Backyard Exploring!

I didn't have a lot of time today but needed to get out to the woods so I stayed in town and did some exploring.  I had my eye on this rocky outcrop I drive by often and decided today was the day I would check it out.  It is a little bit of a climb from the parking area but I anticipated the views to be good.  I was able to look South over the Barkhamsted Reservoir.  I started on an abandoned road that is now used for logging operations.

The road climbs from the river valley at a steady pace.  The snow was hard enough to walk on without snowshoes.  This was a nice change from last weeks hike.  It felt good to walk bare booted again.  There were even some bare spots along the way.  Before long I came upon the CT/MA state line boundary.

The road forks shortly after this and I continued to climb the hill.  Soon I could see the ridge line that I was aiming for but I was interested in seeing where the road would take me.  I have hiked all around this area but never on this road.  Stonewalls started to appear and the land started to flatten out.  I began looking for the remains of the farmstead and soon saw the tell tale signs of large Sugar Maple trees lined up along the road.  This is a New England feature that is slowly disappearing as these old trees die off.  The foundation hole was just beyond the Maples.

Remains of house foundation

I looked around a little more and I think I found the foundation of the barn.  I would like to come back when the snow is gone to really get a feel for what the farm must have been like.  These old house sites always make me think about what it must have been like living here 100 or so years ago.  

I turned around at the farm and made my way back along the road a ways before going off into the wood and bushwhacking my way along the ridge.  It was thick with new growth, having been logged within the last 3-5 years.  Eventually I found the rocky outcropping and was rewarded with nice views.  The wind was gusting and the temps were in the mid-twenties but the sun was bright and the sky was a beautiful blue.  

After sitting out of the wind and having a snack and some water I made my way down.  There were some interesting rock cliffs and outcrops.  It was a quick descent down to the road with only one unintentional butt slide.  

It was a short trip, but I enjoyed checking out this area.  I will be back once the snow is gone to explore again.