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.