Crystal Spring Loop, Doleful Pond, Healthy Heart Loop (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Crystal Spring Loop, Doleful Pond, Healthy Heart Loop (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop w/ spur, Loop, Little Loop

Distance: 5.09 miles

Elevation: 361 feet

Time: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Parking: Ample parking at Greenwood Park in Stoneham.
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2026; Middlesex Fells Reservation

The Hike 

I foolishly thought yesterday was hot. Today was HOT. 80 degrees! I was killing time while Christien was at work, so I fugred I'd get the trails in the Crystal Spring/Doleful Pond area of the Fells for the first time. Plan was loosely a double loop, first following the red Crystal Spring blazes and second following the green Healthy Heart trail.

The hike started through a really cute loosely zoo-themed playground and then I started to follow the red loop around! The trail passed a meadow restoration area and then followed a small little boardwalk around a swampy area that's drying up. I then broke my plan of following red blazes and hit the spur trail to Doleful Pond, since it was a one-way trail anyway. I was loving how green everything was, but not obsessed with the bugs or being able to feel the pollen. 

At Gate 46, there was a backyard with dozens and dozens of birdhouses. I turned around and hiked to Gate 45, and enjoyed my time along the pond, which was more or less a murky pond that was 50% tall reeds. I did see a great blue heron flying away! There was a viewpoint that had two old stadium seats, which I found interesting. 

Dolefiul Pond Road paralled a stone wall, turned right, and then followed people's back yard fences to the gate. This was a nice side trip! Now, back on task.

There was a nice breeze and I was SWEATY from the hot sun. Back on the Crystal Spring Trail, I climbed up Whip Hill on a more trail-like trail as the treetops were clanking in the breeze. Near the top of the hill, there was a sign discussing rogue trails and what students at Stoneham High School are doing to help, which was cool. I passed a few people, but soon remembered that hikers are NOT nearly as friendly here as they are in the Blue Hills. Thinking about it, I think it's partly because this side of the city runs more metropolitan, and also more people are here for "walking" versus "hiking."

After Whip Hill, the Crystal Spring trail descended slowly all the way to Crystal Spring, which had some cool stone structures and many flowers, including the common blue violet. There was no water flowing, but still cool to see! The trail climbed after this and turns right near the height of land. The forest floor here is dotted with common mayflowers pre-budding, which was really pretty. 

Afterwards, the trail began to gradually climb up Saddleback Hill, which soon had a nice view over the road and to Spot Pond Reservoir. The wind was whipping! Afterwards, there were a couple more partial viewpoints, and then I was back at the playground!

I walked through the playground, which was more full of children this time around, probably because school was out. I started to follow the green blazes for Loop #2, but did hit the extra spur of Whip Hill Road before continuing on. The green blazes brought me around a wetland area and later made a few crossings with the Crystal Spring Trail. It circled an impressive boulder on the far side of the loop, and once near Saddleback Hill I checked the map and managed to get a stick in the eye... ugh...

Anyway, I soon finished that loop, and now it was time to just wander! I turned right at E2-2, hiked in towards some trails I hadn't hiked yet, past a wildly unphased deer, and then got the text that Christien was heading out, so it was time for me to head out, too!

Step-by-Step

Loop #1

- Park at Greenwood Park

- Start hike on red-blazed Crystal Springs Trail, clockwise.

- At E1-2, turn left. 

- At E1-1, turn right onto Doleful Pond Road.

- At Gate 46, turn around.

- At Gate 45, turn around.

- At E1-1, turn right.

- At E1-2, turn left onto Crystal Springs Trail.

- Follow Crystal Springs Trail clockwise, hiking spur to Pond Street, then continuing.

- At E2-3, turn left onto trail.

- At Woodland Road, turn around.

- At E2-3, turn left onto trail.

Loop #2

- Back at Greenwood Park, start hike at same spot, following green Healthy Heart blazes.

- At E2-1, turn left onto Whip Hill Road

- At "NO TRESPASSING," turn around and follow green blazes clockwise. 

- At E2-6, turn left.

- At E2-5, turn around.

- At E2-5, turn left.

Loop #3

- At E2-2, turn right.

- At E2-7, turn right.

- At E2-8, turn left.

- At F2-2, turn around.

- At E2-8, turn right onto Whip Hill Road.

- At E2-1, turn left and return to car.

Middlesex Fells Reservation Map

Photo Album

Hillside Pond, Valley Path, Unquity Path (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hillside Pond, Valley Path, Unquity Path (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loopty Loops w/ Long Spur

Distance: 5.00 miles

Elevation: 413 feet

Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes

Parking: Parking on the side of Hillside Street on Hillside Pond side.
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2026; Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 

It's definitely May. I was hiking in chilly mist yesterday, cold rain on Saturday, but today it's a HOT 75 degrees out! Back at the Blue Hills, the plan was to hike the Hillside Pond, Valley Path, and Unquity Path areas today. I started with the loop around Hillside Pond, which really is a lovely little loop. There were unfortunately small bugs out. There were fortunately turtles out, too! The path around the pond is always surprisingly rugged, and I like it. I did get a bug in my ear, though.

I was surprised by how clear the water in the pond was. I was equally surprised by the wild amount of water bugs that were swimming and scattering about. They were also comically clumsy. They acted like cartoon characters when startled: the just swamp into each other, bouncing off one another until they got away from the shore line. I was cooking in the sun, so I was happy that I wasn't doing an overly strenuous hike. 

I took an unmapped STEEP trail to hit the rest of the trails, and to mix things up I did some loopty loops, crossing Chickatawbut Road to avoid having to turn around - I liked it! I also loved the old stone walls in this area. I also did not love the multiple enormous piles of horse poop? The gnats were really out and about, as was the pollen. I did my loopty loops and continue on the Barre Trail past a great broken boulder and then I continued on down to Border Path, which is truly a delightful stretch of trail. It easily descends alongside a small stream, crossing it at the low point. The skunk cabbages were looking luscious as the treetops began to gain color. 

I continued up Valley Path and was delighted to see that I got the longer trail that goes through the Bermuda Triangle. I hit the small connector to Valley Path, the lower of the two had a massive blowdown to navigate. I hiked back down Valley Path, spooked a family of four deer (only three alerted their tails, though!), and then continued along the Border Path.

I passed the private land and fence gate with no connecting fense, and then hiked the border path to Unquity Road before continuing onto the Unquity Path. This stretch of the hike was expected feeling much longer than the rest... because it was. Part of the path was nearly overtaken with Japense Barberries, the swamp area was stinky, and the coniferous areas were beautiful with giant pinecones on the ground. 

Back "above ground," I was gateful that the grass wasn't too long yet, but I was sad the cars on Unquity Road were too loud for my Merlin Bird ID app to work well. I did decide to play Pokemon Go on the return trip, which was my saving grace! The return trip took me exactly 25 minutes of Pokemon Go. Time to head to Costco for chicken!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Hillside Pond.

- Start hike with a counter clockwise loop around Hillside Pond, hiking the second spur to the road.

- At the close of the loop, take the unmarked steep gravelly path east.

- Follow path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Barre Trail.

- At jct., stay right onto path towards Dark Hollow.

- At jct., turn right onto path.

- At terminus, cross Chickatawbut Road.

- Continue onto Headquarters Path.

- At jct., turn sharply left onto Quincy Path.

- At 2112, turn left onto Dark Hollow Path.

- At terminus, cross Chickatawbut Road.

- Continue on path on other side of road.

- At jct., turn right onto Headquarters Path.

- Cross Chickatawbut Road, continue on Headquarters Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Quincy Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Barre Trail.

- Cross Chickatawbut Road, continue on Barre Trail.

- Cross Hillside Street, continue on Border Path.

- At 1224, turn left onto Valley Path.

- At terminus, cross Chickatawbut Road, continue on path.

- At terminus at Hillside Street, turn around.

- Hike left spur, then return to Valley Path.

- At 1224, turn left onto Border Path.

- At Unquity Road, turn around.

- At 1215, turn left ono Unquity Path.

- At terminus, turn around and return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Mt. Major & Straightback Mtn. via Old Stage, Jesus Valley & Blueberry Pasture (Belknap Range)

Mt. Major & Straightback Mtn. via Old Stage, Jesus Valley & Blueberry Pasture (Belknap Range)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 7.82 miles

Elevation: 1,745 feet

Time: 3 hours, 56 minutes (3 hours, 32 minutes moving)

Parking: Limited parking for a few cars on Alton Mountain Road ("Straightback Trailhead" on Google Maps)
Hiking Challenges: Belknap Range Redliner, Belknap Range Grid, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge, 52 Hike Challenge 2026

The Hike 

Time to drag Christien up north again! Naturally, I wanted to spend the day in the Whites. Naturally, it was going to be cruddy weather (with snow on the highest of peaks, NATURALLY). Instead, I decided to take him to Mt. Major via the south side (really just to mix things up for me). The plan was to leave at 5:30am, so he got up at 3:30am to get ready (which was WILD). I got up at 5:00. We slowly got our lives together, and we were off!

Skies were crystal clear in Boston, but there were going to be clouds in the Belknaps, which was fine - I assumed Mt. Major would be low-elevation enough to still give us a nice view. Christien was pretty nauseous for the drive - I felt bad for him. He was a tropper, though! We took a longer break at Hooksett for some food and not-driving, and we eventually made our way up to the parking area on Alton Mountain Road to start our adventure! Parking was nice and easy with space for just a few cars (and plenty of signs telling you NOT where to park). I booted up at the car - he came in his full hiking attire - and then we were off!

[8:21am - Blueberry Pasture Trail]

The Blueberry Pasture Trail starts about 20 feet away from the parking area kiosk on the right and is clearly signed. The Trail follows an old road to a very interesting area with... t-shirts on crosses? According to the Belknap Range Trails map on belknaprangetrails.org, they are Finnish Scarecrows (Silent People), and I can't find much information on them - WAIT. I found a Reddit thread that linked an article in the Laconia Daily Sun (found here). In essence, the landowners visited Finland and saw the original Finnish Scarecrows/Silent People, which were erected as a memorial to lives lost during a Russian/Finnish war in the late 1930's. The landowners were inspired to recreate it in this old field, partly as hommage to the original, but also to protest the 2003 war in Iraq. Kind of interesting that we stumbled upon them for the first time as the U.S. is dealing with another controversial war, now in Iran.

Anyway, here, the Blueberry Pasture Trail is joined by Old Stage Road, which is a colonial-era road with a neat history, detailed also at belknaprangetrails.org. Information below:

"The Old Stage Road (blazed red/blue) through Griswold Scout Reservation has a complicated history.  In colonial times the now Old Stage Road was an extension of the now Manning Lake Road and went east and ended at the farmstead, now a cellar hole, in the center of the Reservation, at what is called the logging camp outpost.   On the east side of the property, Alton Mountain road extended northwest to the farmsteads on the eastern boundary of the property in the area where the red trail crosses the now Old Stage Road and ended there.  So in the era of Stage Coaches, that road never went through.  Around the 1940’s a logging company punched a rough road through what is now the Reservation to move their portable sawmill and connected the then abandoned portions of the two roads.  That old road then became the red/blue trail for the boy scouts, but was flooded by beaver in one section east of West Brook and was quite wet in another section between that beaver swamp and the eastern boundary.  In 1977, the Scouts built a road from the Hidden Valley camp to the eastern portion of the now Old Stage Road and made it passable to trucks easterly to West Brook.  In the mid 1990’s, I set up a timber sale in the West Brook valley and along the red/blue trail.  As part of that sale, the loggers built a new road easterly across West Brook and around the north side of the beaver swamp and by-passed the other wet spot and ended the road where the gate is now located.  There was only a hiking trail between the gate and the eastern boundary.  The Gilmanton snowmobile club soon discovered the improved road and widened the hiking trail at the end of the road to accommodate their groomer and to connect with the old Alton Mountain Road section.  I have not been easterly beyond the old gravel pit on the east boundary of the Reservation for many years and do not know what has happened in that area of late. (I was able to drive a VW Rabbit to the red trail-Old Stage Road junction in 1995)  If the Alton section was once a public road, it is still the legal Right-of-Way to the Reservation.  I do not know when and if that section of Alton Mountain Road was abandoned, but I assume it was around the same time the farmsteads were abandoned.  Research on the history of now abandoned section of Alton Mountain Road may uncover something of further interest."

The two trails coincide, hiking past yet another curiosity - a sign that reads COUGAR IN AREA. I immediately rolled my eyes. I know there's a group of Mountain Lion enthusiasts that believe they're in New England. It wasn't until I read the fine print that my attitude changed...

"PLEASE STAY ON TRAILS. TRAVEL IN SMALL GROUPS AND DO NOT ALLOW MEN UNDER 30 TO TRAVEL ALONE."

Excellent. No notes, truly!

A bit further down the trail/road we saw a bright orange "Trail Information" sign, likely from snowmobile season signing "Little Avery Hill Loop" and "Secret View" - we mentally pinned this for later.

There was a light pitter patter of rain (IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO RAIN!) as we continued this easy stretch of our hike. We passed a sign (there are so many signs in the Belknaps) saying "TRAIL USERS. This trail is on private land is being made available through the cooperation of: Elise Arry... and has been developed through the efforts of: THE Mt. Major Snowmobile Club. Do not litter. Drive with Care. Respect Private Proeprty," followed by another sign for the other end of the Little Avery Hill Loop.

[8:32am - Old Stage Road]

Just after, we hit the intersection where Old Stage Road leaves Blueberry Pasture Trail. Old Stage Road continued on the right, while Blueberry Pasture Trail turned left. This officially began our lollipop loop! Christien had pivoted from feeling nauseous to having a bit of vertigo, he said "the trees are moving," and the trees were in fact not moving. I felt so bad for him! We were passing the time with me guessing the names of his family members, which I got most of within a few minutes, but there was one that really kept me occupied (well over an hour of guessing) - hopefully he didn't find it too annoying!

We hiked past a few pools with frog eggs, past a few wonderful glacial erratics, and then hit a junction with an unblazed trail that helped us avoid private property at the end of Jesus Valley Road.

[8:46am - Unblazed Connector]

The unblazed connector, signed with a wooden arrow pointing towards Mt. Major and Straightback, rose steeply with typical "road" footing, meaning it was calf steep. This is the first time we actually were hiking, so naturally I was immediately out of breath.

[8:49am - Jesus Valley - Beaver Pond Trail]

The Unblazed Connector came to a junction with the Jesus Valley - Beaver Pond Trail, which we turned right onto to descent back onto the lovely, flat corridor we'd been enjoying! We hiked through an open yard of sorts and turned left into the woods, continuing along over snowmobile bridges and eventually coming up Beaver Pond! 

[9:02am - Jesus Valley - Beaver Pond Trail/Beaver Pond]

I'm guessing Beaver Pond is named for the beavers that clearly had formed the pond - their lodge was a wonderful centerpiece on the pond! The pond was a nice spot to "stop and stare." It was delightfully quiet and still with grey skies above and just a few bits of drizzle falling. We each took sepearate excusions into the woods to take care of personal businesses, and then we continued on! The trail followed the pond for a bit before contuing through a beautiful birch-lined corridor. We even saw an eft!

[9:28am - Boulder Trail]

We took a quick break at the Boulder Trail junction, and Christien had some of my tums-coated Advil - he was thinking he was dealing with a sneaky migrane, which truly sounded likely. We had some water, he had his drugs, I took a quick potty break, we crossed paths with the first person du jour, and it was time to FINALLY climb up Mt. Major!

I was a big fan of the Boulder Trail. I had only ever hiked down it, and let me tell you it was MUCH nicer going up than down! Last time I came down this trail it was after a rain storm, I was grossly dehydrated, and I took a pretty hard fall onto my back, which was caught by my pack, but gave me some intense whiplast for the next few days. The trail alternated steep, rocky climbs with mellower stretches. This is also where I learned that Christien likes to mountain goat up the rocks with his long legs - my god! I had NO problem letting him get ahead, as I was plugging along slow and steady.

Salvation was near after a gravelley, scrambly pitch. We came to the first "DO NOT DISTURB THE CAIRNS!!" sign, and from this point on the trail was absolutely delightful. Mostly flat, trending upward, and walking along beautiful slabby, scrubby woods with moss-lined trails. We started to catch preliminary views towards Alton Bay.

[10:23am - Mt. Major Summit]

"Wow"s soon began, as we reached the summit! The view from here is always spectacular. Lake Winnipesaukee is really something cool to see. We could see Mt. Moosilauke in the clouds (turns out it was snowing!), the peaks of the Franconias and the Sandwich Range, and of course the Ossipees (where Sarah was apparently hiking! I told her on Strava that I waved to her!). There were showers rolling through the area, but thankfully they were staying above and north of the lake, with only wind and a few small drizzles hitting us at the top. We took a bunch of photos and meandered around the summit for a bit. I found two discs! There were two groups of hikers taking refuge from the cold wind in the old foundation, but once they left I jumped in. There were two friendly solo hikers chatting nearby - it was one's first solo hike ever, and she just ran a marathon. The other one was a chatty guy who read as a local and just happy to meet people. Very fun to eavesdrop!

We then sat for a bit and bundled back up. I got some tortellini pasta salad from Hookset, which felt silly but was a WIN! I paired that with an Almond Joy and we both shared adult beverages (a Nutrl hard lemonade and this Blackberry Bramble canned cocktail, both were... fine) and enjoyed being out, even if it was cold!

Christien said he was feeling better (I bet it was the nasty Bramble), we finished up our break, enjoyed the view for just a bit longer, and then started hiking again!

[10:54am - Blue/Yellow Trail]

We followed the confluence of a blue and yellow-blazed trail, which I think was the Mt. Major Trail and Brook Trails. They continued along wonderful open slabs (similar the upper reaches of the Boulder Trail) before descending a bit steeply to a junction where the yellow-blazed Brook Trail turned right to descend and the blue-blazed Major-Straightback Link turned left to start the journey up to Straightback. We briefly crossed paths with the woman who was on her first solo hike, who was also playing music loudly, so we blasted off.

[11:04am - Major-Straightback Trail]

The Major-Straightback Link rose through pretty, mossy forests with occasional open spots at easy to moderate grades. There were a few older wooden blue diamond blazes guiding the way, but the footbed was always clear. The trail later evened out and opened up to the summit of Straightback Mountain!

[11:24am - Straightback Mountain Summit/Straightback Mountain Trail]

Mentally, I didn't realize that Straightback was higher up than Mt. Major, but my legs felt it! From the summit, we turned left and followed the sign for "to Jesus Valley Rd 1.5 mi," which was the Straightback Mountain Trail. 

The upper Straightback Mountain Trail was an absolute joy to walk across. It was very open with a small discernable footpath through occasional patches of dirt with occasional views - it reminded me of sections of Monadnock along the Pumpelly Ridge. I only wish there were blazes or cairns! The trail turned a corner and descended along a slightly wetter stretch before ocming to the junction with the Blueberry Pasture Trail.

[11:37am - Blueberry Pasture Trail]

The Blueberry Pasture Trail was a wonderfully pleasant old road with mostly good footing, save for a few wobbly rocks here and there. We descended with a few turns here and there, and lower down hiked across some snowmobile bridges and past some old artifacts. Some wheel/pulley thing and a few barrels. It was simply a lovely descent from Straightback down!

[12:01pm - Blueberry Pasture Trail/Old Stage Road]

[12:02pm - Little Avery Hill Loop]

Soon we were back on Old Stage Road and after a bit of waffling we decided to hit the Little Avery Hill Loop to check out the "Secret View." This was clearly a snowmobile trail with blegh footing, and it was a steep one at that! Christien was NOT pleased with our decision, but I was suffering along excited for a view1There wre a couple of old orange blazes, but this trail is not on either map on belknaprangetrails.org. We turned a corner, suffered up some more, and came to a grassy clearing with a view!

[12:10pm - Little Avery Hill]

There was a lovely view up to straightback, and it was really fun to see the open slabs up there, where we were not too long ago! Christien was NOT having it, he officially hated Little Avery Hill after that steep climb! There was a tree view behind to normal Avery Hill, which does have a trail in the old Dave Robert's map on the aformentioned website, but nothing on the current map.

The descent was quick and easy down a narrower snowmobile trail, and soon we were back on the Blueberry Pasture Trail to finish out our hike!

[12:13pm - Blueberry Pasture Trail]

We did forget about the Silent People, though. We had a quick, uneasy hike past them, but then soon enough we were back at the parking area, which had about four cars now.

[12:17pm - End of Hike]

We did it! Christien was feeling much better compared to the start of the hike, and was just wishing he felt fine for the whole thing. I'm really glad and grateful that he rallied - I had a wonderful time on these trails and hiking with him! I got changed in the parking area and then we set our sights on getting lunch on the lake, so we drove down Alton Mountain Road to Alton Bay and landed at Shibley at the Pier in Alton, and it was a great, easy lunch! Except for the fact that I basically drenched myself in my cocktail...

The drive home was nice and easy. I got BOGO popcorn from the Common Man and Christien had a nice nap. Best part - we were home by 3:00pm so I could keep delaying my Sunday scaries!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike on Blueberry Pasture Trail from trailhead.

- At jct., turn right onto Old Stage Road.

- Near terminus, turn left onto unblazed trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Jesus Valley - Beaver Pond Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Boulder Trail.

- At terminus, continue onto Blue/Yellow blazed trail.

- At jct., continue to follow Blue blazes.

- At summit of Straightback Mountain (S. Peak), turn left onto Straightback Mountain Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Blueberry Pasture Trail.

- After jct. with Old Stage Road, turn left onto snowmobile path to "Secret View."

- At "Secret View," continue to follow path down to Blueberry Pasture Trail.

- Turn left onto Blueberry Pasture Trail, return to car.

Belknap Range Map (2023)

Photo Album

Round Mountain, Mt. Frissell, Mt. Brace Loop (Mount Washington State Forest; Taconic State Park; Mount Riga State Park)

Round Mountain, Mt. Frissell, Mt. Brace Loop (Mount Washington State Forest; Taconic State Park; Mount Riga State Park)

Hike Type: Loop w/ Spurs

Distance: 5.78 miles

Elevation: 1,102 feet

Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Parking: Parking for 6 cars at the end of East St. (3 on each side of road), more parking on CT side.
Hiking Challenges: Taconic 12er, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge

The Hike 

...AND we're right back to it! I had a short stop at my car after my Bear Mountain Loop, and now I was planning an out-and-back over Mt. Frissell to Mt. Brace and back. I saw on AllTrails there was maybe a loop option that's not on the official map from the Round-Frissell col back to the trailhead, so I planned to check that out.

[10:16am - Mt. Frissell Trail]

My hike started on the Mt. Frissell Trail, blazed in red. The trailhead sign said 1.0 miles to Mt. Frissell, 1.5 miles to Ashley Hill Trail jct., and 1.8 to the South Taconic Trail. To no surprise, the hike started on a flat old road an a vast sea of, you guessed it, mountain laurel! At least the trail was wide now, I don't think I could have emotionally handled another leg-drenching narrow trail.

I hiked past the loop trail in question that I saw on AllTrails and it was clearly closed and in the process of being taken back over by vegetation - that option was out! The trail turned at this phantom junction and began to easily rise with tree views toward Round Mountain. I could hear people ahead of me, but I did not see them. I came up to a little scrambly section that was steep but fun! I wasn't thrilled that I'd have to come down this, but it was nowhere near as bad as Bear Mountain's scrambles.

There was a brief reprive followed by another steep scramble, which kind of kept steeply climbing until the top. I started to catch up to the voices ahead and could see some nearby peaks from the top of a few of the scrambles. There were some COLD wind gusts that I wasn't ready for!

[10:34am - Mt. Frissell Trail/Round Mountain Summit]

I was almost caught up to the group ahead of me, which was seven-ish people strong, at the top of Round Mountain, which had very nice views to Mt. Frissell on one side and Bear Mountain on the other. This area reminded me a lot of the Wyanokies in New Jersey. There was a brief open plateau walk on Round Mountain before it descended to the col. I caught up to the big group here, and it took me at least 6 "hey mind if I squeeze past you?" to finally get past all of them. At least one guy complimented my hot dog shirt?

Naturally, once I got past all of them I rolled my ankle pretty painfully, but nothing too bad. I saw a little pond off-trail on the right in the Round-Frissell Col and I could hear a grouse thumping while I answered nature's call. The climb up Frissell was similarly steep, but now slabby too, and my watch was being rude about my heart rate (telling me I was at 100bpm when I was closer to 170bpm, ridiculous!). I pushed to the top and hit a very very short spur to the true summit!

[10:49am - Mt. Frissell Trail/Mt. Frissell Summit]

The summit was marked by a busted cairn (I think) and a Summit Reigster. I didn't open it because it was (to no surprise) misting again), but yay! One more peak to go! I was still lamenting about coming down the slabs and scrambles, but we do what we have to do.

The Mt. Frissell Trail descended with rocky footing on sharp rocks, similar to the Kittatinnies in New Jersey, soon opening to what I'm sure would be a wonderful view out into the Hudson Valley and the Catskills, but today it was just more clouds! After a few minutes, I made it to the MA/CT state line!

[10:55am - Mt. Frissell Trail/CT State High Point]

The State Line also doubled as Connecticut's High Point. Writing this now, I do find it fun that I hiked both Connecticut's highest peak (Bear Mountain) and Connecticuts highest point in teh same day. The area was marked by a survey disc with a comically tall pole sticking out of the middle and what looked like another register box (it should also be noted that the Mt. Frissell Trail goes between MA and CT before this point). 

After this point, the trail narrowed and became scratchier and began to descend again over a few tricky wet slabs, bringing me back into the land of mountain laurel. 

[11:03am - Mt. Frissell Trail/Tri-State Monument]

I then came to the Tri-State Monument, which interestingly enough marks the point where MA, NY, and CT meet, but only says MA and NY (the same style monument as at the MA/CT line at the trailhead parking. There was an older piece of broken marble, maybe that used to say CT? A mystery! I ran into the first human in a while just afterwards, and then I was at the other end of the Ashley Hill Trail!

[11:06am - Mt. Frissell Trail/Ashley Hill Trail]

It was fun to see both ends of this trail, it felt like my hike up Alander Mountain was forever ago! The Mt. Frissell Trail continued ahead, the Ashley Hill Trail continued right, and an unblazed herd path to presumably nowhere traveled left, which was labeled "other way ->" in pencil.

Again, the trail narrowed and began to easily rise. I was finding this hike to be mentally a lot longer than it actually was, probably because I was approaching 10 miles in the day, even though this hike was still under two miles. The Mt. Frissell Trail turned a corner, passed a pond on the right, and then came to the South Taconic Trail.

[11:15am - South Taconic Trail (North)]

[11:19am - South Taconic Trail (South)]

There were finally good views! The South Taconic Trail/Mt. Frissell Trail junction had a wonderful view down to the farmland below with a glimpse at a few Catskill slopes beneath the clouds. I was curious about the pond, so I followed the South Taconic Trail northbound to see if I could get a better view. Turns out 1) I was not on the South Taconic Trail, just an old road that parallels it, and 2) there was now view of the pond. I came to the spot where the South Taconic Trail turned off of the road bed and turned around there, now actually following the blazes and enjoying the beautiful views.

[11:24am - South Taconic Trail/Mt. Frissell Trail]

[11:27am - South Taconic Trail/Mt. Brace Trail]

I was mentally gearing up for the climb up Mt. Brace, which looked not-too-far but not-too-close. I could see some flag and structure up top, which felt exciting! My hip belt continued to keep popping off, which was very frustrating, but thankfully the hike up Mt. Brace was pretty gentle. I came to an unmarked junction with the unblazed Mt. Brace Trail. Naturally, my brain started thinking about turning it into a loop hike, but that would add at least a mile and I was nervous not knowing how that trail would be. Later problem!

[11:30am - South Taconic Trail Mt. Brace Summit]

I crossed paths with a duo just before the summit, which appeared before I even knew it! The climb was actually delightfully easy, and the top was neat! The structure was a massive rock cairn with a wind catcher on a flag pole. The summit was motly meadowed with flagging tape all about (curious about that). I loved seeing Bear Mountain, Mt. Frissell, and even Alander Mountain! It was chilly and I was tired, so I of course didn't stay long. I think I might go for the loop?

[11:35am - Mt. Brace Trail]

I descended off the summit, and decided to do it! The grade looked easy the whole way, and time-wise it would probably be the same because I'd have to go slow over the scrambles down Frissell and Round. I also didn't want to see the group of seven again... Here goes nothing!

I did see the humor in that by making this a loop, and turning Bear Mountain into a loop, I effectively added mileage to my day and was essentially doing the originally planned hike, but I didn't care! The air was starting to warm up as the skies CONTINUED to drizzle. The trail was one big long old road with loose rocks and occasional streams. The wet part of the upper trail eventually drained into and crossed a real stream, and was better afterwards with wonderful flat dirt.

I then saw a red eft, took a bunch of photos, and offically killed my phone battery. Tragic! I started hiking even faster, just grateful that I knew where I was going. I also dropped my phone immeaditely after it died, scratching the screen protector.

I caught up to a trio in a very wet, flat spot, as they were admiring frog eggs. The trail continued to descend, getting progressively wetter and wetter, which kind of sucked. It reached a low point, crossed a bridge, and climbed up through more wet trail. Eventually, it flattened out and dried out, which led to the gate onto Mt. Washington Road!

[12:06pm - Mt. Washington Road]

[12:22pm - Mt. Washington Road/Bear Mtn. Road]

There were a bunch of signs for the Mt. Riga Corp. Inc. on Mt. Washington Road, basically saying "stay off of our land." It also made it seem like some people may reside on land owned by the corporation? It's very hard to find info on it online. Thankfully, the road was in great shape and I was able to truly cruise! The walk to the Bear Mtn. Road junction was longer than I thought, but the Bear Mtn. Road junction to the car was significantly and wonderfully shorter than I thought!

[12:28pm - End of Hike]

Naturally, I ended my hike with blue skies and a shining sun. Either way, it was a fun day of exploring this little corner of Massachusetts. It was fun to hit the CT high point, and hike in three states in a day! I've also now finished the Taconic 12er peaks outside of Vermont - yay! I had a nice long drive home, and then off to the Belknaps with Christien tomorrow!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike on Mt. Frissell Trail.

- Near summit, turn right onto summit spur.

- At summit, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Mt. Frissell Trail.

- At jct. with Ashley Hill Trail, continue straight on Mt. Frissell Trail.

- At terminus, do a quick loop northbound on the South Taconic Trail, then hike south towards Mt. Brace.

- At summit of Mt. Brace, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Mt. Brace Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Mt. Washington Road.

- Follow Mt. Washington Road to car.

Map of Mount Washington State Forest

Photo Album

Bear Mountain Loop via AT, Bear Mtn. Rd., Bog Trail (Mount Riga State Park)

Bear Mountain Loop via AT, Bear Mtn. Rd., Bog Trail (Mount Riga State Park)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 3.17 miles

Elevation: 597 feet

Time: 1 hour, 21 minutes

Parking: Parking for 6 cars at the end of East St. (3 on each side of road), more parking on CT side.
Hiking Challenges: Taconic 12er, Appalachian Trail 14-State Challenge

The Hike 

The drive from the Mount Washington State Park HQ trailhead to the Mt. Frissell Trailhead was an easy 10-minute drive. Soon after leaving HQ, the road turned to dirt, and had some patches of deep gravel that was simply unpleasant to drive over. There was parking on the right side of the road signed as the Mt. Frissell Trailhead for 2-3 cars, and room on the left side for another three cars. 

The original plan was to go up Round Mountain and Mt. Frissell, then traverse over to Mt. Brace, then a long trip down and up Bear Mountain with a steep descent to close the loop. I simply did not want to deal with a wet, steep descent, so instead I decided to start with Bear Mountain and ascending the steep portion and then simply seeing what happened next!

[8:53am - Start of Hike]

I started my hike by crossing into Connecticut (marked by a cool, old monument), and continuing for maybe 100-150 feet to another parking area at Northwest Road, which was signed as leading to AMC Northwest Camp. Google Maps said the gate on Mt. Washington Road in CT was closed, but it was definitely open today!

[8:55am - Northwest Road]

I turned onto blue-blazed Northwest Road, which was an old, gated road, and hiked in, soon passing more signs for the AMC Northwest Camp. I was greeted by a sign saying:

"WELCOME

You are entering land owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club. To insure your continued use and enjoyment of this wilderness area, the following regulations will apply.

1. Camping permitted in designated areas only.

2. Wood burning fires are specifically prohibited.

3. Foot travel only - no motorized vehicles.

4. Carry out everything you carry in.

5. No hunting permitted.

AMC ridgerunner monitors area on regular basis."

Just after there were stacks of fire wood, a few wheelbarrows, and a kiosk with a brochure that was too foggy to read. 

The AMC Website reads: "Northwest Camp is a rustic backcountry cabin, secluded on a remote section of Bear Mountain in Salisbury, Connecticut. The cabin provides access to many hiking trails leading to New York and Massachusetts." Some more information by the CT AMC Chapter can be found here and here.

[8:57am - Northwest Road/AMC Northwest Camp]

Northwest Road passed the AMC Northwest Camp on the right, rock hopped across a small stream, and continued on, basically paralleling the MA/CT State Line and rising gently as rain began to fall again. My hip belt was becoming more and more of a bummer and this trail was in muddier shape than Alander Mountain. I ascended into a mountain laurel grove and I put the rain jacket back on (crankily), and soon landed at the junction with the Appalachian Trail!

[9:10am - Appalachian Trail]

The Northwest Road trail terminated at the Appalachian Trail, although the old road continued straight and was mostly obstructed. The AT was marked by a seafoam green sign, which was fun! The AT soutbound starts off by climbing easily along the side of the mountain before making a turn and climbing right up the side. The rocks were plentiful and exceptionally slippery. I heard a grouse thumping and my flatulence was giving me a nice boost as I scrambled up!

There were some nice tree views to the north and I passed my first person du jour right at the steepest spot - he was wearing baggy cargo shorts, a hoodie, and listening to some podcast out loud. The scrambling was physically challenging but super fun! I was SO GLAD I went up this way instead of down.

The tree views became more interesting the higher I climbed with MANY clouds on nearby peaks - thankfully it looked like this mountian was still in the clear. I pushed on, slightly gassing myself, and soon came to the summit area! First, there was a summit sign and a little herd path that branched off to the right to what was maybe an old trail or maybe the true summit or maybe just a grown-in viewpoint?

[9:27am - Bear Mountain Summit]

The main summit area was marked by a giant pile of socks and a plaque saying: "THIS MONUMENT MARKS THE HIGHEST GROUND IN CONNECTICUT. 2354 FEET ABOVE THE SEA. BUILT A.D. 1885. OWEN TRAVIS MASON." I guess this was before they identified the shoulder of Mt. Frissell was taller?

There were a few people of a hiking group showing up, so I kept on moving on (also it was still rainy and windy. The rain coat was off again because of the sweating, but it was still wet everywhere.

[9:32am - Appalchian Trail]

The AT from this point on was an absolute treat! Easy, descending grades. I only had to be careful of puddles and an occasional slippery rock. I passed a few folks hiking up, all of whom appeared to be day hikers. I kept stopping as more and more viewpoints over towards Mt. Brace and Mt. Frissell began to open up. Nearby bushes were starting to bloom, and the sun kept trying to poke through, but it was generally not successful. I noticed after using PeakFinder my phone battery plummeted to 19%, so I threw it on airplane mode and low power mode in hopes of keeping it alive!

The trail entered an eroded section as the trees began to grew taller. I also realized I forgot chapstick... The descent continued into an endless sea of mountain laurel with birds singing everywhere (I was thrilled to recognize the Eastern Towhee, thank you, Merlin!). Eventually, in the sea of mountain laurel, I came to the junction with the Bear Mountain Road, which would bring be back to Mt. Washington Road.

[9:49am - Bear Mountain Road]

This "road" was actually a narrow footpath with ankle-tickling and ankle-soaking mountain laurel on both sides - it was unpleasant. It was also somehow still misting out when the rain was supposed to be long since done... I traversed a wet spot and wondered how long I would be stuck in this laurel-ous hellscape, but thankfully after about 10 minutes I came to a junction. Only plus of this stretch was seeing Bear Mountain through the trees.

At the junction, I could decide what my next move would be. I could turn right onto the Bog Trail, which said closed on AllTrails but was very clearly open, and close this loop before starting a seperate hike up Mt. Frissell and Mt. Brace, or I could continue the loop onto Mt. Washington Road and up Mt. Brace, ending with Mt. Frissell. The thought of dealing with more mountain laurel and the unknown road walk and Mt. Brace Trail had me convinced to close the loop, so I turned right.

[10:00am - Bog Trail]

To my delight, the Bog Trail was a dream! To no surprise, it circled a bog! On a bog boardwalk! The boardwalk was super slippery, so I had to go nice and slow. I followed the yellow blazes along, enjoying the sounds of peepers in the bog. I was enjoying it, until a grouse scared the LIFE out of me! Awful little birds... There were small interpretive signs throughout the trail, which were just lovely, and there was a sign saying "BOG BRIDGE 2015" at the end of the boardwalk nearest the camp.

Now back at the camp, I hiked past a fire pit and a cabin with a sign indicating that this was an old growth area, whic was pretty neat! I hiked down around the cabin and over a nice bridge back to Northwest Road, closing the loop.

[10:10am - Northwest Road]

[10:12am - Road Walk to Car]

The stem of the lollipop loop was nice and easy. I had a short walk to the gate and another short walk back to the car, which was already at the next trailhead! There were two new cars total in the area.

[10:14am - End of Hike] 

I did a quick stop at the car to drop a water bottle and throw on some chapstick. The main plan was to out-and-back Mt. Frissell and Mt. Brace, but I was open to a loop option if it spoke to me. Time will tell!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike by walking south on East Street (MA)/Mt. Washington Road (CT).

- At trailhead, turn left onto Northwest Road.

- At jct., turn right onto Appalachian Trail (southbound).

- At jct., turn right onto Bear Mountain Road.

- At jct., turn right onto Bog Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Northwest Road.

- At terminus, turn right and return to car.

Map of AMC Northwest Camp & Area

Photo Album

Alander Mountain via Alander Mountain Trail (Mount Washington State Forest)

Alander Mountain via Alander Mountain Trail (Mount Washington State Forest)

Hike Type: Out-and-Back

Distance: 5.95 miles

Elevation: 1,194 feet

Time: 2 hours, 2 minutes

Parking: Parking at Mount Washington State Park Headquarters for many cars.
Hiking Challenges: Taconic 12er, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge, 52 Hike Challenge 2026

The Hike 

I had the day all to myself and it was flirting with being kind of nice out with a bit of residual rain first thing in the morning. I had my sights on the four southern Taconic peaks on the Taconic 12er Challenge: Alander Mountain, Mt. Frissell, Mt. Brace, and Bear Mountain. Planning looked like I could do these in two hikes, and the trailheads were just a few minutes apart! I set a comical 3:00am alarm and was out the door at 3:20am. It was naturally pouring on my drive, but I was staying optimistic! The further west I drove the drier the roads became, thankfully. Originally it said 8:00am would be the end of the rain, but as I got closer it got bumped up to 7:00am - yay! I needed gas once I got off the pike and was horrified to see that it was averaging $4.50/gallon in the Berkshires, but I eventually found one for $4.20... ugh. 

I made my way towards Mt. Washington State Forest and East Street was down to a one-lane road in two sections due to road work, but since it was so early there was no one else out. I passed four deer and two turkeys living harmoniously on the side of the road, and eventually made it to the parking area at the State Forest Headquarters - with a porta potty! My stomach had been in a bad mood (I got a half and half pizza from Bertucci's last night and had two slices of Verde and two slices of Nolio for dinner and brought the other four slices for today, but I think the Nolio is now on my "treats my body like ricotta cheese does" list). I had my breakfast pizza, used the porta potty, which was in pretty good condition, and got started on adventure #1!

[6:25am - Alander Mountain Trail]

It was a brisk 41 degrees out with a few residual raindrops, but peeks of blue skies! There were endless birds singing, including a rooster (Merlin said White-throated Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Chipping Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees, and Common Ravens). I was back with my orange 32-liter pack (versus my blue 40-liter pack) for spring - I did a little hiking pack restock last night for the warmer seasons. The Alander Mountain Trail started right at the parking area and traversed a nice, open meadow and is marked with blue blazes. 

Following the meadow, the trail entered the woods on a wide, well-blazed trail that felt like an old road. The trail turned left at a closed section of trail (but recently mowed) at another meadow and then crossed a stream on a bridge at another unmapped intersection. The trail had been averaging flat with minor easy ups and downs so far. Footing got a little muddier after the bridge, but nothing was too bad so far!

[6:35am - Alander Mountain Trail/Charcoal Pit Trail]

I soon passed the junction with the Charcoal Pit Trail, which did not look appetizing to me. It looked wildly wet, muddy, and grassy. I did have a couple option to extend this into a loop hike, but now I have eliminated one option! The Alander Mountain Trail crossed another stream and then came to the junction with the Ashley Hill Trail, which looked to be another wide road.

[6:38am - Alander Mountain Trail/Ashley Hill Trail]

I would keep this one in mind for my return trip if I was feeling inspired to extend my hike! I took my fleece off here, but kept my Frogg Togg jacket on as the rain had mostly stopped, but the leftovers from treetops were still falling. Off-trail, I saw a little herd path to a nice waterfall that was only a little sketchy to descend to - it was so pretty!

The Alander Mountain Trail descended for a minute to an area where two brooks meet - Lee Pond Brook, which had the waterfall from before, and the Ashley Hill Brook. I crossed over Ashley Hill Brook on a nice, large bridge and enjoyed the beautiful area. The water was so beautifully clear! There were also old stone foundations, maybe an old dam or mill?

The trail began to gently rise from this point, so I officially took my rain jacket off. Higher up, the trail entered the clouds (bummer) and passed a sign indicating the campground was a half mile away. There were a few cars from Connecticut at the trailhead, I wonder if they were camping?

After the sign, the trail flattened out in a really pretty area of open woods and young spring greens dotting the floor. The clouds were really trying to burn off, but without much success. I climbed a little steeper (but not steeply) to the junction with the Campground Trail.

[6:58am - Alander Mountain Trail/Campground Trail]

I pinned the Campground Trail for a possible return loop, as it links up with the Ashley Mountain Trail later on. The birds were back singing as I descended gently after the junction (I kept singing "the birds are back" to the tune "the boys are back" from High School Musical 3) before crossing a flat wet spot that led to a mountain laurel grove.

The climb officially-officially began when the trail momentarily became a literal stream. I kept thinking about how pretty it would be when the mountain laurel is in bloom! A massive bumblebee zoomed past me as the trail began to parallel a stream in a really lovely conifer grove. There was a metal sign with "last water in dry season" "written" via pinholes, and then the trail opened up again on a now rocky and eroded footbed.

The trail entered a very confusing wet, eroded area just after - some bird was trying to tell me which way was correct, but it wasn't overly helpful. Higher up, I re-entered the clouds as the trail steeply climbed up to the ridge. To my surprise, I came to a building!

[7:23am - Alander Mountain Trail/Watchmen's Cabin]

The building was the Alander Fire Watchmen's Cabin, thankfully indicated by a sign. It looked like the door could be opened, but I have a firm policy of not f-ing around to find out what creepy things may be lurking inside. The sign read:

"Historic Structure

Alander Fire Watchmen's Cabin

c. 1920's

Please respect this historic structure!

Alander Mountain Fire Tower, 1928-30 and associated Fire watchmen's Cabin at Mount Washington State Forest. The former site of this tower, located just tenths of a mile within Massachusetts from the state line, was managed by New York State froom 1928-1930. It was then dismantled and stored at Taconic State Park. In 1933 the tower was again erected on Washburn Mountain in Copake Falls, NY. Moved once more in 1963-64 to Beebe Hill, where it stands today.

Although the fire tower is gone form the original site on Alander Mountain, the 4 concrete footings remain. Also, this original Watchman's Cabin is actively used as a campsite for the Mount Washington State Forest.

Please be respectful, carry out all trash, and be diligent about your fires!"

There was a short, steep, ledgy push just after the cabin, which led to the terminus of the Alander Mountain Trail! I turned left onto the South Taconic Trail, which would lead to the summit of Alander Mountain.

[7:25am - South Taconic Trail]

This South Taconic Trail was fully socked in, but a beautiful short walk! It had tall bushes lining much of the stretch and puddles on the trailbed, kind of like Buck Hill in the Blue Hills, but I could tell there would be some nice views if I weren't in a cloud. 

[7:27am - Alander Mountain Summit]

And just like that, I was at the summit of Alander Mountain! The true summit is marked with old fire tower footings, an USGS marker, and a summit sign that was off on a tree slightly in the woods. I didn't stand here for long, in part because the only view was of the cloud I was residing in, but it was also damp and cold up here with a breeze. Plus, I had more hiking to do! I took a swig of Nuun and started my trip back to the Alander Mountain Trail and back to the car, still unsure if I was going to do a loop or not.

[7:33am - Alander Mountain Trail]

I wiggled down to the cabin and started... well, attempted to blast off back to the car! I made it to the top in one hour and one minute, I wondered if I could match it, or be faster on the return... I was also noticing I was two minutes ahead of the schedule I set for myself for the day - yay!

Back in the woods, the clouds were visibly higher up and if I stuck around for maybe 30 more minutes I would have caught a view, but oh well! I had work to do! I had been noticing all day the hip belt on my pack was feeling weird, and I learned why on the way down - the bottom tooth on the main buckle snapped off at some point in the past! That also explained why it unbuckled a few times. Bummer.

My toe got a little wet in the wet, eroded section, and I was moving slower than I wanted because of the water and footing, but overall it was good-going. 

[7:57am - Alander Mountain Trail/Campground Trail]

I decided to not do a loop at the Campground Trail junction since I had another hike to do just after this one. It smelled like a pine candle after the campground junction, and to my delight I saw some of the first red trillium of the season! I noticed first the three leaves, and then the droopy flowers! No pink lady slippers, though... There were also some droopy purple flowers in the area.

I was still impressively gassy throughout most of this hike, and it was really giving me a boost on this descent. I could start to hear the Ashley Hill Brook and soon made it back to the low point of the trail where the two brooks met. I crossed the bridge and started huffing it back uphill, which I was really cranky about, but it was also literally fine. 

[8:14am - Alander Mountain Trail/Ashley Hill Trail]

[8:17am - Alander Mountain Trail/Charcoal Pit Trail]

I hiked past the Ashley Hill and Charcoal Pit Trails through some wonderful rambling pine forests, passed the second meadow, rambled some more, and then finally entered the trailhead meadow. I didn't see a single human on this hike, and even with the wet trails, it was an absolute delight! I'd love to come back sometime to see the view, or even flirt with hiking the South Taconic Trail in it's whole (EDIT: wait of course that's what I want to do, it's only 14 miles).

[8:57am - End of Hike]

Back at the trailhead, I used the porta potty once more for good measure, changed into another set of dry hiking clothes, had my second two slices of pizza, and started my trek down to the MA/CT state line at the Mt. Frissell Trailhead!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike on Alander Mountain Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto South Taconic Trail.

- At summit, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Alander Mountain Trail.

- Return to car.

Map of Mount Washington State Forest

Photo Album

Northern Fells Reservoir & Virginia Wood Trails (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Northern Fells Reservoir & Virginia Wood Trails (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Hike Type: Spaghetti

Distance: 6.73 miles

Elevation: 778 feet

Time: 2 hours, 8 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Middlesex Fells Reservation Redlining

Parking: Pulloff on Pond Street at Gate 42

The Hike 

Now we're really back at work, because I was back at the Fells killing time while Christien finished up work. It was a beautiful 60-degree afternoon with no clouds and a light breeze. My goal was to hike through the Virginia Wood section of trail and possibly finish up the area around the Fells Reservoir. Parking was unpleasant, as it was a small pull-off on a busy road, but ultimately fine. I wish I brought my long sleeve since I was chilly to start, but was soon completely fine. 

In the woods, the undergrowth was starting to sprout! I crossed a neat old bridge on the Crystal Spring Trail, which was blazed in red, and partially coincided with a Historical Trail, which was blazed in yellow. I had to carefully and safely cross Ravine Road, which was busy, and then hiked up a Pipe Line, which was expectedly underwhelming. My windbreaker finally came off since the Pipe Line was on a slight incline, and I didn't realize that I had dropped my phone taking it off! Thankfully, it was only about 50 feet down the trail from when I noticed, but yikes!

There were a few nice woodpeckers near the reservoir as I followed the Wyoming Path, which eventually split and I joined the reservoir, which is really a lovely walk. It reminded me of a mini Quabbin. Some parts of the reservoir were lined with a tarp, which was interesting, but I guess made sense? Maybe those were areas where water was leaking out?

There were a couple of ducks swimming about as I hiked around, high above the land down below. There were a medium amount of unmapped trails around the reservoir, but I was really just planning to stick to what's mapped. I exited the reservoir area eventually and found myself behind a women walking TWELVE dogs?! It looked like a scene out of a movie. Thankfully, she pulled over to let me pass. 

I hiked a hanging chad trail that I needed and met a white bird that I hadn't seen before (a white-breasted nuthatch - thank you, Seek!). I managed to cut my arm on a pricker bush and hiked past a little meadow while on the Rock Circuit Connector, which then zig-zagged around some rogue trails that led back to the reservoir.

I needed a few trails around the Fellsway East and Ravine Road, which unfortunately led to a road walk to save miles. It was sketchy, but thankfully I had enough of a shoulder where itw as mostly fine. I wrapped up the Wyoming Path area and then made my way to the Melrose Path/Pine Grove Path area, which involved a lot of wiggling and zig-zagging and one unpleasant road walk. The Pine Grove was my favorite area around here, as it was true to it's name!

My return trip started back on the Rock Circuit Path to the terminus of the Crystal Spring Path. The sun felt amazing on the open slabs, but it was getting chillier in the woods. I realized I was going to finish the Fells Reservoir area, which was exciting! I followed Crystal Spring Path back to Melrose Path, hopped a few blowdowns, hit a few spurs, and voila! I did it!

Now I had to cross Ravine Road again and decided to go for one last road walk uphill to the Virginia Wood road. I had just enough time to hike the network of trails in this small area of the park, the coolest being the Historic Trail. The only information on this area on the DCR map reads: "Virginia Wood, the site of a vanished mill village called “Haywardville,” is now a hemlock enclave featuring a self-guided interpretive history trail."

Wikipedia's "Spot Pond Archeological District" page reads: "The Spot Pond Archeological District is a historic archaeological site near Spot Pond in Stoneham, Massachusetts. It is located in the Virginia Woods section of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, a state park. The district encompasses sites along Spot Pond Brook that were mill sites dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries. At its height, in the mid-19th century the Hayward Rubber Works was located in the area, giving it the name "Haywardville". One of the park's trails runs through the area, and a park pamphlet provide a self-guided tour joining the major remnants of the industries that once flourished there." I also found a lackluster map here.

I'm sure there's a DCR map somewhere, but I have been unable to find it. The trails got a little confusing, but were fun to explore. I ended my hike with my first gnat in my eye of the year! I finished up this stretch of the park also, which felt good, leaving just the main Crystal Spring area, the Spot Pond Reservoir area, the area around Sheepsfold, and the area northwest of the big reservoir. Almost there!

UPDATE FROM THE FUTURE: I found the brochure I wanted about the guided tour in the Virginia Wood - here.

Step-by-Step

- From parking at Gate 42, follow the middle trail.

- At F3-2, continue straight over bridge, following red/yellow blazes.

- At F3-4, continue straight on Crystal Spring Trail (red).

- Cross Ravine Road, continue on Pipe Line Road after Gate 39.

- At terminus, turn left onto Wyoming Road.

- At jct., turn right to loop Fells Reservoir.

- At jct., turn left.

- At jct., turn left.

- At F5-1, continue straight on Hemlock Pool Road.

- At F5-4, turn left.

- At F5-6, continue straight on Jerry Jingle Road.

- At F5-9, turn sharply right onto road.

- At F5-5, turn right onto Rock Circuit Connector (orange).

- At F4-10, turn left onto trail.

- At F4-11, turn right onto Rock Circuit Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Rock Circuit Connector (orange).

- At jct., turn left.

- At Fellsway East, turn left onto Fellsway East.

- At Gate 50, turn left onto Wyoming Path.

- After F4-7, turn around.

- At F4-7, turn left onto path.

- At terminus, turn sharply left onto Melrose Path.

- At F4-2, turn left onto Rock Circuit Trail (white).

- At jct., turn left.

- At terminus, turn right onto Melrose Path.

- At jct., turn right.

- At F3-10, continue straight.

- At terminus, turn right onto Ravine Road/Fellsway East.

- At jct., turn right onto Pine Grove Path.

- At F3-8, turn left onto Crystal Spring Trail (red).

- At jct. after F3-9, turn left.

- At terminus, turn right onto Wyoming Path.

- At F4-8, turn right onto Rock Circuit Trail (white).

- At F4-4, turn right onto Crystal Spring Trail (red).

- At F4-3, turn left.

- At terminus, turn right onto Melrose Path.

- At F3-7, turn right onto Pine Grove Path.

- At F3-8, turn around.

- At F3-8, turn right onto Melrose Path.

- At Gate 40, turn around.

- At F3-8, turn right onto Crystal Spring Trail (red).

- At Gate 39, turn left onto Ravine Road.

- At Gate 38, turn right (signed: Virginia Wood).

- At F3-3, turn right onto Crystal Spring Path (red/yellow).

- At F3-4, turn left onto Historic Trail (yellow).

- Hike spur, then turn right at F3-5.

- At F3-6, turn right.

- At terminus, turn around and retrace steps past F3-5.

- At F3-3, turn right.

- At F3-2, turn left to follow red/yellow blazes.

- At F3-1, turn right to parking lot.

- At parking lot, turn around.

- At F3-1, turn right to conitnue loop, following yellow blazes.

- At F3-2, continue straight toward Gate 42.

- At Gate 42, complete hike.

Middlesex Fells Reservation Map

Photo Album