Cruising Down the Connecticut

The Quinnetukut II is a 44-seat African Queen-style riverboat that makes a 12-mile round-trip cruise along the Connecticut River starting in Northfield.  The cruise is narrated and full of history, geology, biology, and ecology -- plus, there's a lovely view the whole way. The cruise is run by FirstLight Power Resources as part of the recreation programs offered out of the Northfield Mountain location.

Mr. Madley and I made the cruise on Saturday for the first time, though we had tried, unsuccessfully, to get tickets a few years ago.  The cruises run July-mid-October, three times a day on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.  As we witnessed, it is important to call ahead for reservations: (800) 859-2960, and to arrive early at the Northfield Mountain Visitor Center to pick up tickets (sometimes you can find discount coupons here: http://sagama.halfoffdeals.com/); tickets run $6-12 depending on age.

I was in love from first sight.  The Connecticut River is beautiful, and I always love riding on a boat.  Being out on the water makes me unreasonably happy, and to be on such lovely waters on such a lovely day was wonderful.  Along the way, the guide discussed the history of the rocks on the shore, the European and native histories of the location, and some of the wildlife we did and didn't see (we saw swans and a juvenile bald eagle -- which shows up in one of the pictures -- and some dead fish).  We passed under the French King Bridge and made our way down to Barton's Cove then made the return.  Pictures included below.

The trip takes about 1.5 hours from start to finish, and I definitely recommend it for nice low-key excursion.  Just make sure you make reservations!

Chesterfield Gorge & Gilbert A Bliss State Forest

If you like spectacular views of granite cliffs...
If you like the roar of water tumbling over rocks and boulders...
If you like to walk paths in the woods...
If you like catch & release fly fishing...
If you like sunning on rocks...
If you like not-terribly-difficult (mostly flat) mountain biking...
If you like to picnic...
If you just like to get out in nature...

you need to visit Chesterfield Gorge and the East Branch Trail along the Westfield River and the Gilbert A. Bliss State Forest.  Check out the photos below for more reasons why.

 

You can walk for miles along the East Branch Trail, or find a nice rock next to the river the relax on.  Dogs are welcome, and it is likely that you will run into one or more along the trails. There is parking with a small fee (~$2) at both the gorge entrance (Trustees of Reservations) and the state park entrance.  There is also a place to get food near the state park entrance and off the trail a little ways.

It's a fabulous place to be; I've been twice and already am looking forward to going back!

Mount Warner Reservation Opening Celebration

Some pictures from the Opening Celebration yesterday morning for the Mount Warner Reservation.  The Trustees of Reservations now holds stewardship over the property and has recently put in a new trail system.
There was quite a turnout for the opening, and both John Scibak and Stan Rosenberg were there, as well as the trustees (a shout-out to Josh who coordinated it all) and volunteers who have helped put the reservation together and get it ready for opening day.

After the speakers, everyone went on a hike, and at the top (The Overlook, owned by the Carrs as part of their apple orchard), there was sweet cider and apples and a representation by Carr's Ciderhouse, with samples of their hard ciders, apple vinegar, and super-delicious apple syrup. I was very happy to be able to bring home a bottle of apple syrup and expect that I will be purchasing many more bottles in the future.

It was a great opening -- kudos to all those who helped put it together!

If you like to hike, if you enjoy nature, if you want to mountain bike or do some trail walking with your dog or cross country ski, the new trails on Mount Warner are perfect for it all!  And there's now a new parking lot with a bike rack available, so you don't have to pull off onto the side of the road to enjoy it.

Camping at Mohawk State Park

You may remember that last year around this time, I posted about a short camping trip at the DAR State Forest in Goshen.  This past weekend for our annual camping trip, Mr Madley and I spent a few days in the Mohawk Trail State Forest.  (See his post about the trip here -- he has some great pictures and more detail about some of the hikes, too.)

The camp was lovely, and our site (CF22) was situated right on the Cold River, which allowed for wading, splashing, submerging, as well as for those relaxing sounds of running water, despite the fact that there was a nearby pool in the river that was a popular place for people to swim and play.

 

Our site was one of the no-vehicle sites, which means that cars are parked somewhere else and gear is toted in.  We were happy that there was a handcart to truck some of our gear, but not quite so happy that we had to carry things up and down a hill to get there.

The sites at MSP were odd because there was no brush separating the spaces and lending the appearance of privacy.  The sites were quite open, though there were a number of tall, thin trees in each; those provided great kindling from fallen sticks, as well as places to tie up tarps and hammocks and such.

There were a number of beautiful trails in the park -- going up mountains, following the Deerfield River, meandering through meadows and forests.  We hiked twice in two days and were awestruck at the beauty (as we often are -- isn't nature amazing?).

The hiking trails had historic landmarks and items labeled, and those made the hiking even more fun.  Someone once had a farm within the bounds of the state forest.  It must have been a beautiful place to farm, though very rocky.

The facilities of the park were nice. The bathrooms were well kept up, there were multiple places to get running water, there were showers, and the toilets flushed (I LOVE flushing toilets, even though they are not always as environmentally friendly as composting toilets).  There were dumpsters at the headquarters and each camp site had a bear locker (!) to store food and trash in.  Firewood had to be purchased for $5 a bundle; ice was not available.

One of my favourite things about camping is the food.  I love coming up with food to cook over a fire, or even a small portable camp stove (one of which we purchased this year from Sam's especially for this trip).  My food delight of this trip was cherry pie.  I remember making these when I was a kid and vacationing with my parents and sibs.  I bought a pie iron (also from Sam's) and took along some bread, margarine, and cherry pie filling.  The result was a tasty, crisp, hot cherry pie.  Yummy!  I can't wait to make more!

We live in a beautiful state.  Even if you don't enjoy camping, get out to one of the state parks and take a hike.  You won't regret it.