Norwottuck Rail Trail Ride

Early this summer I enjoyed a leisurely ride through the towns of Northampton, Hadley, Amherst and Belchertown along the 11 mile Norwottuck Rail Trail. It was a very scenic ride though dense woods and farmlands with majestic views of the mountains in the Holyoke range. The most dramatic half mile of the ride occurred while crossing the Connecticut River on a newly constructed traffic-free bridge. Spectacular!  I highly recommend a side trip to the Black Sheep Deli in Amhert (about a half mile off trail) for lunch and Maple Farm Foods in Hadely (on trail) for ice cream!

Nicely shaded wooded section of trail.

One of the many corn fields along side the trail.

Enjoy an ice cream and the view of the Holyoke Range on a conveniently located bench.

Crossing the Connecticut River.

Nice view of the mighty Connecticut River.

An escapee from a local farm?

More on-trail wildlife.

Beautiful flower garden on trail.

Me at the Belchertown trail head. Chicks dig my Black Butte Porter cycling jersey!

Ride on!

Bay Circuit Trail Hike Map 10 & 11 - Route 1, Walpole to Borderland State Park, Easton

I’ve been away from the Bay Circuit Trail (BCT) for over four months. I’m not a fan of doing long hikes in the summer heat and humidity so I took a break. During this extended absence I planned how to split the remaining miles of the trail into manageable day hikes. It’s not as easy as you may think, given it’s a linear trail and I often hike point to point on my own. One ‘interesting’ thing I discovered during the planning process was that the BCT is actually closer to 230 miles long, not the 200 mile distance reported by the Bay Circuit Alliance back when I started the trail in 2011. The AMC has recently updated the BCT website and now reports the distance at 230+ miles. I’m not sure if the additional 30 miles resulted from re-routes over the years or some other factor.  It’s not a big deal, but it means I’ll have to do two more hikes than I originally planned. Not a bad thing at all.

176 completed miles on the Bay Circuit Trail.

This time my daughter joined me and we got dropped off on Route 1 in Walpole where we ended the last hike. The first mile was on a quiet back road which led us to a private driveway before we entered the woods. We passed by an underground house built into the sloping earth in the early 1970s. It was a bit strange to see a stone chimney sticking out of the ground with nothing else around it.

Underground house. The 'roof' is lawn.

At the end of the private drive the trail entered a wooded area adjacent to Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. It was very spongy underfoot due to a thick bed of pine needles. I knew most of the day would likely involve walking on rocks and roots so I enjoyed this moment while it lasted. After crossing a road we entered into Moose Hill proper and began a series of ascents and descents. None were particular long but they were often steep. The high point of the day was reached at the summit of Moose Hill (534 ft) but sadly it was treed in and there were no views. I was somewhat surprised by the difficulty of the trails in Moose Hill but walking five continuous miles of single-track was an unexpected treat!

Pine needles and downhill! What more could you ask for?

 Stone chimney on an overlook called Allen's Ledge.

 View from Allen's Ledge.

Fire tower on Moose Hill.

 Plenty of up and down early on but pretty smooth the second half.

The next section involved a long road walk paralleling Massapoag Lake. Normally, I dislike the road walks but this one wasn’t bad as I was distracted by pleasant views of the lake and a few stately homes just across the street. About two miles later, we entered Borderland State Park for the final leg of the hike. The trail in Borderland was not as undulating as it was in Moose Hill. What it lacked in topography, it more than made up for with rocks and roots! I kept stubbing my toe on various rocks and roots as I often do when I begin to fatigue. After five hours of continuous movement I was pleased to see the park Headquarters Building which marked the end point for today’s hike.

 Massapoag Lake

 
The trail in Borderland, and for this entire 13 mile section of the BCT, was very well marked. I never went off-trail and needed to refer to the trail guide only on a few occasions. This hike was more about spending time with my daughter than documenting the trail so I didn’t take many photographs. You’ll just have to get out there and see it for yourself.

Happy Trails!

Stats: BCT Maps 10 & 11: 13.2 miles  
Surface split: 9.7m trails, 3.5m roads  
Elevation gain: 784 feet  
Highest point: Moose Hill 534 ft.  
Start point: Route 1, Walpole  
End point: Borderland State Park, Easton  
Other towns: Sharon  
Green Spaces: Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Deborah Sampson Park, Borderland State Park  
Hydration: 40 oz water  
Fuel: Two Cilff Bars  
Footwear: Scarpa Spark, Wright socks  
Total BCT covered to date: 176 miles  
Surface split: 105 trail and dirt road, 64 pavement, 7 paved rail trail  
Total elevation gain: 7693+  
Highest point: Nobscot Hill 602 ft  
BCT remaining: 54m estimated

Gear Review - Scarpa Spark Trail Shoes

Ever since I wore through the last of my stockpiled Cascadia 5s I’ve been looking for a suitable replacement. It’s been a long and exhausting search for that perfect shoe (if such a thing exists) but I’ve finally found something I can live with, at least temporarily. It’s the Scarpa Spark. Most of you have probably never heard of Scarpa but the Italian company has been making quality mountaineering, skiing, hiking and trekking boots and shoes for seventy years.
  

I’ve been a traditional shoe wearer for years and have never been able to wear any of the minimalist shoes that have become so popular since the book “Born to Run” was published. Low and no drop running shoes cause my plantar fascia to flare up. The Spark, with its 6mm heel drop, is a good compromise between a minimalist and traditional shoe. It hasn’t caused any plantar fasciitis problems for me. I also like that the shoe is so much lighter than my Cascadias.

The Spark fits securely though the heel and mid-foot but has a high volume toe box so your toes don’t feel squished. The uppers drain quickly and breathe well but may not be very durable. I jammed my foot between two sharp rocks on a recent hike and damaged the shoe almost to the point of tearing a hole in the mesh. The sticky rubber sole grips extremely well on wet roots and rocky surfaces but is lacking when it comes to muddy trails. The 2.5mm lugs just aren’t big enough to dig in deep for a secure grip.

Photo credits: Trail Runner Nation

If I have one complaint with the shoe it’s with the hi-tensile fabric strike plate. Sure it saves weight, but it doesn’t offer same the foot protection as a high density EVA plate would. It may not be problem for runners/hikers without any foot issues but after a long day on a rocky trail or mountain, the neuromas in my feet become painful due to the lack of protection.  To their credit, I don’t have any foot issues on smoother trails.

Likes:

• Lightweight
• Roomy toe box\
• Sticky rubber sole
• Drains well

Dislikes:

• Inadequate strike plate
• 2.5mm lugs lacking in deep mud

Disclosure: The author owns this product and purchased it with his own funds.

Two Days,Two Hikes. One Bad,One Good. Both Humid as Heck!

I was hoping to do and overnight hike on the Monadnock-Sunapee Trail this week but the weather looked very iffy so I decided to stick close to home and do two short hikes instead.  

The first hike, at Hale Reservation & Noanet Woodlands, was also my first time visiting the area. These adjacent properties in Westwood and Dover MA offer many miles of trails to explore. The fact that they are only an hour drive from my house was a bonus. I have to say I was disappointed with the hike. Much to my surprise there was very little topography and I was quickly bored with the flat trails. I'm not sure if the super humid air had anything to do with it but the biting insects were out in full force. They attacked me relentlessly throughout the morning and forced me to shorten the hike from the planned 10 miles down to around 6.5. I was never so happy to get out of the woods!

 Hale/Noanet Route

 View of Storrow Pond through the trees.

Calm on Storrow Pond.

 Giant erratic, perhaps 20 feet high.

Collapsed pavilion on Strawberry Hill Trail.

The second hike was at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus. I haven't been to Breakheart in three years and it was nice to be back. One notable change since my last visit here is the presence of beaver in the Saugus River. The ranger told me they have been there for two years. Beavers can be a nuisance and create problems but I really like the chubby rodents. Breakheart can be a very busy place on the weekend but the moring rain kept most people away. I have found hiking on a raining day to be a very peaceful time for me. I should do it more often. 

Breakheart Route

Climbing Breakheart Hill Trail in the rain.

 Remains of old motor and chassis used to operate a rope tow when Breakheart Hill was used for skiing in the 60s.

 Inline six with pistons frozen in place.

 Another large erratic. Note trekking poles on left for scale.

  Steps on the Fox Run Trail. Another change since my last visit.

Looking down on Pearce Lake from Eagle Rock.

 Pearce Lake

Silver Lake

Beaver Dam on Saugus River

Hike on!

Mt. Monadnock Hike

Is it possible to find solitude on the most popular mountain in North America? Not completely, but you can minimize encounters with other humans if you choose your route wisely. I decided to bypass the most direct and popular White Dot and White Cross trails for the lesser known and traveled trails. I would ascend to the summit of Monadock via the Parker, Cliff Walk, Smith Connecting, Amphitheater and White Arrow trails and descend on the Pumpelly, Cascade Link and lower portion of the White Dot trails, with a total distance of approximately seven miles. 

Final Route

The Ascent:
Parker Trail
Distance: 1.2 miles
Grade: Easy
Humans: 0

The hike up Parker was not difficult. Although the trail constantly gained elevation, the grade was slight. There were a fair amount of rocks and roots and several wet and muddy areas but it was easy to stay dry by rock hopping over the water. The mosquitoes were a bit of a nuisance but the Ben's 30% DEET I applied kept the little buggers swarming around my head at an acceptable distance. 

Parker Trail marker

Poole Reservoir waterfall

Easy hiking

Cliff Walk Trail
Distance: 1.4 miles
Grade: Moderate
Humans: 1

The grade changed immediately once I turned onto the Cliff Walk Trail.  Most of climbs were moderately difficult but a few of them were steep and required a hard effort. I was surprised by the amount of ups and downs on the trail. I had expected to be climbing the entire way. Most of the trail was under tree cover but there were times when it opened up on a ledge and offered beautiful views of the countryside and mountains in the distance. This was my favorite trail on the hike.

Cliff Walk Trail marker

Very steep and difficult section

Straight up, latter required!

Nice view from Cliff Walk

I believe that is the Wapack range in the distance.

North Pack and Pack Monadnock?

View from Bald Rock

View of Monadnock summit from Bald Rock

Smith Connecting and Amphitheater Trails
Distance: 0.4 miles
Grade: Easy
Humans: 0

From Bald Rock you can stay on the Smith Connecting Link for 0.6 miles and take the White Dot Trail to the summit or turn left in 0.2 miles and take the Amphitheater Trail and summit Monadnock using the White Arrow trail. I chose the latter. The Smith Connecting Link dropped quickly down an exposed, smooth rock slap onto shaded single-track. I was happy to get out of the sun, albeit briefly, as the climb up Cliff Walk had overheated me and I was getting low on water. I carefully shuffled my way across one of the rows of the Amphitheater and began the final approach to the summit.

Smith Connecting Link

Amphitheater seating

White Cross Trail
Distance: 0.5 miles
Grade: Difficult
Humans: 8-10 (2 scared silly)

My first thought when I saw the White Arrow Trail was, "I should have gone the other way."  The trail was a jumble of irregular shaped and sized boulders. The journey to the summit switched from a hike to a rock scramble which was something I did not expect. A father and son were stopped in my path just ahead of me and I asked them if they were going up or coming down. They said they weren't sure and seemed to be frozen in their tracks. Once I got past them I climbed hand over hand to the summit. The view was my reward for the hard effort.

Getting closer to the top.

My cheering squad awaits me.

I didn't sign up for this!

At the summit

The Descent:
White Dot and White Cross Trails
Distance: 2.1 miles
Moderate to Difficult (but it's downhill!!)
Humans: Not as many as I thought I see.

After spending a little time enjoying the views (and cooling down), it was time to bid the mountain farewell. I was out of water and low on time so I decided to take the most direct route down and abandon my plan to take Pumpelly and Cascade Link to the bottom. This would cut the hike short by 1.5 miles and get me back to the car at a reasonable hour, or so I thought. I still got stuck in rush hour traffic on the drive home.

Descending the summit on White Dot

I like my cairns super-sized!

This was the most challenging terrain I've been on since my joint issues began two and a half years ago and my body handled it reasonably well. Maybe it's time to stop babying myself?