Geology Loop Trail (Whipple Hill Conservation Area)

Geology Loop (Whipple Hill Conservation Area)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 2.05 miles

Elevation: 207 feet
Time: 49 minutes

Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge

The Hike

Hike #2 of 2023! I’ve driven past the entrance to the Whipple Hill Conservation Area dozens of times, and with the dreadfully early sunsets this time of year (4:19 PM), a hike 5 minutes from work sounded just right! It had been foggy and rainy all day, so I used the good ol winter boots even though temperatures were in the 40s. I did a quick clothing change in the car, got my bag together in the small parking lot, and headed out on my adventure!

There was a map right at the trailhead showing the two main trails in the conservation area (Geology Loop-Red and Farm/Wetland Loop-Yellow). There were additional green trails that were unnamed connecting trails, and the blue ACROSS Lexington Trail. Right after the kiosk was an excellent surprise - an Alpaca farm! There were three out when I walked past, and there was a sign stating to not feed them, which makes complete sense. The blue-blazes ACROSS Lexington trail leads into the conservation area, and after crossing some wetlands, I turned left to start the red-blazed Geology Loop.

The trail quickly gains elevation to the higher terrain of the conservation area, which was viewless but very scenic hiking. It reminded me of the Skyline Trail in the Middlesex Fells Reservation. Focky, but not grueling. Naturally, I started sweating more than I had planned, and I’m a dummy who only had a cotton hoodie, so I was not thriving. There were plenty of red-arrow blazes, which made following the correct trail very easy.

There was a false summit area that skirted near some back yards, and the actual summit had very partial views over the trees. It looked like there used to be a USGS disc here, or at least a survey point. I also learned that Whipple Hill, the summit, is the highest point in Lexington! I flirted with extending my hike here and break away from the Geology Loop, but I was soaked with sweat and ready to be in dry clothes, so I finished out the loop as god intended.

The return trip was pretty uneventful. There were some children playing around a vernal pool which put my teacher-off-duty senses into fight or flight, but I made it through alive. The section of trail where the red, blue, and yellow trails all coincide was very wet, but my boots kept me dry (except for my insanely sweaty feet). The final bit of excitement were two teenagers sitting on a log, smoking weed, and talking about getting cheated on - I wish them the best. I made it back just as the sun was setting, and thrilled with my after school hike, started the drive home.

Step-By-Step

• Park at Whipple Hill Conservation Area parking lot on Summer St.

• Start hike on blue-blazed ACROSS Lexington Trail.

• At first marked junction, turn left onto red-blazed Geology Loop.

• Follow red arrows to hike Geology Loop in its entirety. 

• At original junction, return to car on blue-blazed ACROSS Lexington Trail.

“Whipple Hill” from Lexington Conservation Lands

        120 acres, 3.9miles of trails.Whipple Hill is Lexington’s second largest conservation area and includes the highest point in town, the summit of Whipple Hill (375 feet).Trails wind across ledge outcrops, through mature stands of northern hardwoods and white pines, and along Whipple Brook and Locke Pond. Many species of birds visit Whipple Hill, particularly during migration, and the vegetation is richly varied, including a few species that are considered to be uncommon to rare in our area.

Map of Whipple Hill Conservation Area

Photo Album

Pongkapoag Pond & Boardwalk (Blue Hills Reservation)

Ponkapoag Pond & Boardwalk (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop w/ Spurs

Distance: 6.16 miles

Elevation: 295 feet
Time: 2 hours, 19 minutes

Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge, Blue Hills Winter Trace

The Hike

New year same hikes! Hopefully some new ones, but for now… same hikes! I am really proud of my hiking last year, even with my lul in November/December, but I’m hoping to get back into it better than ever in this new year! First day hikes are always out of the question for me due to my New Years Eve plans, but nothing wrong with a second day hike (less crowds)! I had seen on Facebook that the Ponkapoag Boardwalk was passable, so that was the plan for the day! I had originally intended to count this hike for my second round of the 125-mile club, but after some more Facebooks scrolling, I decided to start keeping track of hikes for the Southeastern Massachusetts AMC Chapter’s Blue Hills Winter Trace. I parked at the empty and rugged Fisherman’s Beach parking lot, got everything together, and started my journey!

It was 38° outside and fully overcast. Very peaceful, with only a few others on the loop trail around Ponkapoag Pond. I love the view of Great Blue Hill from Fisherman’s Beach. I passed one man who happily and calmly said “Happy New Year!” which made me smile. It felt as if it were early spring, mild temperatures, trace bits of ice, and a squishy ground. I hiked the Pipe Line spur while I was out there, and to no one’s surprise, it was comically wet. I remember this always being a trend with the Pipe Line… The spur ends in people’s literal back yards, so once I felt like I was intruding I backtracked and continued my journey.

I was purposely walking slow this day for two reasons, my lungs have been dying recently and I’ve been working on using my new inhaler for exercise/cold weather induced asthma (yay for being 27!), and I was enjoying being outside. I was walking past the AMC Ponkapoag Camp and could smell fire coming from the cabins which was lovely, and it was relatively uneventful from the camp to the boardwalk. I did pass the “Happy New Year” guy and we chatted a little bit longer, and I quickly realized that he had the most incredible southern California bro-dude accent (think “The Californians” from SNL) - it was amazing. Either way, I hiked a few of the random trails in that area that then made it to the holy land - the Ponkapoag Boardwalk. 

I treaded lightly (as best as I can) and slowly. The beginnings of the boardwalk were just as I remembered, somehow equally rickety and sturdy, surrounded by thick vegetation that is currently leafless. The next section was my downfall on my first visit almost exactly a year ago, the dense, coniferous forest, which is also incredibly beautiful. It feels almost otherworldly to be in this area, which is the same area I had to turn around last time due to sunken boardwalks. Thankfully the water level was at least 1.5-2 feet lower this visit, so it was smooth sailing. 

The dense forest opens up just past the halfway point to a gorgeous meadow. It so easy to forget that there’s a major interstate so close nearby when you’re out here. The red color of the meadow was a beautiful contrast to the gray sky. There were even partial views of Big Blue from the right angles. The boardwalk dips back into another coniferous section, opens up into another meadow, and finally goes back into one final covered section to reach the end. It’s such a beautiful trail, even if terrifying, and I always feel so lucky to make the trip. 

The return trip was faster, but I took time to enjoy the scenery (and not slip into the bog). Some of the boardwalk in the shaded sections were slippery, there was one side-step, and one slanted plank, but I made it unscathed. Interestingly, the bog really holds onto the cold temperature. The weather was now in the mid 40s, but there was ice and pockets of very cold air in the denser sections. Soon enough I made it out alive, and continued my journey.

My goal for the rest of my hike was to hit the extra spur paths on the western side of the pond before getting back to my car. All were successful except for one small section near the boardwalk/YMCA. Facebook tells me it’s not really even a thing anymore, so that’s good I guess! A lot more people were out now that it was the early afternoon, so I controlled my pace to keep my distance (#antisocial). There was a great view of the bog and Big Blue from the dam area, and the final bit of tr
ail was wet as always. The sun finally peaked through the clouds as I was getting back to my car, now in a full parking lot! Cars were parked on the road, and it was also now 50°. Overall an excellent hike, and a great start to the 2023 hiking year!

Step-By-Step

• Park at Fisherman’s Beach and walk to the shoreline.

• Officially start the hike at 5321 on Acton Path (green dots), going counter clockwise. 

• At unmarked junction, hike to YMCA Camp Entrance and back.

• At unmarked junction, turn right and hike along Pipe Line and back (caution: wet).

• Continuing on the Acton Path (green dots), follow blazes and turn left at 5355.

• Continue to follow Acton Path (green dots).

• At 5343, continue to follow green dots, now onto Ponkapoag Trail.

• At 5241, continue to follow green dots, now onto Redman Farm Path.

• Hike extra trails near YMCA Camp and Ponkapoag Boardwalk.

• Hike Ponkapoag Boardwalk.

• Resume hike counter clockwise on Redman Farm Path (green dots).

• At 5174, hike spur trail and return.

• Continue on Redman Farm Path (green dots), hiking the spur on right (paved section).

• At 5175, turn left to cross Ponkapoag Dam and rejoin Acton Path (green dots).

• At 5216, hike spur trail.

• At end of spur trail, follow edge of golf course and hike back to Acton Path along other spur trail.

• Hike missed section of Acton Path, and return to parking lot.

Map of Blue Hills Reservation

Photo Album

2022: A Reflection

Longest Hike: 18.13 miles with Owl’s Head

Most Elevation: 4396 feet with Webster, Jackson, Pierce, and Eisenhower

 

Hardest Hike: Surprisingly, Mt. Tammany on August 8th. It was so hot and humid, it was the first time I really thought I needed to turn around due to heat. I slowly made it to the top and blasted the air conditioning in my car when I was done. By far the hardest I’ve done this year!

 

Easiest Peak: Probably Coney or Goodman Mountains in the Adirondacks would take this title. Easy grades to lovely views. I’d also include Beech Mountain in Acadia in this category. 

 

Easiest Hike: This would be a long tie with any of the sub-100 feet elevation hikes. I love my easy hikes, gets me into the woods without fighting for my life. My favorite of these would be the frozen Ponkapoag boardwalk in January.

 

Favorite Hike: I really love full day hikes. Owl’s Head and the southern Presis come to mind for that reason. It was cool traversing over the four mountains from Webster to Eisenhower with a break at the hut, and Owl’s Head was magical just being so deep in the wilderness. I liked hiking from High Point to the Pochuck Boardwalks on the NJ-AT, but the PUDS at the end and the brutal heat take away from that. I loved my long hike in Acadia, but the crowds in the more popular spots took away from that. If I had to pick one, I truly think the infamous Owl’s Head would be the winner! 

 

Hike(s) I'm Proud Of: The two big NH48 hikes I’m very proud of: Owl’s Head and Webster/Jackson/Pierce/Eisenhower. I’m also very proud of Hedgehog Mountain and Mt. Cube - two hikes in winter conditions. I’m very proud of my Acadia Finale across the Jordan Pond peaks, which was a challenging day, but so rewarding. 

Completed Challenges/Patches

NH Fire Tower Quest	2/19/2022	~	~
Toilet Paper Trio - Winter	3/5/2022	-	-
Toilet Paper Trio	3/23/2022	-	-
Cape Cod National Seashore	3/27/2022	19.1	1,004 ft.
Blue Hills 125 Mile Club	6/2/2022	190.14	21,674 ft.
Hike for Ukraine	6/7/2022	-	-
Wachusett Mountain Redline	6/14/2022	18.81	4,475 ft.
Acadia Ascents	6/29/2022	46.16	13,218 ft.
New Jersey Appalachian Trail	8/1/2022	126.87	17,102 ft.
Catskill Fire Towers	8/10/2022	26.54	8,039 ft.
Fulton Chain Trifecta	8/10/2022	8.25	1,673 ft.
Tupper Lake Triad	8/11/2022	7.9	1,886 ft.
Belknap Range	8/25/2022	26.19	19,346 ft.
Go North 9er	8/29/2022	35.49	11,916 ft.
2022 52 Hike Challenge	12/29/2022	-	-

 

Challenges/Patches in Progress:

• Blue Hills 125 Mile Club (2nd Time): 20.44%

• Blue Hills Winter Trace: 4.93%

• Summit Beer Society 41.67%

• Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge: 84%

• 52 With a View: 55.77%

• NH48: 27.08%

• Ossipee 10: 10%

• Rocks that Rock: 48%

• Monadnock Redliner: 35.14%

• Northeast Kingdom Mountain Challenge: 65%

And more….

 

 

2023 Goals (Tentative)

• 100 hikes, 500 miles, 100,000 feet.

• 75% on 52WAV

• 75% on Monadnock Redliner

• At least 4 more NH48

• Maine: Either Acadia Redlining, Moosehead Pinnacle, or some 4ks

• 75% on NEK 

• At least one more Catskill 3500

• At least two Harriman Shelters

Cliff Pond (Nickerson State Park)

Cliff Pond Loop

(Nickerson State Park)

 

Hike Type: Loop

Distance: 3.12 miles

Elevation: 174 feet

Time: 1 hour, 13 minutes minutes

Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge

 

The Hike
And just like that, less than 24 hours, I was back at Nickerson State Park! I brought some friends this time, too. The sun was shining, there was a light breeze, it was in the mid 40s, and off we went! We followed the same path that I did the previous day, across the sandy trail to the split. At the trail split, we turned right to follow the trail around Cliff Pond. The trail was consistently beautiful, alternating between woods, shoreline, and beach hiking. There were occasionally side trails to different camping areas, but it was always clear where to go.

 

The trail climbed a little bit on the western side of the pond, which had lovely seasonal views through the trees. We eventually made it to a parking lot/boat launch site, almost directly across the pond from the parking lot. From here we made the mistake of hiking toward camping Area 4 instead of staying on the shoreline. We didn’t realize we made this mistake until we were all out of breath gaining more elevation than anticipated… whoops! At Area 4 we got to see some lovely campsites, a kiosk describing the CCC work in the park decades ago, and a small history lesson of a date two of our friends went on in a Yurt here that went poorly (mostly due to bugs).

 

Eventually, we found the trail back to the Cliff Pond trail, and continued our adventure! The last section of our hike was beautiful and close to the shoreline, and at one point crossing a swimming beach. There was one section of trail that was eroded away, so we made the decision to stay on the shoreline for the remainder of the hike. Even though it was chilly outside, we were all warm at this point (temperatures were in the 50s), and the beautiful clear water was incredibly inviting. Thankfully, no one caved and we all stayed dry. We were soon back at the car and heading back to the AirBnb for lunch!

 

“Cliff Pond” from Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

“Cliff Pond is a 206-acre natural kettlehole pond with a maximum depth of 96 feet and an average depth of 33 feet. The pond gets its name from the cliffs surrounding the pond. Transparency is exceptional, extending to 23 feet, and aquatic vegetation is scant. The 2.6 miles of shoreline are undeveloped and and protected within Nickerson State Park. The pond is heavily used by boaters during the summer months. The bottom is primarily sand with mud in the deeper areas.”

 

Nickerson State Park Map

Photo Album