Rand's View

 

I made it back to the AT yesterday and hiked a short out and back from the steel bridge in Falls Village to Rand’s View.  It was a beautiful day with blue bird sky’s and temps reaching the low 70’s.  I was joined on this hike by Mackenzie and Kate, who have not hiked this section before.  We started mid-morning and made our way past the Great Falls and up into the forest. 

The trees were open and mostly hardwoods.  After climbing the ridge we made it to the top of Prospect Mtn. at about 1451ft.  There is a nice view here and we sat and had some snacks.  Once refueled we continued on, the trail has a gradual descent here and it was easy to get a good pace. 

Soon we came to the junction with the side trail to the Limestone Shelter and quickly to Rand’s View.  The girls have not seen this spectacular view before and I enjoyed their reaction.  It is a very cool spot! After enjoying the view for a bit we turned around and made our way back. 

We stopped again at the top for a brief rest and then began the descent back toward the Housatonic River and the car.  It was about 6.3 miles out and back.

Snowy day on the Jericho Trail

 There was a fresh coating of snow this morning that was pretty as we walked through the woods but made the going slow as it was slippery in spots.  We bare booted all day but had our spikes just in case.  Today was a new trail, the Jericho Trail, in Watertown and Thomaston.  It is a 3.4 mile trek which then connects with the Mattatuck Trail, we finished in the parking area of Black Rock State Park.  

From the trail head we climbed up the ridge and had some views of Route 8 and the area around Waterbury.  We soon crossed under the large power lines, which have construction going on and we needed to watch out for heavy machinery, and entered back into the woods.  It is a nice walk through a Hemlock and hardwood forest.  It was cloudy all day and the woods were dark in places.  We soon came to a steep descent, crossed a brook and a steep up along some cliffs.  We could hear the cars on the highway speeding by which was the only indication we were not out in some wilderness. 

After a few more ups and downs with some very cool rock formations and drop offs we came to Jericho Brook and some evidence of humanity, stonewalls, a rock and earth dam, and an old roadway.  The trail continues on through hardwood forest, mostly Oak, which was nice.  It must be a nice area on a warm summer day with the sun shining through the leaves.

The terrain changed a little as we went along, still rocky outcrops but different, more open.  Soon we came to the end of the Jericho Trail and upon the Leatherman Cave.  This is a cool rock formation that offers some protection from the elements and is rumored to be one of the caves that the famous Leatherman used when on his route around New York and Connecticut. 

We explored the cave a little then went up above the cave and enjoyed the view North and East of Thomaston and the surrounding hills.  From here the trail descended into a valley.  It was a little icy and we were careful as we went along.  The trail then climbs back to the top of a ridge and stays there for a ways.  There are some views as you go along and some long drops off the edge down to the forest below.  Soon we could hear traffic to our West and knew we must be getting close to the end.  It was a steep descent to the road, but we made it down with no falls.  Crossing Route 6 we made the final push to the car.  

It was a surprising trail, and I enjoyed all the changes in terrain and vegetation.  We hiked somewhere around 5 miles, our phones couldn’t agree on the mileage, and enjoyed a new area.  I think we will continue along the Mattatuck Trail in the future.