Hiking in the Dead of Winter

Here in New England we're in the doldrums of winter. Most of the birds that are still around are our hearty year round resident species. The visitors from the north are starting to leave and the spring migrants have yet to arrive. So, the birding has been pretty difficult.

So, I've taken this opportunity to explore some of the parks here in Connecticut. I find it easier to get the lay of the land when the trees are still bear and it is easier to pick out the trails thru the woods.

The first place that I visited was Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middletown. I had never been to this park before so I picked up a trail map at the kiosk near the parking lot. I hike around the park for over an hour and a half and was really impressed by its beauty. There were plenty of trails, a roaring river, and picturesque stone bridges. Before I left I had to take a look at the falls so I took an offshoot trail in that direction. The falls were worth the extra trouble. There were two falls: a large one and a smaller one. Both were beautifully covered with ice.

The problem was getting back. The falls were really flowing which made the flow downstream fairly deep. And, for some reason, the trail went right across the stream. I was determined not to backtrack but I also didn't want to repeat my plunge in the bog from last summer. I eventually found a shallow place to cross, made a bridge with some logs, and tightrope walked across.

Another place that's good for hiking in the area is Gay City State Park in Hebron. I went there for a short hike a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the walk thru the snow. Shannon and I had hiked there back in January and had a good time too. Here's a photo I took of the stream near the main lake.

On the way to Gay City I noticed a sign for Blackledge Falls. Since this site is only a couple miles drive from my house, I went back there for a hike. Its a nice place with well marked trails and lots of habitat diversity.

Last is JB Williams Park in Glastonbury. This is a typical city park with a nice variety of trails. The main trail is wide and easy to follow. Several smaller trails radiate outward from the main trail. I find this a nice place to hike.