Eastern Great Blue Hill Area Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Eastern Great Blue Hill Area Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loopty Loop w/ a Side of Spaghetti

Distance: 7.53 miles

Elevation: 1165 feet

Time: 2 hours, 57 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace; Blue Hills Grid

The Hike

Back in school after yesterday's surprise snow day, which conveniently dumped no snow on Boston/the South Shore, so I headed down to the Blue Hills for another after school hike! It was 40 degrees with some intense wind gusts, but other than that the weather was okay! After missing the parking area, I popped a U-turn and parked at the Border Path trailhead on the Great Blue Hill Area side of Unquity Road. Right away I could hear how strongly the water was flowing, so I opted for my winter boots (which was a GOOD move), got suited up, puffed my inhaler, and got my journey started!

My goal was to finish up the trails I still needed on the eastern side of the Great Blue Hill Area. Right away, I knew that my choice to wear my winter boots was the right move - the Border Path was almost literally a river. I will say, the multiple streams and new cascades along the Chestnut Run were stunning and I could have happily parked a chair and sat the whole afternoon and been delighted. I guess there was a lot of rain, even if no snow from yesterday's Nor'Easter! Soon after starting the hike I noticed a granite marker ~15 feet into the woods. I don't think it's a town boundary - maybe its a park or property boundary? Not sure. There were also a few trails leading into this land. My favorite spot was an old fireplace between the trail and the Chestnut Run - very beautiful. Some of the stream were more like rapids today.

I had to keep an eye for any widowmakers due to the intense wind gusts - thankfully I only had to deal with a few sticks to the head. I passed a lovely lady walking her (leashed) dog who was DELIGHTED to see another human - apparently I was the first she'd seen all day! I was absolutely astounded at how much water there was as I made my way to Eustis Trail (which I maintain from my last time on this trail - its a lovely trail). The woods around the Eustis Trail had lots of blowdowns - curious if its from fire damage or a past storm? Or maybe its just old forest? There were traces of snow at the higher elevations, but nothing more than an inch anywhere. The sun was peeking through every now and then, which was just beautiful. 

I guess we're officailly in mud season! I made the first of many little loops with the Rotch, Border, and Wolcott Paths (and one unnamed one), and then started heading up Hemenway Hill via the Hemenway Hill Path. Someone was about 40 feet ahead of me, which is usually a strong deterrent, but this hike really had no wiggle room, so I continued on. He was on the phone and had two large dogs, one of which charged at me while jumping and barking. He reassured me that "he's friendly!," which drove me crazy. When the dog kept trying to block my path and jump on me he finally hung up his phone and tried to grab the dog, which he did not succeed with. I just wish dog owners would either 1) actually train their dogs with recall or 2) keep them on a leash. Just becuase I'm not terrified of a charging dog doesn't mean that everyone isn't, and it's incredibly unresponsible to let them loose like that. 

I eventually made it past the dog and power hiked up Hemenway Hill Path, which wasn't necessarily steep, but persistent, and my calves were FEELING it. Thankfully my anger fueled me. I made my way to the Skyline Trail, the summit of Hemenway Hill, and the view back toward Big Blue. The sun was starting to shine more consistently, which was well received by my cranky self. After descending Hemenway Hill I had to hike in the woods for a bit to avoid a comically flooded section of trail, and then headed toward the Houghton Path from Times Square (1441). 

This next stretch of the hike was much more relaxing, and another mini-loop. I followed Houghton Path to the Half Way Path and then Raccoon Hollow Path, admired the cascades draining into Houghton Pond, thanked the powers above that I didn't need the Accord Path due to its comical flooding, and then headed back on up via the Houghton Path. Thankfully nothing was too steep, and it was all through some lovely woods. 

Once back at 1143, I hopped on the Skyline Trail to hit the summit of Houghton Hill and then worked my way to the Hancock Hill Path, which was ridiculously flooded the whole time. The steep section before it crosses the Skyline Trail was a literal waterfall, and the section past the Skyline Trail had section that had to be at least 4-5 inches deep. SOMEHOW I made it through unscathed! When I wasn't trying to avoid the water, I gawked at how impressive it was that trees don't just fall more often. It was so windy!

The next part of my hike is what I called my "side of spaghetti." Not necessarily another loop, but moreso the messy network of trails around the Northeastern side of Hancock Hill. The Hancock Trail from 1201 was steep steep, but thankfully the other trails weren't too bad. I found a few granite markers that I hadn't seen before which was fun, and almost missed the spur trail to the parking area at 1203, but thankfully my intuition kicked it!

After my side of spaghetti, I had two more loops left. The first connected the Base Path, Breakneck Ledge Path, and Hemenway Hill Path, and the second connected the Base Path, Base Path Connector, and Eustis Trail. Both were fine and wet, but there was one tricky crossing downstream from the caged well over Chestnut Run. I ended up running and leaping, thankfully to success! The very final stretch of my hike was the Chestnut Run Path to close the big loop, and then along the Border Path to finish out the lollipop. I was proud of this hike because not only did it hit the trails that I still needed, it ended up being the longest mileage wise, highest elevation wise, and longest time wise of my after school hikes so far, and only my brain was tired. I'm glad I can feel myself getting stronger and growing my endurance as I long for warm weather and hiking back in the whites! I was back in the car before dark, and made it home in time to hoover up some dinner and be passed out soon after.

Step-By-Step

- Park at Border Path trailhead on Unquity Road.

- Start hike at Border Path (1214).

- At 1165, turn left onto Base Bath Connector.

- At 1166, turn right onto Eustis Trail.

- At 1140, continue onto unnamed trail.

- At 1121, turn right onto Rotch Path. 

- At 1144, turn left onto Border Path.

- At 1100, turn left onto Wolcott Path.

- At 1122, turn left onto Rotch Path.

- At 1121, turn right onto unnamed trail.

- At 1140, continue right onto Hemenway Hill Path.

- At 1154, turn right onto Jeffries Trail.

- At 1150, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- Summit Hemenway Hill & see view, turn around.

- Back at 1150, continue on Skyline Trail.

- At 1141 (Times Square), turn left onto Wolcott Path.

- At 1147, turn right onto Houghton Path.

- At 1143, turn right onto Half Way Path.

- At 1110, turn right onto Five Corners Path.

- At 1120, turn right onto Racoon Hollow Path.

- Follow Racoon Hollow Path to terminus.

- Follow trail paralleling road for a few feet, turn left onto Houghton Path.

- After 1143, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- Summit Houghton Hill.

- When the Skyline turns right to descend Houghton Hill, continue on Houghton Hill Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Wolcott Path.

- At 1160, turn left onto Hancock Hill Path.

- At 1201, turn right onto Hancock Trail.

- At next junction, turn left onto Pipsissewa Path.

- At next junction, turn around.

- At 1201, turn left onto Hancock Trail.

- At terminus at road, turn around.

- At 1217, turn left onto Chestnut Run Path.

- At terminus at road, turn right to follow road.

- Turn right back into woods onto Pipsissewa Path.

- At 1201, turn right onto Hancock Trail.

- At 1217, turn left onto Chestnut Run Path.

- At 1203, turn right, hike to road, turn around.

- At 1203, continue onto Base Path.

- At 1185, turn left onto Breakneck Ledge Path.

- At 1180, turn left onto Hemenway Hill Path.

- At 1203, turn sharply left onto Base Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Eustis Trail.

- At 1166, turn left onto Base Path Connector.

- At 1191, turn left onto Chestnut Run Path.

- At 1175, turn right onto Border Path, hike to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Pipe Line, Fox Hill, CCC Camp (Blue Hills Reservation)

Pipe Line, Fox Hill, CCC Camp (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Spaghetti

Distance: 7.07 miles

Elevation: 692 feet

Time: 2 hours, 26 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace; Blue Hills Grid

The Hike

We've officially sprung forward with Daylight Savings Time, so I woke up late and slowly made my way over to the Blue Hills to finish out the western edge of the Quarries section. It was a chilly, breezy, sunny morning. I parked at the parking area at Chickatawbut Road and MA 28, carefully crossed the road, and started my hike on the Pipe Line/Headquarters Path. The usually soaked ground was partially frozen, which was welcomed. I slowly worked my way up, getting my joints gently moving, before picking up the pace when I turned onto Pasture Run at 4030, where I spooked a couple deer who has the FLUFFIEST tails I've ever seen!

I did some zig-zagging on Pasture Run, Ridge Path, and the Great Dome Foot Path, and just spent some time reflecting on how much I love the woods (and how much I loved actually seeing the sun!). The Great Dome Foot Path fizzle out for a bit between 4072 and 4073, but I was able to find it and stay on track. I really want them to recomission the Great Dome Trail - I love its rugged feel. It was also in this moment where I realized that I really miss mountains. The snows got to melt soon! (As I'm writing this, Wachusett got about 3 feet of snow...). 

I took the obscure White Tail Path up Fox Hill, which had some mysterious yellow blazes, but was hard to follow. I hit the summit of Fox Hill, then backtracked to descend on the Fox Hill Path, with a nice peek-a-boo view of Boston through the trees. My zig-zagging then continued on the Pine Tree Brook Path (with a slightly tricky water crossing), where I realized I ran out of water (whoops), then took the Pleasant Trail, which was appropriately named, and then eventually linked up with the Sawcut Notch Path, which leads all the way to the CCC area.

There was a beefy blow down halfway to the CCC camp, which was tricky to either get around or go over, but I managed. This area could be referred to as "the land of 1,000 prickers" - they're everywhere! The CCC area is truly fascinating, and I'm so grateful for the informational kiosk at the old foundations. I hit the rest of the trails in the area, and saw a pair of old rusty shears that someone found! I'm curious to find where the foundations of the old ampitheater is currently located (if at all). 

The final stretch of my hike was along the long Pipe Line, which I am truly never a fan of. The hill from the lowest point is a bit painful and unenjoyable, but I survived nonetheless! Eventually, I made my way back to my car, with 7 more miles under my belt! I definitely won't finish the winter trace this winter, but I'll definitely be able to next winter.

Step-By-Step

    - Park at Braintree Pass Path parking area. 

    - Start hike along Headquarters Path.

    - Cross Chickatawbut Road, continue along Headquarters Path.

    - At 4030, turn right onto Pasture Run.

    - At split, turn around and hike toward 4047.

    - At 4047, hike to end and take the loop, return to this spot.

    - Hike along Ridge Path to 4072. 

    - At 4072, turn left onto Great Dome Footpath.

    - At next junction, turn right onto Pine Tree Brook Path.

    - At 4084, turn left onto White Tail Path.

    - At 4096, continue to summit of Fox Hill.

    - Turn around and hike back to 4096.

    - At 4096, turn right onto Fox Hill Path.

    - At 4090, turn left onto Great Dome Foot Path.

    - At 4073, turn right onto Pine Tree Brook Path.

    - At 4049, turn right onto Pipe Line.

    - At 4046, turn right onto Pleasant Trail.

    - Hike to 4082, 4086, 4091, and then 4083.

    - At 4083, turn left onto Sawcut Notch Path.

    - Just before 4042, turn right to hike Minuteman Path.

    - Retrace steps, hike to 4042.

    - At 4042, turn left onto CCC Trail.

    - At 4010, turn left onto Nike Ajax Path.

    - At 4009, turn around.

    - At 4010, continue straight onto CCC Trail.

    - At 4041, turn left onto Sawcut Notch Path and hike to terminus at MA-28.

    - Turn around, hike Sawcut Notch Path to 4066.

    - At 4066, turn right onto Pipe Line, hike to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Reservoir, Nahanton, Cedar Swamp, Squamaug (Blue Hills Reservation)

Reservoir, Nahanton, Cedar Swamp, Squamaug (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loopty Loops

Distance: 6.75 miles

Elevation: 719 feet

Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace; Blue Hills Grid

The Hike

This hike ended up being a literal rollercoaster with a seemingly endless amounts of loopty-loops. I waited all day to get outside but the weather would switch from rain, to sleet, to snow, to hail, and back again. Finally the rain was breaking around 3pm, so out I went! I parked across the street from the Blue Hills Reservoir and got right to it. The weather was grey and raw, but it was only me! I started with the loop around the reservoir which is... fine. The loop paralleling the road is very narrow and wet. The dirt loop around the rest of the reservoir is fine, but slightly underwhelming with the road right there. There were a bunch of ducks in the water, but not the normal ducks, cool ducks. The peninsula path is very overgrown, but I survived. Closing out the first of many loops, I headed into the woods onto the Ridge Path toward Nahanton Hill!

From the Ridge Path, I turned left onto Squamaug Notch Path for just a moment to hike the Endicott Path, which was thankfully flagged with pink flagging tape. I remember last time I tried this one I basically bushwhacked around the area until I felt satisfied. Not gonna lie, I really enjoy the lesser-traveled paths that require some sort of blazing. They have a deeper backcountry feel that the wide old roads are missing. At the terminus, I backtracked all the way to the junction with the Ridge Path, and then continued on to the Ridge Path's terminus, turning onto the Slide Notch Path (I also found a new-to-me granite marker for Kitchamakin Hill, which is always exciting!).  

There is an unnamed trail on the left of the Slide Notch Path that ascends the back side of Nahanton Hill that is short, steep, rocky, and very slippery in wet weather (which I was lucky enough to be in). At the height of land, the unnamed trail splits - left goes to the Nahanton Hill summit, right links with the Skyline. I made loop #2 out of this, cursed at all the random footpaths around Nahanton (also noticed some old foundation at the summit of Nahanton?), and then followed the Skyline Trail towards Kitchamakin. There are some lovely stone steps going up Kitch, and then a bit steeper going down into Slide Notch.

Back on the Slide Notch Path, I was now descending toward the Bouncing Brook. The upper stretch of this trail is ROCKY rocky, but it calms down after a bit of torture. This stretch of trail was severely burnt last spring, which definitely gave it a spooky vibe. From the terminus, I turned onto the Bouncing Brook Path for a while, and couldn't help but notice how dark the woods got when I neared the Cedar Swamp (spooky!). Turning onto the Hemlock Path, the woods got even spookier with the wind and creeking trees - thankfully the hum of I-93 brought me back to reality and reminded me that I'm not alone in the wilderness about to be transported to another dimention. I made sure to notice the Hemlock Bound, and then made me way to the Cochato Path, which graces the side of I-93 via a hole in the fence. On the other side, there is a small footbridge where the Cedar Swamp drians under I-93, and that bridge was SPOOKY also. It was very talkative, and as a bigger guy, I was not playing along. I got off that thing QUICK. Finally on the other side, now on the Laurel Path, I saw an old road barrier where the trail used to continue on before the highway, and also a memorial for someone who's passed away.

The Laurel Path is a nice walk bordering the Great Cedar Swamp. I couldn't help but wonder where the old cudory path that traversed the swamp crossed (it was briefly described in early editions of the Mass. and RI guidebooks). Loop #3 included the small remaining portion of the Hemlock Bound Trail that gets up close to the swamp. There were both orange rectangle blazes (from when this was signed as the Great Dome Trail, I think) and my favorite mysterious yellow dots. I finished my journey on the Laurel Trail and then rejoined the Bouncing Brook Trail, completing Loop #4.

Loop #5 started right after, combining the Wampatuck, Squamaug Notch, and Bouncing Brook Paths. This section was relatively featureless- just a nice walk in the woods. I noticed the sky was starting to get darker, so I picked up the pace ever so slightly, only getting slightly spooked by a large balloon deep in the woods. Intersection 3160 marked the final stretch of my final loop, Loop #6, on the Squamaug Notch Path. I followed this trail all the way back to the Ridge Path, and then followed that back to my car. Just as I hit Chickatawbut Road, I noticed the tops of the trees were being lit up by a very brief sunset. Of course I wish I was up on a hill to see that (especially since I only need one more sunset for my Sunet Six patch... oh well). Great day in the woods!

Step-By-Step

    - Park at Blue Hills Reservoir.

    - Start by hiking around the reservoir clockwise, making sure to hike the peninsula.

    - Back at the start, now follow trail to Ridge Path and turn left into woods on Ridge Path.

    - At 3131, turn left onto Squamaug Notch Path.

    - Soon after, turn right onto Endicott Path.

    - At 3132, turn around and retrace steps to 3131.

    - At 3131, continue along Squamaug Notch Path.

    - Follow path left onto Slide Notch Path, hiking spur on the right.

    - Follow Slide Notch Path, turn left to steeply ascend the backside of Nahanton Hill.

    - Hike unnamed spurs around summit of Nahanton, and then find the Skyline Trail.

    - Follow Skyline Trail to junction with Slide Notch Path.

    - Turn left onto Slide Notch Path.

    - At 3073, turn left onto Bouncing Brook Path.

    - At 3151, turn right onto Hemlock Path.

    - At terminus, turn right onto Cochato Path (gracing the edge of I-93).

    - At terminus, turn right onto Laurel Path.

    - Hike mini loop around remaining bit of Hemlock Bound Trail (around 3121).

    - Continue hiking along Laurel Path.

    - At 3130, turn right along Bouncing Brook Path.

    - At 3152, turn left onto Wampatuck Path.

    - At 3160, turn right onto Squamaug Notch Path.

    - At 3163, turn right onto Bouncing Brook Path.

    - At 3152, turn right onto Wampatuck Path.

    - At 3160, turn left onto Squamaug Notch Path.

    - Follow Squamaug Notch Path all the way to 3131. 

    - At 3131, turn right onto Ridge Path.

    - At Chickatawbut Road, return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Hillside Pond, Border Path, Bermuda Triangle (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hillside Pond, Border Path, Bermuda Triangle (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Spaghetti

Distance: 5.40 miles

Elevation: 417 feet

Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; Blue Hills Winter Trace

The Hike

Friday afternoon hike! I slowly made my way from Arlington to the Blue Hills and parked at the pull-off for Hillside Pond. Overall, this hike was quite uneventful, but moreso a very relaxing walk in the woods. I waited in my car for a moment before starting since someone pulled in directly behind me, and I'm dreadfully antisocial. He ended up being a mountain biker, which I think is technically against the rules this time of year? Not sure.

My hike started on the loop around Hillside Pond, which is kind a rough trail. Lots of litter, very narrow and rough footing, but a few nice viewpoints. I have a vauge memory that this pond used to be used for ice harvesting, but I could have FULLY made that one up. The air was very still this day, which allowed for some lovely reflections in the water. The far side of the pond had the most litter, some graffiti, and an illegal fire ring, which I found interesting. No one gets caught doing this stuff?? There were a few trails branching off in different directions that are not on the map, too. 

I planned to hike the rest of the trails on this side of the street, but another human deterred me (#antisocial), so I headed onto the Border Path next! The Border Path descends along what is labeled as the Pine Tree Brook (which I guess is different than the Pine Tree Brook Path on the Quarries side?) through some beautiful woods, crosses the brook, and then comes to the split with Valley Path. I ascended back up the Valley Path, and then risked my life crossing the street to hike what I've started calling the "Bermuda Triangle" - the weird parcel of land between Chickatawbut and Unquity. I followed the road to the western entrance of the Unquity Path, which was a very unpleasant part of the hike - lots of litter, foul smells, and speeding vehicles. The Unquity Path itself was shockingly beautiful - very tall trees with just enough space between them and a very soft ground underneath. The sun did an excellent job shining through. There were also my favorite mysterious yellow blazes! At the eastern teminus, I followed Chickatawbut Road for a bit to hike the last bit of unnamed trails in the Bermuda Triangle, before crossing the road again and descending the Valley Path, admiring the extra mountain biking trails that are not on the map.

Back at the intersection with Border and Valley, I noticed a large, seemingly manmade hill off to the side. Curious the history of this - how have no trees grown? The Border Path continues on along private property, apparently belonging to R.L. Gregg, who has posted MANY signs, my favorite of which being about 10 feet of fence with a gate (with no fence on either side), stating that seasonal hunting occurs on that land. Further down I ran into the sweetest, most terrified dog and her kind owner, whos legs she hid under when she saw me. 

The trail terminates at Unquity Road, and then I turned around to turn onto the Massasoit Path. There were some very unique and unpleasant smells in the swampier areas, but conversely some beautiful strems going around the trail. The trail then opens up to the large dike that parallels Unquity Road, ultimately terminating back at the Pine Tree Brook. Now it was time for the long backtrack to Hillside Pond. I did get a lovely surprise view of Hancock Hill behind the trees from the dike, which was exciting! I passed another possibly illegal biker, but the rest of the return trip was uneventful.

Once back at the pond, I had a few more trails to hit before it got dark. I followed the Barre Trail into the woods on the oppsite side of the road of the Border Path, and then wiggled my way around until I hit everything. There were plenty of horse hooves and a decent amount of litter closer to Chickatawbut Road. There were some great stone walls, and one slightly tricky creek crossing. I made it back to the car just in time for the headlights to come one, and then it was couch time!

Step-By-Step

    - Park at Hillside Pond parking area.

    - Start hike with loop around Hillside Pond.

    - Back at parking area, cross the road and start hike on Border Path.

    - At 1224, turn onto Valley Path.

    - At terminus, cross road and turn left to follow road.

    - Turn left onto Unquity Road.

    - Turn left into woods onto Unquity Path.

    - At terminus, turn left onto Chickatawbut Road.

    - Turn left into woods onto unnamed path.

    - Cross road, hike Valley Path back to 1224.

    - At 1224, turn left to continue hike on Border Path.

    - At 1215, hike spur to road and then continue hike onto Massasoit Path.

    - Hike to terminus, retrace steps all the way back to parking area.

    - Back on the Hillside Pond side of the street, hike the Barre Trail to the Headquarters Path and other trails in the area.

    - Return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Five Corners, Carberry, Great Blue Hill (Blue Hills Reservation)

Five Corners, Carberry, Great Blue Hill (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop w/ Spurs

Distance: 5.60 miles

Elevation: 797 feet

Time: 2 hours, 4 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; Blue Hills Winter Trace; Blue Hills Grid; Great Blue Hill Summits; Sunset Six

The Hike

I wasn't sure what my goal was for this day beside get moving outside. It was a lovely afternoon in the high 40s with occasional wind gusts. I made my way to the parking area where the Five Corners and Wildcat Notch Paths start, got suited up in clothes that were probably too warm for the day, and got started! 

There's three trails that branch off of this parking area - a spur to the Wildcat Notch Path on the left, the Five Corners Path on the right, and an additional spur to the Five Corners Path straight in the middle. I needed the middle path, which was steep at first, so I took that up to the Five Corners Path, and then followed the Path all the way to its terminus on the other side of the area! The trail was bone dry from the trailhead to "Times Square" at 1141, where it was a slushy mess between 2-5". The rest of the Five Corners Path alternated between dry, soaked, leafy, muddy, slushy, and icy. A little bit of everything!

The path terminates at 1135, where the Bartol Path starts. I love this little dead-end trail. It's very scenic, and I'm a sucker for a good "dead end trail" sign. The beautiful angle of the sunlight also helped here! I retraced my steps and made my way to the Carberry Path, which was aggressively overgrown last time I tried it - thankfully everything was dead now so I was able to wiggle my way through. The sound of new homes being built was LOUD, and rather irrtating. I wish they just turned it into more trails, or at least reserved a house for me for free! I realized I had never actually made it to the end of the Carberry Path before (whoops) but it was actually very pretty!

I made my way back and then did some wiggle trail tracing - Samoset to Puddle to Chickadee to Puddle. These trail were very slushy and made me work for my miles. It was lovely to be completely alone, though. The puddle path from 1085 to 1103 was especially beautiful. No features in particular, I just felt very good hiking through this section. Next I turned onto Wildcat Notch Path, and then I had to decide to go up Big Blue for the sunset or make my way back to my car... sunset it is!

I took Racoon Hollow Path up Great Blue Hill in an attempt to save my lungs, and I was medium successful. The ridiculous springtime trail conditions continued, and suddenly I made it up! About 20 minues to sunset, so I hopped up the Eliot Tower to see Boston at golden hour and see the shadow of Big Blue cast over the land below. I would have stayed for longer, but it was chilly up there. I wiggled my way over to the summit of Great Blue Hill, and then continued wiggling over to the view from the Skyline Trail where I parked for a few minutes to go blind/watch the beautiful sunset. I hiked past a couple arguing about their route - the woman said "we could have taken the easy trail but NO we had to go through the snow!" - thankfully they made up once the sunset endorphins hit. 

Once the sun was set (and I waited for it to all be down - god I love sunsets) I turned around and began my POWER hike down to my car. I was simply too lazy to find my headlamp, and I was too determined to take short cuts. The return trip involved the Racoon Hollow Path to Five Corners to Half Way to Wildcat Notch. Thankfully uneventful, but the slight incline on Half Way Path was brutal and I had some choice words for it, but I made it down in one piece with just enough light to see my feet! My favorite part about the return trip was the owls waking up and starting to hoot - just magical.

Step-By-Step

    - Park at Five Corners Path Trailhead.

    - Start hike from middle of parking area.

    - Merge left onto Five Corners Path.

    - Follow Five Corners Path all the way to its terminus at 1135.

    - At 1135, continue straight onto Bartol Path.

    - At terminus, turn around and retrace steps to 1135.

    - At 1135, turn right onto Border Path.

    - At 1100, turn right to hike Carberry Path.

    - At terminus, turn around and retrace steps to 1100.

    - At 1100, continue straight/right onto Samoset Path.

    - At 1105, turn right onto Puddle Path.

    - At 1085, turn left onto Chickadee Path.

    - At 1072, turn around and retrace steps to 1105.

    - At 1105, continue on Puddle Path.

    - At 1103, turn right onto Wildcat Notch Path.

    - At 1092, turn right onto Racoon Hollow Path and follow to Eliot Tower.

    - From Eliot Tower, hike to summit of Great Blue Hill, and then watch sunset over Skyline Trail.

    - After sunset, power hike to the Skyline North Trail and descend.

    - At 1092, turn right to follow Raccoon Hollow Path.

    - At 1120, turn right onto Five Corners Path.

    - At 1110, turn right onto Half Way Path.

    - At 1093, turn left onto Wildcat Notch Path, and follow to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

S. Boyce, Pig Rock, Buck Hill Path (Blue Hills Reservation)

S. Boyce, Pig Rock, Buck Hill Path (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 3.83 miles

Elevation: 423 feet

Time: 1 hour, 23 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; Blue Hills Winter Trace; Blue Hills Grid

The Hike

A breezy Monday after school hike! I parked near the Barre Trail on Chickatawbut Road, did my quick change, and got right to hiking! Since spring is coming, I tried to up my pack weight just to get a bit stronger (with the idea I'll be able to remove weight when I do some more intense hikes - two pairs of spikes, 5L of liquids). The trail condiditons ranged from bone dry to deep mud to 4" of snow, which was interesting to say the least! The Quincy Path had a fun, long boardwalk which looks like it was made by both NEMBA and the Friends of Blue Hills, which is cool. I did a quick out-and-back here before fully starting my loop on the Barre and Boyce Hill Trails. There was an annoying amount of dense, sloppy snow at 2131, but completely dry no more than 10 feet away. 

The Boyce Hill Trail is a nice, scenic trail that winds between both Boyces, especially pretty neart South Boyce. I used this opportunity to find the summit of South Boyce, which has been the trickiest one yet. Lots of dense vegetation and no discernable herd path. I was lucky to have found someone's recent footprints. Not sure if they were just going to use the bathroom or was on the same mission as me, but it was nice! I was able to follow the prints for most of the way, and then I meandered into a large summit plateau area. This will be a disaster in the warmer months, I bet. 

I was only passed by one hiker and her dog, which was off leash and "friendly," which is always so incredibly annoying to me. Just leash your dogs if they can't recall. But I digress... After leaving the Boyce Hill Trail I meandered my way over to 2149 to join the Pig Rock Path - I've never figured out which rock is Pig Rock, though! I'll need to ask Facebook. From there I followed the Bugbee and then Forest Paths toward the Skyline Trail, and then took the Buck Hill trail to 2210, 2183, and then the Buck Hill Path for a long while, which is another very pretty trail, all wooded, but still pretty. There were very, VERY seasonal obstructed views of Boston through the trees. 

2153 started the final leg of my hike, first on the Headquarters Path and then back on the Quincy Path, which is definitely an area less traveled. There's one small hill on the Quincy Path were I truly felt like I was choosing my own adventure. Nonetheless, it was a lovely day out in the woods!

Step-By-Step

    - Park on side of Chickatawbut Road near the Barre Trail.

    - Enter woods via Barre Trail, immediately turn right to out-and-back hike Quincy Path.

    - Back at original intersection, turn left to continue on Barre Trail. 

    - At 2130, turn left onto Boyce Hill Trail toward 2151, then turn around and hike to terminus at red-dot. (Just below height-of-land, bushwhack to summit of South Boyce).

    - At terminus, turn left onto Massachuseuck Trail (red dots).

    - At 2137, turn right onto Doe Hollow Path.

    - At 2129, turn left onto Bugbee Path.

    - At 2140, turn left onto Fells Path.

    - At 2149, turn right onto Pig Rock Path.

    - At 2172, continue onto Bugbee Path. 

    - At 2190, turn left onto Forest Path.

    - At junction after Skyline, turn sharply left onto Buck Hill Trail.

    - At 2183, turn right onto Buck Hill Path.

    - At 2164, turn left onto Doe Hollow Path.

    - At 2153, turn right onto Headquarters Path.

    - Where Headquarters Path crosses Chickatawbut Road, continue in woods onto Quincy Path.

    - Follow Quincy Path back to car. 

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Great Blue Hill Area Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Great Blue Hill Area Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop

Distance: 4.76 miles

Elevation: 820 feet

Time: 2 hours, 24 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; Blue Hills Winter Trace

The Hike

The plan to was to ski for our first time without our esteemed personal guide, but we chickened out (aka life tickets at Wachusett were sold out due to the snow we just got) - so instead Gen and I decided to take it easy and go for a hike in the Blue Hills. We parked at the north side of the Trailside Museum to avoid the skiing crowds, and then followed the Eliot Trail up Big Blue, of course with a stop at the spur to the view of the ski area halfway up. 

Once up top we were delighted to slop our way through about 6" of snow to an empty Eliot Tower with its classic lovely views. Our original plan was to do the classic Skyline Trail loop, with a possible extension to Buck Hill, but the sloppy wetness of of descending the North Skyline Trail was enough to change our plans to just a big loop instead (I also left my spikes in the car... whoops). I said to Gen "since we're changing our plans I'm now just using you to pick up some trails I still need for my winter trace" - thankfully she was happy to follow along! We ended up going up the Dalton Path to Wolcott Hill, and then followed the Wolcott Path down to Park HQ so Gen could use the porta potty, where I made friends with a lovely woman who must have been in her 70s.

Next step was to head up the Skyline Trail halfway up Hancock Hill, and then we followed the Hancock Hill path around the contour and eventually wiggled our way to the Chestnut Run Path, which is a delightful footpath. That led us to the Border Path, which led to the Wolcott Path, and eventually back to the car! Overall, it was fairly uneventful, just nice time in the woods with a friend. We did pass one large group of hikers, but that was it. Now time for a shower and a nap!

Step-By-Step

    - Park at North Trailside Museum Parking Area.

    - Walk to South Parking Area.

    - Start hike on Eliot Path, following it all the way to the top with a side-trip to the Ski Area Overlook.

    - Follow Eliot Circle to Eliot Tower.

    - Follow signs to Skyline Trail North, descend to Wildcat Notch.

    - At 1092, turn left onto Wildcat Notch Path.

    - At the junction after 1103, turn right onto Dalton Path up Wolcott Hill.

    - At terminus, continue left onto Skyline Trail.

    - At 1141, turn right to follow Wolcott Path down to Park HQ (and porta potties).

    - At Park HQ, retrace steps and turn right onto the Skyline Trail up Hancock Hill.

    - At 1172, turn right onto Hancock Hill Path.

    - At terminus, turn right onto Base Path.

    - At 1203, turn left onto Chestnut Run Path.

    - At 1175, turn left onto Border Path.

    - At 1100, veer right onto Wolcott Path.

    - Follow Wolcott Path back to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album