Mountain Laurel along the RecPath

We had not one but two very successful hikes in Shelton for National Trails Day.  The first one lead by Lynn had about 18 people hiking along the Paugussett Trail from Buddington Road down to Indian Well State Park.  There was a little shuttling back and forth, but from the sound of it they had a great walk.

A second group of 8 hikers met at Pine Lake on Rt. 108 and had an easier walk along the RecPath.

The view along Pine Lake from the bridge was pretty.  The is the eastern end of the Shelton Lakes Greenway and a lot of people were out enjoying the open spaces.

We kept passing many people out walking their dogs, bike riding, strolling, running, fishing or just enjoying a pleasant day outdoors.
  

One of the hi-lights of the hike were the mountain laurels just starting to bloom along the powerlines.  They are still in bloom for those who want to enjoy them.  We finished our hike with lunch at the Huntington Street Cafe - this year there was live music being performed - a First for one of our hikes.  The Trails Committee would like to thank everybody who came out to both events. 

Birchbank Ramble

It was a wonderful day, perfect for a walk through the woods. Fifteen folks gathered at the trailhead of the Birchbank Trail, off Indian Well Road. This trail is noted, for one thing, for the variety and volume of spring flowers, and we arrived near the end of this Spring's cycle. 

Click on photos to enlarge

Starting out

Terry points out one of the native plants

The group heads uphill

Nature's overpass

"Whew!"

Terry highlights some of the landscape

Checking the brook for water critters

"Where's the rest of the house?"

Resting at the old former fishing/hunting cabin

The picturesque stream that led us back down the hill

A quiet pool to explore

A fun hike, an educational experience, and a chance to get away and enjoy nature at her finest.

Boppin' Down Basil Brook

After much planning and fantasizing, and waiting for drier and warmer weather, we were finally able to create a rustic diversion off the Shelton Lakes Recreation Path, paralleling Basil Brook and passing through woodlands and Mountain Laurel groves via a winding trail. Our small work party used loppers, a chainsaw and a leaf blower to cut through low brush  and wayward tree limbs to delineate the path in the rougher areas. The new trail starts (or ends) a few hundred feet from where the Rec Path crosses Wesley Drive, cuts down to Basil Brook where it crosses the brook and continues northeast, passing near a picturesqe waterfall, and ultimately emerging at the power lines. A hundred feet or so north on the access trail brings you to the older yellow blaze trail, which in turn runs into the Rec Path (see map). The new trail is approximately one mile end-to-end.

Click on photo to enlarge 

John, Jim, and Richard find the new trailhead

The lower Basil Brook crossing site, part of an old farm stone wall

   

Some trees had to be removed

Richard and Jim resort to brute strength

The serenity of the brook. It's why we ran the trail this way

Richard, John and Jim at the waterfalls

Jim and Richard of the Trails Committee were assisted by volunteer John on this work party. Sandie was our photographer. The next day, Lynn, also of the Trails Committee, and with the help of 4 volunteers, worked on brush cutting and cleaning up the mess we made. Thanks to everyone for their assistance. We hope to get a greater turnout for our future work parties, as this one was a satisfying way to spend a few hours of a Saturday morning.

New Map Boxes

It was a long, cold winter, so the Trails Committee made some map boxes. But after the boxes were all done, it was still cold and snowy. So Trails Committee member Terrance Gallagher added some artwork with a wood-burner tool.  Enjoy.

The knots in the wood became the ends of logs

CFPA's Role in Shelton

Kiosk at the  Buddington Road trailhead with CFPA map. 

From the 1930's to the 1990's,  there was only one official public hiking trail in Shelton: the Paugussett Trail. Although many old-time Shelton residents speak fondly of their "blue-dot" trail, few are faMiliar with CFPA, the organization responsible for the trail, or realize that the trail is part of a much larger network of blue-blazed trails that run throughout the state. The total length of the state blue-blazed trAil system is now over 825 miles.

CFPA was established in 1895 and is the oldest, private, nonProfit conservation organization in Connecticut. The group advocates for the preservation and proper management of state forests and parks. They created the first Connecticut blue-blazed trail in 1929 with the Quinnipiac Trail, and rapidly expanded the trail system across the state throughout the Great Depression with laBor from the CCC program.  It is in this context that Shelton's "blue-dot" Paugussett Trail was created in the 1930s. For several decades, the trail stretched from Lake Zoar in Monroe tO Roosevelt Forest in Stratford.  The trail was abandoned south of Indian Well State Park in the 1960s due to suburban development acXross the trail route.

1946 CFPA regional trail map (marked up to show changes)

When members of the Shelton Conservation Commission and Trails Committee began planning to restore the Paugussett Trail south from Indian Well, CFPA representatives drove down from Middlefield to go over the proposed routing with us. The Shelton Trails Committee made sure to keep in touch with CFPA as the new trail was slowly extended over the years.  We were careful not to refer to the new trail sections as the "Paugussett Trail" before the trail had been reviewed and accepted by CFPA. We called it the "Future Paugussett" or just the "Blue Trail."

Once the new trail finally reached Buddington Road, CFPA representatives drove down to Shelton once again and hiked the trail.  Several great suggestions were made, leading to some major reroutes. For example, the blue trail originally crossed Shelton Avenue at the powerlines, but the crossing was shifted over towards the Dog Park so the trail could cross the bridge at Silent Waters, adding interest to the route. Many blazes needed to be added as well to ensure that regional hikers not familiar with the terrain would be able to follow the trail.

CFPA Map at the Buddington Trailhead

After the trail was deemed up to their high standards, CFPA took a vote and officially accepted the extension as part of the Paugussett Trail.  Once the trail became official, CFPA mapped the trail with gps, updated their interactive map of Blue-Blazed Trails online, and began working on a beautiful map for the kiosk at the new trailhead on Buddington Road (photo above).  The map includes a QR code that can be scanned with a smart phone in order to learn more about the trail or to download the map onto a phone.

Many thanks to CFPA for all their support!

Paugussett Trail crossing on Shelton Avenue

Additional note for AQ fans: TRAP DOOR AT BOTTOM

2015 Marshmallow March and the Endless Winter

Technically it's Spring

Shelton's annual Marshmallow March finally took place on March 22 this year after being rescheduled twice due to deep, slushy snow; the kind of snow for which there is no appropriate footwear, not even snowshoes. Snow hikes are tough to schedule because you just never know what the condition of the trails and parking lot will be.  This year, by March 22, the snow depth had dropped down to a dense 3-5" along most of the trail. A cold front came and made it feel more like a blustery day in January.

Would winter-weary Sheltonites embrace the outdoors in these blustery conditions at the end of March?

Hot Chocolate at the Scout Camp

Yes! We had a good turnout, especially families getting their kids out for some exercise and fresh air. Along with hot chocolate and marshmallows, of course!

Making Map Boxes

Richard and Jim work on a map box.

As the polar vortex or whatever took a little detour into Connecticut, members of the Trails Committee retreated to a relatively warm workshop to build a slew of cedar map boxes. By warm, I mean with three space heaters going, I think the temps eventually got up to maybe 50°.  It was a lot warmer than out on the trails, though!  The map boxes will be attached to the trail kiosks around town. The hard part will be keeping them stocked with maps.

Terry offers some friendly advice.