Breeze, Boyce, & Buck Hills via Houghton Pond (Blue Hills Reservation)
Hike Type: Ooo Loop
Distance: 5.41 miles
Elevation: 600 feet
Time: 1 hour, 53 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x); Blue Hills Grid
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x); Blue Hills Grid
The Hike
It's a snow day! I finished my 4:45am yoga by checking WCVB.com and saw my district closed for the day! I was already up, so I finished my morning work out and decided to stay up until I could get a morning hike in - hopefully before the snow! I made it to the Houghton's Pond main parking area at 7:15am, which was incredibly empty. It was a cold 24 degrees and cloudy and my goal was to wiggle around the Boyce/Buck Hill area. I used my uninsulated boots to see how warm my feet would be in 24 degrees/no sun/normal socks (spoiler alert, they were completely fine!).
I started my hike by following the path from the mid-parking lot to the picnic area and then willing around the Paddock/Prescott area towards Breeze Hill. It smelled like snow was going to fall (which was on my mind as Ray is rewatching Gilmore Girls) and my puffy came off 10ish minutes in. I did go to the true top of Breeze Hill only to find out that I had already done it for February - oh well. I did appreciate how the Prescott Foot Path to Breeze Hill used to absolutely gas me out a few years ago, and now I made it up with only a mildly pounding heart beat!
I continued my wiggle toward the Boyces, both of which I needed for February still. I crossed paths with my first human, a trail runner near the Peeper Swamp, passed a lost designer glove, and worked my up the Boyce Hill Trail and to the summit (or summit area) of South Boyce, which the only hill in this reservation that makes me go "do I really want to persue this "grid" thing?" (answer is: yes, but I maintain it's going to be many many years before I finish it).
Now on my way to North Boyce, I crossed paths with a couple who asked about a lost white glove - I was ELATED to let them know I saw it and knew exactly where it was! Hopefully they were able to find it. I ended up hiking North Boyce two times to get a couple more trails traced for my second winter map. I saw the first snowflake of the day fall on lap 1, and it was flurrying by lap 2. I continued on the Skyline Trail up the icy rock steps to Buck Hill, where it was officially snowing. I loved hearing the soft pitter-patter of the flakes falling on the earth below. The views were cool, as I'd never been up while it was snowing! The ground was beginning to get covered in a dusting, so I kept it moving.
I hit my first patch of dicey ice coming down the Buck Hill Summit Trail, and paired with the new and falling snow, I decided I'd put my spikes on. The trail conditions were super variable, which is why I had been avoiding it, but I reminded myself that I have a pair of rock spikes for a reason, and it helped me and my pacing immensely (even though they were fitting a bit looser than usual, which was confusing).
Turns out spikes were the correct call as the ice didn't let up until the end of the trail, and I kept them on for the bulk of the rest of the hike, too. I continued along the Barre Trail, Quincy Path, and Tucker Hill Path, slowly becoming a snow man. I took my spikes off for Headquarters Path, but it was still nice and slippery (I stuck to the grassy spots). I made it back soon after with a frozen snowball of a head!
Step-by-Step
- Park Houghton Pond parking lot A.
- Start hike by hiking spur from mid-parking lot.
- At terminus, turn left onto gravel road.
- At next jct., turn right onto Paddock Trail.
- At terminus, turn left.
- At next jct., turn left onto red-blazed Prescott Foot Path.
- At 2071, turn right onto Bugbee Path.
- At 2070, continue left on Bugbee Path.
- At 2096, turn right and hike to next jct., and then turn around on Dark Hollow Path.
- At 2095, turn right and follow red blazes.
- At jct., turn left onto Boyce Hill Trail.
- At 2117, turn right onto Skyline Trail.
- At 2141, turn left onto Doe Hollow Path.
- At 2151, turn left onto Boyce Hill Trail.
- At 2117, turn left onto Skyline Trail.
- Before 2165, turn left onto Buck Hill Summit Trail.
- At 2153, turn left onto Doe Hollow Path.
- At 2151, turn right onto Boyce Hill Trail.
- At 2130, turn right onto Barre Trial.
- At jct., turn left onto Quincy Path.
- At terminus, continue to follow green blazes.
- At jct., turn left onto Tucker Hill Path.
- After 2072, turn right onto Skyline Trail.
- At Hillside St., turn left onto Headquarters Path.
- Return to car.
