Buck Hill via AMC, Fells, Beech Hollow, Monatiquot, & Forest Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)
Hike Type: ooO loop
Distance: 4.20 miles
Elevation: 469 feet
Time: 1 hour, 27 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x)
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x)
The Hike
Happy Monday! I had a super easy drive after work on a beautiful, 60 degree day. I made a plan to do some tracing around Great Blue Hill, but I left the map I doodled on at school, so I pivoted over to Buck Hill, where I had more open trails (and therefore a smaller chance of accidentally repeating). I was SUPER sleepy (blame daylight savings time), but I was parked around 3:25, so no complaints there! I suited up in my t-shirt and shorts, and was off!
I parked at the Forest Path trailhead but walked on Chickatawbut Road to the Buck Hill Path trailhead to officially get started. I noticed a "no atv" sign posted by the MDC I hadn't seen before (or saw and forgot about...) and dodged my first horse poop of the year on the Headquarters Path. There was an occasional breeze that felt cool in the shade but the sun felt AMAZING.
I made my way over to the old school house on MA-128 and then hiked up the AMC Footpath to Buck Hill, which was a little hard to follow down low, easy in the middle, and tricky up top again because of criss-crossing mountain bike trails, and a few old orange blazes throughout (circles, not the rectangles seen elsewhere). Buck Hill was magical as always, even with the guy loudly talking on his phone. I could see Mt. Wachusett prominently, followed by the round Mt. Watatic with Mt. Monadnock behind (Watatic looked huge compared to Monadnock from this angle which was fun), and then the Pack Monadnocks further on the right. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I just love that I did the Wapack Trail - I have such a new, deeper appreciation for that range now.
I continued past a blue arrow painted on a rock that I had never seen before and started my trip down to Old Route 128, down the Doe Hollow, Fells, Bugbee, and Beech Hollow Paths. All were a little muddy, but never were any a problem. I saw a bunch of deer tracks on Fells Path and I was just enjoying the warmth. I made my way onto Old Route 128 and giggled at how they basically just baried the rest of the road underneath the new one.
After Old 128 went under the current highway, I continued onto Monatiquot Path, which had plenty of highway litter on the right side. Nearer to Bugbee Path, I heard some commotion off into the woods followed by heavy breathing. I'm assuming it was just a few deer, but it was spooky! It could have been a sasquatch, though...
Once I saw the time, I decided to not do a second summit of Buck and follow the Forest Path all the way back - I had my Monday rotisserie chicken on the mind. There were some large mounts of horse poop on Forest Path that I had to creatively dodge, and I did see a final remnany of ice in a rut. Soon enough I was back at the car and off to Costco!
- Park at Forest Path trailhead.
- Walk westbound on Chickatawbut Road.
- Turn left into woods at Buck Hill Path.
- At 2164, turn left onto Headquarters Path.
- At MA-28, turn around.
- At jct., turn left onto AMC Footpath.
- At 2165, turn right onto Skyline Trail.
- At 2141, turn left onto Doe Hollow Path.
- At next jct., turn left onto Fells Path.
- At 2140, turn right onto Bugbee Path.
- At 2135, turn left onto Beech Hollow Path.
- At second jct., continue straight to Old Route 128.
- At terminus, turn left onto Old Route 128.
- At terminus, continue onto Monatiquot Path.
- At 2190, turn left onto Bugbee Path.
- At terminus, continue onto Forest Path.
- Follow Forest Path back to car.
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