What happened and what's next?

I like busy weeks, and I just had two of them. There were hikes, there was food, family get-togethers, and not quite enough sleep. Here's an update on some highlights, and what to look forward to.

A few hikes! Me and the dog Jay did a lot of exploring in the West Hartford reservoirs and Rattlesnake Mountain/Pinnacle area. Some of our hikes were poorly planned, ending in long bushwhacks and narrow escapes in time for me to avoid being late to work.

At this point I have visited my secret sunrise spot near the reservoirs four times, including once with some family. I found out that it is much easier to access from the parking lot off Route 4. Coming south from Route 44 requires some expert footwork on one stretch of old woods road that rises at an impossible angle from the edge of the reservoir. Plus it is a lot farther. With that being said, when I do head out for a sunrise hike, it is going to have to be from 44, as the Route 4 lot is closed dusk to dawn. Should be a fun time, provided my headlamp does its job.

Another hike of note was in the Plainville/New Britain/Farmington area. Me and the dog Jay set out to explore "Dead Wood Swamp," a massive wetland just west of I-84. It is the headwaters of the Quinnipiac River and an important hydrologic and ecologic zone in an otherwise highly developed area. We climbed up to the Pinnacle from Cooks Gap near 84, then began our eastward descent. Before too long we had crossed the remains of the Nike Missile site, a particularly large stone wall, and were following a narrow two-track toward the sound of the highway.

The trail was muddy. It had been a cold morning, but any freezing had been undone by the afternoon sun. The overstory maples and birches began thinning out, and the swamp came into view. I think winter might be the only time to go check out the area. I imagine that the combination of bugs and mud do not exactly enhance the experience when it is warmer. There were also a lot of thorns we had to struggle through. Even though, we made it clear through to the end of the path, arriving at a nondescript stretch of I-84.

We had to hustle out of the woods from there, but subsequent research revealed to me that I was in the area of Hospital Rock, a relic of the smallpox inoculation hospital that existed in the late 18th century. The rock was a drop-off place for relatives wishing their loved ones well as they waited for the contagious period to run out in quarantine. Patients would inscribe their name on the rock and the year. Even today, you can see at least fifty names written on the rock, provided you can find it. I will certainly be returning to the area to find the rock soon!

So what's next? I don't like writing posts like this. These hikes were at least a week ago, and my memory is much clearer the day of or day after. So I feel confident that I will be posting more frequently in the future, and within a few days of my Ramblings. Tomorrow and Friday will be project days. I'll be building a raised bed in my backyard. Expect pictures. And a little further down the road, I will be making seed balls to encourage native vegetation. More on what that means when it happens.

With the weather warming up, it should be a productive spring!