Tangled Up In Blue

639 Country Club Road Middletown to corner of Spruce Brook Road & Berlin Turnpike, Berlin - 12.2 miles ~ 6 hrs and 15 mins with lots of breaks

Today we covered Highland Pond Preserve, Wilcox Park, Giuffrida Park and Chauncey Peak, and Lamentation Mountain.

I have to say as much as I have loved this trail, today was my least favorite section. It may have been partially due to the 95 degree heat, and that we decided to tackle so much at once, but it was also because a good portion is spent walking on pavement. Also the blue blazes were not as clearly marked in Giuffrida Park and we got confused a few times and turned around once.

One interesting part of the trail had rocks with eyes painted on them. This was the first section where the trail markers seemed to disappear.

What I did appreciate about the trail was the beautiful ferns in Wilcox Park, the views from Chauncey Peak, the wild flowers: multiflora rose, crownvetch, narrow leafed blue-eyed grass, the birds, the frogs and the gorgeous white-tailed deer we encountered.

Adventurers included: Jes, Dana, Bryan, Steph & Doggo

Today due to the heat and other obligations, we decided to keep this section short and sweet. Mt Higby is the highest peak on the entire Mattabesett Trail and gives some fantastic views from it’s traprock ledges.

The trail starts in the woods and very quickly turns to an exposed area where the path is the ledges. (There is an “inner” trail for those who don’t want to be on the very edge.) The way the rocks jut up to meet you and make natural stairs is very convenient and majestic. The trail is well marked and easy to navigate. After a while you return to the woods to finish off this section.

Lots of wild violets, wild geraniums, and eastern yellow stargrass can be found on the trail. Also found a “new” flower called rock harlequin or pink corydalis. Met a new bug called an eastern eyed click beetle, had a beautiful show off raven fly over head, and met a few toads along the way.

Adventurers included: Bryan, Dana, Steph, Jes and Doggo

Dana’s first time at Guida’s

How I feel after a 15 mile hike followed by ice cream.