Hike 5 - Section #5

Memorial Day, 2012.  You would think I would have had time to hike some other day this weekend, but it's one of those crazy weekends again:  Confirmation and Pentecost on Saturday, a graduation party for Nathaniel on Sunday, and a parade this morning.  Whew!

Some stretches of today's hike are very familiar, as they are close to home and I have done them many times.  Being a holiday, most everyone else is busy, so I start hiking solo.  Going past Crow Hills Pond in Leominster State Forest, I can hear people playing at the beach below and I actually pass some other people hiking in the park.  Then James calls and is interested in joining me for a while. Yay!  The walk starts out buggy - lots or gnats and few mosquitoes.  It's the hottest hiking day yet and somewhat humid, too.  We also have to deal with ticks.  The last 200 yards of the hike goes through a tall grass field infested with them.  Between James and me, we brush 9 ticks off ourselves just in that short distance.

Starting point on Narrows Road .

Up, up, up.  Part way up the  "Stone Staircase" built by the CCC back in the 30's.

From the top, you get a great view of the Fitchburg landfill.  Really, it's beautiful.

I'm not sure what these are, but they were trail-side in both white and pink.

The rock climbing area at Crow Hills. You can see someone belaying at the bottom.

James joins me at Redemption Rock.  Learn all about the rock and Mary Rowlandson here.

We had to ask the geese and goslings to move into the pond in front of the Mt Wachusett ski lodge.

Thanks to Alex for picking us up at the far end of the ski area parking lot.

Today's hike was 4.77 miles in 2:20.