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

Acton: Hike to the Trail through Time - December 20, 2023

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 20 December 2023, Acton:  Hike to the Trail through Time

Hike Leader:  Janet Miller

4+ miles, 10:00 am start from Acton, MA

 

Hikers (22+):  Janet, Annemarie Altman, Barbara Jacobs, Betty Salzberg, Elsa Lawrence, Jack Mroczkowski, Jim Whinfield, Joanne Samuels, Judy Perrin, Julie Dodd, Kristina Leclaire, Marie Keutmann, Neil MacGaffey, Peggy Gelin, Sally Chapman, Steven Venizelos, Susan Sabin, Ted Nyder, Tim Dodd, Tod Cochran & his dog, Tom Allen, and Zach Woods.

 

In the hike description, I said that “there are places where the trail might be wet” as there was one short section of the trail that was very wet when I scouted the route.  However, after Monday’s intense storm, a better description might have been that “some places on the trail were dry.”

 

We hiked through the Spring Hill conservation area into the Nashoba Brook conservation area and the Trail Through Time (a loop trail on both sides of Nashoba Brook).  I had planned to cross Nashoba Brook on a bridge, but, although the bridge was fine, the trail on the other side was flooded and impassable.  So we stayed on the east side of the brook and saw some stone piles, which are believed to have been built by Native Americans.  We also saw where a pest house had been - where people who were sick with diseases such as smallpox were taken so they would not infect others.

 

Then we reached the site of a nineteenth century pencil factory, where we stopped for a break and some refreshments.  From there we headed back to our starting point on a winding trail, where, like everywhere else, there were numerous sections where we had to circumnavigate places where the trail was under water - that is everyone except the dog, who was quite happy to get her feet wet. 

 

Despite the challenges of negotiating the trail, everybody seemed to enjoy the hike.  Six of us had post-hike lunch together at the Atlantic Sea Grill.

 

Report by Janet Miller.

Lincoln: Off the Beaten Track hike - December 13, 2023

 HIKE REPORT

 

Wednesday, 13 December 2023, Lincoln:  Off the Beaten Track hike

Hike Leaders:  Marie Keutmann, 617 312 4739, marie.keutmann@gmail.com

   & Barbara Jacobs, nyder.jacobs@gmail.com

~5 miles, 10:00 am start from The Pierce House, 17 Weston Road, Lincoln, MA

 

Hikers (27):  Marie, Barbara Jacobs, Barbara Martin, Betty Salzberg, Cynthia Zabin, Dan Nelson, David Wean, Elsa Lawrence, Emily Wean, Frank Aronson, Greg Stathis, Jack Mroczkowski, Jim Whinfield, Judy Perrin, Julie Dodd, Kristina Leclaire, Lynne O'Riorden, Mike Hanauer, Patrick Ward, Phyllis Evan, Renee Rees, Susan Broome, Susan Sabin, Ted Nyder, Tim Dodd, Zach Woods, and first-timer Rick Ward.

 

On a gorgeous sunny day, Marie and Barbara led twenty-seven hikers through open fields, horse pastures, backyards, and woods in Lincoln.  Highlights included traversing Flint Fields above the Flint Farm, which has been continuously occupied and farmed by the Flint family since Thomas Flint came over from England in 1636.  We stopped in the field above to look at rows of young American Chestnut trees which have been planted in an experiment to try to grow them in a way to be resistant to the fungus that destroyed most of the magnificent American Chestnuts a century ago.

 

A special treat was walking through a horse pasture, with galloping horses coming up to inspect us.  Then, on a stroll through the grounds of the Decordova Museum, we were intrigued by a crooked house made of wood and brick which slanted in one direction.

 

A dozen or so of us had lunch at Verrill Farm, eating in the warm greenhouse which we shared with many Christmas trees.

Hike from Echo Bridge to Waban Arches - December 6, 2023

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday 6 December 2023, Hike from Echo Bridge to Waban Arches

Hike Leader:  Susan Sabin

6.5 miles, 10:00 am meeting in Wellesley, MA [hike start from Newton Upper Falls, MA]

Hikers (18):  Susan, Barbara Jacobs, Betty Salzberg, Cynthia Zabin, David Wean, Don Buchholtz, Elsa Lawrence, Frank Aronson, Janet Miller, Jeff Wallen, Julie Dodd, Marie Keutmann, Molly Schaeffer, Susan Broome, Ted Nyder, Tim Dodd, Tom Allen, and Zach Woods.

Present at lunch:  Helen Greitzer.

With light snow flurries flurrying and temps in the 20s, all eighteen of the hikers who signed up for this hike also showed up.  Once we got going, we all warmed up so much that someone mentioned it was a perfect day for a hike.  And indeed, it was.

The process of spotting cars worked seamlessly, and if we left someone behind, we’ll never know it!  During the hike, everyone stayed within sight and we were treated to two fabulous concerts by Ted Nydick, one under an arch of Echo Bridge and again under an arch of Waban bridge, which, except for the fact that one has seven arches and the other has eight, look like twins.  Indeed, they both came into service the same year:  1878.

Fourteen of us had a late lunch at the Echo Bridge Cafe, one of whom was Helen.  It was so nice to have her along.  And, it seems that a good time and good hike was had by all.

Report by Susan Sabin.

Photos courtesy of Zach Woods.

Hike from the Arlington Reservoir into Lexington & Winchester - November 29, 2023

 HIKE REPORT

 

Wednesday, 29 November 2023, Hike from the Arlington Reservoir into Lexington & Winchester

Hike Leader:  Jim Whinfield

6.0 miles, 10:00 am start from Arlington, MA

 

Hikers (14):  Jim, Barbara Jacobs, David Wean, Emily Wean, Frank Aronson, Janet Miller, Judy Perrin, Marie Keutmann, Marlene Heroux, Melissa Norton, Patrick Ward, Susan Linz, Ted Nyder, and Zach Woods.

 

A brisk, 30-degree morning failed to dissuade fourteen walkers from our appointed rounds through the Arlington Great Meadows (nearly perfectly flat) and the Whipple Hill Conservation Area (quite a bit less so).  Highlights included communing with the herd of goats at Wright-Locke Farm, taking advantage of the farm’s top-flight (and, thankfully, heated) restroom facilities, and inspecting the carcass of a 1952 Packard that has been left to molder away alongside a Whipple Hill trail.  A small herd of alpacas were also spotted, but they were much less interactive than the goats, so had to be appreciated from afar.  One hiker left the group about halfway through for an early luncheon engagement.  Seven people stayed for a very enjoyable post-hike lunch at the Roasted Granola Cafe, followed by a quick stop at Cookie Time Bakery, where many indulged in an after-lunch treat.

 

Report by Jim Whinfield.