Case Mountain (AKA Seriously, I Hiked a Mountain!)

Location: Manchester, CT

Distance: 5 miles

Vertical rise: 744 ft.

Time: 2.5 hours

Views from the summit of Case Mountain

Beautiful bridge, waterfall and landscape!

On Saturday, July 21, I made my first solo trip up a mountain! Case Mountain is a great mountain for beginners- the trail is well-traveled and fairly easy and thus, a great confidence booster for anyone who is skeptical that they too can hike a mountain. This hike boasts fantastic views of Manchester and Hartford. Enjoy!

-Kristen

Rocky Neck State Park (AKA The Return of Project Hike CT!)

Location: East Lyme
Distance: 3 miles
Vertical Rise: 150 feet
Time: 2 hours

Today, the Switzers hiked Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme, CT. Aside from completing a great hike, today marks the return of Project Hike CT! Almost seven months since our last post, we finally have the time to continue on our quest of competing all of the hikes in 50 Hikes in Connecticut by David, Sue and Gerry Hardy.

When we began our hike, the first feature that we stumbled upon was the Four Mile River. Featuring stunning views from atop ridges, this area of the park was gorgeous. We also happened upon a family of swans with four cygnets (see below). In addition, we got a beautiful view of the Shoreline East juxtaposed against Long Island Sound.

As we continued, we transitioned from woodsy areas to the beach. This park features a historic pavilion that was completed in 1936 as part of FDR's WPA initiative. Although it was closed and we couldn't view the inside, the pavilion boasts walls made of fieldstone, fireplaces and wooden fixtures taken from every then existing state park.

The next feature that we came upon was the swamp, which also serves as a wildlife refuge. This swampy area contained lots of ducks, geese, insects, small fish and other assorted wildlife. As we left the swamp, we continued through areas of birch, oak, sassafras and mountain laurel until we returned to the parking lot where we had parked.

Overall, this was a great hike! In retrospect, we would have brought more insect repellent to combat the ticks and gnats. We also would have gone on a cooler or more overcast day, perhaps in Spring or Fall; the sun on the beachy protions of the hike was overwhelming, and the park was packed with people enjoying the beach (although the trails were nearly empty). We definitely recommend this hike, but during the cooler seasons when you are less likely to experience adverse side effects from the heat. For a rigorous hike featuring stunning examples of flora and fauna, definitely consider Rocky Neck State Park!

Scott next to the map of the park

Four Mile River

Two swans and their four cygnets

Ascending a rocky ledge

The East Shore Train line on Long Island Sound

The historic pavilion

The pavilion's plaque

The swamp area and wildlife refuge

Looking out over the swamp

 

Nature Walk at Branford Supply Ponds

Town: Branford

Distance: Approximately 1.0 miles


Vertical Rise: Negligible


Time: 25 minutes

Features: Wetlands, beautiful foliage and lots of ducks!

Today, January 2nd, 2012, we both got up as usual and got ready to go to work. To our surprise, both of our offices were closed today, so we had the opportunity to go hiking at the Branford Supply Ponds instead. We followed the red trail, and had a lovely walk through the woods. Enjoy these pictures of our awesome, low-key nature walk!

Hike #4: Dinosaur State Park (AKA We Left With A Souvenir!)

The woodsy terrain at Dinosaur State Park

Kristen with her trusty guide

A casualty of Hurricane Irene

Scott peeking through some berries that we found

Mixing plaster for our dinosaur footprint by hand

You probably can't see it, but the back of our dinosaur footprint has our name, the date and our hand prints

Scott and the finished product

Town: Rocky Hill

Distance: 1.25 miles

Vertical Rise: N/A

Time: 45 minutes

Features:  Lots of snakes and chipmunks, Opportunity to make and take home a plaster mold of a dinosaur track

Distance Hiked Thus Far: 9.75 miles

 Today, we decided to go to Dinosaur State Park on a whim. We were in Hartford to visit Scott's dad, so we decided to check it out. Since the hike was only 1.25 miles long, we were not expecting much in terms of excitement, but since the weather was so beautiful for this time of year, it turned out to be a great day for hiking. With temperatures in the low 80's, it was warm, sunny and so nice to be outside enjoying the day.

 For such a short hike, we experienced a variety of terrains. The trail took us through fields, orchards, swamps, and small rocky hills. We expected the orchards to be overrun with poison ivy (as per 50 Hikes in Connecticut), but we were happy to hike through a poison-ivy free meadow. The swamps and rocky hills were home to many woodland creatures, particularly chipmunks and snakes. We saw a tiny, baby snake sticking its head out from under a rock on the trail, but it was the larger snake in the swamp that really startled us (Kristen in particular!).

At the end of the trail, we realized that we hadn't seen any dinosaur tracks, so we went searching for the section of the park that contained them. Not only did we find the dinosaur tracks, but to our surprise, we were able to cast the tracks in plaster and make a mold to take home with us! With the help of the volunteer that was manning the station, we greased and poured plaster on a ornithopod's footprint. One of the guests had been good enough to donate about 200 lbs. of plaster so that everyone could enjoy this feature of the park. After letting our mold dry for about 20 minutes, we peeled it off, and took it home to dry for the next two weeks. It was so exciting to bring home a little piece of history for our front yard!

All in all, Dinosaur State Park was full of many fun and pleasant surprises! What a great Columbus Day Weekend activity!!!

Hike #3: North Farms Park (AKA We Got Lost)

 The bridge over the Branford River

 Scott standing on the bridge

 The Branford River at North Farms Park

 A meadow on our hike

 ...and then we ended up in a condo complex...?

 We managed to find our way back to the park...finally!

 We had to play on the playground...

...and get some McDonalds

Town: North Branford, CT
Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: 1 hour
Vertical rise: N/A
Features: Paths intersecting with the Branford River, paths through Southern CT Gas Company property

Hike #2: Hartman Park (AKA The Road Less Travelled)

The power lines on Chapman Ridge

Posting with our guide, 50 Hikes in Connecticut

Scott with 50 Hikes in Connecticut

One of the chimneys in the fortress

Standing on one of the chimneys

Turtle Rock

Laughing Rock

"The Snout"

Town: Lyme, CT
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 2:30 hours
Vertical rise: 600 feet
Features: Narrow ridges, historic fortresses


The second hike of Project Hike CT took place at Hartman Park in Lyme, CT. We arrived at this park by accident (Rocky Neck was full to capacity), and we're so glad that we did! The first thing that we noticed about this park was its general sense of solitude; considering that this park has over 10-miles of volunteer-made trails, we did not see one person during our visit. The other aspect that we noticed was the terrain; for a park that is so close to the beach, the terrain was completely representative of a forest.

My (Kristen's) favorite aspect of the hike was its historical nature; we passed foundations of old houses, fortresses, and even an old cemetery. The first ruins that we passed were those of an old barn; according to the Hardys' book, "this house was probably built in the early 17th century and burned after the Civil War" (74). After that, we climbed Chapman Ridge, and came to the top of Three Chimneys Ridge, which features powerlines (see pictures 1-3). The ridge is named for the remains of a fortress built by Lyonel Gardiner for the Puritan settlers of Saybrook Colony, of which three stone chimneys remain (see the 4th and 5th pictures).

At this point in our adventure, we had hiked about two miles. The second half of the hike was characterized by beautiful rock formations. In our pictures, you can see Laughing Rock, Turtle Rock and "the Snout." We also passed under beautiful cliffs, named the Coyote and Cave cliffs. The last feature of the hike was a small cemetery, home to a few unmarked graves (probably those of slaves and other lower class workers). Although this hike was much more difficult than the last, the scenery was gorgeous, and it was so interesting to see the ruins of colonial farms and the Puritan fort. Hartman Park is well-worth the drive- go visit this beautiful example of Connecticut wilderness!

Hike #1: Wadsworth Falls State Park (AKA Project Hike CT Begins)

Town: Middlefield, CT
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 1:45 hours
Vertical rise: 200 feet
Features: Two waterfalls, known as the "Little Falls" and the "Big Falls"

Today we went on our first hike of Project Hike CT at Wadsworth Falls State Park! We had a great time- the weather was great, the park rangers were friendly and the scenery was beautiful! We began our hike on the orange trail, which lead to the big falls (eventually). One of the most interesting features of this park is the Giant Mountain Laurel, which is one of the largest in the state. After crossing two mountain streams, we came to the little falls, which were beautiful. Around the same height as the big falls, the little falls had a significantly smaller water flow, which was great because we could cool off in the falls, but not get soaked.

After we climbed to the top of the little falls, we walked along train tracks to Cherry Hill Road, and actually hiked along the paved road for about 150 yards. Cherry Hill Road crosses over the Coginchaug River, which forms the big falls. The big falls were breathtaking, and we would have loved to jump in. However, we waited to go swimming at the beach near the main parking lot. With lush forests, beautiful waterfalls and sandy beaches, Wadsworth Falls State Park seems to have it all! Can't wait to go back!!!