rocksnrolls
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Looking for a little stress relief after work, Dugan and I met at the Rt 117 parking lot near Mt Misery in Lincoln. We had our rain gear just in case, but luckily the light drizzle had cleared up by the time we hit the trail. I knew this area is popular with dog walkers and hoped a pooch encounter would help raise Dugan 2-Leg's spirits while Dugan 4-Legs recouperated from his surgery. Sure enough, a short time after heading down the Bay Circuit Tr, we encountered a group of people with three dogs - a poodle, a wire haired terrier, and was the other a golden? Correct me if I'm wrong, Dugan (I know you love to 
). After a short greeting and chat, we headed off toward Walden Pond.
The BCT in this area goes through some gentle woodlands, quite peaceful. Just past Mt Misery, the BCT enters an open field/farm area, but we took the trail to the left that skirted the field. We soon crossed a small road and headed downhill into more woods. Soon Dugan commented that she could feel herself starting to relax. There's nothing like a quick stroll through the woods, is there? Well, how about a slow stroll along a marsh teeming with birds? Dugan soon pointed out a kingfisher and sadly lamented not bringing her binoculars with her. We saw and heard many birds in the wetlands, and I was glad the trail was elevated enough that our feet were staying quite dry.
I had intended to guide us toward Walden Pond (Dugan's never been there!) but I wasn't paying enough attention, I guess, and before I knew it we were at the edge of a large body of water that I didn't recognize. After a quick look at the map, I realized we had found Fairhaven Bay, part of the Sudbury River. We continued along the edge of the bay, enjoying the sights and sounds as dusk approached. I had my headlamp with me, but we figured it was a good time to turn around once the trail started to head away from the water.
On the way back, our timing was rewarded by the sighting of a group of 5 deer across a small clearing. It was quite a treat and we engaged in a staring contest with the lovely animals until they got bored and wandered off.
We decided to 'summit' Mt Misery on the way back. I've been on most of the trails in this area before, but for some reason had never been up on Misery. The name of the hill inspired me to tell Dugan the story of how I came close to setting my house on fire while playing with matches once when I was a boy . At the summit there was a trio of small cairns and a sign pointing to an outlook. We went over to where stones seemed to outline where a building once stood, but it seems like the trees are quickly growing through any outlook. We could barely see a piece of the horizon to the south. Of course it was pretty dark at this point, but the overcast sky still held enough light to make me believe the view wouldn't have been any better in full daylight.
Heading down off of Misery we managed to make it back to the cars without needing the headlamp. It sure felt good to get out and stretch my legs on a work night (especially with a great hiking companion). Hopefully the traffic had thinned out to provide Dugan with an easy ride home.
). After a short greeting and chat, we headed off toward Walden Pond.The BCT in this area goes through some gentle woodlands, quite peaceful. Just past Mt Misery, the BCT enters an open field/farm area, but we took the trail to the left that skirted the field. We soon crossed a small road and headed downhill into more woods. Soon Dugan commented that she could feel herself starting to relax. There's nothing like a quick stroll through the woods, is there? Well, how about a slow stroll along a marsh teeming with birds? Dugan soon pointed out a kingfisher and sadly lamented not bringing her binoculars with her. We saw and heard many birds in the wetlands, and I was glad the trail was elevated enough that our feet were staying quite dry.
I had intended to guide us toward Walden Pond (Dugan's never been there!) but I wasn't paying enough attention, I guess, and before I knew it we were at the edge of a large body of water that I didn't recognize. After a quick look at the map, I realized we had found Fairhaven Bay, part of the Sudbury River. We continued along the edge of the bay, enjoying the sights and sounds as dusk approached. I had my headlamp with me, but we figured it was a good time to turn around once the trail started to head away from the water.
On the way back, our timing was rewarded by the sighting of a group of 5 deer across a small clearing. It was quite a treat and we engaged in a staring contest with the lovely animals until they got bored and wandered off.
We decided to 'summit' Mt Misery on the way back. I've been on most of the trails in this area before, but for some reason had never been up on Misery. The name of the hill inspired me to tell Dugan the story of how I came close to setting my house on fire while playing with matches once when I was a boy
. At the summit there was a trio of small cairns and a sign pointing to an outlook. We went over to where stones seemed to outline where a building once stood, but it seems like the trees are quickly growing through any outlook. We could barely see a piece of the horizon to the south. Of course it was pretty dark at this point, but the overcast sky still held enough light to make me believe the view wouldn't have been any better in full daylight.Heading down off of Misery we managed to make it back to the cars without needing the headlamp. It sure felt good to get out and stretch my legs on a work night (especially with a great hiking companion). Hopefully the traffic had thinned out to provide Dugan with an easy ride home.
