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CTMQ > Hikes, Bikes & Paddles > CFPA Hikes

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CFPA Trails & The Blue Trails Challenge

AT in CT Section 1

June 13, 2012 by Steve 2 Comments

Section 1 Hoyt Road to Route 341, 11.5 miles November 2011 and May 2012 Quick - what town do northbound AT hikers enter when they first encounter Connecticut? I'll give you a second. What's your answer? Most likely, you're wrong. The AT enters the Nutmeg State in Sherman. Sherman! I must admit that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, National "Stuff" Tagged With: Abandoned and/or Unique Communities, Animals, Appalachian Trail, Blue Trails Challenge, Covered Bridges, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Great Views, Kent, National Scenic Trails, Sherman

Appalachian Trail Intro

May 23, 2012 by Steve Leave a Comment

Appalachian Trail Connecticut Section, 56.6 Miles Sherman, Kent, Sharon, Canaan, Salisbury November 11, 2011 - Take me straight to Section one!: Hoyt Road to Route 341 I'm going to write this section a little bit differently than any of the other hikes on CTMQ. After all, this is the AT and the AT … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, National "Stuff" Tagged With: Appalachian Trail, Blue Trails Challenge, Canaan, Kent, National Scenic Trails, Salisbury, Sharon, Sherman

Metacomet Trail: Section 11

October 22, 2011 by Steve 5 Comments

Section 11: You Can't Pen These Woods Penwood State Park to Farmington River, 6.2 miles, Simsbury & Bloomfield October 2011 2019 Update: This section was written up in 2011, shortly before I started converting everything to a larger format, so please forgive the tiny pictures. If you want to start at the beginning … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, National "Stuff", State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Bloomfield, Blue Trails Challenge, Damian, Great Views, Hoang, Metacomet Trail, National Scenic Trails, New England National Scenic Trail, penwood state park, Simsbury

Sleeping Giant: Green and White Trails

August 5, 2011 by Steve Leave a Comment

SGSP E-W Traverse 3 (Green and White Trails) Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, ~5 miles total (solo) May 1, 2011 As I do not have any idea what – if anything – you’ve previously read regarding my various hikes through Sleeping Giant State Park (on my way to becoming a, -pause-, Giant Master!), allow me to catch … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Birds, Blue Trails Challenge, Giant Master, Great Views, Hamden, national recreation trail, Sleeping Giant State Park

Sleeping Giant: Tower and Orange Trails

February 12, 2011 by Steve 5 Comments

SGSP E-W Traverse 2+ (Orange, Tower, and a Bit of White Trails) Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, ~5 miles total (solo) February 6, 2011 It’s a shame that I completely screwed up my well-laid-out plan to become a Giant Master. I had it all planned; it was going to be 5 different hikes through the park in 5 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Giant Master, Great Views, Hamden, national recreation trail, Observation Towers, Sleeping Giant State Park

NNL: McLean Game Refuge

January 23, 2011 by Steve Leave a Comment

National Natural Landmark Granby & Simsbury Designation Date: 1973 McLean will always hold a special place in my heart. Not just because it’s beautiful and offers a lot in the way of hiking and such, but because it’s where I had my first face to face meeting with a mama bear and her cubs. I’d seen a few in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles Tagged With: Granby, McLean Game Refuge, National Natural Landmarks, Simsbury

Sleeping Giant: Yellow and Violet Trails

January 1, 2011 by Steve 2 Comments

SGSP E-W Traverse 1 (Yellow and Violet Trails) Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, 5.4 miles total (solo) December 23, 2010 Not too many people get excited for gray and chilly late December jaunts in central Connecticut, but I do. Perhaps because I hadn’t been hiking in Connecticut in forever. What the heck … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, Hiking Challenges, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Giant Master, Great Views, Hamden, national recreation trail, Sleeping Giant State Park

Sleeping Giant State Park Intro

December 30, 2010 by Steve 1 Comment

Sleeping Giant State Park Hamden The history and longevity of Sleeping Giant is much more than the trails, but most people come here for the trails. The Tower Trail, mostly. And that's cool, as it's a cool trail. All Things Sleeping Giant State Park 2015 TSTL hike to the tower with my boys Yellow and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, National "Stuff", State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Giant Master, Great Views, Hamden, national recreation trail, Observation Towers, Quinnipiac Trail, Sleeping Giant State Park

Nipmuck Trail: West Branch

November 16, 2010 by Steve 1 Comment

Emphasis on the Muck Puddin' Lane to East Branch Junction, Mansfield, 5.1 Miles (one-way) July 23, 2010 I almost feel like I should do a do-over for this section. Not only did it pour down rain the entire time I was hiking, but it grew dark prematurely and I didn’t quite make it all the way as far as I’d wanted … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Mansfield, Nipmuck Trail

Nipmuck Trail Intro

November 16, 2010 by Steve 1 Comment

Nipmuck Trail Mansfield & Windham to Union, ~40 miles July 2010 - The CFPA's Nipmuck Trail excites me because I know parts of it are pretty much as remote as one can get in the Nutmeg State. From the two southern trailheads in Mansfield and Windham, the trail becomes one near Mansfield Hollow Dam and travels … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, nipmuck state forest, Nipmuck Trail

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