2021-7-13, Roaring Brook Reserve, East Haddam, CT

 On 2021-7-13, I visited Roaring Brook Reserve in East Haddam, CT.  I made an interactive map of the preserve with location numbers that I will refer to.  Here's a link to the interactive map: https://arcg.is/1T10u00 .  Here's a static screenshot of the interactive map.



1.  I parked in a gravel parking lot that might be able to hold six cars.  There was a kiosk next to the parking lot that displayed material that can be found at this link: https://www.easthaddam.org/media/Trail%20Maps%202020/Roaring%20Brook%20Reserve.pdf .  One document displayed on the kiosk but not found on the link above was this request for volunteer maintainers.



2.  From the parking lot, I followed a red-blazed trail that led through a power cut.




3.  Where the red trail split, there was a large white oak which apparently was in an open field when it was young.




4.  The red trail met Roaring Brook.



5.  On Roaring Brook, there was a concrete dam which apparently once had a gate that could be inserted to raise the water level.



5.  Where the gate once was.



5.  Looking upstream from the dam.




6.  Between the red-blazed trail and a blue-blazed trail there was an intermittent stream which had water in it on 2021-7-13, but was easy to cross.  I found no connector trail between the red-blazed trail and the blue-blazed trail but the 118-foot bushwhack between the two trails was easy.




7.  The blue-blazed trail was well-blazed and therefore easy to follow, but parts of the trail were overgrown.



8.  There was a pull-off where at least one car could park here on Florida Road.  You can only drive to this parking space from the south unless you have a vehicle capable of handling a very rugged road.


9.  The section of Florida Road that was not maintained for normal vehicles was a good path for walkers.


10.  I explored a power-cut access road that connects with the red-blazed trail.  I found Butterfly Milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, which I read is rare in Connecticut.



10. Butterfly Milkweed.



10. Butterfly Milkweed.



10. Butterfly Milkweed.



10. Butterfly Milkweed.














David Reik

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