Skyline Loop via Trailside Musuem (w/ Summit Road) (Blue Hills Reservation)
Hike Type: Lollipop-ish Loop
Distance: 4.40 miles
Elevation: 1181 feet
Time: 2 hours, 6 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Great Blue Hill Summits
Hiking Challenges: Great Blue Hill Summits
The Hike
Time for another Tuesday fitness hike with Sarah! We met in the south Trailside Museum parking lot. I landed a little after 3:30 and actually woke her up from a car nap - sorry! I was feeling better after getting sick this weekend, but still not 100%. The hike overall was insignificant, just more so a lovely afternoon with a good friend in the woods. We made it up Eliot Path no problem (minus some huffing and puffing on my end), quickly transitioning from "it's chilly" to the parking lot to "dear god I am sweating" once up top. Great Blue Hill to Hancock was straightforward and only a little muddy, and descending Hancock was a lot muddy. I took a quick pit stop in the porta potty and decided Sarah should NOT use it, and we continued on!
The climb up Houghton is always humbling and I was slower than my surprise PR of last week, but still made it up in one tank! My lungs were hurting, but I did remember to bring a buff, which might have saved my life. The stream that drains into Houghton's Pond was flowing nicely, but still easily crossed, and the headstream of the Blue Hills River was starting to run more intensely - it's been fun watching it grow from a trickle a few weeks ago to having small cascades now. I had Sarah do a little dance at the crossing for my "1 Second Everyday" app.
We made our way up the Skyline Trail back to Great Blue Hill and then we scooted down to the top of the ski area, which still had some snow in shaded areas. It was still a little muddy for descending fully, so we scooted over to the Summit Road and then down the Eliot Path as usual. A nice, sleepy, low-brain hike!
Step-by-Step
- Start hike from Trailside Museum parking on Eliot Path (red dots).
- At terminus, turn right onto Eliot Circle.
- At next jct., turn left onto Summit Road.
- At next jct., turn right onto spur trail to Summit.
- Descend summit towards Skyline Trail South.
- Turn left onto Skyline Trail, and then right onto Skyline Trail North.
- Follow Skyline Trail North to Hillside St.
- At Hillside St., turn right onto Hillside St.
- After stables, turn right onto Skyline Trail South.
- Follow Skyline Trail South to Eliot Circle.
- At jct., turn right to summit Great Blue Hill.
- At summit, follow path to top of Ski Area.
- From top of Ski Area, turn right and join Summit Road.
- At 1051, turn left onto Eliot Path.
- Return to car.
No comments:
Post a Comment