2021-10-15 Hazen Drive - Heublein Tower Hike

 On 2021-10-15, I hiked a route that started and finished on Hazen Drive in Avon and that touched on Reservoir 6 in Bloomfield, went through the Speer Preserve in Bloomfield, and included Heublein Tower in Simsbury.  Here's a link to an interactive route map I made with the GPS track from my hike: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37802322 .  You could download my track from the map and load the track onto your GPS device.

0.27 miles.  A yellow-blazed trail goes onto an old road.



0.35 miles.  A bog bridge on a yellow-blazed trail.



0.45 miles.  Switchbacks on a yellow-blazed trail.



0.58 miles.  On a steep blue-blazed trail.



0.73 mile.  On a steep section of a yellow-blazed trail.  This section has loose rocks.



1.00 miles.  On an ancient set of switchbacks on a yellow-blazed trail.



1.36 miles.  Going downhill on the blue-blazed Metacomet Trail.



1.60 miles.  Crossing a power cut on the Metacomet Trail.



2.09 miles.  On a blue-red blazed trail.



2.52 miles.  On the shores of Reservoir 6.



2.86 miles.  The leaves of an American Chestnut sprout on an unblazed trail.



2.87 miles.  On an unblazed trail, cracks beginning to develop in the bark of an American Chestnut sprout.  The fungus that kills the tree will get into the cracks.



3.01 miles.  A section of an unblazed trail where I have to use my hands.



3.54 miles. The parking area for the Wintonbury Land Trust Speer Preserve.



3.70 miles.  The ruins of the Speer house.




4.12 miles.  A Musclewood tree protruding over an intermittent pond next to an unblazed trail.



4.22 miles.  An unblazed trail goes through a power cut.




5.24 miles.  Here, the route turns northerly off the Metacomet Trail onto an unblazed trail.




5.49 miles.  Going downhill on a yellow-blazed gravel road.



5.62 miles.  We should take some refreshment at these picnic tables.



5.80 miles.  Onto an unblazed trail that runs along the top of a steep drop-off.



6.03 miles.  The view northwesterly from the unblazed trail.



6.41 miles.  A viewpoint to the side of another unblazed trail.



6.57 miles.  The route goes up this steep section on an unblazed trail.



6.99 miles.  On a set of ancient switchbacks on an unblazed trail leading up to Heublein Tower.



7.10 miles.  The entrance to Heublein Tower.  Remember to bring your mask.



6.12 miles.  The view to the north from the observation room at the top of Heublein Tower.



7.42 miles.  On the Metacomet Trail.  Where Bartlett's first tower was, I think.   See https://www.friendsofheubleintower.org/about-the-heublein-tower/heublein-tower-history/ .



8.02 miles.  On a yellow-blazed trail, less steep than the blue-blazed trail the route goes up on.



8.60 miles.  Where I parked.



The group I led on an Appalachian Mountain Club hike on this route on 2021-10-23.  Left to right, Janet from Torrington, David Reik from Farmington, Petra from Norwalk, Keith from New Fairfield.





David Reik

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2022-6-30, Compounce Ridge Trail, Bristol, Southington, CT

Image
 On 2022-6-30, I hiked a section of the Tunxis Compounce Ridge Trail, starting at the northern end of the trail.  Except for the road section, I hiked the entire section to the intersection with the Compounce Cascade Trail.  This section of the trail appeared to have been neglected for a few years. I made an interactive map with location numbers showing where the pictures below were taken.  Here's a link to the interactive map:  https://arcg.is/9maXb  .  Here's a static screenshot of the interactive map. 1.  I parked in a commuter parking lot.  This is looking back at the parking lot along the trail through a stand of mugwort. Near 1.  I found a lot of poison ivy at various places along the trail I hiked. Near 1.  I crawled under this blow-down.  2.  A blow-down. 3.  A blow-down. 4.  Overgrown. Near 4.  A blow-down. 5.  Multi-flora rose growing in the trail. Near 5.  A very overgrown section. Near ...
Read more

2022-6-5, Metacomet Trail, East Granby, CT.

Image
On 2022-6-5, I hiked a section of the Metacomet Trail in East Granby, from CT-189 to Holcomb Street. I made an interactive map of my route --- my GPS track is shown in pink.  I put in location numbers to show where the pictures below were taken.  Here is a screenshot of the southern part of the map. Here's a screenshot of the northern part of the map. Here's a link to the interactive map, where you can zoom in and out, and turn on and off various layers. https://arcg.is/1aDPiq 4.  The view of Tariffville Gorge. 6.  I don't think there was ever a structure connected with this chimney. 8.  A large Striped Maple leaf. 9.  Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina), I think.  A wild native rose. 11.  Evidence of some recent mowing of plants in the sunlit power cut. 12.  The first blow-down I came to.  This was about 100 feet south of the cemetery. 12.  The cemetery.  As I recall, the three grave stones are reproductions of the original grave st...
Read more

2021-11-18, Oak Ledges Preserve, Portland, CT

Image
 On 2021-11-18, I visited Oak Ledges Preserve in Portland, CT.  On 2021-11-19, I went back to the area and visited Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary, also in Portland, CT, and a small part of Meshomasic State Forest.  I made an interactive map with location numbers.  Here's a link to the interactive map:  https://arcg.is/b0OHb  .  I'll put in a static screenshot of the interactive map. 1.  I parked in a small pull-off (maybe three cars could fit).  A map created by the Middlesex Land Trust was displayed. 1.  The preserve is owned by the Middlesex Land Trust. 2.  Rocks along the trail which had orange blazes. 3.  I followed the orange trail to the northwest corner of the preserve.  The Middlesex Land Trust map labels this rock a glacial erratic. 3.  I managed to get to the top of the rock. 4.  I explored an interior, unblazed trail.  I think this is one of the three species in the genus Dendrolycopodium found ...
Read more