Nipmuck Trail
Posted By auntie on December 20, 2012
7.56 miles ★★★★★
today was as close as i could get to a solstice hike. this property was absolutely fantastic. what a gorgeous place to hike. it really felt wild. i encountered some sort of water mammals (otters? beaver? muskrats?)—could see the splashes they were making, and they were yanking on low branches that hung over the water, but i never actually saw them. AND i think i saw a bear track! this is a beautiful trail with some very challenging sections. lerved it!
small island in breakneck pond
this hike was another “lollipop loop,” with a 1.6 mile trip up to a long, narrow lake, then a trail circumnavigating that lake, then back down the 1.6 mile trail. this is a photo of a little island in the lake from the eastern bank. it kind of reminded me of spirit island in maligne lake in alberta canada. okay, so not, you know, completely the same… but still, it’s kind of like that!
un-a-bridged stream crossing
there were lots and lots of un-a-bridged (haw, get it?) stream crossings on this trail. lots and lots. there were a few that gave me cause to be thankful for my water-resistant hiking boots. which, by the way, are giving up the ghost after about 500 miles of wear. well, the right boot is kind of being a pain. the left boot is fine. go figger.
state line marker
i had lunch in massachusetts. the trail just barely crosses the state line and then pops back down about a quarter mile later.
nest
i stopped to take a picture of the magnificent rock tripe that was all over this boulder, when i noticed this little nest tucked into a crevasse in the rock. maybe a swallow?
island from the west shore of the lake
this is the same island as above, but from the western shore of the lake. i like the first one better.
red leaves
thought these reddish leaves were so beautiful against the decaying stump. i think they may be partridge berry leaves, but i’m not positive on that id.
worst section of trail
the last mile or so of the loop around the lake was the worst part of the whole hike. the trail went right over a long, long (endless!) stretch of giant boulders. i thought i’d never get through it.
you can find information and get a trail map of this hike from the state of connecticut website.
I’ll run a few trail races on the Nipmuck. Very nice trail but very tough going in some sections!
boy, i’ll say. that last mile or so along the western shore of the lake is brutal.