Wuzzam and K2 joined me on a ramble at Shenipsit State Forest. Temperature was going to be in the mid-forties, which is really awesome for the end of January.
Our plan was to run for 3-hours, and get a better understanding of the section north of the Pinnacle near Gillette Brook. The hope was to find more of a "path" and less of the bushwhack/grown-in-trail from last week.
Way back when, in 1999 & 2000 I believe, we did Simon's "Lost in Hampden" run from Hampden, Massachusetts to Bald Mountain in Somers, Connecticut and back. A portion of the route took us from Camp Ayapo/Hurd's Lake/Perkins Mountain over Gillette Brook on our way to the Pinnacle and the turn-a-round point at Bald Mountain. Once crossed the road at Camp Ayapo, we had to scramble through briars and blow-downs before finally picking up a trail half-way up the hill to Pinnacle. Today, we found a really nice option that exists in these woods just east of Camp Road at the Stevenson Woodlands.
As for Simon's, he also put on a regular Wednesday night 7-miler along the Skyline Trail (Northern Connecticut Land Trust), with an extension to Minnechoag Mountain, Hill 880', Pine and Rattlesnack. Several of us routinely ran this weekly, and it was pretty awesome. Development may have interrupted the section over 880', Pine, and Rattlesnake... I should explore again someday.
Back to today, we ended with 10.8-miles of sunshine running, and we found our way round. Wonderful day!
Climbing Balanced Rock Hill, with it's namesake
A view west from the Balanced Rock
Another view west from Balanced Rock, with Bald Mtn in the background
Wuzzam at the top of Bent Birch Hill
Trilogy of "carved stones" leading up from the "Bottoms"
Wuzzam at the "Twin Birch" four-way
Stevenson Woodlands, at Mountain Road
At the Pinnacle; the Shenipsit Trail once existed over this ridge!
Wuzzam at the old Shenipsit Trail marker on Pinnacle
Wuzzam at the top of Bald Mountain
Another "Notch" in the woods!
