Lincoln Twin Pond to Pigeon Hill Folly Ruin - January 24, 2024

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 24 January 2024, Lincoln - Twin Pond to Pigeon Hill Folly Ruin and Back winter hike
Hike Leaders:  Zach Woods & Judy Perrin
5.5 miles (~2.75 hours), 10:00 am start from Lincoln, MA

Hikers (17):  Zach, Judy, Annemarie Altman, Barbara Martin, Betty Salzberg, Greg Stathis, Janet Miller, Jim Whinfield, Julie Dodd, Marie Keutmann, Martin Hemler, Renee Rees, Romaine Randall, Susan Broome, Susan Sabin, Tom Allen, and first-timer Patricia McCaffrey.

A great day for a winter hike, although sometimes the wet snow falling from the trees was easily confused with rain.  No wind and thirty-two degrees.

 

The group enjoyed seeing several historical sites:  Garfield cellar hole, Pigeon Hill Folly, and the former site of a colonial era rope walk (where hemp fibers were worked into lengths of rope).  We hiked up a hogback ridge formed by a glacier and learned that Pigeon Hill was named for all the countless, now extinct, passenger pigeons that used to flock there.  We also learned about several of the Modernist houses viewable from the trail.

 

Nine hikers enjoyed lunch at Revolution Craft Food Hall in Lexington.

 

Photos were taken by Judy and Barbara, at the Pigeon Hill Folly ruin and along the hike.

 

Report by Zach Woods.

Urban Wilds, Wetlands, and the Arboretum winter hike - January17, 2024

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 17 January 2024, Urban Wilds, Wetlands, and the Arboretum winter hike
Hike Leader:  David Wean
~5 miles, 10:00 am start from Jamaica Plain, MA

Hikers (9):  David, Elsa Lawrence, Gerry Sheetoo, Jim Whinfield, Judy Perrin, Renee Rees, Susan Broome, Tom Lawrence, and Zach Woods.

With plenty of fresh snow and ice the day before, only nine of us managed to clear off our cars and brave the traffic.  (Appreciation from the hike leader that people who'd signed up, but were unable to come, had either cancelled online or notified him via text or email.)  At the starting point, we found that the street was parked up as far as the eye could see, but we ventured a little farther than that and all found our way back to the starting point.

We toured three sections of the Arnold Arboretum, including views from Peters Hill (the second highest point in Boston), the Weld Hill research building with its experimental plots and solar farm, and the main section, where we found at least one Witch Hazel in bloom - we're told that every month of the year there's something blooming there.  

Though most in the group had visited the Arboretum at some point, some of the hikers commented that they enjoyed two less-familiar urban wilds that are nearby:  the Roslindale Wetlands (10-acres tucked into a residential neighborhood, recently upgraded with a loop trail, board- and bog-walks), and Allandale Woods (86 acres, just on the other side of the VFW Parkway, with many trails and the ruins of an old building, including abandoned marble ornamentation and farm equipment, as well as a historic spring house that was either a great restoration or recreation).

After the hike, five of the group made it to Sharon Korean, a recent addition to the West Roxbury dining scene, where we enjoyed some authentic Korean dishes.  We also were able to see the new (and locally controversial) protected bike lanes along Centre Street.  

 

Report by David Wean.

Great Brook Farm State Park winter hike - January 3, 2024

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 3 January 2024, Great Brook Farm State Park winter hike

Hike Leader:  Julie Dodd

4 miles, 10:00 am start from Carlisle, MA

Hikers (30):  Julie, Ann Northup, Annemarie Altman, Barbara Jacobs, Betty Salzberg, David Goldberg, Don Mannes, Ed Hill, George Stromberg, Gerry Sheetoo, Jamie King, Janet Miller, Jim Whinfield, Joanne Samuels, Judy Perrin, Kristina Leclaire, Lindy King, Lynell Stromberg, Lynne O'Riorden, Marie Keutmann, Maureen Febiger, Melissa Norton, Patrick Ward, Phyllis Evan, Susan Broome, Susan Sabin, Ted Nyder, William Feiring, Zach Woods, and first-timer Bob Mitchell.  [Bob was a CRW Guest; I hope he becomes a member.]

We started by taking Cow Path trail to the hilly Turkey Run trail.  After regrouping, we headed off to the seriously twisty Stone Row trail.  We then walked through the weird, glacial depositional landscape known as eskers.  The long line of thirty hikers made quite a sight on the winding trail along the sides of the ravine.

Pausing to admire a vista of the River Meadow Brook, we then continued on flatter terrain.  Other trails of note included Tophet West, Heartbreak Ridge, and Maple Ridge.

Thirteen of us met for post-hike lunch at Fern's Country Store.

Report by Julie Dodd.

Waltham: Prospect Hill Park winter hike - December 27. 2023

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 27 December 2023, Waltham:  Prospect Hill Park winter hike

Hike Leaders:  Barbara Jacobs and Ted Nyder

4 miles, 10:00 am start from Waltham, MA

Hikers (18):  Barbara, Ted, Annemarie Altman, Betty Salzberg, David Wean, Don Mannes, Janet Miller, Jeffrey Wallen, Judy Perrin, Lynn O'Riorden, Marie Keutmann, Melissa Norton, Mike Hanauer, Molly Schaeffer, Phyllis Evan, Susan Linz, Susan Sabin, and Zach Woods.

Our walk took us through Historic Prospect Hill Park in Waltham.  As churches split, the land was divided through Dividend Land Grants.  The park has many stone walls demarcating property boundaries that were established through land grants between 1636-1638.  The properties were used as woodlots, providing timber for building homes in nearby neighborhoods and firewood for cooking and heating.  There was very little farming because of the hilliness of the area.

Our first stop was at the lean-tos and stone fireplace built for the Boy Scouts in 1934 by the Emergency Relief Administration.  We continued walking up the hill and came to two water towers built in 1974 by the city.  These water towers contain eight million gallons of water, providing water pressure throughout the city.  Then we checked out the trails of the old ski area (1948-1989) and the Summer House Shelter that was originally built in 1895 and provides views of the Cambridge Reservoir.  Alongside the water towers we came to an old Radio Telescope used by the Air Force to look for sunspots and solar storms in the 1960s; it is now used by amateur radio clubs.

As we walked the Ridge Trail we came to Big Prospect, Little Prospect, and Boston Rock to see views of Boston and the surrounding area.  We followed several trails to exit the park and take a short stroll on the Waltham section of the Mass Central Rail Trail, returning into the park through the trails of Berry Park, acquired by the city in 2016, where we saw the remains of a pump house.

Fifteen of us had lunch at the Craft Food Hall after the hike.

Here is a video of a member of the Waltham Historical Society talking about the history of Waltham and Prospect Hill Park (if anyone is interested): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57e6NAtDVfo.  It is about an hour long.

The photo is of the group at the Big Prospect overlook.

Report by Barbara Jacobs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57e6NAtDVfo&authuser=0