Bear Mt. CT and an obscure Bee Line

[Lovetohike]

First time back up in northwest CT in three months. Got the usual early start so I saw no one on the Undermountain and AT up to Bear, just one very quiet, solitary woman reading a book on the summit. Headed down the Bee Line and was struck by how filled in it was witih brush at the top, very difficult to follow if you weren't very familiar with it. You had to look down at the track because looking straight ahead all you could see were bushes. And, it makes one very un-obvoius veer to the right off the rocks right in the beginning that's very easy to miss. But once you're partway down, it is very easy to follow, until you get to the flatter area near the AMC Northwest Cabin where large fields of ferns also obscure the track. I just love the views from the Bee Line to the west of Round Mt., Mt. Frissell, Braces, etc. All you see is mountains and forest, no signs of habitation, quite a panorama!

Went by the cabin, then right on the spur trail over to the AT north of the summit, and then back up the north side to the top again, still to find the silent reader, and this time I didn't even try a hello. On the way back down to the car, saw the usual hordes of people making their way up the mountain. But all in all had a very peaceful, beautiful, late summer, pre-fall day in the CT mountains.