askus3
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Ct At Ii
APPALACHIAN TRAIL (CT ROUTE 41, SALISBURY, CT to HOUSATONIC REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL south of FALLS VILLAGE, CT at jct. of US 7 & CT 112)
SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2005
WEATHER: 50 Cloudy.
PARTICIPANTS: Aaron Schoenberg, Joel McKenzie
The total elevation gain for this hike was 1840 feet. Although others inquired about the hike, only Joel showed up. He came by car from Pennsylvania. This was good since this hike required a car shuttle and having the two cars made the hike doable.
This is the second in a series of five annual hikes along the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut that I will be leading for the AMC. The hike was listed in the schedule as 9 miles but in all actuality it was 11.5. This is the measurement based on the newest guidebook. We also took the one mile round trip spur to Limestone Spring Shelter. The views at the outlooks were excellent although there was a high overcast. It never rained but the temperature remained cool and there was a strong breeze.
This day being Mothers Day must have kept the hikers away. Aside from visitors to the Great Falls, we only met two other people on our hike. They were two young fellows we met twice while they were on a training run for an ultra-marathon. We saw them near the beginning of the hike on Barrack Matiff when they passed us and again on their way back when we were en route to Great Falls from Mt. Prospect. They were putting in some big mileage.
I enjoyed the cold spring water at Limestone Spring Shelter which was a nice campsite. It is a bit out of the way on a spur with a 250 foot descent, but the spring and its remote location make this a very nice spot. We ate lunch here out of the wind. Mt. Prospect where I originally planned to stop for lunch was too cold and windy, however the view was exceptional.
After crossing Warren Turnpike towards the end of the hike, we came to a yellow ribbon crossing the trail and a sign indicating the trail was closed and we should use the road for a .5 mile road walk. This was due to a train derailment next to the trail and its contents of lumber spilling out and obliterating the AT. Joel and I discussed the situation and decided to give the closed trail a go and the worst case scenario is we wasted some time and we would have to retreat back to this road. Well, everyone must have decided to do what we chose to as there already was a well beaten down trail through the area of the train derailment and spillage.
Water was much higher than when I did this same hike on June 13, 1992. On that hike you could wade across the Housatonic River and that is exactly what we did then to cool off at a nice swimming spot south of Falls Village.
0.0 10:15 AM 720 Start of Hike - CT 41 Salisbury, CT
0.7 10:30 AM 660 turn right on trail off US 44
1.4 11:00 AM 1100 Barrack Matiff
2.6 11:20 AM 930 cross AT&T cable line
3.2 11:40-11:45 1090 Billy's View
3.6 11:55-12:00 1290 Giants Thumb
4.1 12:10-12:15 1200 Rands View
4.7 12:30-1:00 990 Limestone Spring Shelter - lunch (on .5 mile spur)
5.8 1:30-1:35 1475 Prospect Mountain
8.7 2:25-2:45 600 Great Falls
9.4 3:05 PM 510 Iron Bridge
9.7 3:30-3:40 490 rest stop along the Housatonic River
11.5 4:05 PM 520 End of Hike - Housatonic Regional High School, US 7
APPALACHIAN TRAIL (CT ROUTE 41, SALISBURY, CT to HOUSATONIC REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL south of FALLS VILLAGE, CT at jct. of US 7 & CT 112)
SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2005
WEATHER: 50 Cloudy.
PARTICIPANTS: Aaron Schoenberg, Joel McKenzie
The total elevation gain for this hike was 1840 feet. Although others inquired about the hike, only Joel showed up. He came by car from Pennsylvania. This was good since this hike required a car shuttle and having the two cars made the hike doable.
This is the second in a series of five annual hikes along the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut that I will be leading for the AMC. The hike was listed in the schedule as 9 miles but in all actuality it was 11.5. This is the measurement based on the newest guidebook. We also took the one mile round trip spur to Limestone Spring Shelter. The views at the outlooks were excellent although there was a high overcast. It never rained but the temperature remained cool and there was a strong breeze.
This day being Mothers Day must have kept the hikers away. Aside from visitors to the Great Falls, we only met two other people on our hike. They were two young fellows we met twice while they were on a training run for an ultra-marathon. We saw them near the beginning of the hike on Barrack Matiff when they passed us and again on their way back when we were en route to Great Falls from Mt. Prospect. They were putting in some big mileage.
I enjoyed the cold spring water at Limestone Spring Shelter which was a nice campsite. It is a bit out of the way on a spur with a 250 foot descent, but the spring and its remote location make this a very nice spot. We ate lunch here out of the wind. Mt. Prospect where I originally planned to stop for lunch was too cold and windy, however the view was exceptional.
After crossing Warren Turnpike towards the end of the hike, we came to a yellow ribbon crossing the trail and a sign indicating the trail was closed and we should use the road for a .5 mile road walk. This was due to a train derailment next to the trail and its contents of lumber spilling out and obliterating the AT. Joel and I discussed the situation and decided to give the closed trail a go and the worst case scenario is we wasted some time and we would have to retreat back to this road. Well, everyone must have decided to do what we chose to as there already was a well beaten down trail through the area of the train derailment and spillage.
Water was much higher than when I did this same hike on June 13, 1992. On that hike you could wade across the Housatonic River and that is exactly what we did then to cool off at a nice swimming spot south of Falls Village.
0.0 10:15 AM 720 Start of Hike - CT 41 Salisbury, CT
0.7 10:30 AM 660 turn right on trail off US 44
1.4 11:00 AM 1100 Barrack Matiff
2.6 11:20 AM 930 cross AT&T cable line
3.2 11:40-11:45 1090 Billy's View
3.6 11:55-12:00 1290 Giants Thumb
4.1 12:10-12:15 1200 Rands View
4.7 12:30-1:00 990 Limestone Spring Shelter - lunch (on .5 mile spur)
5.8 1:30-1:35 1475 Prospect Mountain
8.7 2:25-2:45 600 Great Falls
9.4 3:05 PM 510 Iron Bridge
9.7 3:30-3:40 490 rest stop along the Housatonic River
11.5 4:05 PM 520 End of Hike - Housatonic Regional High School, US 7
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