2022-5-11, Metacomet Trail, Berlin, CT

 On 2022-5-11, I hiked a section of the Metacomet Trail (blue blazes), and the Metacomet Loop Trail (blue-red blazes), in Berlin, CT.

This map shows where I recorded GPS Waypoints.  I recorded a Waypoint each time I took a picture.


Here's a link that will take you to the interactive version of the map: https://arcg.is/1e1fD1

001.  Why is a left turn indicated here?



 A very nice map that the Town of Berlin must have had made.



002.  Two blow-downs on the blue-red trail.



003.  Painted-over blazes on what I think used to be a short blue-white trail.



004.  A nice angle-iron bridge on the blue-red trail.



005.  A low blow-down on the blue-red trail.



006.  The blue-red trail meets the blue trail.



007.  A ford on the blue trail.  Not a problem on 2022-5-11.



008.  This spot has gotten overgrown in the past.  Not a problem as of 2022-5-11.   Small poison ivy plants were visible.



009.  A low blow-down.



010.  Two blow-downs.



011.  A blow-down.



012.  A hanging blow-down.



013.  At first I thought this was a blow-down on the blue trail, but I decided it was a helpful barrier to keep people from straying onto an unblazed trail that I had inadvertently strayed onto in the past.



014.  The blue trail turns off of an ancient road here.  This is a turn that would be easy to miss.



015.  A blow-down.



016.  A blow-down.



017.  A partially buried blow-down.



018.  This blow-down proved to be dangerous.  I tried to move it and cut myself.



019.  A blow-down.  Do we now have more white-ash blow-downs than we have hemlock blow-downs?



020.  A blow-down,.



021.  I was not sure if I the upper blow-down was blocking the trail.  I now think the upper blow-down was blocking what used to be the path of the Metacomet.



022.  Here, there were two blow-downs blocking the trail.



023.  Again, two blow-downs.



024.  Another white ash blocking the trail.



025.  A blow-down.



026.  A maple blow-down, I think.



027.   Someone placed a piece of wood with an arrow on it to mark the turn that used to be marked by a blaze on a tree that has fallen.



028.  The scary ledge.  It's not really as dangerous as other spots on the section of the Metacomet I hiked on 2022-5-11.  I have seen people intentionally slide down the steep slope to the right of the trail in this picture.



029.  This ford was no problem on 2022-5-11.



030.  The path on the right goes to a trail neighbor's yard.  There is no blaze telling hikers which path is the Metacomet Trail.  I guess hikers figure it out pretty quickly.



031.  This spot has gotten overgrown in the past.  It looked fine on 2022-5-11.



032.  This spot also has been overgrown in the past.  No problem on 2022-5-11.  


033.  On the way back, I noticed one of the old blue-white blazes that was still visible.


















David Reik

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