Hike #24
Trail: Shenipsit
Section: Parker Road (Ellington, CT) to I-84 Commuter Lot (Vernon, CT)
Direction of Travel: North to South
Distance: Approx. 10 miles
Approx. time to complete: 4 hours
Date Hiked: 12/22/2012
Date Published: 1/16/2013
Trail: Shenipsit
Section: Parker Road (Ellington, CT) to I-84 Commuter Lot (Vernon, CT)
Direction of Travel: North to South
Distance: Approx. 10 miles
Approx. time to complete: 4 hours
Date Hiked: 12/22/2012
Date Published: 1/16/2013
This hike was very interesting. For starters, a portion of this hike would cover a section of the Shenipsit which recently had miles of blazes added to it. The blazes are so new, in fact, that the CFPA walk book doesn’t even recognize the mileage. In a way, it was somewhat discouraging to cover all of those miles and not get credit towards the CT400 for it. But, on the bright side, I’m covered in the event that the CFPA ever adds these miles to the official count for the CT400…which I’m sure they plan to do in the future.
Before I get too far into this recap, I have to give credit to Steve over at Connecticut Museum Quest. If not for his research (and subsequent blog about his hike), I probably wouldn’t have been aware that the section from Grahaber Road in Tolland to the I-84 commuter lot even existed. So, another big thanks to Steve at CTMQ.
By now, I’m pretty familiar with the I-84 commuter lot in Vernon. I drove past it for years as I was making my way from my parent’s house in Coventry to where I was working (Manchester and Windsor). Also, I had previously left my car overnight at this lot…the night before my Hike #13. So, I was more than comfortable leaving my car there again...this time for only a few hours. From there, I hopped in the Jeep with
Jaci so she could drive me and Roscoe up to the north trail head.
The starting point for this hike was also familiar. This is where I had previously (on Hike #22), turned off of Parker Road and went north to Soapstone Mountain. This time, we would be heading south…away from the mountain.
This was also the first hike where I broke out of my “not-taking-my-camera-if-you-want-to-see-it-go-see-it-yourself” funk. So, if you’ve been working your way through my site, you’ll now be rewarded with pictures of these hikes. Enjoy!
From Parker Road, the trail heads south to Hopkins Road. These aren’t great miles but they certainly aren’t bad either. I could see where hiking in the opposite direction from what we were doing would make this a more challenging hike. We spent most of our morning going downhill so, if we were heading the other way, it would be mostly uphill. Somewhere in this stretch, Roscoe decided he wanted a higher vantage point so he climbed to the top of this rock. I got him to sit so I could take the picture. Such a good boy!
Before I get too far into this recap, I have to give credit to Steve over at Connecticut Museum Quest. If not for his research (and subsequent blog about his hike), I probably wouldn’t have been aware that the section from Grahaber Road in Tolland to the I-84 commuter lot even existed. So, another big thanks to Steve at CTMQ.
By now, I’m pretty familiar with the I-84 commuter lot in Vernon. I drove past it for years as I was making my way from my parent’s house in Coventry to where I was working (Manchester and Windsor). Also, I had previously left my car overnight at this lot…the night before my Hike #13. So, I was more than comfortable leaving my car there again...this time for only a few hours. From there, I hopped in the Jeep with
Jaci so she could drive me and Roscoe up to the north trail head.
The starting point for this hike was also familiar. This is where I had previously (on Hike #22), turned off of Parker Road and went north to Soapstone Mountain. This time, we would be heading south…away from the mountain.
This was also the first hike where I broke out of my “not-taking-my-camera-if-you-want-to-see-it-go-see-it-yourself” funk. So, if you’ve been working your way through my site, you’ll now be rewarded with pictures of these hikes. Enjoy!
From Parker Road, the trail heads south to Hopkins Road. These aren’t great miles but they certainly aren’t bad either. I could see where hiking in the opposite direction from what we were doing would make this a more challenging hike. We spent most of our morning going downhill so, if we were heading the other way, it would be mostly uphill. Somewhere in this stretch, Roscoe decided he wanted a higher vantage point so he climbed to the top of this rock. I got him to sit so I could take the picture. Such a good boy!
Once the trail reaches Hopkins Road, it makes a left turn and joins up with Rt. 140 (Crystal Lake Road). I expected some difficulty here since
crossing Rt. 140 can be dangerous…but, we didn’t have too much trouble. I just put Roscoe on the leash and we crossed…easy enough.
The areas of the trail directly to the south of Rt. 140 are a bit overgrown. The blazes were there, but we had to do a bit of minor bushwhacking. The trail brushes along the edge of Lake Bonair. Although it is called “Lake” Bonair, it looks like more of a pond to me. Some sections even look more like a marsh.
crossing Rt. 140 can be dangerous…but, we didn’t have too much trouble. I just put Roscoe on the leash and we crossed…easy enough.
The areas of the trail directly to the south of Rt. 140 are a bit overgrown. The blazes were there, but we had to do a bit of minor bushwhacking. The trail brushes along the edge of Lake Bonair. Although it is called “Lake” Bonair, it looks like more of a pond to me. Some sections even look more like a marsh.
The trail eventually leads to Grahaber Road, but I experienced some difficulty getting there. For starters, there was a section of trail which
crossed Bonair Hill Rd…which I wasn’t expecting. So, when I got there, I thought I had reached Grahaber Road already. There was also an issue with a brook crossing. I later confirmed this to be in the CFPA Walk Book, but for some reason I wasn’t expecting this to be here either. Then, when I finally got to Grahaber Road, I was expecting the trail to cross it and re-enter the woods. I was very confused.
Eventually, I got myself sorted out. And, thankfully, Steve over at Connecticut Museum Quest made a map similar (better) to what I get with my MapMyHike app. So, from here forward, I was primarily using his map (and the blue blazes) to follow this section of the Shenipsit (which…again…isn’t even in the CFPA Walk Book).
From Grahaber Road, the trail is a road walk for the next several miles. It followed Grahaber for a stretch, but then it turns right and follows Shenipsit Lake Road for what seemed like an eternity.
Eventually, Shenipsit Lake Road turns into a gravel / dirt road and the people driving in the area were going entirely too fast for that type of road. With all of the miles we were covering today and the somewhat dangerous crossing of Rt. 140, I never imagined this stretch would be the most life-threatening.
Eventually, we came to a cool area of Shenipsit Lake Road where someone left this old tractor looking thing in the middle of a field. I took the picture below and we kept moving.
crossed Bonair Hill Rd…which I wasn’t expecting. So, when I got there, I thought I had reached Grahaber Road already. There was also an issue with a brook crossing. I later confirmed this to be in the CFPA Walk Book, but for some reason I wasn’t expecting this to be here either. Then, when I finally got to Grahaber Road, I was expecting the trail to cross it and re-enter the woods. I was very confused.
Eventually, I got myself sorted out. And, thankfully, Steve over at Connecticut Museum Quest made a map similar (better) to what I get with my MapMyHike app. So, from here forward, I was primarily using his map (and the blue blazes) to follow this section of the Shenipsit (which…again…isn’t even in the CFPA Walk Book).
From Grahaber Road, the trail is a road walk for the next several miles. It followed Grahaber for a stretch, but then it turns right and follows Shenipsit Lake Road for what seemed like an eternity.
Eventually, Shenipsit Lake Road turns into a gravel / dirt road and the people driving in the area were going entirely too fast for that type of road. With all of the miles we were covering today and the somewhat dangerous crossing of Rt. 140, I never imagined this stretch would be the most life-threatening.
Eventually, we came to a cool area of Shenipsit Lake Road where someone left this old tractor looking thing in the middle of a field. I took the picture below and we kept moving.
Just past the old tractor, the trail (road) descends to Shenipsit Lake, which is a massive lake (much bigger than Lake Bonair) at the corners of
Ellington, Tolland and Vernon. I took the picture below.
Ellington, Tolland and Vernon. I took the picture below.
Just past the bridge near the northeast corner of the lake, we came to where the trail leaves the road behind and re-enters the woods. The
first section of this area skirts along a couple of backyards. As the trail gets closer to the lake, it makes a left turn and basically just follow along
people’s backyards (and a HUGE field) for a while.
This isn’t a great section of trail, but it isn’t bad either. And, I was super excited to be traveling it because I’m pretty sure that not too many people know of its existence. And, those who do know that it exists, probably don’t realize that you can continue to follow the trail south to East Hampton or north to within a couple of milesof the Massachusetts border. There are a couple of wood bridge crossings in here that keep this stretch interesting.
first section of this area skirts along a couple of backyards. As the trail gets closer to the lake, it makes a left turn and basically just follow along
people’s backyards (and a HUGE field) for a while.
This isn’t a great section of trail, but it isn’t bad either. And, I was super excited to be traveling it because I’m pretty sure that not too many people know of its existence. And, those who do know that it exists, probably don’t realize that you can continue to follow the trail south to East Hampton or north to within a couple of milesof the Massachusetts border. There are a couple of wood bridge crossings in here that keep this stretch interesting.
The trail basically follows a straight line before it bears right and leads out to Rt. 74 (Tolland Stage Road). Here the trail becomes a road walk again. We made a right turn and followed Rt. 74 for a bit. Then, the trail makes a hard left turn on to Kingsbury Avenue. Next, we made a right on to Rt. 30 (Hartford Turnpike). This is a very busy road and, at this point, we weren’t too far from where I get my haircut on certain
Saturday mornings. I only mention it because I’ve mentioned my barber shop in a few other postings.
The trail continues to follow Rt. 30 for a bit, but eventually it crosses over the road and follows Industrial Park Road through…you guessed it…an industrial park. Around here, I noticed my MapMyHike app was draining my phone battery beyond a point I was comfortable with (again). So, I turned it off. You will see on the map below that I kind of stopped in the middle of a road. We did, however, continue hiking.
The trail makes a right on Gerber Drive and, finally, ducks back into the woods. But, let’s not kid ourselves…at this point, we are only about half of a mile or so from the very busy intersection of Rt. 30 and Rt. 31. This is hardly“woodsy”…at all.
The trail winds its way through Tolland County Agricultural Center land. I’m not sure exactly what Tolland County Agricultural Center does but I have seen their signs all over Tolland County. In fact, there is a field not too far from my parent’s house that has a Tolland County Agricultural Center sign. I do know that they are somehow affiliated with UConn…and the signs carry the University Seal.
In the “woodsy”section of the Tolland County Agricultural Center land, there are a few signs on trees which identify them (Red Oak, etc.). But, eventually, the trail leaves the “woods” behind and passes a couple of green houses. I also took the picture below. I think the fenced in area is used for horse competitions. But, I was really only intrigued by the American flag. U.S.A!
Saturday mornings. I only mention it because I’ve mentioned my barber shop in a few other postings.
The trail continues to follow Rt. 30 for a bit, but eventually it crosses over the road and follows Industrial Park Road through…you guessed it…an industrial park. Around here, I noticed my MapMyHike app was draining my phone battery beyond a point I was comfortable with (again). So, I turned it off. You will see on the map below that I kind of stopped in the middle of a road. We did, however, continue hiking.
The trail makes a right on Gerber Drive and, finally, ducks back into the woods. But, let’s not kid ourselves…at this point, we are only about half of a mile or so from the very busy intersection of Rt. 30 and Rt. 31. This is hardly“woodsy”…at all.
The trail winds its way through Tolland County Agricultural Center land. I’m not sure exactly what Tolland County Agricultural Center does but I have seen their signs all over Tolland County. In fact, there is a field not too far from my parent’s house that has a Tolland County Agricultural Center sign. I do know that they are somehow affiliated with UConn…and the signs carry the University Seal.
In the “woodsy”section of the Tolland County Agricultural Center land, there are a few signs on trees which identify them (Red Oak, etc.). But, eventually, the trail leaves the “woods” behind and passes a couple of green houses. I also took the picture below. I think the fenced in area is used for horse competitions. But, I was really only intrigued by the American flag. U.S.A!
Finally, the trail makes its way back out to Rt. 30. Here the blazes stop, but I was able to follow Rt. 30 and Rt. 31 back to the commuter lot where my car was waiting for me.
Overall, this was a really nice hike. But, I think I would have preferred traveling in the other direction. The miles of road walking at the end of this hike made the finish kind of boring. If you are thinking about doing this section, I would encourage you to travel in the opposite direction. And, if you are capable of hiking 12 miles in a single day, I would encourage you to hike from the I-84 Commuter Lot all the way up to Soapstone Mountain (assuming you have two cars). I think that would make for a much more satisfying conclusion. Speaking of conclusions, my next hike will include the final section of The Shenipsit Trail. Stay tuned for that!
Overall, this was a really nice hike. But, I think I would have preferred traveling in the other direction. The miles of road walking at the end of this hike made the finish kind of boring. If you are thinking about doing this section, I would encourage you to travel in the opposite direction. And, if you are capable of hiking 12 miles in a single day, I would encourage you to hike from the I-84 Commuter Lot all the way up to Soapstone Mountain (assuming you have two cars). I think that would make for a much more satisfying conclusion. Speaking of conclusions, my next hike will include the final section of The Shenipsit Trail. Stay tuned for that!