Adams & Wright Woods hike - February 1, 2022

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 1 February 2022, Adams & Wright Woods hike

Hike Leaders:  Marie Keutmann & Richard Vignoni

~5.5 miles, 10:00 am start from Lincoln, MA

Hikers (24):  Marie, Richard, Annemarie Altman, Clyde Kessel, Greg Stathis, Janet Miller, Jeff Wallen, Jim Whinfield, Judy Perrin, Ken Weber, Margie Lee, Marlene Heroux, Maureen Febiger,  Melissa Norton, Molly Schaeffer, Rick Carlson, Robin Frain, Susan Sabin, Tony Lee, Zach Woods, and first-timers Faye & Peter Speert, Stephen O'Brien, and Valerie Gibson.

Twenty-four hikers met at Red Rail Farm in Lincoln.  We set out through the woods, along the many ups and downs of the kettle holes left behind by glacial activity.  We stopped and listened to a brief talk, at a bicycle race track (velodrome), before walking around it and continuing on with our trek.  The velodrome is the sole visible remains of a late 1800’s fairground (see additional information below), reached by steam locomotive on the Fitchburg line.  We worked our way over to a trail along the Sudbury River and Fairhaven Bay, pausing at three scenic overlooks which included one with a stone chimney and foundation, one with a simple bench and great views (where Robin handed out homemade treats), and one looking down at Fairhaven Bay and a stone boat house.  From there it was back into the woods and a return to our cars.  Ideal temperatures and bright blue skies made for a great day of hiking.

A number of people had lunch in the greenhouse at Verrill Farm.

Information on the racetrack/fairgrounds:

The bicycle race track was part of the fairgrounds from the late 1800's.  The track is about 500 feet in circumference and has a pronounced bank at one end.  In its heyday, the fairground included a dance hall, a restaurant, a baseball field, a race track, and amusements.  On weekends, people flocked by the thousands to “Lake Walden” on the Fitchburg train line to go boating, swimming, and to use the fairgrounds.  The fairgrounds were built by the owners of the railroad to encourage ridership.  There were several fires over the years, likely due to sparks from the steam locomotives, so in the early 1900's it ceased to exist.  Today, the only visible remains are the race track and cleared ground between the trees.

Information on Wright woods where we hiked 

Online Exhibition of Walden Pond images 

Report by Marie Keutmann and Richard Vignoni.