Amazing Art Trails from around the World.

Oldest tree in the forest. Mattatuck State Forest, Plymouth, Connecticut. September 18, 2020, 5:42 PM.

hiking railtrails reviews maps

Rockingham Portsmouth Branch Rail Trail, NH
4 28 miles Easy difficulty

1/3
June 9, 1983: I eased the puppy off my pack and lifted it onto my shoulders. The Appalachian Trail crossed Virginia Highway 601, a narrow, rural road, and went through an open field for a short distance before disappearing into the trees. I said good-bye to my two new friends and turned away, crossing the road and the field without looking back.

Golden sunset at New Britain Reservoir, Southington, CT. August 11, 2020, 7:18 PM.

The marsh at the end of October. Marino Pond, Plymouth, Connecticut. October 26, 2019, 4:39 PM.

Colorful decay. Forest floor along the Mattatuck Trail near Hidden Lake, Fall Mountain, Plymouth, Connecticut. October 26, 2019, 5:26 PM.

1/3
August 9, 1983: Charlie started hiking at 8:00, just before a lively little thundershower kicked up. Pete and I waited it out a while before we left. Petes small transistor radio, on which we heard the forecast, called for widely scattered showers, so we had reason to believe that it would blow over quickly. It did. When it stopped, we were quickly on our way.

The Green Yellows Garden Trails. It's yellow, it's green, it's bright, it's breathable! here:

Indian summer sunset. Nearing the end of a warm November afternoon. Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. Monday, November 2, 2020, 4:10 PM.

Rainy autumn afternoon walk at the linear park. Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. October 13, 2020, 5:32 PM

1/2
May 9, 1983: Dave and I had lunch in Bly Gap, just across the state line into North Carolina. One state down and eleven to go. A large, rather steeply-sloping meadow ran down the side of the ridge from the crest there, bright green grass broken by reddish brown channels where several runoff streams (dry today) exposed the clay soil.

Very big rock and dead stump. Mad River ravine about a mile north of Peterson Memorial Park, Wolcott, Connecticut. August 2, 2020, 7:15 PM.

1/6
September 4, 1983: The climb up Mount Kinsman was a bear. The AT followed Eliza Brook back up towards the ridge crest. At first, it climbed on a weedy, grassy old woods road above the brook, but it quickly dropped back to the banks of the stream, along which it climbed, often torturously, over the boulders filling the ravine.

1/2
Perfect summer evening at the lake, New Britain Reservoir, Southington, Connecticut. August 3, 2020, 6:52 PM. Low water levels in summer at this reservoir are responsible for all the unusual vegetation here.

1/3
July 1, 1983: The sun, which had been playing peek-a-boo with the fogs and mists since sunrise, emerged triumphant, combining with the lingering rainwater to gradually brew up a tropical mixture of wilting heat, stifling humidity, and dripping vegetation. The greater portion of my hike was grim and joyless.

There were some highlights along the way.

Pink and blue summer sunset at Woodtick Recreation Area, Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. July 26, 2020, 8:31 PM.

1/4
June 2, 1983: The trail was rough. The mile from the shelter to the cliffs on Little Rock Knob was straight uphill. Another gorgeous day and a nice series of views made that climb worthwhile. Little Rock Knob was an interesting name for a mountain that missed five thousand feet in elevation by less than a hundred.

hiking railtrails reviews maps

Deer Mountain & Fire Tower, Pittsburgh NH
3 4.3 miles Medium difficulty

Sunset photography: the long pause between the daylight and nighttime portions of my hike. Soft summer sunset at Lost Ponds, Mattatuck State Forest, Plymouth, Connecticut. July 14, 2018, 7:30 PM.

Trails

1/2
May 6, 1983: Cowrock Mountain was the star of the show today, with many views from the open, rocky ledges and terraces around the summit. There were more great views of that maze of mountains and narrow valleys threading west and northwest towards the Western fork of the Blue Ridge.

Winter sunset, Lindsley Brook, Wolcott, Connecticut. December 3, 2019, 4:06 PM.

Early morning sunshine and mist. Forest near Park Road, Waterbury, Connecticut. November 13, 2021, 8:23 AM.

1/3
May 5, 1983: It was a comparatively gentle climb for the most part, but I have a long way to go before my body is truly ready for this adventure. The day was sunny and hot, and I ran out of water about halfway through the climb. The heavy backpack I was carrying, and the extra pounds of my overweight body had taken their toll on the soles of my feet,

Wander around winter wonderland trail in St Denys >>

Thanks to a thread on reddit today I learned about railbanking, which is a legal mechanism aimed at preserving railroad rights-of-way instead of abandoning them, and opening them up for use as rail trails (with the caveat that they can be reactivated as railroads in the future)

Autumn sunset above Hidden Lake, Fall Mountain, Plymouth, Connecticut. November 7, 2020, 4:42 PM.

seen on the run

Autumn rainstorm. Mad River ravine, Wolcott, Connecticut October 19, 2020, 5:48 PM

Wander around winter wonderland trail in St Denys >>

Wander around winter wonderland trail in St Denys >>

Wander around winter wonderland trail in St Denys >>

1/5
August 9, 1983: The next three-and-a-half miles were an easy walk through pleasant forests with no distant views. The Appalachian Trail then crossed New York Route 301 and ascended a very rocky trail alongside Canopus Lake. After a couple more miles, we stood on a rock outcrop near the north end of that lake which almost seemed to overlook two different lakes.

Forest floor sunset. Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. March 20, 2023, 6:45 PM.

One of my favorite places in autumn. Mill River, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. October 25, 2023, 12:21 PM.

1/3
May 3, 1983: At a spot called Three Forks, four miles from Springer Mountain, the crossed a fire road beside the convergence of three streams which had become raging torrents. A blinding mass of rain was creating a surreal, semi-aquatic woodland.

Its that kind of day.

They look pretty, especially in late autumn and early winter when most of the other color is gone, but they seem to taste better to birds than to humans. Winterberry shrub, New Britain Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. November 11, 2019, 3:34 PM.

Pine trees reflected in Beaver Pond (its official name, capital B capital P), White Memorial Foundation, Morris, Connecticut. December 13, 2021

The Northaven Trail bridge is a vital pedestrian connector

The bridge, which officially opens today, is a reminder Dallas has to respect walkers and cyclists.

"In Dallas, where the architecture of the citys freeways makes it difficult to provide safe paths for pedestrians and cyclists, trails are vital."

Getting ready for the this morning down in OC.
We shall see how the back-to-back long run training method works with this one. The race is 18 miles, and Ive done nothing close to that in a single day in training recently. But I have done back to backs and increased weekly volume, and then tapered this week in prep. Experiment!






Wills for Australia