11/27/2010 – Nehantic Trail Completion Hike
Route 49 – Hopeville Pond
7.3 Miles
This hike took us up and over Mount Misery, which is actually only 441 feet in elevation, so really it only qualifies as a hill as the survey marker we found will show. Regardless, it is the highest point in the vicinity and offers up a nice view of Pachaug State Forest.
As we got further into our hike we heard a lot of gunshots. Of course, this is Pachaug State Forest, which is really popular with hunters. This was also the weekend right after Thanksgiving, which is a really popular time to go hunting. It may not have been the wisest time to hike, but we donned our blaze orange and went for it. Partway into our hike, in an area that has recently been logged, I spotted two hunters staring down at us from the top of a hill. Sidetrack and I had been talking pretty loudly about how sparse the blazes were in this area. Then, just as I saw the hunters Sidetrack manages to, with amazing timing, switch over to joking loudly about not wanting to get shot (as we often do when we hear gunshots in the woods). Oh, boy, great timing Sidetrack! I shushed him and we continued silently on though we probably managed to scare off all their deer. So, yes, we were those damn noisy hikers that day. Sorry guys!
All in all this was a pretty nice hike except for part where the blazes got pretty sparse in the middle of Pachaug Forest. Fortunately though, the trail follows a logging road and what seems to be an old forest road in this area so it’s easy enough to stay on track. Though, as a hiker, I definitely prefer the positive ‘you’re on the right track’ reinforcement passing blazes offers.
Note: Hopeville Pond State Park Trailhead Parking – The parking described in the CT Walk Book was not available on our hike. It was closed off for the winter and there is no street parking in this area. If you continue down Rte 201 less than half a mile past the pond parking area, there is another parking area that is the Hopeville State Park Entrance and not the parking for the pond. There are wide footpaths connecting the two lots.
Happy Trails!
~Molasses
More information about Mt. Misery is at:
http://www.mdc.net/~dbrier/yawgoog/trails/misery.html