Barkhamsted - Indian Council Caves

Date Hiked:  Thursday, June 28, 2012
Number in Group:  9
Estimated distance round-trip: 2 miles
Weather:  Sunny and warm, 92°F
Resources:  Connecticut Walk Book: West put out by CT Forest & Park Association
Highlights of the trip: Ginormous boulders to climb on

On Thursday, we took a hike to the Indian Council Caves in Barkhamsted.  There were several places we could have parked along Route 179, but we decided to park on Legeyt Road about a mile north of where Routes 179 and 219 intersect.  This makes for a relatively short and easy hike.

Crossing to the west side of 179, we went past a yellow gate and onto the trail. I believe this part of the trail used to be an extension of Legeyt Road and skirts the edge of Tunxis State Forest.  While it still looked like a roadbed, there was only a single-person track through the grass and weeds. 

Majestic looking tree.

Before too long, the trail became very rocky.  It resembled a dry stream bed.

Along the way, we came to two ponds.  The first one was right by the trail and easy to access.  We didn't see a lot, but we could hear the bull frogs.  The second one could be glimpsed through the trees and there appeared to be a beaver lodge.

First pond.

Any idea what this is?

There were also a number of cellar holes.  I think we came across at least three.  This one appeared to have stairs.  The flat rock in the foreground of the picture also had what appeared to be a circular opening.  Not sure what that was.

We had already gone past a trail on the right that was blazed blue.  This was the Tunxis Trail heading north toward the Massachusetts border.  A little further on, we came to another blue blazed trail on the right.  The Tunxis Trail turns in here for the Indian Council Caves.  (I think if you continued along the old road, you might connect with the Tunxis Trail south of the caves).

The kids had gone on ahead of us and were already on top of the boulders by the time the adults got there.

Near the top.

There is really no view to speak of other than the tops of lots of trees.  Still, it's fun to sit way up on top of the boulders.

The rocks form a protective circle.

Jewel weed.

The route we took made this a short, but enjoyable hike.  If you don't have a lot of time, or are with young kids who may not be able to hike from some of the other trail heads, I would recommend taking this route.  Details on the other parking areas are listed in the Connecticut Walk Book: West which you can find in most libraries.

Simsbury - Walker's Woods

Date Hiked:  Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Number in Group:  9
Estimated distance round-trip: 2.5 miles
Weather:  Overcast and humid, 75°F
Website:  SLT's Walkbook, Walker's Woods Trail map
Highlights of the trip: View from Ethel Walker Property

According to the Simsbury Land Trust's Walkbook, there are a number of different places you can park to start a hike in the Ethel Walker Woods.  We decided to park near the picnic pavilion in Town Forest Park.  From there we had easy access to both the Town Forest and Ethel Walker Trails.

There are lots of interconnecting trails here and it would have been helpful to have a map.  Unfortunately, I had neglected to print one.  I am not sure how helpful it would have been if I had, because I would have used the map from the Walkbook which is not color coded (my one gripe with the very nice Walkbook).  I later learned from my son that he had found a color coded map on the Ethel Walker website.  It definitely would have been nice to have.

I know we started our hike on Orange, but that may have been just a short stretch until we hit the Green and doesn't seem to appear on the map.  We went south on the Green, to the Blue, then Blue/Yellow, then Blue all the way to the observatory.  On the way back, I think we took the same Blue trail, but took a right on to the Yellow, then to Blue, then Green and finally, Orange. 

The bridge leading into the Woods from Town Forest Park.

Looking at the water from the bridge.  Although it doesn't show well in the picture,
there is a large patch of light blue Forget-me-nots on the other side of the water.

Forget-me-nots.  Sorry, not in focus.

As we walked along, we saw quite a few of these cement objects.  They were only on one side of the trail.  One end was round, but the other end was square.  The hole went all the way through.

A short distance later, we came to more of these objects, but this time they were planted in the ground.  Although they were spaced fairly far apart, our guess is that they were for some kind of fence post.  The distance between them may have been strung with wire.

Nice open area of ferns.

At the end of the Blue trail, we came upon a field.  At the top was the Van Gemeren Observatory and a picturesque look at Ethel Walker's fields and chapel.  The observatory is just a small shed, but I wish now that I had taken a picture of it.  One of the things we noted was that above our heads, to one side of the building, there were tracks and a chain, like you would have for your garage door.  In looking at the Ethel Walker Website, it is clear that the roof of the observatory retracts.

Ethel Walker's chapel.

Heublein Tower on the Metacomet Ridge.

This was a nice hike, not nearly as strenuous as our last couple of hikes.  And now that my son has pointed out the color-coded map, I can see that there is more exploring to do here.  So, we will be back!

New Hartford - Jones Mountain

Date Hiked:  Friday, June 15, 2012
Number in Group:  12
Estimated distance round-trip:  2.5+ miles
Weather:  Sunny, 81°F
Website:  New Hartford Land Trust
Highlights of the trip: Foam dome, view, stone bridge



Another perfect day for a hike.  This week we headed to the Jones Mountain Property managed by the New Hartford Land Trust.  Starting from the small parking area on the side of Steele Road, we headed past the kiosk and up the hill.  We turned right at the first junction and took the Vista Trail to Vista Road, an old carriage road that winds around the property.

 

As we walked along the Vista Road, we encountered numerous orange signs reminding us that the Jones Mountain Property is bordered by a hunting area.  In addition to the signs, there was also a rope strung along the boundary.  The rope seemed like overkill given the number of signs posted and was an impediment to those pristine nature pictures I so want to include in the blog.  Of course, wait until you see what's coming...

We continued on the trail to the right around the peak.  Part way around, a little side trail goes up to the "foam dome".  From what I have read, this unusual structure, which was also referred to as a hobbit  house by members of our group, was built as part of an architectural assignment by one of the daughters of the Jones clan in the 1970's.  Much of the foam has been broken off, and what remains has been gouged with initials and names.  There are a few plexiglass windows still in place, but most are gone.

The "foam dome".  Strategically taken photo avoids the most offensive graffiti.

CG looks like she left her mark here, as well.

 

Scientific name: Ganoderma tsugae
Common name: Hemlock varnish shelf

As we were leaving the "foam dome", the kids saw this cool looking fungus.  I have tentatively identified it as Hemlock varnish shelf.  It can be dried and turned into a powder and made into a tea.  It is supposed to have medicinal properties including inhibiting tumors and relieving asthma.

Scientific name: Actius luna
Common name: Luna moth

One of the kids also found a dead Luna moth.  I had never seen a Luna moth before.  It's size is quite impressive.  This website has more information, including the fact that the adults live only about a week.

Scientific name: Monotropa uniflora
Common names:  Indian pipe, Corpse plant, or Ghost plant.

Not too far along from the "foam dome" we came to the viewpoint.  From here we could see a little bit of New Hartford and, I assume, Route 44.  The view was nice, but not expansive.  I am sure if my father owned the property, he would be clearing some trees for a better view.

The viewpoint.

At some point along here, we went from being on the Vista Road to being on the Carriage Road or Main Mountain Road.  We came to a stone bridge that had been built at the beginning of the 20th century.  The stones are all covered with moss and the little stream flowing underneath is very picturesque.  This time there were no ropes to interfere with my picture taking.

Some kind of hawkweed?

We came to a sign indicating that the carriage road was closed, so we turned left onto the white trail and then right onto the yellow trail.  I don't actually remember seeing blazes, but they could have been there.

The next point of interest was a small pond formed by a little earthen dam.  Here we saw frogs and lots of tadpoles. Behind us were the remains of an old barn or shed.  The walls are all that remain and there is a piece of old farm equipment nearby.

Small pond.  You may be able to see the dam at this end.

Juvenile green frog, I believe.

Tadpoles.

Remnants of old shed.

Pretty and functional (at one point in time).

The trail connected back up with the red-blazed trail and we returned to our cars. Some of the blazes are quite faint, but the trails are obvious and there are signs at the junctions of trails, plus a few trail maps along the way. If you print off the trail map before you go, you should have no troubles.  This was definitely an interesting piece of property and well worth the hike.

For more information I recommend the following websites:
New Hartford Land Trust - includes a trail map and an article from the Hartford Courant's Peter Marteka
David K. Leff - blog he wrote about his visit, includes pictures

Barkhamsted - People's State Forest

Date Hiked:  Thursday, June 7, 2012
Number in Group:  9
Estimated distance round-trip:  2.5+ miles
Weather:  Sunny, 75°F
Website:  People's State Forest
Highlights of the trip: History of Barkhamsted Lighthouse community, tremendous views, Veeder Boulders



Looking at the trail map, we had agreed to meet at the Whittemore Grove parking area to begin our hike on the Jessie Gerard Trail.  However, when we arrived we found that there was a small parking area on East River Road just opposite the trail head.

The plan had been to hike up the Jessie Gerard Trail until it met the Robert Ross Trail, head north to the various lookouts, and then return via the Falls Cut-off Trail.  Part way up the Jessie Gerard Trail, we stopped to read about the Barkhamsted Lighthouse Cemetery.  We met a couple coming down the trail who suggested that we, instead, go up the Falls Cut-off Trail and down Jessie Gerard.  This turned out to be good advice as the Falls Cut-off Trail was much steeper and would have wreaked havoc on the knees on the way down.

Rather than backtracking, we were able to use the Lighthouse Trail (not shown on the trail map) to cut back over to the Falls Cut-Off Trail.  Along the way we got a little history lesson on the Barkhamsted Lighthouse Village.  A strange name for a place in the middle of the woods, but it got its name because it was a beacon for travelers on the road below.  The light from the village served as a mile marker of sorts.  Rather than rewrite what has already been written about the Barkhamsted Lighthouse, I will direct you to Steve Wood's Connecticut Museum Quest website for more information.

Description of Lighthouse Cemetery with one of the stones to the left near the flag.

More gravestones.

The cellar hole at the base of the tree.

Quarry.

This grind stone was pretty cool.

Hard to see, but the slightly raised area in front of the sign was a charcoal kiln.

After taking the time to read about this settlement, we arrived at the Falls Cut-off Trail and started to climb.  In some areas, I had to use my hands to help me over a rock.  It was pretty steep, but we weren't in any hurry.  Plus, I have found that if you stop to take pictures for your blog, you can take a breather.  (By the way, on the trail map, the Falls Cut-off Trail is supposed to be blazed blue/red, but it is blazed blue/yellow like the Jessie Gerard Trail).

Going up, up, up.

Cliff on one side of the trail.

"X" marks the spot.  Buried treasure, Becca?
There is a little trickle of a stream, but it is hard to see.

Looking back down from the top.

Though the climb to the top was a bit of a workout, it was worth it.  The views were tremendous.  We really lucked out with the weather.  There had been rain predicted all week, but instead, we got fabulous cloud formations that added to the view.

Looking south along the West Branch of the Farmington River.

Along the river, across from the lookout,
was the bridge abutment we stood on during last week's hike.

At the next lookout, we could see north to Riverton.

The trail then left the ridge and headed off into the woods.  Before too long, we came upon the Veeder Boulders.  These large glacial erratics just seem so out of place in the middle of the woods (hence, the name erratic, I guess).  The kids tried to climb them, but didn't have any luck.  I teased them that I would be able to find pictures online of people on top of the boulders, but I stand corrected.

Veeder boulders.

We continued through the woods, toward Greenwoods Road, but with an eye out for an unmarked trail to the left.  Based upon the trail map, it appeared that this would connect to Kiwanis Road and that there would be another overlook at the end.  We found the trail.  It had snowmobile markers along it, which corresponds with the map, but it was overgrown and very wooded.  The trail started to curve back around to the right which made me think we had already connected to Kiwanis Road.  There did not appear to be any place that looked like it would offer an overlook, so we decided to turn back.  We returned the same way we had come until we got back to the Falls Cut-off Trail.  Instead of turning to go down here, we continued straight over a small log bridge on the Robert Ross Trail.  We followed this until we came to the Jessie Gerard Trail and headed back down to the cars.

We certainly got a workout on this hike, but it was a lot of fun, too.  I suspect we will be back to People's State Forest to check out some of the other trails.