Columbus Day Hiking

We did sort of a figure 8: first the upper loop, the the lower. 

It feels so good to get outside these days, doesn't it?  To that end, Betsy & I decide that it's time to venture out for a little hike.  Or two.  I have the day off for Columbus day, and with the gray skies it's not much of a beach day, so we decide to head off into the woods instead.  But not too far away.

Once again I opt to peruse though the Trustees Special Places book to find some properties we haven't yet visited..

Our first stop is Elliot Laurel in Phillipston, just west of Templeton and Gardner.  The property is pretty small, but there is promise of some nice wooded trails.

Dressed for the weather... and ready to hit the trails.

These trees look a little like they came out of a fantasy.  
Maybe we're on the edge of the Fire Swamp?

Here's a close up of the view that's behind me.
Even with gray skies, the colors are vibrant.

The forest floor here is covered in ferns that have faded to autumn yellow.
We covered .92mi  and 183ft of elevation here, but we're ready for more.

Heading west, we have our choice of another couple of Trustees properties.  We decide on Brooks Woodland Preserve in Petersham. This property has a much more extensive trail network, but again, no big hills or mountains to climb.

Once again, we have this place to ourselves.  We park on the side of the road and head off the "red" trail to the north.

It's a good thing Betsy's navigating.
Now wait, are we supposed to be on the white trail
or the red trail?

This trail skirts a swampy area.  Across the pond there's a big beaver dam.

Ohhh, no wonder we're confused.  It's white to left and red to the right!

Betsy enjoys the nice wide trail on a carpet of leaves.

On this part of our hike we walked 1.63mi with 195ft of elevation.  The light sprinkles didn't bother us in the least and we still have time for more afternoon adventures.