Mike P.
Well-known member
Date of Hike: 5/26/2015
Trail Conditions: Dry, near Guida's Restaurant was the only water, a mostly still breeding pool for mosquitos. The walk light to cross 66 lasts long enough to cross the wide road. A couple of blow downs that were easy to step over.
Special Equipment Required: Fresh legs and better expectations. More up and down that I expected after reading that once you gain the ridge it gets easy. 40 -50 ft drops along an easy ridge was not how I define easy.
Comments: - After Moosilauke in NH yesterday, I was looking for some place new that I had not been to before and was pretty easy. I got the new but after Monday the Mattabassett was more than I wanted. I would have been better with poles. (Mattabassett, pronounced like kicked my a$$ a bit)
I made it past two or three of the great views overlooking Black Pond (about 1.75 miles from the car) and came to second 50+ foot Pointless up and down (okay there may not have been a level ridge walk but that's all I wanted) since the first set of powerlines, I decided I had had enough and still had 75 feet of up to get over on my way down......
On way out of the Middlefield, Middletown area I came across the Highlawn Forest Trail system. Looks like a recent addition to the Blue trail network and the CFPA lands. Quite flat, the CFPA is using as a classroom environment for kids and schools. I did two short loops and for a shady place to go, it was nice. I understand the longer loops do leave the forest for more open areas. (fields and such) Had I know about before I headed to the Mattabassett, I probably would have done one of the longer mellow loops.
Mike P.
[email protected]
Trail Conditions: Dry, near Guida's Restaurant was the only water, a mostly still breeding pool for mosquitos. The walk light to cross 66 lasts long enough to cross the wide road. A couple of blow downs that were easy to step over.
Special Equipment Required: Fresh legs and better expectations. More up and down that I expected after reading that once you gain the ridge it gets easy. 40 -50 ft drops along an easy ridge was not how I define easy.
Comments: - After Moosilauke in NH yesterday, I was looking for some place new that I had not been to before and was pretty easy. I got the new but after Monday the Mattabassett was more than I wanted. I would have been better with poles. (Mattabassett, pronounced like kicked my a$$ a bit)
I made it past two or three of the great views overlooking Black Pond (about 1.75 miles from the car) and came to second 50+ foot Pointless up and down (okay there may not have been a level ridge walk but that's all I wanted) since the first set of powerlines, I decided I had had enough and still had 75 feet of up to get over on my way down......
On way out of the Middlefield, Middletown area I came across the Highlawn Forest Trail system. Looks like a recent addition to the Blue trail network and the CFPA lands. Quite flat, the CFPA is using as a classroom environment for kids and schools. I did two short loops and for a shady place to go, it was nice. I understand the longer loops do leave the forest for more open areas. (fields and such) Had I know about before I headed to the Mattabassett, I probably would have done one of the longer mellow loops.
Mike P.
[email protected]
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