4/18/13 Woodchuck Hill

Cold gray day. We had not been to Woodchuck Hill in almost three years but it is a closer hike than most we do. Part of this hike is challenging for Kelley but there is an easier trail. The overall hike turned out to be both disappointing and a challenge.

We started from the boy scout camp on the Blue and Gold Trail. This part of the trail is flat and not a problem.

At Snowshoe Pond it crosses the road.

But, if instead, we walked down the road to the  right to another easier trail- just before you reach the water department gate ( no marker but easy to see). This trail was our first disappointment. Apparently the lower part of the trail  has been rerouted and was more difficult for  Kelley- lots of spots to work around large boulders . Whoever did the new blazes got carried away and there were many more than were needed.

The view from the top of the trail is not very open and the better views are further on.

We decided we would go down the difficult trail - the "easy" trail had been disappointing. In addition to the steep rocks and ledge there are ladders and ropes to bushwhack around but we have managed it in the past.

Looking for a way down

OK, we got down that

And got to a ledge with a nice view- a good spot to stop and share an apple

This is too steep

When we reach the point where there are ladder(s) and ropes to help you up or down we bushwhack along the ridge to a spot where we can work down below and work back below the ridge to the trail. Today we found that there had been some timber harvesting which left  the area below in a mess.

It was quite difficult for Kelley but we managed to get through it and found a sort of trail ( not the original) which was easier and led us out to the road about a block from the original trail.

New life

We walked up the old trail a short distance and it appeared that trail was also no longer what it had been. So a challenging hike had revealed  degradation of a once pretty area.  2  1/2 hours