Horse Guard State Park

Update 11/20/20: The trailhead has been moved a little north. Address has been corrected.

Words that show my ignorance of Connecticut terrain: "It's in the middle of the city, how hard can it be?" I misled our group of 12 into thinking this hike would be a piece of cake, and was surprised, a bit chagrined, and also delighted to find a difficult climb.

The trail is easy to spot and begins with well-marked white blazes. However, the blazes stop appearing about a half mile into the woods. Perhaps they end because it's wise to turn around at that point, and half of our group opted to do just that. The terrain was nothing but rock and required some scrambling.

When we made it to the top, there were six of us remaining, but there was quite a view!

We paused for our devotional, taken from James 2:17:

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." The author (Nathan Chapman) tells of a story when he and his friend were camping at a shelter and a group nearby was having a rowdy time, consuming a lot of alcohol in the process. Alcohol consumption while in the backcountry is extremely dangerous due to inability to register true body temperature and hindering our sense of direction. They woke in the middle of the night to find that one of the men had wandered off. His buddy found him facedown in a stream where he had vomited and passed out. Hypothermia had set in and he was in danger of drowning. While other campers rushed to help, Mr. Chapman had very little compassion for the fellow who had given in to such irresponsible behavior, and didn't offer to help. Later, guilt set in. He writes, "I was guilty of being inebriated by self-righteousness. Of all the people who should've been willing to lift another fallen soul, I should have been the first. Not because I was better, but because Jesus taught his followers to reach out to others. . . The scripture says if we have faith we will act. It's easy to give assistance to those who need help because of a situation they had no control over. Helping those who find themselves in need because of poor judgment or different priorities challenges our compassion. But where would we be if others had that attitude when we needed mercy? Since that night on the trail, I no longer sit back when others need help, because it is extension of my faith in Christ." We all have made foolish choices. We need to be sensitive to others who need help along the way, even when they get themselves into trouble.

We then started making our way down, which proved to be a bit tricky

The point where the blazes stopped. After some deliberation on the way up, we chose to go left. On the way down we found that a better choice would have been to go to the right.

While our total time was 2 hours, we had a couple of long pauses during the hike, one while we tried to decide which way to go and another when we realized our group had gotten separated. It could probably be accomplished in an hour and a half or less. We agreed that it was a fun hike and we'd like to do it again. 

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Note the spike in the center - on our way back we took a wrong turn to the north because some of the trees had white paint that looked like blazes. One of our members with a keen sense of direction felt it wasn't right (yay Lisa!). A check of our trusty Runkeeper app showed us we were going the wrong way, so beware of false blazes.

Address: 245 West Avon Road, Avon CT

Length: 1.3 miles

Duration: 2 hours

Calories burned: 475

Difficulty level: moderate to difficult

Roaring Brook Nature Center

When you're browsing at the shopping mall in Canton with the busy traffic flying by on Route 44, it's hard to believe that a mere four minutes away is a tranquil setting in the woods with five miles of trails to explore.

Roaring Brook Nature Center is a wildlife center and outdoor classroom, with seasonal exhibits, gardens, educational programs and concerts. It would be fun to explore the area further, but our objective was a hike in the woods.

We began on Werner Pond Trail, crossing over Jim Brook Stream.

We continued on to the Quarry and Plantation Trails and came to a clearing where we could see Heublein Tower in the distance.

After completing Plantation Trail we turned right onto Orchard Trail and then took another right to rejoin Quarry Trail. This was prettiest trail yet, taking us along the southern section of Jim Brook Stream.

We then went on to the Dutch Mill Pond Trail which featured a lovely waterfall.

After returning to the parking lot, a couple of us decided to cross the road onto Ridge Trail. It was there that four deer went running through the woods. The buck stopped and watched us as we made our way across.

Our devotional today was based on 2 Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"

The writer tells of a time when his friend had made the mistake of wearing textured cotton socks the week before their hike, and he was paying for his poor decision with a nickel-sized blister. In spite of the pain, he didn't let his blunder keep him from the trail.

Many of us start our Christian journey with the blisters of poor decisions made before we met Christ. God doctors the blistered areas of our hearts with the salve of His forgiveness and covers our wounded hearts with His grace.  If there's friction between us and others have offended us, we are told to forgive them. God's Word directs us to take off the rough garments of envy, gossip, and other blister-producing material. Once removed, He places the robe of His righteousness around us. (Adapted from "With God on the Hiking Trail" by Nathan Chapman http://store.steveandanniechapman.com/products/with-god-on-the-hiking-trail.)

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Address: 70 Gracey Road, Canton, CT

Trail Map: http://www.roaringbrook.org/publications/trailmap.pdf

Length: 2.85 miles

Duration: 2 hours

Calories burned: 523

Difficulty level: easy/moderate

Mica Ledges Trail

"Yea though I walk through the valley of death . . . " Okay, I'm exaggerating. While it wasn't actually a valley of death, we did have our concerns. Because I'm new to hiking, I'm constantly learning, and today I learned that wet leaves and steep descents make things a bit dicey!

We went west on the blue trail to make our way to Pyamid Rock, a large boulder that was displaced from the ridge by glaciers. It's hard to imagine anything could move a rock that size. The process is interesting, and is described at the end of this post.

After passing the rock the trail splits, with the blue Mattabesett trail continuing on and the orange trail turning to the left behind Pyramid Rock. We chose the orange trail, which gave us a nice climb. So far, so good. Then we came to a steep descent, which was a bit treacherous for us. I imagine the trail is easier when it isn't covered with leaves, but it is rather steep. We made our way down slipping and sliding.

While our total climb was not that steep, there were steep places along the way.

When we were one mile in, we came to a spot where we couldn't see a blaze, and we couldn't see the leaf-covered trail.

We wandered around in this area, unable to find a blaze.

Finally, one of our eagle-eyed women spied a far-off blaze. We were back on the trail! We continued on, making our way to the southern end, and stopped here to have our devotions. When I read the scripture, we all chuckled.  

Psalm 23:3-4 “He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” 

For ages, writers have documented moments of peace in nature, but few have followed the path of serenity into dark valleys like David did. Why did he trace the path of righteousness into the valley of death? The psalmist knew that even when we walk closely with God, sometimes the trails of this life lead into places filled with despair. But even in those situations David responded with a declaration of confident peace; “I will fear no evil.” 

Sometimes following the path of righteousness leads us to where we don’t want to go. Our ultimate goal is not to find the path of least resistance, but to follow the path of God. Good times and hard times on the hiking trail go hand in hand. And in the same way, both the bitter and sweet times in life are on the same path. Thankfully, we know where this trail ends: “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6). (Adapted from "With God on the Hiking Trail by Nathan Chapman.)

We had just been through a valley. It most definitely was not a "valley of death" and we weren't even close to a state of despair, but it wasn't a piece of cake :)

We could have finished the loop at this point, but we decided to continue on to the next trail. We followed the orange blazes and came to an outcrop where the orange trail meets the blue Mattabesett. I went ahead and checked the trail to the left. There was no way I was going to do this trail, as there was a drop off. Then I went to the right. Same thing. Even on a clear dry path, this trail was not for me! So we turned around and made our way back. The orange trail took us by Whitney Pond, where we admired the tranquility.

After this the trail became easy. It was nice and flat and we were glad. Although the hike was only 2.5 miles, due to the precariousness, it felt longer. It was a gray, cloudy day, so the great views that were promised weren't visible. Perhaps this is a trail that's better suited to a clear, sunny, dry day. But, all in all, everyone had a good time. It's always good to walk in the woods and be surrounded by nature!

Directions: Cream Pot Road in Durham. Drive to the dead end. Keep going when it becomes one lane, parking is on the left.

Trail Map: http://www.madisonlandtrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Mica-Ledges.pdf

Length: 2.5 mile

Duration: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Calories burned: 582

Difficulty Level: Difficult

A glacier moves rocks by "plucking." As a glacier moves over the landscape, water melts below the glacier and seeps into cracks within the underlying bedrock. This water freezes and melts, weakening the bonds holding pieces of bedrock in place. These pieces of rock can now be picked up or plucked from their rocky base and carried along with the moving glacier. If you ever put an ice cube on your finger and felt the skin on your finger stick to the ice cube, then you have a fairly good idea of how plucking works. 

http://study.com/academy/lesson/glacial-erosion-definition-processes-features.html

Macricostas Preserve

We were blessed to again experience a little physical and spiritual training in God's great outdoors, this time on Pinnacle Trail, part of the land trust owned by Steep Rock Association in New Preston. The hike begins in an lovely open meadow, so it was a plus that the air was chilly and we weren't subjected to a blazing sun.






Amidst a group of bald trees, a leafless tree with bright red berries caught our eye. Perhaps a hawthorne tree?












Although this week's heavy rain and wind sent many leaves flying off the trees, once we were in the woods, there was still plenty of color to be seen.

What a mood-booster to embark on a trail with golds, oranges, and reds in the foreground and the deep blue sky in the background!

A little over a mile in we came to the first lookout. We stood and admired the view as we watched the shadows from the clouds move across the valley.

After this, the climb became a bit more challenging with a lot of rocks. No scrambling was necessary, though, as we made our way up. Even with fallen leaves obscuring our path, the blazes were so well-marked we had no problems finding our way. A sign pointed us to the Pinnacle (known as Waramaug Rock), for which I was thankful, because the trail then becomes level, and I started having my doubts. But we continued on, went left at the fork and before long we were in the wide open, with that top-of-the-world exhilaration of a dramatic view.

We circled in front of some trees to block the wind and had our devotional time.

Mark 2:27 "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." When we're hiking, it's best to stop and rest along the way, rather than pushing ourselves until our bodies shut down. God has not designed us to always be on the go. He included in our humanity the need to rest. Ignoring that time of rest and pushing on can result in shallow relations with God and others, fatigue that breaks down the immune system, and an early trip to the grave.  If you’re racing through life, don’t forget the benefits of taking time to rest, and in that rest turn your attention to God. In this, our spirits and bodies are both renewed. (Adapted from With God on the Hiking Trail by Nathan Chapman).

We were blessed to have Cassidy Parent join us. Cassidy is a missionary with Kids Alive International and will be heading back to Haiti in January. We always enjoy her company and hearing about her adventures, and were privileged to lift her up in prayer.

We reluctantly left the mountaintop and made our way back down. The real world awaited with tasks to be accomplished, but for a few hours we experienced the delight of leaving our routines, drawing closer to God and each other, and marveling in the wonder of His creation.


Directions: Turn onto Christian Road from Route 202. Park behind the old red house on the north side of the road. The parking lot is easy to find and can be spotted from google earth at maps.google.com
Trail map: http://www.steeprockassoc.org/explore/macricostas-preserve/macricostas-preserve-trail-map/
Length: 3.4 miles (you also have the option of parking a second car on June road and making this hike a little shorter)
Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Difficulty level: easy in the beginning, climb is moderate
Calories burned: 600

Ragged Mountain Memorial Preserve

The autumn leaves are in peak form, making this an awe-inspiring hike. We began on West Lane Road on the well-marked blue/red-blazed trail, and when the trail split, we turned left to go south and make our way to the ridge line. We were only about 20 minutes in when we came to the first magnificent view overlooking Upper Hart Pond.

In hindsight, I now appreciate the patience of my companions, who had hiked this trail before. They allowed me time to drink in this view and take too many pictures, knowing that even more astounding views were ahead. As we continued to walk, I was thrilled over and over again at the beauty.

We were surrounded by vibrant color!

After an hour and a half, we reached the most spectacular panorama.

We could have reached this much sooner, but I was constantly stopping to appreciate the majesty of God's creation.  Just as I turned to leave the summit, one of my companions, Linda, was calling my name with much excitement. I turned to see a mountain climber coming up over the edge of the cliff! We waited with much anticipation to take a video of his friend who was coming behind him, but fear (and wisdom) kept me from getting a shot over the side of the cliff.

Up to this point we were on a trail rated as moderate, but beyond the summit the blue/red path meets with the blue-blazed Metacomet at a section that is rated difficult. We met some much younger people coming from that direction, and they were exclaiming that it was quite a trek. Fortunately, we had a seasoned hiker with us. There are only three people that I would trust to lead me off the trail and into the unmapped wild, and Joyce is one of them. She pointed to a shallow ravine, and was certain that it would lead us to the red-blazed trail, which would allow a quicker return.

We traipsed through the woods for a little while, and sure enough, she led us to the red trail and back to our cars. While my lollygagging and gaping caused us to take an hour and a half to reach the summit, our return took only 45 minutes.

This was definitely one of my favorite hikes thus far. I remained on a natural high for the rest of the weekend!

Our Route

Official address: 555 West Lane Road, Berlin, CT. Address that worked for GPS: 598 Wigwam Road
Trail Map:
http://www.town.berlin.ct.us/egov/documents/270bfb06_dca1_4918_3a1b_ada3b9d356fb.pdf
Length: 3.26 miles
Duration: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Calories: 750
Difficulty level: moderate

Lion's Head

The leaves were a little past peak and the day was cloudy, but that didn't stop us from having a truly enjoyable day. We were blessed to have one of our members who is a local resident, Barbara, lead us on this hike. She shared a wealth of knowledge which heightened our experience.

Parking is easy to find, and the lot was empty when we arrived (contrary to Columbus day, when cars were lined down the street).

It was so nice to have a guide to stop and highlight things that I blindly passed over when I was there the week before. One was a reedy plant called scouring rush that the pioneers used to scrub pots, and another was the small chips of garnet in the rocks beneath our feet.

Nature's Brillo Pad

Garnet

The path up is a little steep, but not treacherous, giving us a good workout (my heart-rate monitor often showed 160). Barbara led us beyond the well-known blazed trail and a little to the left. 

We bypassed this popular trail to the top

A short jaunt later, and we were treated to a secret vista to the west.

After soaking up the stunning scenery, our savvy skipper squired us to the top of the mountain on another little-known path.

We enjoyed spectacular views to the east and south

It was on the top of the mountain with this pleasing scenery that we had our devotional time.

Philippians 4:12 "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." 

When we're on the hiking trail, we can pack heavy and experience the delight of sharing our extras with others, although it does make our journey harder. We could also choose to pack lightly, so we can cover more miles. Either way, we've had a good workout. Just as both options have their advantages, it's the same in life. People with luxury items have more to maintain, but they also have more to share. Those who have little may accomplish more for Christ because their energies are streamlined and they have fewer distractions. Whether our life-packs are abundant or light, we would do well to ask God to help us be content in living for Him and to serve others to the best of our abilities. (Adapted from the book "With God on the Hiking Trail" by Nathan Chapman.)

Barbara invited us to her home, where we enjoyed a tour of her family's amazing property.

Trametes versicolor

Also called "turkey tail"

Interesting fungi -maybe in the Geastrum family? 

All in all, a great hike with great companions, a great guide/hostess, and great day enjoying the wonder of God's creation.

Address: 84 Bunker Hill Road, Salisbury CT

Length: 2.3 miles

Duration: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Calories burned: 700

Difficulty: moderate