Trails Day 2023; Housatonic Woods Preserve

We had a great inaugural hike on Woodsend Trail for CT Trails Day.  The weather cooperated and it was cool and breezy rather than raining.  The Connecticut Forest and Parks Association was coordinating hundreds of outdoor events around the state this weekend.

The starting point was at the Woodsend Avenue trailhead.  There were 22 people plus 3 dogs from Shelton, Monroe, Ansonia, and Stratford.  We had good representation from the Shelton Trails Committee, Conservation Commission and Shelton Land Trust on the hike, and at least one neighbor who joined us.

The new trail was built this spring following purchase by the City of an open space property from a local family.  That parcel connected several other open space properties, including a Shelton Land Trust parcel with the Paugussett Trail, which allows for a larger band of open space; hence the new Housatonic Woods Preserve and Woodsend Trail.

There were plenty of take aways at the sign up station, with Royal Bakery doughnuts, and including previous blog posts of all the great work by volunteers in constructing the new trail.

And we got away just after 10:30.   We split into 2 groups for various speeds on the moderately difficult hike.

Mike Flament made sure none of us got lost on the way in acting as sweeper.  The trail tread was mostly dry, with a few wet spots.  The vegetation had grown in some during the last two weeks, and the views of the Housatonic River were mostly green now.  We did note the old charcoal mound and the areas of the previous debris removal looked great.

Everyone got thru the "Tangerine Squeezer" OK.  

There were a number of stone wall crossings along the hillside.

Ellen Cramp was leading over some of wetland crossings.

A lot of trail work had been done this spring to make the trail tread easier to walk.  When the water is running you can hear it going underground.

All the blow downs had been cleared and all the little stream crossings seemed in good shape.

There were a lot of areas along the Paugussett Trail with much more light coming thru the tree canopy.  The Beech Leaf Wilting Disease is taking a toll on the beech trees.  The beech leaves get all wilted and fall off, and it's thought we may loose all our beech trees in the next few years. This is on top of Beech Bark Disease, which has been afflicting the trees for years. 

Joe Welsh from the Shelton Land Trust was explaining some of the problems facing the beech trees and how their loss might impact the composition of Connecticut's forests.

There were a lot of nice sights along the trail.  A bobcat was spotted at the detention ponds below Sinsabaugh Heights after the first group went thru.  It was camera shy and bounded up the hill before we could get a picture of it.

We stopped and admired all the work done by trail volunteers in the boulderfield and along the switchback on the way back to the trail head.  It makes for a very nice 2 mile loop with lots of connections to various neighborhoods.

Lee and everyone else made it back thru the Tangerine Squeezer.  The Squeezer is a little easier to navigate going back uphill.  It's a moderately challenging trail, with a lot of interesting spots.  

After the hike we let everyone know that Celebrate Shelton was having a Food Trucks on the River event on the Riverwalk in downtown Shelton.

Some hikers ventured down to enjoy the bands, vendors, and food trucks.  It was a festive way to finish a Trails Day hike.  Nice that that was scheduled for the same weekend as Trails Day.

Also after the hike, after putting away some of the gear in the Shelton Trails Barn.  I noticed some guy attacking the Japanese knotweed along Nells Rock Road near the Barn.  It turned out to be Bob Woods, who decided to get rid of some invasive species on Trails Day.  Good work Bob.

It was a successful 2023 Trails Day.  We christened a new trail, folks got to do some exploring, saw some wildlife, and we didn't loose too many hikers.

2018 Trails Day Hike - Overlook to Overlook

On a muggy and tropical National Trails Day, we had a challenging hike on the Paugussett Trail from Birchbank Mountain to Webb Mountain.   We had previously spotted cars at Webb Mountain Park in Monroe for the drive back to Shelton after the hike.
 
The map shows the route of the hike. It was 4 miles, with 800 feet of elevation gain, and 3 stream crossings.

Portions of the Blue/White trail up the hill from Birchbank Road were steep, and hot, but with a number of stops we arrived at the first Housatonic River overlook.  And there was a breeze!.

Birchbank Mtn overlook

 Following a short breather at the overlook we went down to Upper White Hills Brook.

Crossing Upper White Hills Brook (at the chimney)

This was one of three pretty streams that we crossed.  The two four-footed hikers with us enjoyed each stream crossing.

The first of the brief road walks

This stretch of the Paugussett involves 2 road walks through quiet residential neighborhoods.   We said hi to folks out mowing their lawns and doing yardwork as our party trooped past.  A little red fox was spotted running across one yard not too far from a road named Little Fox Run.  We then climbed some of the new stair along the "Poet Path" section (a number of streets in this neighborhood are named after famous authors).

Eventually we came out on Thoreau Drive, had another shorter road walk, and came to the crossing of Round Hill Brook.  Congratulations the party made it to Monroe.

New bridge at Webb Mtn Park

Our event was supposed to meet with a Monroe event near the new bridge that the girl scouts had constructed along with a trail blazing project.  They were up at the second Overlook when we arrived, but we still admired the bridge.  It was very sturdy.

Maple-leaf viburnum

The Maple-leafed Viburnum were starting to blossom along the trail.

Pink Ladyslippers

As were the Pink Lady Slippers near some of the campsites.

We met David Solek, the Monroe Park Ranger, up at Goat Rock and learned about the history of the park and Monroe's wayward livestock.

The views of the Housatonic River from Goat Rock were great, and there was another breeze.  We enjoyed a picnic lunch, and then shuttled back to Birchbank Mountain.  The number of cars was perfect for the number of hikers, and we arrived just as the thunderstorm warnings were being broadcast.  It pays to start the hike early sometime.

We had 23 people, plus 2 dogs, from Shelton, Monroe, Derby, Milford, Bridgeport, Stratford, and Haddam.  Talk about your Trails Day Tourism.  Everybody enjoyed the challenging hike, but the cold drinks and showers were welcome afterwards. Thanks to everyone who came out or helped.

It was a Fun 2017 Trails Day Hike in Shelton

We had perfect weather for our 2017 Trails Day Hike today; partially overcast, dry, cool, breezy.  Gradually the sky cleared, the sun came out, and the breezes made for great hiking conditions.

 No, he's not running for Mayor! Shelton Trails Committee member and hike leader Terry is just welcoming everyone to our National Trails Day stroll. (The little guy in the background was obviously not interested in Terry's inspirational speech)

There was a good turnout of about 26 people at Pine Lake.That included 3 younger hikers, plus 3 four-footed hikers.

This hike was the first of our 2017 Lollipop League Hikes; short out and back hike with some kind of loop.  Participants who complete all the hikes between now and November earn a special commemorative medal.

We started off along the RecPath behind Pine Lake.  The side trails off the RecPath allow future exploration for fishing, nature observation, and picnic opportunities.  Sometimes we saw some wildflowers too.

The RecPath wound along Curtis Brook and over to Silent Waters.  The canoe launch and bridge overlook were very picturesque.  Some of the hikers found caches of lollipops in red coffee cans along the route.  It looked like those were a big hit.

Some had it better than others

The hike wound back behind the Shelton Intermediate School, the ball fields, and proceeded back to Pine Lake.  We're happy to report that everyone made it back and had a fine excursion.  Thanks to everyone on the Trails Committee who helped with the hike, and to the Connecticut  Forest and Parks Association for all the organization on Trails Day.  It was a fun event, and we hope that the future Lollipop Hikes will be as well attended.

Take the Shelton Trails Marathon Challenge

Many people have already started the 2016 Shelton Trails Marathon Challenge.  Anybody can do it, and you don't need a passport, thousands of dollars, a plane ticket to Brazil, or to even be an athlete.  You certainly don't need to get naked and run through the woods like the ancient Greeks (please don't - it's prohibited by the Open Space Ordinance).

You only need to get out and start walking.  It's that easy.

The 2016 Shelton Trails Marathon Challenge coincides with this year's Olympics.  A number of people know that we have trails in town, but they don't know all of them.  We want you to have fun exploring all that Shelton's greenways have to offer.  You just have to hike 13 routes totaling 26.2 miles between June and Thanksgiving, fill out a form saying when you hiked them, mail the form to the Shelton Conservation Commission, and you get a free unique pathtag medal suitable for putting on your favorite jacket, pack or whatever.  And you get to brag to your friends that you did a marathon.

You don't have to do all 26.2 miles at once, but you can.    You don't have to run the trails, but you can.  You don't have to take your dog, kids, or spouse along, but you can.  You can even do it walking backwards (bring a mirror).  You can do the hikes in any order, whenever you feel like it, take as long as you want between now and Thanksgiving. Take some cool pictures of caves, overlooks, wildlife, plants, friends, sunsets, sunrises, moonrises, or whatever looks fun and send them into the Shelton Conservation Commission.

Forms and Maps are on-line.  A series of guided hikes is also listed under the events page.  So channel your inner Phidippides and explore Shelton's trails and greenways this year. 

National Trails Day - 2012

Weather and events affected this year's Trails Day hike, formerly known as the "Bridge to Bridge" hike. Originally scheduled for Saturday, rain forced a postponement, and our hike had to compete with other events in town. Nevertheless, we had a decent turnout for what turned out to be a gorgeous morning for an end-to-end walk on the Shelton Rec Path.

 

 We will gather at the river...I mean Pine Lake

Terrance briefs the hikers and points the way. Fortunately, most participants followed!

Some hikers had it easier than others

The start of the journey...crossing Pine Lake

Happy hikers!

No question, the Shelton Rec Path traverses some scenic and tranquil environments

The Trails Committee had cached cold drinks half way through the hike. It was much appreciated!

Even the pooches got to drink.

Another satisfied traveler

Teresa led a side-trip to the hidden waterfall

Most of the participants (no comments from the canine contingent) enjoyed the scenery, exercise, socializing, and spot lectures common to all of our hikes, and the Trails Committee looks forward to our future guided events.

National Trails Day Happenings

Join us for the Annual Shelton Trails Day Hike on Saturday June 4, 2011. We'll be doing the Bridge-to-Bridge Route along the Shelton Lakes Recreation Path. The start will be at Pine Lake on Rt. 108, about a half mile west of downtown Shelton. The length will be 4.5 miles of easy walking and biking, and should take about 2 - 2 1/2 hours depending on the pace.

There have been a lot of great new developments that we want to show off:

• The beginning and ending thirds of the path are now handicapped accessible with a fine gravel surface, and portions of the rest are under construction. (the center section of the hike is NOT handicapped accessible yet - but it will be one of these days). Truth In Advertising: Portions of the middle section are under construction - so the footing is a little rough for some but very passable. The contractors are making great progress.
  
• The route now overlooks historic dams & lakes. There are some great new views of streams and wetlands along the way.
• We will pass by the new Shelton Dog Park (and yes dogs on leases are welcome on the hike). We'll even show off The Red Barn that we fixed up.
  
• The Eklund Native Species garden will be along the way - and it should be very beautiful this year.
• The route will use the new mountain bike bypass and J-Pond Bridge constructed by scouts last year (mountain bikes are welcome too).
• New RecPath construction will be on display through the Wesley Drive area, but the route will be safe and feature new vistas created by Pruzinsky & Son and Fairview Tree Farm.
  
• New handicapped accessible sections have been constructed down to the Land Trust Meadow on Lane Street - allowing a nice short walk or bike ride from Huntington Center.

Some of the new RecPath improvements along Wesley Drive at Lizard Head Rock feature dramatic topography & nearby wetlands and streams.

The Mayor will be at the start to read his annual proclamation. Shuttles will be available for return rides to Pine Lake.

Helpful Tip: If possible, take two cars and leave one in Huntington Center, or leave a car in Huntington Center in the morning and get dropped off at the start).

It should be a great day - come and join us on a free family-friendly event. There is also a hike at Jones Tree Farm, the Family 5K Run at the High School, and the Relay for Life downtown at the Riverwalk - so it's Get-In-Motion Day in Shelton. We'll probably stop at the Huntington Street Cafe for lunch and beverages after the hike. Come out, have fun, and see what your trails volunteers have been up to this year.

Connecticut Trails Day Booklet is Out

The Connecticut Forest & Parks Association listed the Trails Day Hikes on June 6, 2009 on their website at http://www.ctwoodlands.org/trailsday2009 .

Both the Paugussett Trail and RecPath hikes are listed among 130 events around the state. The booklet looks very sharp - I'll call CFPA and see how many copies we can get.