Last weekend I joined the Connecticut Section of the GMC for a trail work weekend on the Long Trail / Appalachian Trail based at Story Spring Shelter. The section maintains the trail between Glastenbury Tower and Kelly Stand Road and this trip we were working on the northern half of that.
I spent Saturday trimming branches and hobblebush and clearing water bars between the shelter and KS Road (including a bit on a side trail when I mistakenly wandered off of the LT). On Sunday, while most of the workers headed back to Connecticut, Goat and I drove west and a little north and climbed Baker Peak. (Actually the height of land for the LT as it passes near the peak; the true peak is not trailed.)
The day was cloudy the whole time, but we only got some light rain. There wasn't much in terms of views, but there was quite a bit of fall color. It wasn't peak yet, but the red maples, for instance, were in full color.
I had been on Baker when I through hiked the LT, but not on the side trails up to there. Goat had on those trails, though. Goat went on ahead of me, because he's a faster hiker than me, and he wanted to go to Griffith Lake on the way.
The trail (Lake Trail) first goes up a two section switchback, and then gets steep for a short while. Then I got on Baker Peak Trail, which is steep for a short while, and then pretty flat. Near the end, though, it starts going up rock outcroppings to the summit (or, as I said, the LT/AT's closest approach to the summit). This is a neat area, but the great views I remembered from my through hike were covered by the clouds.
Since Goat is both faster than me and was taking a longer route I figured there was a 50/50 chance of getting there before him. When I arrived, he wasn't there, so I waited in a spot out of the wind. He surprised me by arriving from the north. He had arrived before me and decided to explore a bit.
We then both headed back down the short way (Baker Peak Trail to Lake Trail).
We didn't see another hiker the whole hike.
Here are the pictures.
--
Cumulus
NE111 in my 50s: 115/115 (67/67, 46/46, 2/2)
NE111 in my 60s: 72/115 (50/67, 20/46, 2/2)
NEFF: 50/50; Cat35: 39/39; WNH4K: 40/48; NEHH 89/100
LT NB 2009; CT NB 2017
"I don't much care where [I get to] --" said Alice, "-- so long as I get somewhere," ...
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
- Lewis Carroll
I spent Saturday trimming branches and hobblebush and clearing water bars between the shelter and KS Road (including a bit on a side trail when I mistakenly wandered off of the LT). On Sunday, while most of the workers headed back to Connecticut, Goat and I drove west and a little north and climbed Baker Peak. (Actually the height of land for the LT as it passes near the peak; the true peak is not trailed.)
The day was cloudy the whole time, but we only got some light rain. There wasn't much in terms of views, but there was quite a bit of fall color. It wasn't peak yet, but the red maples, for instance, were in full color.
I had been on Baker when I through hiked the LT, but not on the side trails up to there. Goat had on those trails, though. Goat went on ahead of me, because he's a faster hiker than me, and he wanted to go to Griffith Lake on the way.
The trail (Lake Trail) first goes up a two section switchback, and then gets steep for a short while. Then I got on Baker Peak Trail, which is steep for a short while, and then pretty flat. Near the end, though, it starts going up rock outcroppings to the summit (or, as I said, the LT/AT's closest approach to the summit). This is a neat area, but the great views I remembered from my through hike were covered by the clouds.
Since Goat is both faster than me and was taking a longer route I figured there was a 50/50 chance of getting there before him. When I arrived, he wasn't there, so I waited in a spot out of the wind. He surprised me by arriving from the north. He had arrived before me and decided to explore a bit.
We then both headed back down the short way (Baker Peak Trail to Lake Trail).
We didn't see another hiker the whole hike.
Here are the pictures.
--
Cumulus
NE111 in my 50s: 115/115 (67/67, 46/46, 2/2)
NE111 in my 60s: 72/115 (50/67, 20/46, 2/2)
NEFF: 50/50; Cat35: 39/39; WNH4K: 40/48; NEHH 89/100
LT NB 2009; CT NB 2017
"I don't much care where [I get to] --" said Alice, "-- so long as I get somewhere," ...
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
- Lewis Carroll
