miles. See CWB-W pages 169-170 for more info.

Meet at trailhead 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 #2 Barberry Lane Meriden, 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 trailhead parking up little hill on left. Cars will be spotted on Rte 71 (Chamberlain Hwy), 1.1 miles north of Exit 5 on I-691, where hike will begin.

From here it is 2.2 miles on the Metacomet (Page 159-161 CWB 19th Ed.) to Castle Craig; and, an additional mile descent on a white blazed trail to Hubbard Park trailhead. As parts of the Metacomet Trail are strenuous and can be wet with stream crossings, sturdy boots, poles, and drinking water are required. L: Ed Shaskan 860-561-0040 Home, 860-833-8009 Cell on Hike Day Only

From Farmington center, take Rte-4 to I-84 West and proceed about 3 miles to Left Exit Only for Rte-72 East. Take first exit right (Corbin Avenue) onto Rte-372 for about 2 miles, then bear right for Rte 71 and take first right onto Rte 71A (initially marked Farmington Ave.). Follow Rte-71A to Mobil Gas Station (41 Chamberlain Hwy), after which West Lane is 0.4 miles (right turn to parking area about 0.6 miles on West Lane).

We will hike the Blue-Red dot Trail to the Metacomet Blue Trail for summit views and return on the Blue-Yellow dot trail. Parts of Ragged Mountain trails are moderately strenuous. L: Ed Shaskan. Tel. 860-561-0040 (H), 860-833-8009 (Cell for Hike Day Only).

We will be hiking 2 - 2 1/2 hours on several Canton Land Trust properties that encircle the Breezy Hill Farm. Meet at the Sun, Wind, and Woodland property parking lot. Take Route 44 past the Saybrook Fish House toward New Hartford. R onto Indian Hill Rd. until it ends. R on Breezy Hill Road. Go to the top of the hill past the red house on the left, and the Sun, Wind, and Woodland parking lot will be on your left with a big yellow sign and a kiosk. We will hike the Sun, Wind, and Woodland property, the Sweeton Trail, and the Breezy Hill Farm. Reference: Canton Land Trust. L: John Vibert JohnVibert@aol.com (860-675-7007) (cell 860-874-3747)

Meet at the Matthies Grove parking area on East River Rd about 1.1 miles north of the Rt 181 bridge. We will carpool to the Big Spring area. We will hike the Jessie Gerard Trial and the beautiful Grand Vista and Chaugham overlooks, a portion of the Robert Ross Trail, a portion of the Agnes Bowen Trail to the Charles Pack trail, which will take us back to Big Spring. For more information, check CWB pgs 5, 8-11, 13 and the People's SF web site. L: John Vibert (860-675-7007) (cell 860-874-3747) JohnVibert@aol.com .

Meet on Wintonbury Road off Terry's Plain Road. We will hike the Metacomet Trail from Wintonbury Road to Mountain Road in Tarriffville and view the B.T. ruins. Returning to cars on unmarked trail connecting to yellow and blue trails. Distance: R.T. four miles.

Note: This is the group lunch hike. We will lunch at:
Cracker Barrel Restaurant, 30 Main Street, Tariffville, CT 06081, Phone 860 651 0598
Confirmation is for 30 people and individual checks. I will take final count at beginning of hike.

CONNECTICUT HIKING