A Walk Across the Giant

It's been a few weeks since I was in Sleeping Giant Park, but it's a great day - humidity's down, a little breezy... - and I had some time to kill, so... From the main parking lot, I took the Orange trail to the Red Circle trail, then on to the Green trail back to it's start on top of the Giant's Chest.  The White, White/Blue and then Blue trails over to the Tower, and the Tower Path back down to the parking lot.  Just about 5 miles over a 2+ hour hike. Looking South from the Giant's Chest - Quinnipiac U, East Rock and New Haven While trails like the Blue and White take you across the tops of the ridges that make up Sleeping Giant, the Orange and Green run along the valleys between them.  The Orange heads up across the south side of the second ridge with views to East Rock and New Haven.  From the Green, you look up at the cliffs below the Tower, and make your way up to the Giant's Chest - great views west to the Giant's Chin and south past Quin...

After hiking a piece of the trail last week, I figured I'd knock off the rest.  The Regicides Trail is a 7 mile spur of the Quinnipiac trail branching off between York Mountain in Hamden and West Rock in New Haven.  I arrived at the Wintergreen Avenue park entrance early - even earlier than the gate goes up!  My hike just got a mile or so longer than planned.  Normally, this time of year, the park road is open weekends so you can drive up to West Rock and Judges Cave, just not this early.  I walked up the entrance road to my 'starting point' the South Overlook. 7am and it's hazy already.  The normally clear view of New Haven and Long Island Sound was obscured and misty.  Looking east, I could just make out East Rock and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.  To the northeast, Sleeping Giant was just a hazy watercolor image, darker hills floating in the white haze on the horizon.  The trail begins behind the park pavillion and winds it's ...

... around Lake Wintergreen. I joined a New Haven Hiking Club hike Saturday at West Rock Ridge State Park, meeting at Lake Wintergreen.  I was early for the start, and waited at the lake watching kayaks launching out into the water, mountain bikers heading into the trails and families and dogs taking a walk in the woods.  Everyone was out trying to get some nice day in before the thunderstorms that were forecast later. Once everyone arrived, and signed in (and yes, I realize if I fall or twist an ankle or get lost in the woods it's my own problem and not the responsibility of the Hiking Club, hike leader, etc etc) we set off heading north on the Red Trail along Wintergreen Brook.  There were seven of us, with Gordon in the lead.  The trail was a level, easy walk along the stream and then into the woods.  At 2.7 miles, we turned west on Mountain Road, and then into the woods again taking the Yellow trail up the hill, where it meets the Regicides Trail....

Time to start my summer Master's hikes - once again hiking all the blazed trails sometime between now and the beginning of fall.  This morning it was Blue trail up the Giant's Head, past the Tower, a quick turn at Red Circle onto the Violet trail back to the river, and then up the Red Diamond trail for a nice slow finish along the Mill River. And I took my own suggestions from the last time I hiked the Blue - kept it to two hours, only did part of the trail and I hiked up to the Chin from the quarry instead of down the other way.  And you know what?