MA NET Section 18b- 19a Royalston Falls/ NH Border

Red Eft stage of the Eastern Spotted Newt

Day Four, the last day of our mini-vacation, and it was New Hampshire or bust. We checked out of the French King Motel, grabbed some coffee and muffins from the Pocket Saver Market on Route 2, and headed up Richmond Road, where we had to stop four times to let vast herds of turkey cross the road. My husband dropped me off at the trailhead and drove away in search of his own adventure.

Four Red Efts 

This explains the mileage confusion

Right off the bat, I nearly stepped on a newt. And another one. And another one. It was Newt City. It was the highest concentration of newts I'd ever seen up to that point, but I would see something even more amazing later in the hike.

The previous day I had considered trying to make it to Kelton Road, but there was were some map discrepancies about how much farther that would be (2.7 or 4 miles?). The first sign at the trailhead said it was 2.7 miles. A second sign said, "New M-M North 1.3 mi. longer." Ah, that explains it. OK, so four miles to Kelton Road.

" Rest Area - Sitting Rocks"

Back to the wildlife. You know what I didn't see? Deer. Not one. Back home in Fairfield County, Connecticut, it's pretty hard not to see a deer. They're on the trails, in people's yards, and along the streets. Here's a video I took this summer back home featuring a doe just standing there munching greenage right in front of me while I stood there with my two dogs. But up here in the Quiet Corner I didn't see a single deer in four days. Why? I imagine there is a lot of hunting in this more rural area. And not as much food, especially under those dark hemlock forests where plants grow very slowly, if at all. People don't appreciate how much deer food is in a backyard.

Heading up the first hill

From Richmond Road, Section 18 crosses over a series of hills, none of which are very steep.  The trail alternates between dry hilltops, old farming plateaus, rocky ravines, and mossy valleys, so there's a lot of variety. The first was Mallard Hill, where the trail emerged briefly onto the powerlines, providing a view of Richards Reservoir back to the west. That was the only vista for the day.

Looking back towards Richards Reservoir

Canada Mayflower berries on the dry hilltop

Then the trail dropped down into the mossy Tully Brook valley and followed the scenic brook for a good ways.

Heading down towards Tully Brook

Lycopodium - Clubmoss

Tully Brook crossing

The next hill was Mayo Hill, and that was a pretty good climb.  This was the highest point around, so I made sure to text my progress to my husband, because it looked like the rest of the trail may not have coverage.

Mayo Hill and the left turn I missed

The trail followed an old road at the top, and I was so distracted by the scenery I missed the left turn off of the road and instead followed the old road down the hill for a good ways before I realized my mistake. One thing about hiking in the bright light of mid-day is those white blazes tend to get lost in the sun patches. So back up the hill I went, sigh.

I wondered about those yellow areas labeled "sand"

According to the map sign posted as you approach Kelton Road, the next section was also new. This was a day where the trail tread was not always well defined, presumably due to the reroutes and lumpy ground. I really had to focus on the blazes and had to stop from time to time to look for the next blaze.

Kelton Rd

When I finally came out onto Kelton Road, the road where I had thought to get picked up the previous day, I was surprised to see how not drive-able it was. It was a good thing I had abandoned the idea of trying to get picked up on this road because I would have arrived exhausted, with darkness approaching, only to discover that Kelton is not a drive-able street and I wouldn't be getting picked up. Also, no cell phone. What then?

Kelton Road looks like a place where 4WD trucks go to play. This is where hiking maps, and Google Maps, failed. I wanted to know if it was a road I could get picked up on, and the maps were misleading. The AMC map used the same road symbol for Kelton that they used for Richmond Road and many other unpaved but drive-able streets. It should have a different symbol. The NET map didn't show anything at all because it has no detail. The M-M Guidebook map I didn't even look at because the trail was rerouted. And Google Maps showed it as a drive-able street.

Kelton Road - not drive-able!

The trail crosses  Keaton then swings back around to follow the road for a while. Lots of sand and gravel. The sand area shown on the map board were in fact big sandy areas. No idea why.

Sand and more sand along Kelton Road

Pond along Kelton Road

After a bit, Kelton Road passed a small pond and next to it was a water-filled tire track that caught my eye after a frog jumped in. Just a little mud hole, right?

Take a closer look

Then some shadows moved in the mud hole. Upon closer inspection they turned out to be nineteen Eastern Spotted Newts. Some were dark and others were in the red eft stage.

There were nineteen newts

This species can transform back and forth between two stages: a dark green aquatic stage and the bright red juvenile terrestrial phase, depending on environmental conditions. It looked like both phases were in the mud hole. Maybe they were warming up. The previous few days were crisp and cool, but the heat was creeping back during this hike and the mud hole was sunny and warm.

One of the Red Efts

But wait, there was more in this little patch of mud! Narrow worm tracks crossed the mud, leading to a thin white worm about six inches long. I don't know what it is, but it has a parasitic look to it.

What the heck is this?

The frog never moved

So Kelton Road turned out to be pretty memorable, but eventually the trail turned off the road and headed east towards Route 32 through the forest. No more hills to climb.

For a time it followed a stone wall where the land on the opposite side of the wall had been selectively logged and offered a marked contrast to the dark forest the trail ran through. The logged area was bright and sunny and filled with brush and saplings. Great wildlife habitat.

Dark side of the wall

Bright side of the wall

It was a fairly easy walk down to Route 32. Although the trail tread is not well defined in some spots, I could always find the next blaze.

Add caption

It was when first heard the cars on Route 32 that I had a sudden rush of emotion: I had made it. The New Hampshire border was just beyond this highway and I was almost done walking across Massachusetts.

Rout 32 and Royalston Falls

And there it was, Route 32 and the Royalston Falls entryway and I was done with Section 18. Let Section 19 begin. Here comes New Hampshire!

Winterberry along Route 32

Royalston Falls is a great destination for a day hike. Near the parking area is an old cemetery. It reminded me of the cemetery way back in Guilford at the base of Mt. Totoket, the one where I accidentally left my trekking poles behind but was able to recover them several days later right where I had left them. That was in 2012, shortly after beginning this sporadic New England Trail journey.

Miss Susannah, died 1827, age 16

The path heading down into the ravine is wide and well traveled. Not too steep, but it dropped down a lot further than I expected.

Royalston Falls Shelter as seen from Tully Brook

When the trail reached Falls Brook, the forest suddenly felt enchanted and I half expected to see Galadrial, Lady of the Golden Wood.  The Royalston Falls shelter was perched high over a foot bridge that lead across the babbling brook. A masterpiece of twisted tree roots guarded the bridge. Moss-covered rocks and trees lined the ravine. Wow.

Tree root art

There was a magic to the place. I crossed the foot bridge and was met with a sign enticing me to go to the falls. I hadn't planned on it.  But the hike was nearly over, and then what? The car ride down I-91 through Springfield and Hartford during rush hour traffic. I took a right onto the Tully Trail and headed for the falls.

Time for a little detour

Tully Trail was gorgeous and the Falls were more than I expected.  The footing is a bit tricky on the Tully Trail due to all the boulders and roots, and I was by myself with no cell phone coverage, so I took it nice and slow. I'm good at breaking my ankles is all I'm saying. The falls are viewed from above. You're walking along the trail when the ground in front of you abruptly drops away and the river falls into the deep chasm below you. Iron railings bolted into the rock were appreciated.

Falls Brook

Royalston Falls

The side trip was worth it. I headed back up the Tully Trail to rejoin the NET at the footbridge and shelter.

Back to the NET

Now. Just a bit further to the New Hampshire state line. This part of the trail looked much less traveled, but it was gorgeous.  What a day.  I was almost there and everything was great. Then I took a few steps the wrong way and realized the blazes were off to the left. I did a quick pivot, stepped on the root of a yellow birch, and when I did, my foot slid down the length of the root and I was suddenly on my butt. 

Not a bad fall. Except when I tried to pick up my trekking pole, my hand hurt. In a bad way. I switched to the left hand. I passed a rock arch in the river. Very cool. But when I tried to hold the camera with my right hand, I couldn't. This was not good. What did I do to myself?

Stone arch

And suddenly I was at the New Hampshire border. Yeah! It was marked by a simple notice tacked to a tree. I struggle to take a selfie with an injured right hand. My growing concern over my hand took away some of the joy at reaching the border. But not all of it. I had walked all the way across Massachusetts, except for the Connecticut River crossing, which I kayaked. And I was done with the official part of the NET. The rest of the trail was the M-M Trail, not the NET. 

Welcome to New Hampshire

The rest of the trail out to Greenwood Road was a treat. It kept following Falls Brook and went through a lush laurel thicket. Mountain Laurel is really common in Connecticut, but I didn't remember seeing any this far north on the trail.

Mountain Laurel thicket

The brook turned into a picturesque little pond and before long I was at Greenwood Road, the designated pickup point.

Falls Brook as a pond

Waiting for a ride Greenwood Road

I had to wait for about an hour for my ride, but it was fun watching the heron plying the waters for fish. There were no coverage bars at first for my cell phone, but after about half an hour one bar appeared, then disappeared, then appeared. It was enough to send and receive a text.

Falls Brook pond on Greenwood Road

Back in Connecticut, they took an X-ray of my hand and told me it was a Boxer's Fracture and I would need a full cast. Go figure. I got all the way from Long Island Sound up and down those trap rock cliffs without a mishap. And then break my hand about 0.1 mile from the official end of the NET.

Boxer's Fracture

And so the last four blog posts were typed by holding a pencil in my right hand and pecking at the keys with it because my fingers can't reach the keyboard. And I'm using the mouse with my left hand. It is so awkward.

But I had adventure, and that was the goal

MA NET Section 17a - Northfield State Forest

I am so sorry, Florida.

On the second day of our stay in the Quiet Corner we woke up to the news that Hurricane Irma was hitting the Florida Keys. But it was so pleasant here in Massachusetts. I felt a little guilty.

I expected my left foot to be much worse in the morning after hiking seven miles the day before, but it actually felt about the same as usual. No better, and no worse. And that was great news. I really thought I'd be sorry for pushing it.

8.2 Miles to Northfield Road

Section 17 is 10.2 miles long, ending with a climb up Mount Grace. That's more than I was up for in one day, especially with a bad foot, so my plan was to hike to Northfield Road, a distance of 8.2 miles, and leave Mount Grace for the next day.

People don't bring maps

The Richardson-Zlogar cabin on Stratton Mountain is definitely the highlight of this section. In fact, it may be the highlight of the NET from Millers River to the New Hampshire border. It's a lovely stroll up to the cabin. It wasn't long before I passed a group of what looked like Boy Scouts and their involved fathers hiking down from the cabin. The dads look like they were carrying some pretty heavy packs and possibly did not get much sleep the night before, but they had almost made it and there was light at the end of the tunnel.

A beautiful morning stroll

I got into a nice walking rhythm carrying my commuter cup of coffee down the trail. You know when you're deep in thought, and that ancient part of your brain screams out "SNAKE!"? And then you look down and it's a hose or a stick? I had one of those moments when my brain interpreted a snake up ahead in my peripheral vision. But then it turned out to be a root. A very snake-like root, though, and as I stepped over it I turned my head back to marvel at its snakishness.

And that's when I stepped on a snake. A real one. The big fat garter snake bolted out from under my feet and froze beside the trail.

SNAKE!! Wait, no, not a snake

SNAKE!! 

Mother Nature had just played a pretty good mind trick on me. Did that really just happen? A group of mountain bikers came up the trail just then, and I turn to them, pointed, and said stupidly, "I just stepped on that snake." But we all had fun admiring the big fat garter snake and it's likeness made of root. Then the mountain bikers were on their way and I didn't another person for the rest of the hike.

Great Swamp or Hidden Pond

After about a mile of traveling east, the trail comes to Great Swamp (aka "Hidden Pond" on the entrance map) and turns north to head up Stratton Mountain. It was worth a short bushwhack to the shoreline for a break. I was happy to notice my left foot wasn't bothering me too bad, which was a real surprise.

Passing through a Hemlock forest 

I still took it nice and slow. I like knowing that I have all day long with nothing to do but walk and no reason to rush it. The relaxed steps become almost meditative, an antidote to daily to-do lists. No tasks to prioritize. Just the footsteps and leaves and trees and rocks. All day.

Heading up to the cabin

It was a gradual climb up Stratton Mountain to the cabin clearing. The camp was deserted and I had the majestic view all to myself. It was amazing.

Richardson-Zlogar Cabin

In addition to the cabin there are wooden platforms for tents and a large fire ring surrounded by benches. I could imagine the Scouts that I had passed on the way up sitting around a roaring campfire the previous night. I wondered what the sky would look like at night under the stars and whether the distant mountains would be visible on the horizon.

Trail Register. Mt Grace & Monadnock in background.

There's a trail register at the cabin for hikers to sign in and I did so. Over the winter, my husband and I built a trail register for a section of blue-blazed trail that we maintain for CFPA in Connecticut, so now I'm newly interested in how each trail register is constructed.

Hmmm.. Their trail register has pencil holder slots.

The view faces east with Mount Grace in the foreground and Mount Monadnock beyond. I think the first view of Mount Monadnock along the NET had been back at Mount Tom. The end of the trail is getting closer.

Mt. Grace and Mt Monadnock

The cabin is located on private property owned by Trail Heroes Sam and Barbara Richardson. Here is an excerpt from a web page about the cabin:

"In 2011, NET landowners and maintainers Sam & Barbara Richardson donated a Conservation Restriction to the Town of Northfield on a  38 acre lot  on Stratton Mountain." I told you they were heroes.

True Class.

But there's more: "This cabin was built by Appalachian Mountain Club-Berkshire Chapter volunteers in the Fall of 2011 and the Spring of 2012, whose combined efforts contributed over 1000 hours of work.  The name "Richardson-Zlogar..." reflects the special efforts of one volunteer in particular-Mike Zlogar, who proved himself invaluable throughout the course of the project. Mr. Zlogar is also a long-time NET/M-M Maintainer."

Some people are amazing.

I still don't know how to go northbound...

When it was finally time to head on down the trail, I did have some trouble finding the trail northbound. There were blazes heading straight for the cabin that seemed to be northbound, and then nothing. It turns out those blazes leading to the cabin reflected a short spur off a hairpin turn and not the main trail. I finally figured it out when I saw a sign for the West Vista and headed in that direction.

West Vista...What the heck??? 

The West Vista made me laugh out loud. There's some kind of Stonehenge rock work going on there that I don't fully understand but enjoyed none-the-less.

Hobblebush berries

As the trail heads north towards Alexander Hill Road, it passes through an area that was recently logged over and overgrown. The logging had let in the sunlight and the brush was growing up fast over the trail. It's the type of vegetation where the blazes can go missing in the blink of an eye. It was passable, but won't be for long. That's why you want a good map.

OK, this part is getting a little hard to follow

The Alexander Hill Road Trailhead appears to be the most popular access point for the trail network on Stratton Mountain. My husband and I had played with the idea of him parking there and heading south while I was head north from Gulf Road, but he didn't get there until after I had passed. (He walked up to the cabin based on my recommendation and really enjoyed it).

Alexander Hill Road Trailhead

There were a number of hemlocks  throughout the region sporting dramatic fungi known as the Hemlock Varnish Shelf (Ganoderma tsuga). It's woody and looks like it has a coat of varnish, hence the name. People who are into medicinal plants refer to this as the Hemlock Reishi, and the Chinese know it as songshan lingzhi. It has a long history as a sort of Panacea for all sorts of ailments.

Hemlock Varnish Shelf

For a mile or more after the Alexander Hill Road the NET loops around and meanders, and you don't seem to get very far very fast. Checking my time and my progress, I began to wonder if I should pick up the pace.

Hobblebush invading the trail

And then the trail crossed a stream and took a right onto an old road. This was a branch of the 5th Massachusetts Turnpike, 1799-1832. Per Wikipedia: 

"Whereas the high way leading from Northfield …is Rocky & Mountainous, & the expense of straitening, making & repairing the same through the said Towns so that the same may be conveniently travelled with Horses & Carriages is much greater than reasonably ought to be required of said Towns; Be it therefore Enacted…"

And with that, in 1799 a corporation was granted the right to build a road and collect tolls. Most of these roads are today busy roads, so hiking down an old one through the forest is different.

Heading east on the old 5th Massachusetts Turnpike

The various trail descriptions mention that the trail follows the old turnpike on Section 17, and I thought this might be the place, but I wasn't sure. Back home I found a custom Google map showing the route. Took a screenshot of that, and a screenshot of the NET online map, and did an overlay in Google Earth, and here's what it looks like:

Map overlay: 5th Mass Pike (red) and NET (faded brown line)

The NET is on the lower layer and faded, while the turnpike is in red. So that confirms it.

The trail/turnpike crossed Bass Road and then a stream that must be part of Bass Swamp. The next landmark would be Shepardson Road. I was making great time now, but my left foot was in agony and I had to stop and take my boots off for awhile before continuing down the old road.

Upper end of Bass Swamp

It seemed like Shepardson Road never came, and I wondered if the trail had been rerouted. Finally I saw blacktop up ahead and the trail curved right to follow it.

Really? State Forrest boundary or what?

Wait, that's Northfield Road. What happened to Shepardson Road? Who knows. Maps can be deceiving. Fortunately, it didn't really matter, and my ride had just turned up. Great timing!

Northfield Road at the base of Mt. Grace

Mt. Grace waits on the other side of the street, but that's for another day.