Despite it looking like rain, and the call for rain around noon or so, I drove out to Canaan/Cornwall to continue exploring Connecticut's Mohawk Trail.
This was the old Appalachian Trail until sometime in the 1980's I believe. At that point, the trail was moved to the west of the Housatonic River, and the old path became the Mohawk Trail.
Today, I would park along Music Mountain Road and ramble slightly easterly toward last Saturday's stopping point at Yelping Hill Road, and return.
The section was very nice, with a small waterfall at the trail entry (Reed Brook, which is the water source that runs through Dean's Ravine as well). The trail climbed along a high-ridge of Music Mountain, and passed through or over several large, impressive stonewalls to my turn-a-round point of Yelping Hill Road, at 3.1-miles.
There were a few spots that were confusing, due to blazes being non-existent, faded, or doubled up in two opposing directions. At some point this section of trail had some re-locations itself, which appears to be great choices (once I placed the track on the map and compared to the old route), but the old blazes and paths still exist, which was confusing during the actual run through.
I returned to my parking spot at round 6.2-miles, and while the sky looked more grey, I figured I'd give going west a try as well. Headed right down into Deans Ravine, which is awesome. I did not take photographs of the ravine, as it was getting dark and it being a ravine and all, I questioned how the shots would look.
Came back out on the road, jogged west a bit and then jumped back onto single-track north to skirt around Barrack Mountain. Over the high-point, and began my descent, and the sky opened up on me. Turned at a trail-junction on a severe downhill, and went back to the car with a total of 9.1-miles (I ran the final road section rather than the Deans Ravine section on trail).
Looks like one more visit to tie this entire trail up, more or less. I hope to have a brighter day so I can capture a few photographs of Deans Ravine, and find the northern terminus at the AT Junction.
Shelter along the Mohawk Trail
Reed Brook, Waterfall prior to Dean's Ravine
Reed Brook, Waterfall prior to Dean's Ravine
Old Appalachian Trail Marker on the Mohawk Trail
Looking off Barrack Mountain westward
Centennial Tree in Cornwall
Centennial Tree in Cornwall
Centennial Tree in Cornwall
Centennial Tree in Cornwall
Centennial Tree in Cornwall
On this day in 1999, I completed my 20th marathon at Pisgah. Time was 5:47:30, and I am fairly certain this was a 50km event. I missed a turn somewhere around 10-miles, and had to backtrack a bunch.