Adams & Wright Woods winter hike - January 8 , 2025

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 8 January 2025, Adams & Wright Woods winter hike

Hike Leaders:  Marie Keutmann & Barbara Jacobs

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

Hikers(16):  Marie and Barbara, Annemarie Altman, Barbara Martin, Betty Salzberg, Clyde Kessel, Greg Stathis, Jack Mroczkowski, Janet Miller, Jim Whinfield, John Trotter, Marc Baskin, Phyllis Evan, Steve Hoffenberg, Ted Nyder, and first-timer Rena Sokolow.

Sixteen hikers met at Red Rail Farm in Lincoln in sunny, but cold and blustery, conditions.   The hikers set out through the woods along the many ups and downs of the kettle holes left behind by glacial activity.  We walked around a bicycle race track, or velodrome, that is the sole visible remains of a mid to late 1800’s fairground which people reached by steam locomotive on the Fitchburg line.  At the velodrome, I gave a brief talk about the history of the fairgrounds (see link below) before we walked around the perimeter of the track.  We climbed a steep trail to the top of Fairhaven Hill, where Jack gave a brief talk about the large estate with Buddha statues and an ice rink at the summit.  We then worked our way over to a route along the Sudbury River with great views of the river and Fairhaven Bay.  From there it was back into the woods and back to our cars.  The crisp temps and bright skies made for a great day of hiking.

Thanks to Barbara Jacobs for helping me navigate the route and to Betty Salzberg for sweeping.

Approximately twelve people had post-ride lunch in the greenhouse at Verrill Farm.

Report by Marie Keutmann.

Additional Information on Racetrack and Fairgrounds

The bicycle race track was part of the fairgrounds from the late 1800's.  The track is about 500 ft in circumference and has a pronounced bank on 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.

Click on the link below and view Exhibition Images 5 to 8 which show the entrance gate to “Walden,” the picnic grounds and the amusement park buildings:

Online Exhibition of Walden Pond images

Information on Wright woods where we hiked