Modern Day Thoreau » hiking

Perfect Fall Weekend in New England

admin — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:02:08 +0000

The Fall in New England is b y far one of the most special and beautiful places to be. The leaves changing colors, the crisp morning air, and of course the build up to Halloween. This weekend, the 9th and 10th of October, was a particularly beautiful time that embodied these very characteristics. Since the weather was going to be perfect for enjoying the outdoors and all it offers, I planned a day hike on Saturday with some friends at the Wompatuck State Park, on the south shore of Boston followed by a cookout back at the house. On sunday, Erin and I went to the Newburyport Fall Festival, in Newburyport, MA about 50 minutes north of the city.

Wompatuck State Park

The hike at Wompatuck was a perfect start to the weekend. We got there around 3pm, when the lighting in the Fall is perfect and went for about 3.5 miles and about 2 hours. We discovered and old abandoned “factory” that we later found out was part of the munitions depot used in WWII in the Battle of the Atlantic. The park is very large, so we were alone in the wilderness for the entire trip, which is always nice when your with friends. Wompatuck is located off of route 3A about 30 minutes south of Boston and has over 260 campsites, 12miles of paved bike trails and many more miles of hiking trails. You can see our track below:

Newburyport Fall Festival

On Sunday Erin and I went to the Newburyport Fall Festival for so good old family fun. Newburyport, if you don’t already know, is located about 50 minutes north of Boston on 95. Its a small coastal town there boasts a very eclectic and artsy crowd. There are plenty of restaurants in all different types of food, that you will surely find something delicious. The center square of downtown is always lively any time of year, but during the festival there are tons of vendors selling everything from food, to jewelry, to artwork. After walking around for a few hours and shopping all the vendors and shops, we stopped by Loretta. They have delicious sunday brunch/lunch in a small intimate atmosphere. They had the door open giving a nice fall breeze through the place. After strolling along the Merrimack river for a little while after eating, we decided to hit the road and head back to Boston.

Conclusion

I must admit, I don’t know if I’ve had a more perfect New England fall weekend before, as the weather was perfect, and all our activities worked out as we planned (as well as getting a great amount of exercise walking and hiking). You can check out more photos on my Photo Gallery page as well as my Flickr page.

Feel free to comment on YOUR favorite Fall activities!

World’s End Trail – Hingham, MA

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:27:51 +0000

So after a rather long summer hiatus from hiking of any kind, due to various life events, Erin and I decided to go for a like 4 mile hike during the beautiful Labor Day weekend here in New England. The temperatures have been a farcry from what they were a few days ago, so it was perfect weather for nice day hike.

World’s End Trail is part of the Trustees of Reservations trail system, so if you are a member it is free and if not its only $5, certainly not much to preserve such a beautiful piece of land on the South Shore of Boston. The trail is located on the border of Hingham and Nantasket about 25miles south of Boston. If your coming from the north just take 93 south to exit 12 and follow the signs for Quincy Center and then take a left turn on route 3A and that will bring you too the reservation.

In terms of equipment and things to bring, you don’t really need much else other than water and a camera for this hike as the whole loop is only 4.5miles and is easily done in under 1.5 hours. The trails are well groomed and allow bikers and hikers/walkers alike. If you prefer to spend a little more time, there are an abundance of areas why you could have a picnic at, many of which are off the main trail for a little privacy. Perfect for a bottle of whine, a french baguette, and some brie (just remember the wine opener of that could be a mood killer).

There are several variations to the trail that you could do, all of which are different lengths for your hiking tastes. Be sure to stop along the way and take pictures as the views of Nantasket, Hingham, Weymouth and of course Boston are amazing. Below is the GPS track for our trip and some pictures below that. Feel free to comment any other tips for this gem on the south shore. Also here is a link to the Trail Map.

worlds end at EveryTrail

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Photo of the Week: 2-12-09

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:14:03 +0000

Taken on the Ponkapaug Trail hike, this little tree was all alone in the field. Click the image to see the full size.

Ponkapoag Pond Walking Trail

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:32:17 +0000

Last weekend I bravely decided to go for a winter hike in the cold January weather in the hills of the greater Boston area. Blue Hills Reservation is a great spot that offers numerous trails of all different lengths and skill levels (if you’ve read any of my other post you know I’m quite fond of the spot). On saturday, in the low 20° New England weather I thought I’d try a trail that was a little more flat since the ground was so frozen. So, me, my trusty side-kick Erin, and my camera embarked on a small winter quest. Ponkapoag Pond is located on the southern part of the reservation just south of RT 95 and is on a dead end street right off the highway, so you can’t miss it. The first part of the trail in a 1/4 mile path that is fitted for vehicles and is actually just an access road to YMCA center and subsequently the trail itself. The trail is 4 miles in total, but due to the cold, we only were prepared to do about half of that, which included our trek down the frozen boardwalk and eventually to the pond itself. As we walked along, we passed several groups of people who were cross-country skiing as well as several snowhoers. This would would be a great place to get som exercise and enjoy the outdoors as well. As we ventured down the boardwalk trail, it was easy to see several meters into the brush since there were no leaves, but we weren’t fortunate enough to spot and winter woodland creatures on our journey. We passed serveral clearings along the way that provided great shots of the marshy surroundings, and with the sun in the 2 o’clock spot (or 10 if your facing back) there lights provided great shadows.

At the end of the trail we came to what seemed like a huge clearing, only to realize it was actually the pond and it was frozen solid. There were several people ice-fishing and several more cross-country skiing as well. We figured it had to be safe enough to walk on, so we ventured out on the ice. It was very convienent that the ice was covered in snow, as it made it very easy to walk on.

There is something very peaceful about a frozen pond and the cruching of the snow under your boots. It’s a very relaxing experience, assuming your warm enough to enjoy it. While the glare off the vast snow-covered pond, made it hard to get a good exposure, the visual camera (the one in our head), always takes a perfect shot.

I highly recommend this as a nice way to get outdoors in the winter to remain sane, and given that it only took us 2.5 hours including traveling from Quincy and back its a nice way to spend the afternoon even when its 20° out. Check out more photos from the hike here.

Photo of the Week: 9-18-09

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:36:20 +0000

Sorry for the delay in this post, but here’s the photo of the week for the second week in September. You can see more of my photos on my flickr page.

Photo of the Week: 8-28-09

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:54:29 +0000

Hey all,

Here’s my photo of the week. This was taken on the south shore of boston during the Thayer Trail hike. Enjoy!

Dandelion Trees

Check out more of my photos.

Smugglers Notch Hikes: Sterling Pond Trail

admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:00:07 +0000

Sterling Pond Trail to Long Trail via Smugglers Notch Pass.

If you fund yourself in the Stowe, VT area during the summer months, Smugglers Notch Resort has a great array of trails for hiking around it’s three different mountains, Morse mtn. Madonna mtn. and Steeling mtn. The trails range from moderate to hard and include x-country skiing and mtn bike trails as well. One thing to note is that the altitude range is from 1100′ and the base to 3640′ at the top of

A view from the Top of Mt Madonna

Madonna mtn so it’s important to pace yourself at a pace slower than you might be used to if your not accustomed to higher altitude hiking.

Sterling Pond trail is a great late morning to early afternoon hike that will take about 3 hours or so including so resting time at the top for a beautiful view and some lunch. The trail starts across from the parking area at right in the middle of the Notch and has about a 880 foot vertical ascent. This is about 3 miles south of Smugglers Notch Resort on Rt 108. The start of the trail consists of old wood/rock steps that in some spots are better avoided. Since the trail is pretty popular, it well cared for and easy to navigate as long as you use general precaution on slippery rocks and such.

The climb is pretty intense, especially in the hot/humid summer months so I made sure to bring plenty of water to stay hydrated and focused. There are several spots where I really needed to pay attention, or I could have easily found myself tumbling down the side of the mountain. Along the way there are several relatively flat spaces where I was able to take a break and look out over the greater Burlington valley. I could tell I was getting close to the top of the trail when the trail started to become more and more narrow as the pine trees close in. It almost felt like the beginning of a journey into Narnia and I half expected so see a Satyr standing by a clock as I exited the green.

I now stumbled upon what seems to be a large access road (at 3000′?!?!), but would later realize was a cross-country trail that was part of the famous “Long Trail”, (no its not just a great beer). So I wondered down the trail in the direction of what seems to be the pinnacle of the Mt. Madonna. About a

The Rock at Sterling Pond

1/4 mile down I cam to Sterling Pond. Its a beautifully peaceful lake perched at 2800′. There is a large boulder at the end of the lake that I sat on for some time and just looked out at the beauty of world. It really made me think about life and all that we miss in our busy lives.

Further around the lake there is another trail that leads to the top of one of Smuggs ski lifts. I was amazed are how strange these large human movers look when not running and when not surrounded by snow and winter wanderers. It almost seemed abandoned. There was a ski hut, which seemed to be for the medical team, that was empty with the door open. Naturally I decided I had to take a look around and see what was inside. When I entered I immediately felt like the door was going to slam behind me and the horror movie would begin…but it didn’t. It was a a very well planned space with sleeping quarters and a kitchen. I wanted to unpack my bag and move in…permanently…but figured I’d eventually get kicked out. The view out the large 10′x25′ window overlooking the entire valley was spectacular and I could hardly believe that such a prime piece of real estate could be abandoned.

I decided it was also completely necessary to climb up the ski lift and take a look around. When you ski you really only appreciate the structure for its delivery services, but in fact it really is amazing that these thousands of yards of cable and steel just emerge through the millions of acres of forest. I really was able to appreciate the amount of time, planning and resources that go into ski mountains.

It was now lunch time and what better place to sit and eat than atop a mountain overlooking miles and

Yet another breathtaking view

miles of beautiful untouched forest. As I sat and enjoyed the beautiful, although humid, weather I started to really understand Thoreau and his desire to separate from society. There something empowering and enjoyable about knowing you only have to answer to yourself and the forest around you. If you respect the forest, it will respect you.

The remainder of my hike was slightly less satisfying having made it to the top, and it always seems the descent if less exciting then the ascent, but I guess that is due to the anticipation of the unknown.

Check out more photos from this hike on my flickr photostream.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.

~Henry David Thoreau

Middlesex Fells: Rock Circuit

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:40:16 +0000

Middlesex Fells Rock Circuit is a moderate to hard 4 mile hike that includes an array of ascends and descends. This is part of the greater Middlesex Fells Reservation The trail runs through the east side of the reservation and its pinnacle (aptly named Pinnacle Rock) overlooks Oak Grove, and in the distance a great view of Boston.

The trail start out on Woodland Road and the best place to park in in the ice rink on Woodland Road. Alternatively there is parking about 100 yards up from the rink on the same side of the road. The entrance to the trail looks like a utility path blocked by a large metal beam. Just go around this and you’ll see the entrance sign (Photo on left). From here you follow the blue marked trail up the hill for about a 1/4 mile until you see the split in the trail for the white trail (Rock Circuit Trail).

Upon starting the Rock Circuit trail you quickly come to understand the reason for the name. The trail immediately starts to climb to the top of the rock ledges that sprinkle the reservation. As you follow the trail you come across many open rock ledges each providing a higher view than the next, but all still lacking any real exposure. Most are surrounded by the towering oak trees that give Oak Grove its name.

After about 1.5 miles you start to descend back towards see level without having really had any “view” to speak of, but not to worry, the grander views are still to come. About 2 miles into the trail you’ll have to cross a road, East Fellsway Road, at which point you quickly ascend back up the rock ledge. About a 1/2 mile from the East Fellsway you’ll come to your first of several impressive views of more than just oak tree trunks. This high ledge, called Black Rock (not the O.A.R. Black Rock), looks out over the small village of Oak Grove and to the right Charlestown and partly the boston harbor. Here we decided to take lunch as the views were the best of the day, not amazing, but still enjoyable, and the ledge seemed to be very flat and wide, which we had previously not seen.

After leaving Black Rock the trail gets a bit more challenging as we weaved through the cliffside, the trail goes up and down as series of ledges one can only imagine were carved by the glaciers so many millions of years ago. The next large open ledge you come across is White Rock. This gives another angle of Oak Grove, but its view beyond that is thwarted by the larger series of ledges that are to follow, so we didn’t give much time to White Rock. After several more climbs you are almost to Pinnacle Rock and the highlight of your travels.

As you approach Pinnacle Rock, we noticed a great 40 or so foot vertical ledge that had several rock climbers on it. If you feel ambitious I recommend bringing some gear (assuming your expierenced). Once upon Pinnacle Rock, your efforts are rewarded with some of the best views of the greater Boston area that are available on the north shore (on the south shore I recommend Blue Hills Reservation Skyline Trail.

The last part of the hike is simply just getting back to your car . I recommend staying for a few minutes and enjoying the sites, although i don’t recommend waiting to eat here, as the rock is not very flat and doesn’t afford many sitting areas. For the rest of the hike just follow the white trail back to where you started hiking, or if you are tired after this, then you can take the Cross Fells trail (orange).

For the GPS data and map on this route see my EveryTrail page and for several more photos my Flickr

Photo of the Week 6-19-2009

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:42:37 +0000

Here’s the photo for the week:

This was taken on a hike on the south shore of Boston. Check out more photos on my Flickr as well as other photos on my artistic gallery

Lincoln Land Reservation

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:00:28 +0000

Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) is located in Lincoln, MA only about 25 mins from downtown Boston. It is a couple of trails that go around the Sandy Pond water reservoir. There is a biking trail and several hiking/walking trails. This location is where the great Henry David Thoreau went when he wanted a peaceful retreat from the busy Boston life.

The trails at LLCT are mostly well kept, but are also mostly poorly marked. The trails have changed from what most trail maps say due to changes in the watershed and the makeup of the land, and in a few spots we were unsure where to go. This isn’t a huge problem though since the area is not particularly large, so I would be unlikely that you would get lost. One thing to make sure to bring is bug spray. The area is mostly wetlands and in the humid summer months there tends to be a plentiful amount of mosquitos. We forgot ours and paid the price the whole hike.

The trail we went on was the one that does a 3.7m loop around the entire pond. It starts on the Black Gum Trail and then switches to several other unmarked trails as it snakes its way around the water. The one downside to this spot is that there isn’t really a great spot to look out over the pond. The trail runs relatively far away from the water and the area is heavily wooded.

The trail itself is pretty much flat for the most part with a change of elevation of about 300 ft. You can see my GPS track on my EveryTrail page. One thing to not about this is that we used the Appalachian Mountain Club book to find this spot, but the book told me that we could park at the DeCordova Museum to enter into the trail, but the museum has since changed its policies and they now charge for admission into their grounds so you can’t park there. If you continue down the road you will see a place to park on the side of the road and a trail entrance. This is the start of the Black Gum Trail.

As we started to walked along the trail we immediately noticed the silence that was present. being removed from any main roadways, made the trail a very quite and peaceful place. The sound of the forest bugs in their ecosystem is very relaxing. About a half mile into the trail we came across the first picture in this post. It was a fireplace from an old house. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was standing in what was Thoreau’s weekend getaway.

After this interesting find, we continued on our route around the pond. Every now and then the water would peek out from behind the thick woods to remind us of the course as well as to why the area was so buggy. After about a mile and a half we came across a memorial for a girl who’d died falling into the pond. As erie as it was, it was a good reminder why their was fence around the entire thing directing people away from the water. There was a clever poem on the stone that was sweet and urking at the same time. It read:

Shiver to think of her light, her warmth.
Fovever frozen in the clear cold pond.
May its glimmer give your pause.
For ice broke hearts the day she drowned.

The trail ends in the parking lot of the Decordova Museum and to get back to your car, you have to walk along the road for about one mile. While still interesting in its own right, not quite the same with cars driving by every now and then. We noticed that there is a continuation of the trail on the left side of the road that enters into a field and exits right across from the parking area, but having been bitten so much, we decided to pass. and save it for another day.

You can check out more photos of this trail on my flickr stream and you can also download and follow the GPS data on Everytrail