APRIL 2016
Saturday, April 2: Annual Banquet at the Cheshire Grange at 14 Wallingford Rd, Cheshire CT. The event begins with a social hour at 5pm followed by a roast beef or lasagna dinner. Our presentation is by Felicia Ortner on The Bear Reality: Everything to know about bears of New England. If you have not signed up but would like to come, please contact Mandy Brink: trekeragb@sbcglobal.net or mail in your reservation to Marianne Valley 300 Granite Rd, Guilford, CT 06437 with a check for $15 and your choice of dinner.
Sunday, April 3: Hockanum Trails Laurel Marsh & State Rd. Meet 9:30 Exit 60 off I-84 West Middle Turnpike Manchester. Laurel Marsh Pkg. Hike 6 miles. Carol A. Langley 860-877-4449 cosmical14@yahoo.com Level: Easy
Friday, April 8 - Sunday, April 10: Spring backpacking shakedown weekend. 16-22 miles on the AT. Tentative plan: Friday, River Road to Silver Hill Campsite (1 or 5 miles, depending on where we park on River Road). Saturday, Belter's Campsite (12 miles). Sunday, Falls Village (3 or 5 miles). Level: moderate. Contact: Alina Badus, alina.badus@gmail.com.
Sunday, April 10: Hatchery Brook Conservation/Kensington Orchards Meet 8:00 in parking on Rte. 71 Berlin. Visit Old Girl Scout Camp MeriBrite. We will be using our ears and eyes to hear and see the beauty of Spring. NO talking only whispers!!!! No dogs!!! Carol A. Langley 860-877-4449 cosmical14@yahoo.com L: Easy
Saturday, April 16: Day Hike. Case Mountain trails in Manchester & Glastonbury including part of Shenipsit Trail. Hikeable terrain so we'll crank out some miles. Call for meeting time and place. Jim Robertson 860-633-7279 home, 860-519-8310 cell, jrobert685@aol.com Level: Easy/moderate
Sunday, April 17: Iron Trail, day hike Norfolk, CT. Start 8:30 a.m. Meet at Mountain Rd. trailhead. Hike to Beckett Furnace for lunch & back (in & out trail). 8 mi. To do a 4 mi. hike, make arrangements to spot car at lunch spot. Call or e-mail leaders for directions. Don Hagstrom, 860-621-3453 Aprilfools1978@att.net Co-L. R. Michaud Level:moderate
Wednesday, April 20: Day hike. Tunxis Trail, Nepaug Region. Includes Tipping Rock and Shelter Four Loop Trails. Approx. 7 miles. Level: Moderate. Sarah O'Hare, seohare7@yahoo.com.
Friday, April 22-Sunday, April 24: Trail maintenance trip based at Story Spring Shelter to work from Kelly Stand Rd to Kid Gore. Level: Easy/Moderate. L: Mike Shaw at msshaw2@mail.com or (860) 381-9130
Saturday, April 23: Day hike, Lamentation Mountain and Chauncey Peak. 5-7 miles, great views. Meet at 9am at Giuffrida Park in Meriden, CT, bring lunch. Level: moderate. Alina Badus, alina.badus@gmail.com.
MAY 2016
Sunday, May 1: Day Hike. Bigelow Hollow State Park, Union. After January's successful hike we'll hike the other two trails around Breakneck Pond. We'll begin on the rugged East Ridge Trail, hunt for Peter Rabbit Rock (the one who finds it first wins a prize) and explore the caves at Cat Rocks Ridge. Then on the more moderate Ridge Trail for a total of 7.8 miles. Level: Moderate/Difficult. Sarah O'Hare, seohare7@yahoo.com.
Saturday, May 7: Nipmuck Trail in Ashford, from Barlow Mill Road to Iron Mike Road, through Yale Forest and Natchaug S.F. Arrive at 10:00 at Iron Mike Rd. for car spot. 7.8 miles Level: Moderate with some Difficult sections. Contact Dennis Himes dennis@cookhimes.us.
Friday, May 13-Sunday, May 15: Trail maintenance trip based at Kid Gore Shelter to work from the shelter to Glastonbury Mt. Level: Moderate. L: Mike Shaw at msshaw2@mail.com or (860) 381-9130
Saturday, May 14: Central Park New York - Meet Union Station, New Haven take Metro North to Grand Central Station. Walk from GCS to Central Park to see the beautiful spring flowers, then visit the High Line. For details contact Carol A. Langley 860-877-4449 cosmical14@yahoo.com
Sunday, May 15: Ankle Trail, Exeter R.I. Day hike-start 9:00 a.m. Meet at Beach Pond Parking lot on Rt. 165 on R.I. border to drive to trail head. (follow leader or carpool - difficult to find).See Auntie's Bane, historic R.I. cemeteries, stone walls & old cellar holes. 6 mi. Leader Don Hagstrom, 860-621-3453 or Aprilfools1978@att.net level : easy-moderate
Friday, May 20-Monday May 23: New Hampshire AT Backpack, Route 25A to Franconia Notch. 35 miles including Mt. Moosilauke and the Kinsmans. Must be fully self-sustaining. Level difficult. Contact leaders: Mandy Brink, trekeragb@sbcglobal.net, or Jim Robertson 860-633-7279 home, 860-519-8310 cell, jrobert685@aol.com.
Sunday,May 22: John Ross Trail, nature preserve - day hike. Goshen, CT Start 9:00 a.m., good birding area for red winged blackbirds. 6.5 mi. Contact leader for directions. Leader: Don Hagstrom 860-621-3453 or Aprilfools1978@att.net level:easy
Friday, May 27-Monday, May 30: Pemi Loop and Owl's Head backpack. 4 days, 45 miles, 13 4000-foot peaks. Must be fully self-sustaining. Level difficult. Contact co-leaders Alina Badus, alina.badus@gmail.com, or Dennis Himes, dennis@cookhimes.us.
JUNE 2016
Saturday, June 4: Metacomet Trail - Meet 9:30 Summitwood Dr. Cul-de-sac Berlin. Hike 8.3 miles several up & downs lots of rocks. Carol A. Langley 860-877-4449 Level: Moderate
Sunday, June 5: McLean Game Refuge and adjacent properties, Granby, CT. Day hike on the western side of the Refuge beginning on commonly used trails then into lesser used areas on trails and woods roads and returning to the starting point. Hiking distance around 10 miles (not sure of the distance as there are no measured trail maps.) Meet: 9:00 at the picnic grove entrance parking lot for McLean Game Refuge off Barndoor Hills Road. (From Granby center at junction of Routes 10/202 and 20 take Rt 20 west for 1.3 miles, left onto Barndoor Hills Rd for 0.9 miles, left onto entrance road.) Dave Wells 413-789-1097 dwellshiker@earthlink.net. Level: Moderate
* CANCELLED * Friday, June 10 - Sunday, June 12: Backpack 25 miles on the AT, from Falls Village, CT to Rte 41, MA (Jug End). Tentative plan: Friday Limestone Spring Shelter (4 miles), Saturday Laurel Ridge Campsite (13 miles), Sunday Rte 41 (9 miles). Level: moderate. Contact: Alina Badus, alina.badus@gmail.com.
Saturday, June 11: GMC Annual Meeting. Lyndon State College. See the Long Trail News for details.
Saturday, June 11: Shenipsit Hike in Manchester and Glastonbury: We will start at Case Mtn. Park, go south on the Shenipsit (with a detour to Lookout Mtn.) almost to the power lines, and then come back on a combination of the Shenipsit and side trails (incl. the Yellow-Blue trail over Case Mtn.). If we're lucky the laurel will be in bloom. Meet at Shenipsit TH at Case Mtn. Park on Birch Mtn. Rd. (NB NOT the Case Pond TH) at 9:30. About 9 miles. Level: Moderate. Contact: Dennis Himes dennis@cookhimes.us
Saturday, June 18: Annual Farmington River Paddle Meet 9:00 Rte. 4 Launch in Farmington. Paddle 10 miles to Curtiss Park in Simsbury, lunch at Sycamore Tree. Life jackets a MUST! Carol A. Langley 860-877-4449 cosmical14@yahoo.com L. Moderate
Sunday, June 26: Day Hike. Mohawk Trail, Cornwall. Essex Hill Road to Lake Road, 7.2 miles. Level: Moderate. Sarah O'Hare, seohare7@yahoo.com.
