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CTMQ > Blue Trails Challenge

Mattatuck Trail: Section 1

January 3, 2023 by Steve 1 Comment

Cruising in a Plymouth 7.4 Miles, Wolcott & Plymouth December 2022 When I begin a new longer-distance trail, I often think about the people who rush to rip through certain hiking challenges. Surely there are Blue Trails Challenge hikers who try to get through the CFPA's nearly 1,000 miles of trails in just a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Cool Rocks, Litchfield County, mattatuck state forest, Mattatuck Trail, New Haven County, Plymouth, Wolcott

Finch Brook Preserve

December 7, 2022 by Steve Leave a Comment

Mario HiKarting Finch Brook Preserve, Wolcott November 2022 This trail is bonkers. Really and truly bonkers. It is a designed as a 2.6 mile go-kart track... but for hiking. You will get dizzy walking the loop. You will have visions of "cheating" by cutting corners. You will read poetry and cross into Waterbury for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, New Haven County, Wolcott, wolcott land conservation trust

Nipmuck Trail: Section 4

June 28, 2022 by Steve 1 Comment

Section 4: The State of the Union Barlow Mill Road to MA State Line, ~7.5 Miles November 2020 & June 2022 This is a fairly rugged seven or so miles, but the kicker is that no matter who you are or how you hike it, you must hike several more miles to get back to a car. I suppose you could have a kayak left at the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: bigelow hollow state park, Blue Trails Challenge, Eastford, nipmuck state forest, Nipmuck Trail, Tolland County, Union, Windham County, yale myers forest

Mattatuck Trail Intro

April 6, 2022 by Steve Leave a Comment

Mattatuck Trail Wolcott to Cornwall, ~42 miles December 2022 - The CFPA's Mattatuck Trail is a bit of a mess. A really cool mess, but a mess nonetheless. It has a break in the middle of it between White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield and the south end of the Shepaug Reservoir in Warren. It traverses … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Litchfield County, mattatuck state forest, Mattatuck Trail, New Haven County

Saugatuck Trail Intro

February 13, 2022 by Steve Leave a Comment

Saugatuck Trail Easton to Weston, ~12 miles December 2007 - I completed the Saugatuck Trail in 2007 in just a couple of hours. Then CFPA extended in in 2018 and linked it up with the newer Aspetuck Trail. So now I have to write this introduction page because now I have to hike the trail in two part. But at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Easton, Great Views, Redding, saugatuck trail, Weston

Natchaug SF: Chaplin, Eastford, & Hampton Block Trails

December 1, 2021 by Steve Leave a Comment

CCC I Told You So Natchaug State Forest Trails, Eastford, Chaplin, & Hampton October 2021 The Natchaug has been a state forest for over 100 years. That's pretty cool. Who knows... if not for that designation, the towns of Eastford and Ashford and Hampton and Chaplin and Pomfret may be bustling megacities by now. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, chaplin, Eastford, Hampton, Natchaug State Forest, Windham County

Metacomet Trail: Section 14

November 15, 2020 by Steve 1 Comment

Section 14: A Jog by the Jog Route 20 to Rising Corner Road (MA), 7.8 Miles September 2, 2020 This is it. This is the end. What began on April 29, 2007 on the Berlin Turnpike across from a (now closed) stripclub, ended on a beautiful late summer day near the Massachusetts state line. Thirteen and a half years. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Calvin, East Granby, Great Views, Hartford County, Hikes with my Boys, Hoang, Metacomet Trail, New England National Scenic Trail, Suffield

Quinnipiac Trail Intro

November 18, 2019 by Steve Leave a Comment

Quinnipiac Trail Hamden, Cheshire, Bethany, Prospect, 18.3 Miles Began: October 2012 Completed: The Quinnipiac Trail is the oldest in the Connecticut Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail System, which is to say, it’s really old. Many tens of thousands of people have hiked at least a part of the trail since its creation … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles Tagged With: Bethany, Blue Trails Challenge, Cheshire, Hamden, Prospect, Quinnipiac Trail

Mile of Ledges

October 3, 2018 by Steve Leave a Comment

Miles of Smiles Mile of Ledges, Burlington September 29, 2018 It is quite rare for me to revisit something for this site. With so much still to do, it simply doesn’t make logistical sense to spend an afternoon retracing steps or re-experiencing a museum. But sometimes it’s the right and best thing to do. Such was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, New Post Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Burlington, Calvin, Cool Geology, Hartford County, Hikes with my Boys, Tunxis Trail

Metacomet Trail: Section 13

September 2, 2018 by Steve 1 Comment

Section 13: "Hike Like a Monkey!" Hatchett Hill Rd to Route 20, 2.3 miles September 1, 2018 Has it really been almost a year since our last Metacomet section hike? Yes. But I don't care. This day may have been the first opportunity to hike with Hoang in that intervening 11 months! And I'm glad we took … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, National "Stuff", New Post Tagged With: Blue Trails Challenge, Calvin, East Granby, Hartford County, Hikes with my Boys, Hoang, Metacomet Trail, National Scenic Trails, New England National Scenic Trail

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