A Walk Across the Giant

I've read a lot of "why I hike" blogs and contests recently.  I wrote this article for the February edition of Giant News - the Sleeping Giant Park Association newsletter.  You can read that beautifully edited version by becoming a member and picking up a copy.  In the meantime, scroll through this one - I've put links to some of my favorite Sleeping Giant photo pages at the end... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I want Candice’s autograph.  If you remember the last issue of the Giant News, Candice hiked all the trails on Sleeping Giant in one day to earn the distinction of Giant Master Marathoner. I started hiking again last year just to get off the couch and do something.  And since Sleeping Giant was nearby, it was a great place to start.  I checked the web site looking for hike dates, and read about the Giant Masters program, recognition for hiking all the nearly 30 miles of blazed trails.  Great, I thought – a goal (and a neat look...

Every trail guide I’ve read calls out the length of the trail.  Did you ever wonder how those measurements are taken?  GPS – right?  But trail guides have been in publication far longer than hand held GPS units.  OK, so we just pace it off and do the math? For this Paugussett Trail trip, I was lucky to meet up with a group on a joint AMC / CT Forest and Park Association hike.  And along the way, the CFPA was rechecking the trail for the next edition of their guide.  So out comes the wheelie road measurer, and the GPS .  Somebody wheels the trail, and then at the end they’ll check the GPS and see how close the two measurements are.  For today, the Paugussett Trail is 9.1 miles.  Tomorrow – who knows? We dropped cars at Indian Well State Park  in Shelton and then drove to the other end of the trail on East Village Road in Monroe .  The CFPA guide (from the Walk Book West ) has the trail starting across from this pa...

The Naugatuck Trail runs through the East Block of the Naugatuck State Forest in Bethany – from Route 42 near Simpson Pond to Route 8 in Beacon Falls. The 5 ½ mile trail is a shadow of its former self, when it covered a much longer route between the Quinnipiac and Paugussett Trails. Since I was hiking out and back - and adding the three side trails - this hike covered about 10 ½ miles. Trail Map from CT State DEP    Note - you can get a better topographic map with route and full trail description from the Connecticut Forest and Park Association - the Walk Book West .  After all, this is who maintains the trail! There is only space for a couple of cars along the road at the Route 42 trailhead (see map). I parked instead at the Whittemore trailhead just a quarter mile west, and then hiked back to start the Naugie. Old stone walls and foundation from the previous owner. Along the road, there are remnants of stone foundations and walls from homesteads prior to the ...