Puck
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- Aug 27, 2004
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I am known as a hiking/backpacking enthusiast. The irony is I have hiked very little in my state of residence. One of the State’s Blue Trails passes just yards from my house. I had the time to hike yesterday so I took on the 23mile Quinnipiac Trail. The trail is historical having been built in the 1920s. It has even been mentioned by the Waterman’s.
My wife dropped me off at the northern end of the trail, right off rt 68 in Prospect (Chatfield rd) The trail picks up by a water tower. I would find that most of the land that the trail passes through is owned by the water company or the CT DEP. The trail quickly rose over trap rock to 600 ft. The trail follows a ridge with a lot of PUDS. Come to find out these PUDS are actual mountains with names. The area gives the illusion of solitude and wilderness as very few houses or roads are seen.
I had one tough stream crossing on Roaring Brock. The brook cuts through a ravine a traprock. The water was very high due to Sat’s rain. I found a log that spanned the brook. It was very slippery and I shimmied across. For the first seven miles or so there were no views. It was a long walk in the woods. The woods had long sweeping views under a canopy of trees. The understory was gone. There were areas of laurel but the woods had a sparse look. The trail is well blazed. If I missed a blaze I knew that I would soon end up in somebody’s backyard or come out on a road. Getting turned around would be nothing more than an inconvenience. There were areas that had three to five trails diverging and any one could have been the main trail.
The trail passes through old roads, Indian trails, and streets. At times it seemed like a country walk or what was a country walk. Some of the old fields that were indicated on the old USGS tops are now rows of McMansions. I passed by some prominent radio towers that serve as a landmark from other sections of the trail. There was an old foundation and standing chimney. I am sure that the spot serves as a place of local “Blair Witch” style legend. There were bricks strewn all over, old beer cans. Shortly beyond the dwelling spot I was under a canopy of Mountain Laurel. This was the beginning of Mt High. The view on this mountain 700’ (yes only seven hundred feet) looked south and west for a view of unbroken forest. I was surprised by the beauty, it was unexpected. The forest here is all hard woods, cherry, maple, beech, oaks, and black birch. There were a lot of hickory nuts on the ground. I thought I saw to seedling American Chestnuts. I have heard they still grow in some areas to about two to three feet then the blight kills them. I would have loved to have seen the landscape when these trees ruled the landscape. I could easily imagine flocks of passenger pigeons roosting down during migration to feed on the nuts.
As the trail turned east I came into view of a golf course and my mind came back to the here and now. A short ways down another trail Regicides comes in. This trail extends well into New Haven on the ridge I was now descending. The trail eventual came out on Nolan Ave leading to Shepard in Hamden. It was close to one o’clock and I had come about 15 miles. I stopped home for lunch. After, I picked up the trail from Rocky Top. I was concerned about this section. Quinnipiac University is building a sports facility near the ridge. I was happy to see that there was no disruption in the area. I came across another old dwelling site. The trail cuts between a chimney and old stone stove. I was again quickly out of the woods and on pavement. Busy rout 10 was at the base of the hill. I passed Talbot’s and Lady Olga’s Lingerie. I never thought I would ever see that on a hike I didn’t stop in because I am sure they had nothing in Techwik. The trail crossed the street at a cross walk and then slips into Sleeping Giant.
The Sleeping Giant is and old friend. I feel so Lilliputian when I am there. The Blue trail goes over the head for fine views back over the ridge I had just come, down the neck , up onto the chest, the right hip and down a leg. The trail exits the Park 5.5 miles. I decided to continue to the very end of the trail. I walked down Toeles Rd to the Quinnipiac river. The trail follows the river through riparian woods. The river was very fast and swollen. Soon I was in a field of weeds 75 yard wide, mile long and four feet deep. I was not dressed for the endeavor and thought I would go back into the wood by the Parkway Rt15. The woods were flooded and choked with cat briars and other vines. I got to the shoulder and continued walking to State Street. Now I can say I have done the trip end to end, and I know the high points to revisit.
Although I can’t always go to the beloved White Mountains, it is good to be able to enjoy local hiking on its own merits the different habitat, geography and history.
My wife dropped me off at the northern end of the trail, right off rt 68 in Prospect (Chatfield rd) The trail picks up by a water tower. I would find that most of the land that the trail passes through is owned by the water company or the CT DEP. The trail quickly rose over trap rock to 600 ft. The trail follows a ridge with a lot of PUDS. Come to find out these PUDS are actual mountains with names. The area gives the illusion of solitude and wilderness as very few houses or roads are seen.
I had one tough stream crossing on Roaring Brock. The brook cuts through a ravine a traprock. The water was very high due to Sat’s rain. I found a log that spanned the brook. It was very slippery and I shimmied across. For the first seven miles or so there were no views. It was a long walk in the woods. The woods had long sweeping views under a canopy of trees. The understory was gone. There were areas of laurel but the woods had a sparse look. The trail is well blazed. If I missed a blaze I knew that I would soon end up in somebody’s backyard or come out on a road. Getting turned around would be nothing more than an inconvenience. There were areas that had three to five trails diverging and any one could have been the main trail.
The trail passes through old roads, Indian trails, and streets. At times it seemed like a country walk or what was a country walk. Some of the old fields that were indicated on the old USGS tops are now rows of McMansions. I passed by some prominent radio towers that serve as a landmark from other sections of the trail. There was an old foundation and standing chimney. I am sure that the spot serves as a place of local “Blair Witch” style legend. There were bricks strewn all over, old beer cans. Shortly beyond the dwelling spot I was under a canopy of Mountain Laurel. This was the beginning of Mt High. The view on this mountain 700’ (yes only seven hundred feet) looked south and west for a view of unbroken forest. I was surprised by the beauty, it was unexpected. The forest here is all hard woods, cherry, maple, beech, oaks, and black birch. There were a lot of hickory nuts on the ground. I thought I saw to seedling American Chestnuts. I have heard they still grow in some areas to about two to three feet then the blight kills them. I would have loved to have seen the landscape when these trees ruled the landscape. I could easily imagine flocks of passenger pigeons roosting down during migration to feed on the nuts.
As the trail turned east I came into view of a golf course and my mind came back to the here and now. A short ways down another trail Regicides comes in. This trail extends well into New Haven on the ridge I was now descending. The trail eventual came out on Nolan Ave leading to Shepard in Hamden. It was close to one o’clock and I had come about 15 miles. I stopped home for lunch. After, I picked up the trail from Rocky Top. I was concerned about this section. Quinnipiac University is building a sports facility near the ridge. I was happy to see that there was no disruption in the area. I came across another old dwelling site. The trail cuts between a chimney and old stone stove. I was again quickly out of the woods and on pavement. Busy rout 10 was at the base of the hill. I passed Talbot’s and Lady Olga’s Lingerie. I never thought I would ever see that on a hike I didn’t stop in because I am sure they had nothing in Techwik. The trail crossed the street at a cross walk and then slips into Sleeping Giant.
The Sleeping Giant is and old friend. I feel so Lilliputian when I am there. The Blue trail goes over the head for fine views back over the ridge I had just come, down the neck , up onto the chest, the right hip and down a leg. The trail exits the Park 5.5 miles. I decided to continue to the very end of the trail. I walked down Toeles Rd to the Quinnipiac river. The trail follows the river through riparian woods. The river was very fast and swollen. Soon I was in a field of weeds 75 yard wide, mile long and four feet deep. I was not dressed for the endeavor and thought I would go back into the wood by the Parkway Rt15. The woods were flooded and choked with cat briars and other vines. I got to the shoulder and continued walking to State Street. Now I can say I have done the trip end to end, and I know the high points to revisit.
Although I can’t always go to the beloved White Mountains, it is good to be able to enjoy local hiking on its own merits the different habitat, geography and history.
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