Valley Falls Park

With trail map in hand and printed step-by-step directions for the Valley Loop Trail, we started out great: Pass pond on the left and waterfall on right, check. Cross 2 bridges over spillways, check. Climb stairs, check. Turn right up to rail bed, check. Turn right onto rail bed, OOPS!

I had decided ahead of time to take a left rather than a right and hike the white-blazed Lookout Trail. And we did fine. So far it had been a nice hike. We found the overlook, which provided a beautiful view, in spite of the graffiti.

Don't turn around yet! There's another view ahead.

Can you imagine this in the fall?

The Lookout Trail is not a loop, so we began to backtrack. My plan was to turn left at the fork and catch the Valley Loop Trail without going all the way back to the rail bed. What I didn't know is that there are some unmarked trails. We took the first left, but there were no blazes, so we returned to the white trail and tried again.

With several unmarked side trails that confused us, we ended up returning to the rail bed in order to get back to the Valley Loop trail.  The rail bed is a bike trail, and some very nice bikers tried to help. The trail map indicated a soccer field. People were sending us to soccer fields at nearby schools. No one we chatted with thought that there was a soccer field in the woods. But we actually did reach the field. It does exist! It even has a port-a-pot!

I was curious as to how the players reach this field. Do they have to hike? I found out that it is listed as a practice field for lacrosse. Players park at the end of Boulder Crest Lane and then take a path through the woods.

Anyway, back to the hike. I'm glad we pressed on, because we came to a lush field of ferns.

After drinking in these glorious surroundings, we made our way back to the trailhead. We were almost there when we took another wrong turn! We really should have turned around. You know, hindsight . . .  Instead, not realizing that the stairs were nearby, and I mean REALLY close by, we made our way down this steep hill. There were no good-sized rocks or tree roots, just dirt - which can be slippery when going downhill. We weren't taking any chances and slid down on our behinds. 

The photo doesn't begin to capture how steep it is. It looks like we are sitting on flat ground, but trust me. We wouldn't be sliding down if we thought we could manage it on our feet! We had a laugh when we reached the bottom and saw the stairs just to the left of the steep drop. 

We returned to our cars hot, sweaty and tired. We treated ourselves with a reward - Rein's New York Style Deli. They have gluten free foods that are prepared separately. No worries about cross contamination. What a feast for this celiac!

And then off to home, where I can view our route on a bigger screen and see where we went wrong.  After a hike like this, there's usually a slap-on-the-forehead "doh!" moment and this was no exception. Now that I've been there and wandered around, I'd like to give it another try and do it right, closely following the step-by-step directions. Or I'll hike to the overlook and back, a one-mile round trip, just for an excuse to visit Rein's Deli!

Address:  300 Valley Falls Road, Vernon CT.

Trail map:http://www.vernon-ct.gov/parks_rec/Vernon_Rails-to-Trails.pdf

Length: About 2 1/2 miles

Duration: 1 1/2 hours

Difficulty level: Difficult

Calories: 606

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Sweetheart Mountain

Update 10/3/15: We planned to repeat this yesterday, but were disappointed to see "no trespassing" signs that kept us from taking the path to the view of Nepaug Reservoir. There are new blazes, so the official trails are well-marked.  There is view of Collinsville on the red-blazed path, which is not shown on the runkeeper map below. Without the detour to the Nepaug overlook, this was a very short hike.


I tried to restrain myself from remarking that this is a sweetheart of a hike but I couldn't, because this hike is aptly named. It really is a sweetheart of a hike.

The trail begins with a nice steady climb. Not too steep or difficult, but enough to get your heart pounding. Soon we were enjoying the sight of mountain laurel, which was in full bloom and in abundance.

This used to be the site of Canton Ski Club, which closed in the 70s, and the rusted machinery is still there.

We left the trail to find the lookout. Fortunately, members Agnes and Emma knew the way, as this trail is not blazed. (You can follow our path using the Runkeeper app.)  This short trail brings you to a view of Nepaug Reservoir. Naturally, we chose this spot for our devotional. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 . . . let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.”

There’s a big difference between my style of hiking and backpacking. Something happens to me after about five miles. It’s not that I feel like I can’t go further, I just don’t want to. I’ve had my fill and I’m ready to go home. I want to take a shower, don clean clothes, sit in a comfy chair, and have a cup of tea. I only scratch the surface of the hiking world.

Backpackers and thru-hikers, on the other hand, have a lot of miles between them and the comforts of home.  They put up with extended periods of cold. Or heat and humidity. They go without showers. They eat trail food. They sleep on the ground. They go without comfort and convenience to follow their passion.

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Walking with Jesus step by step - running the race and fixing our eyes on Him - takes us out of our comfort zone. In the physical world, a short hike is a wonderful thing. But in the spiritual realm, let's have the passion of a thru-hiker, give up our comfort zones and say, “Yes, Lord yes, to your will and to your way.

This is the perfect jaunt for a busy day, as we reached the lookout in 30 minutes. The parking area can be a little tricky to find. Go west on Bridge Street until it dead ends into Dunne Avenue. Turn right onto Dunne and then turn left:

https://runkeeper.com/user/SusanGayle/route/4269977

Address:  84-98 Dunne Ave, Collinsville
Runkeeper Route: https://runkeeper.com/user/SusanGayle/route/4269977

Trail map: Visit http://www.cantonlandtrust.org/trailsSweetheartMountain.html

Length: 1.68 miles

Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Calories burned: 357

Difficulty level: moderate

Wadsworth Falls State Park

Mountain laurel is in bloom, and we wanted to go to Wadsworth Falls to see what was rumored to be one of the largest laurels in the state. One of our members grew up in the area and vouched for the fact that it used to be much larger. Expectations aside, it is still beautiful.

The hike begins with a narrow slight ascent and then opens up to the orange-blazed Main Trail. For this trip we chose to stay on the Main Trail (which passes by the giant laurel). About a quarter-mile past the famed laurel, there is an option to take a side trail to the right and pass Little Falls, which is a steeper trail. Both trails require a brief walk along Cherry Street in order to get to Wadsworth Falls. (For those who don't wish to hike, parking near the falls is available on Cherry Street.)

The falls are stunning, with plenty of ledges to sit and enjoy the roar. A perfect place for our devotional.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Breaking in new hiking boots requires a major adjustment and sometimes involves blisters and pain. In the beginning, they can offer as much inconvenience as they do great support and protection.

Sometimes the blessings God gives us require changes in our lives. From a change in careers to different living situations, God may want us to move in a new direction of serving Him. Changes don’t come easily to most of us.

Paul’s life is a great example of this. After God called him, he was blinded for three days, then God restored his sight. Paul went from persecuting Christians to being a Christian. He moved from a life of living the law to one of living in grace.

Paul went through many hardships because of his faith, he was stoned, shipwrecked three times and beaten with rods three times. On 5 separate occasions he received 39 lashes.

In Corinthians we see that Paul saw these troubles as light and momentary. Much like a new pair of boots, a new direction with Jesus or a new blessing He gives might be an inconvenience or might even be incredibly difficult for a while. But we would rather break in new boots than wear worn-out shoes. When God brings blessings our way, we’ll be better suited for the journey if we remember that change is sometimes uncomfortable, but always works together for our good (Romans 8:28). Adapted from "With God on the Hiking Trail" by Nathan Chapman

After enjoying the falls, we returned to the Main Trial and then turned right onto the blue-blazed Little Falls Trail. I was momentarily confused by the sign marking the trail, but we saw the blue blaze and knew we were headed in the right direction

The blue-blazed trail leads to White Birch Trail, thus the sign at the entrance to the trail.

We turned left onto the red-blazed Cedar Loop Trail, which dead-ends at the purple-blazed Bridge Trail.

Sign at the intersection of Cedar Loop and Bridge Trails. We turned left and headed to our cars at this junction.

This is a lovely park with clean restroom facilities, picnic area, and a nice beach with swimming allowed. Weekend and holiday fees are $9 for residents and $15 for nonresidents. There is no charge for weekday access.

The Middletown Trail Guide provides a detailed description of each trail: http://www.middletownplanning.com/documents/mdtntrailguide.pdf

Our route is found at https://runkeeper.com/user/SusanGayle/activity/804962760?activityList=false&

Address: 727 Wadsworth Street, Middletown CT

Trail map: http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/maps/wadsworth.pdf

Length: 3.82 mi

Duration: 1 hour, 45 minutes 

Difficulty Level: Easy with a slight incline