I needed to get out for a hike but didn't have the time or energy to drive north on Sunday so I headed for the Blue Hills. It's only a 20 minute drive from my house in Somerville to the Shea Rink in Quincy, the eastern end of the trail. It was a bit of a late start, I didn't get on the trail until 11:00 AM and it was warming up already.
The trail is well blazed with lots of blue plastic on trees and blue paint on rocks but I still managed to wander off course a few times for a few minutes. There are lots of unmarked side trails but it's not hard to notice you're off trail when you normally see blazes every 12 feet. The hike is pleasant with a series of hills and ridges, giving you a good workout and a little scrambling, plus some nice views.
I hiked roughly 5 miles to the Reservation HQ where I grabbed a Gatorade from the vending machine at the Police Barracks (it gave me $2 in change, so it was free!) and sat down for lunch. The trip back was uneventful except for meeting a confused owl who apparently built her nest a little too close to the trail. I passed her on the way out as some hikers were getting too close and she was very agitated. I convinced them to move on and apparently she calmed down. When I went past she we quietly sitting on the nest, keeping an eye on me but not moving any beyond that.
It's definitely worth a visit if you need to stretch your legs close to home. Yes, there is traffic noise and airplanes overhead for much of the hike, but after a while you don't really notice it.
The trail is well blazed with lots of blue plastic on trees and blue paint on rocks but I still managed to wander off course a few times for a few minutes. There are lots of unmarked side trails but it's not hard to notice you're off trail when you normally see blazes every 12 feet. The hike is pleasant with a series of hills and ridges, giving you a good workout and a little scrambling, plus some nice views.
I hiked roughly 5 miles to the Reservation HQ where I grabbed a Gatorade from the vending machine at the Police Barracks (it gave me $2 in change, so it was free!) and sat down for lunch. The trip back was uneventful except for meeting a confused owl who apparently built her nest a little too close to the trail. I passed her on the way out as some hikers were getting too close and she was very agitated. I convinced them to move on and apparently she calmed down. When I went past she we quietly sitting on the nest, keeping an eye on me but not moving any beyond that.
It's definitely worth a visit if you need to stretch your legs close to home. Yes, there is traffic noise and airplanes overhead for much of the hike, but after a while you don't really notice it.
