Hike #15
Trail: Shenipsit
Section: Hebron Ave (Glastonbury, CT) to Rt. 44 Commuter Lot (Bolton, CT)
Distance: Approx 7.3 miles
Approximate time to complete: 4 hours
Direction of travel: South to North
Date Hiked: 11/18/2012
Date Published: 1/5/2013
This hike, which seems easy at first glance, was fraught with challenges. Those of you familiar with the area of the trail between Birch Mountain Road in Manchester and Camp Meeting Road know what I’m talking about. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the area, let’s just say it isn’t fun hiking through people’s backyards on a Sunday morning…especially when the trail is hard to find because it isn’t that well maintained.
Before Roscoe and I started this hike, Jaci and I dropped my car off at the Commuter Lot on Rt. 44 in Bolton. Jaci previously dropped me off here when I completed the section of the Shenipsit which heads north to the I-84 Commuter Lot. This time, we were leaving my car here and I would make my way back from Hebron Avenue (Rt. 94) in Glastonbury, to the south.
This section begins at the intersection of Hebron Ave and Birch Mountain Road in Glastonbury (yes there are two Birch Mountain Roads…one in
Glastonbury…one in Manchester…they are not the same road but two different roads…hopefully this doesn’t cause too much confusion).
The area, known as John Tom Hill, has a row of communications towers. I’ve always been intrigued by them but something would happen on this hike that would pique my interest.
The trail starts by following Birch Mountain Road for about a quarter of a mile. This is a change from what is noted in the CFPA Walk Book.
There must have been some landownership issues. Regardless, the trail was moved and now starts as a road walk. As you approach the last of the communications towers, the trail makes a left turn and heads off into the woods.
We were about 20 feet into the woods when I heard some sort of bird call from the last communication tower. At first, I wasn’t sure it was even real because it sounded so mechanical. I thought, maybe, the company who owns the tower had installed some sort of speaker with a bird call timed at certain intervals to ward off actual birds. The timing between calls seemed too perfect. Then, the calls changed and started to sound more authentic. I made a mental note to research this when I got home…but, after my issues later in this hike, I totally forgot. It would be a few more weeks, when I experienced similar bird calls up by Soapstone Mountain in Somers, before I finally got an answer as to what was making those sounds. I’ll write more about this in a future recap.
About a mile in, the trail climbs a bit to an area referred to in the Walk Book as Pine Ledge overlook. The Walk Book states this is a good area for views to the west. I couldn’t really see anything, but the view to the east was pretty cool as the sun was making its way over the tree line.
A mile later, the trail comes to a large glacial boulder. I found this area to be really cool. You are walking on top of rock for what seems like forever. And, apparently, the deer like this area. As we were approaching the area, a couple ran off to the southwest. A few feet later and two more ran off to the northwest, followed by two to the east, and two more to the northeast. I stopped here to rehydrate and consider how silly hunting is. Those of you who know me know that I’m not some tree-hugger so my disdain for the “sport” has little to do with the protection of the “poor little animals”. I truly just don’t see the challenge in it. As I’ve previously discussed, I’m a big guy…and as much as I try to hike
quietly I am still a bit clumsy. So, if my big goofy tail can get within feet of these deer without even trying, how hard can hunting really be?
Around the 3 mile mark the trail enters some municipal space and, eventually, leads to the Case Mountain Trails I’ve discussed in previous recaps. If you recall, I purposely didn’t hike this trail when I was hiking the other Case Mountain Trails because I knew I would coming back. It was nice to finally see that through.
As we were approaching Birch Mountain Road in Manchester, I noticed my phone battery was almost dead. Those of you who know about Glastonbury know that it is where cell phones go to die because they don’t have a decent signal anywhere in that town. Also, it was really cold.
Long story short, I posted what I hiked so far to MapMyHike in order to save my battery in case I needed to make an emergency call. So, that explains why the map below only goes as far as Birch Mountain Road in Manchester.
I should’ve viewed the fact that my phone was dying as an omen of things to come. Soon after, this trail would become a living nightmare and it would take away from the overall experience of the hike.
Crossing over Birch Mountain Road in Manchester, the trail heads down into a gully and the hiking here is almost impossible. It crosses a brook with no real means of crossing it. So, you are going to get wet…and muddy…here. Also, the trail isn’t really blazed that well through here…which normally isn’t a problem but for the fact that it is also really overgrown with pricker bushes. I tore my jacket in a couple of places but we muscled through it.
By the time we got to Amanda Drive, I had had enough. On the other side of Amanda Drive, the trail continues through another set of pricker bushes. Of course, I didn’t know that at the time. And, I would only find out a few weeks later…when I returned to the area to make up some of the sections I missed. What’s that? Oh yea, I missed some sections here because I was wet, muddy and frustrated. So, I decided just to make Amanda Drive into a road walk and head out to find the section which crosses Carter Street.
After about 15 minutes of road walking on Amanda Drive and Carter Street, I reconnected with the trail. The Shenipsit follows a gas pipeline through this area so it was easy to find. I did, however, miss the turn away from the gas pipeline back into the woods and (again) ended up off
trail. My frustration continued to build.
After some off-trail hiking / bushwhacking, I made my way to Camp Meeting Road. I crossed it and followed the trail into what I consider one of the more boring sections of the Shenipsit. The trail was blazed well and it wasn’t overgrown. So, on paper, it is a step up from the previous area. But, I just found this area to be really boring. Eventually, the trail leads to a huge open field so that was nice…but not nice enough to improve my mood.
From the field, the trail becomes a road walk. It follows Rt. 85 over I-384 and turns right on Williams Road. From Williams Road, it turns right and follows Rt. 44 past Georgina’s and leads back to the commuter lot.
All in all, this wasn’t a bad hike. But, there are too many sections that are lacking and, in a way, I wish I had left my car at the lot by Case Mountain. The worst part is that, because I need to complete the sections I missed in order to complete the CT400, I was going to have to
come back and do the bad sections again. But, next time, I would be ready…
Trail: Shenipsit
Section: Hebron Ave (Glastonbury, CT) to Rt. 44 Commuter Lot (Bolton, CT)
Distance: Approx 7.3 miles
Approximate time to complete: 4 hours
Direction of travel: South to North
Date Hiked: 11/18/2012
Date Published: 1/5/2013
This hike, which seems easy at first glance, was fraught with challenges. Those of you familiar with the area of the trail between Birch Mountain Road in Manchester and Camp Meeting Road know what I’m talking about. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the area, let’s just say it isn’t fun hiking through people’s backyards on a Sunday morning…especially when the trail is hard to find because it isn’t that well maintained.
Before Roscoe and I started this hike, Jaci and I dropped my car off at the Commuter Lot on Rt. 44 in Bolton. Jaci previously dropped me off here when I completed the section of the Shenipsit which heads north to the I-84 Commuter Lot. This time, we were leaving my car here and I would make my way back from Hebron Avenue (Rt. 94) in Glastonbury, to the south.
This section begins at the intersection of Hebron Ave and Birch Mountain Road in Glastonbury (yes there are two Birch Mountain Roads…one in
Glastonbury…one in Manchester…they are not the same road but two different roads…hopefully this doesn’t cause too much confusion).
The area, known as John Tom Hill, has a row of communications towers. I’ve always been intrigued by them but something would happen on this hike that would pique my interest.
The trail starts by following Birch Mountain Road for about a quarter of a mile. This is a change from what is noted in the CFPA Walk Book.
There must have been some landownership issues. Regardless, the trail was moved and now starts as a road walk. As you approach the last of the communications towers, the trail makes a left turn and heads off into the woods.
We were about 20 feet into the woods when I heard some sort of bird call from the last communication tower. At first, I wasn’t sure it was even real because it sounded so mechanical. I thought, maybe, the company who owns the tower had installed some sort of speaker with a bird call timed at certain intervals to ward off actual birds. The timing between calls seemed too perfect. Then, the calls changed and started to sound more authentic. I made a mental note to research this when I got home…but, after my issues later in this hike, I totally forgot. It would be a few more weeks, when I experienced similar bird calls up by Soapstone Mountain in Somers, before I finally got an answer as to what was making those sounds. I’ll write more about this in a future recap.
About a mile in, the trail climbs a bit to an area referred to in the Walk Book as Pine Ledge overlook. The Walk Book states this is a good area for views to the west. I couldn’t really see anything, but the view to the east was pretty cool as the sun was making its way over the tree line.
A mile later, the trail comes to a large glacial boulder. I found this area to be really cool. You are walking on top of rock for what seems like forever. And, apparently, the deer like this area. As we were approaching the area, a couple ran off to the southwest. A few feet later and two more ran off to the northwest, followed by two to the east, and two more to the northeast. I stopped here to rehydrate and consider how silly hunting is. Those of you who know me know that I’m not some tree-hugger so my disdain for the “sport” has little to do with the protection of the “poor little animals”. I truly just don’t see the challenge in it. As I’ve previously discussed, I’m a big guy…and as much as I try to hike
quietly I am still a bit clumsy. So, if my big goofy tail can get within feet of these deer without even trying, how hard can hunting really be?
Around the 3 mile mark the trail enters some municipal space and, eventually, leads to the Case Mountain Trails I’ve discussed in previous recaps. If you recall, I purposely didn’t hike this trail when I was hiking the other Case Mountain Trails because I knew I would coming back. It was nice to finally see that through.
As we were approaching Birch Mountain Road in Manchester, I noticed my phone battery was almost dead. Those of you who know about Glastonbury know that it is where cell phones go to die because they don’t have a decent signal anywhere in that town. Also, it was really cold.
Long story short, I posted what I hiked so far to MapMyHike in order to save my battery in case I needed to make an emergency call. So, that explains why the map below only goes as far as Birch Mountain Road in Manchester.
I should’ve viewed the fact that my phone was dying as an omen of things to come. Soon after, this trail would become a living nightmare and it would take away from the overall experience of the hike.
Crossing over Birch Mountain Road in Manchester, the trail heads down into a gully and the hiking here is almost impossible. It crosses a brook with no real means of crossing it. So, you are going to get wet…and muddy…here. Also, the trail isn’t really blazed that well through here…which normally isn’t a problem but for the fact that it is also really overgrown with pricker bushes. I tore my jacket in a couple of places but we muscled through it.
By the time we got to Amanda Drive, I had had enough. On the other side of Amanda Drive, the trail continues through another set of pricker bushes. Of course, I didn’t know that at the time. And, I would only find out a few weeks later…when I returned to the area to make up some of the sections I missed. What’s that? Oh yea, I missed some sections here because I was wet, muddy and frustrated. So, I decided just to make Amanda Drive into a road walk and head out to find the section which crosses Carter Street.
After about 15 minutes of road walking on Amanda Drive and Carter Street, I reconnected with the trail. The Shenipsit follows a gas pipeline through this area so it was easy to find. I did, however, miss the turn away from the gas pipeline back into the woods and (again) ended up off
trail. My frustration continued to build.
After some off-trail hiking / bushwhacking, I made my way to Camp Meeting Road. I crossed it and followed the trail into what I consider one of the more boring sections of the Shenipsit. The trail was blazed well and it wasn’t overgrown. So, on paper, it is a step up from the previous area. But, I just found this area to be really boring. Eventually, the trail leads to a huge open field so that was nice…but not nice enough to improve my mood.
From the field, the trail becomes a road walk. It follows Rt. 85 over I-384 and turns right on Williams Road. From Williams Road, it turns right and follows Rt. 44 past Georgina’s and leads back to the commuter lot.
All in all, this wasn’t a bad hike. But, there are too many sections that are lacking and, in a way, I wish I had left my car at the lot by Case Mountain. The worst part is that, because I need to complete the sections I missed in order to complete the CT400, I was going to have to
come back and do the bad sections again. But, next time, I would be ready…