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. 

Hike 4 - Section #4

Alex thought that this would be a rather uneventful section of the trail - at least according to the MidState Trail Guide, in which several sections were shown to be on roadways.  As it turns out, however, the trail has been re-routed in several places, reducing the "road" experience significantly.  We started to suspect this by noticing that some of the trail sections and landmarks did  not match up to what we were reading in the guide (4th edition, 2002).  We also noticed that these sections seemed to be less worn and that the marker paint and signage (those ever-present yellow triangles) appeared much newer.  After I'm finished with my "thru" hike this season, I think it will be time for me to buy an updated trail guide (see www.midstatetrail.org).

Alex & I are about to start our hike at the Graffiti bridge where we lift off last week.

Lots of beautiful stone walls winding through the forest.

We found some wide open spaces we weren't expecting.

Look!  Cows!

The trail actually goes over this stone wall.

These are more cows.  What you can't see is that they're actually stampeding towards us.  No kidding!  They were heading for the cows seen in a previous photo, who also started running toward them.  The trail we were hiking was in between these two groups of stampeding cows (yikes!), but thankfully guarded by wire fencing and a stone wall.

This is an old gravel pit that we saw on the map, now grassland.

This is one of those brand new trail markers I mentioned at the beginning.  Even the nails are brand new.

The trail crosses Rt 2 here.  Alex is ahead of me as usual.

Did I mention I love photos of babbling brooks?  This water was really moving.

Ending the day at the babbling brook is even better (see car through the trees).

Today's tally (trail re-routings notwithstanding) was 4.91 miles in 1:42.  I am up to milepost 18.41.  Only 74 miles to go!

Maps!

My wife suggested that a map displaying my progress would be a great addition, so I've added that to my previous posts and will be do so in the subsequent ones as well.

Hike 3 - Section #2B & #3

Saturday, April 28 - It was going to be another crazy busy weekend anyway. The yard work is piling up, waiting to be done.  But it is such a beautiful day.  Maybe there's some way I can squeeze in a hike.  Alex and Cassandra said they "needed to get out", so that's another good reason to take a hike.  But considering Cassandra's 30 weeks along, we'll have to have a short hike for her and a longer one for us.  That means 3 spots for shuttling, most easily done with 3 cars, but we can make it work with  2.  Then at the last minute, to make our lives easier, Dave Leary calls and is in for the hike, too.  God provides!  But of course, I'm LATE again; we start hiking about 2:17pm.

We're ready to go at Russell Hill Road.

We crossed this brook - very pretty.

Just after crossing Rt. 12, we stop at the Philip's Brook bridge, headwaters of the Nashua River.

Dave cleans up the woods as we go along.

Finally a gentle downhill grade, Cassandra in the lead just before her stopping point at 3.59 miles.

Muddy Pond just as we're reaching the campsite area.

Thank you for an excellent trail improvement (and saving our boots from getting soaked).

Hiking through the Westminster Conservation Commission land.

Nice view from under the power lines.  Look at  that beautiful blue sky.

Another great view of Mt. Wachusett in the background.

Destination for today just before the Graffiti Bridge.

We squeezed it in and it was well worth it:  7.12 miles in 2:32, really hoofing it in the second half.

Hike 2 - Section #1B & #2A

Today is Earth Day (Sunday, April 22).  What better way to celebrate than to get outside and enjoy God's creation!  I sent out invites, but unfortunately nobody was available to join me today.  Nonetheless,  I decide that's not going to stop me.  The weather forecast is for lots and lots of rain to start steadily later in the afternoon.  I want to try and get my hike in before it gets bad.  After all, it could be worse; they are going to get a FOOT of SNOW at Cassandra's parent's house in western Pennsylvania.

I decide to start my hike where I left off last time, where the Mid-State crosses Rt 119 in Ashburnham.  I go by way of Ashby and once again am fooled into thinking that Ashby is not that far from Leominster and that it  won't take me long to get there.  Right!  To make matters worse, there are Sunday drivers out on Ashby State Road.  Augh!  I arrive at my starting point later than planned, AGAIN.  I start my hike at 1:16pm, mile marker 1.21.

Just starting down the trail.  The Mid State is co-incidental with quite a few roads.  Note, jacket  on , light mist falling.

OK, I'll take the risk.

There were *so* many shades of green today, the camera doesn't even capture it..

At the top of Blueberry Hill, 1473'.  Looks like they're doing logging here.

My first look at Winnekeag Lake.

Camp Winnekeag amphitheater.  Note, poncho on now.

Lake Winnekeag.  This was my planned stopping point, but I'm on a roll, so I continue.

At the top of Mount Hunger, 1450' with Stodge Meadow Pond in the background.  Note, poncho hood is now up.

The long stone wall on the way down from Mount Hunger

Why did the wild turkey's cross Russell Hill Road?

James & Chris wanted to come, but settled for picking me up and shuttling me back to my car. 

At Camp Winnekeag, it actually wasn't raining too hard.  It grew steadily stronger as I continued.  By the end, I was a bit of a drowned rat.  However, the nice thing about hiking in the rain is that there weren't a lot of bugs.  I would have been less wet had I stared on time.

I exit the trail at mile 6.33.  Mileage today is 5.12 miles in 1:50.

Hike 1 - Section #1A.

So on April 1st, the rest of my family is out of the house at show rehearsal.  It's cloudy and a bit cool, but not a bad day to get outside and get some exercise.  I send a quick note to my friends to see who's available.  Tom, Amanda, Aaron, and dog are up for a little walk, so I drive to the wilds of Ashby to join them.  We start Section#1 at the north end of the trail in Ashburnham.  Up and over Mt. Watatic to the New Hampshire State Line, then an alternate trail back to the parking lot.  If a picture's worth a thousand words, here are several thousand for your enjoyment.

Aaron on our ascent.  See the "Yellow Triangles".

I didn't event notice the dog getting into the picture.

Break for water before another climb.

At the summit.

Mt. Wachusett.  You can still see snow on some trails.

End of the line.  Another meter and I'm in New Hampshire.

Ok, so we couldn't find a flat rock to place the camera on.

Trail markers.

Alternate return.

"Baby Girl" led most of the way.

Back in the parking lot.

The total hiking mileage today was about 3.5 miles (see http://www.newenglandtrailreview.com/singlemappage.asp?TID=156), however, the Mid-State hiking guide only gives us credit for 1.06 miles.  Oh well.