"In wilderness is the preservation of the world."
Henry David Thoreau





Saturday, July 28, 2012

Crotched Mountain Accessible Trails

Checking out the handicapped accessible trails at Crotched Mountain.
They have two; The Dutton Brook Trail and The Gregg Trail.
I did the Gregg Trail.


















 A nice day for a hike I thought.  It started out hot and humid.
When I got to the trail head it was about 82 degrees and pretty humid.
It started to sprinkle a little which was great.
It lessened the humidity and it was barely enough rain to get me wet.
When I started the hike there was a blaze on a tree that turned out to be the only one on the trail.

















Of course this is a handicapped accessible trail so here really isn't a chance of veering off it.
Even accidentally.
















This is a great trail for those of us who are "mobily challenged" Usually on a regular trail I have to concentrate so much on where my next step is going to be that I miss a lot of what's around me.
This trail is nice and smooth so I could check out the scenery as I walked along.








That's Joe English in the middle. You can just start to see South Uncanook on the left but I didn't get it in the picture. I was pleasantly surprised at the views offered from Crotched Mt.





 









At the top there's a nice deck to sit and take in the view.



A bit misty when I got there so the view wasn't so great but it felt great to be up there.



A sign at the top identifying the mountains you could see. My camera didn't capture them but even in the mist I could make out their outlines.

Headed down and it seemed to be a little clearer in the descent side.

















I was a little puzzled by this sign.




It's message was clear enough but its placement struck me as odd.
It was about halfway down the trail being read from the descent. I would think by the time you saw it, it was already too late to do anything about how you got there. Perhaps one of these at the beginning of the trail?

Back down.  Pretty short hike. About 1/2 hour up and 1/2 hour down. But a very enjoyable hour of hiking.
I started late (around 3:00) or I would have done the Drummond Brook Trail also. 
That will be next time.











Sunday, July 15, 2012

Too hot to hike...BUT

...not too hot to cut the grass.
Actually it is too hot but the grass won't cooperate
and keeps growing no matter how much I hope it won't.

My hiking partner for Sunday
















Much too loud, always had to be in the lead, ran out of gas halfway through the hike.
Not a hiking partner I would pick but
I'll probably have to repeat this experience a few times this summer.

I bought a house in the woods so I wouldn't have to have a manicured lawn.

















Though I still have to cut it a few times in the summer.
I wouldn't cut it at all but society dictates otherwise.

This year's wood chips or next winter's bonfire.
















Walking around with a lawn mower is a great way to get exercise
for those with maladies like mine.
It's like having a walker that accomplishes something while it's helping you balance.

Hopefully the weather will break and I can get back on the trails.

I know this wasn't a hike by any stretch of the imagination but I had to post something.
(It was a long walk almost through the woods)

Crotched Mountain next!