Oswegatchie Hills & Day Pond with Slamon River Trail - Mountain Laurel watch

Mike P. · May 8, 2015

Dates of Hike: Last hike on 5/5/2015 (will be at Day Pond hike on 5/8)

Trail Conditions: Snow free, with the lack of rain lately (Fire Danger is high in CT like the Catskills) trails are in almost summer shape. Did a little bit of maintenance on Salmon River Trail to try and make a tricky turn easier to see.

Special Equipment Required: Bug spray helpful but the bugs have not been brutal - yet, see comments below.

Comments: - There has been some ATV traffic on the spur to the falls in Day Pond when it was wet so it's rutted out in a few spots. The Mountain Laurel is not blooming yet close to Long Island Sound yet but will plan trips to Rocky Neck and Oswegatchie Hills early next week to keep an eye out for CT's state flower to start blooming. Will also check out Gay City next week to see if the usual wet spot on the Red trail has dried up during the dry spell.

Oswegatchie Hills bee update. There is a couple of rocks near the Red and blue trail junction where people have been trying their hand at Cairn building. While dropping off a few more rocks, I learned some wasps are working on building a nest in the Cairn. Bees still appear to be at the cairn

Mike P.
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Mike P. · May 9, 2015

Gay City & Shenipsit Connector loop update

Oddly, (or maybe because the coast is still cooler thanks to a LIS water temp of about 50) The more open (less tree cover) spots on the Shenipsit & the connector are showing Mt. Laurel buds and even a few 1/2 formed Blueberry flowers. This is ahead of Oswegatchie and Rocky Neck which are further south and lower. Will be at both of those places in the next couple of days and will update the flora comments then.

Mike P. · May 11, 2015

Mt. Laurel buds on virtually all the laurel at Oswegatchie and a few blueberry flowers also starting. Most of the laurel at Rocky Neck also have buds but in the areas that get less sun, a few Mt laurel don't have buds yet there. Was at both places May 11th.

Mike P. · May 14, 2015

I have much to learn about the State Flower. What I thought were flower buds were actually new leaves. Assuming the buds will form from the center of this new growth, however, we are likely a couple or weeks away. I continue to use Oswegatchie, Day Pond and a few other State Parks as my gym, so I'll keep people posted.

Mike P. · May 24, 2015

In the past few days I have been in Gay City, Rocky Neck, Day Pond and Devil's Hopyard. The new growth has really begun taking off on most of the Mountain Laurel plants. Still have not seen any buds for the flowers, yet. After a Moosiluake Memorial Day Monday, plan to be around Higby in Middletown area, Airline Trail in Colchester and then Oswegatchie and Rocky Neck on Friday 5/29.

Trails have been dry, even the wetter than average ones in Gay City, Day Pond & the Hopyard.

Mike P. · Jun 1, 2015

The Mt. Laurel have begun to bloom. I've not seen them yet but a fellow CT hiker was on Case Mt. over the weekend and took pictures. I'm NH bound on Tuesday but hope to see some later in the week.

Mike P. · Jun 4, 2015

Was at Day Pond and Gay City on 6/3. Day Pond Laurel are in bloom just where they get a lot of sun, primarily where the loop trails go through power line and gas line cuts. Only a couple of the plants on the Salmon River trail are in bloom, most in this area have not bloomed yet though. Very few Mt. Laurel in Gay City, (more on the Shenipsit Connector loop you can reach from Gay City or Birch Mountain Road) the only few plants I saw were on the red trail between the Red/blue and the White trail and they were beginning to bloom. Will be at Oswegatchie & Rocky Neck today.

Mike P. · Jun 6, 2015

Mountain Laurel on Case Mt. in Manchester (6/6) is in full bloom on most plants. Will check again at Rocky Neck on 6/7 & Day Pond and Oswegatchie Hills on 6/8.

Mike P. · Jun 7, 2015

The places in Rocky Neck that get more sun (White trail along the marsh (river) in the island at the turnaround of the far parking lot & south of the road that leads there on the small trails have the best Mt. Laurel in the park. Where it's more shaded in the middle along the blue and red trail, it really hasn't started to bloom as of 6/7.