East Granby/Suffield - Metacomet Trail

Finally! 

I have finally hiked the section of the Metacomet Trail in East Granby and Suffield from end to end.  (See CT NET: Section 20)  It seems a minor accomplishment.  It is only about 5 miles long, but I was able to achieve something I hadn't before - find the trail register.  I have hiked part way in from the East Granby end and part way in from the Suffield end, but I never saw the trail register that was supposed to be there.  I think I must have missed a small section of the middle of the trail. 


I hiked with my friend, D, and we left one car at the junction of Phelps Road and Route 168 in Suffield.  Then we drove around to the parking on the corner of Newgate Road and Route 20 in East Granby.

There is an initial ascent that is fairly steep, but then things level out for awhile.  If you check out the link above, it indicates numbers of +999 feet/-1007 feet.  I can only assume that that is the cumulative elevation gain and loss over the entire trail section.  My phone indicated that the lowest elevation was 388 feet and the highest was 815 feet.  In general, once you get up on the ridge, there is not a lot of change in elevation except for the ravine between the two peaks, Peak/Copper Mountain and West Suffield Mountain.  (The CT Walk Book gives elevations of the two peaks as 672 and 691 feet, respectively).

Heading up from Route 20, we soon spotted some pretty little violets.  Based on information from the Connecticut Botanical Society website, I am guessing they are birdfoot violets.

Birdfoot Violet?

We also saw a lot of Wild Red Columbine.   Really pretty and they stand out from the browns and greys of the leaves and rocks.

Wild Red Columbine

There are several lookouts to the west along the way (not to the east as indicated by the Walk Book).  The first overlook is quite expansive and gives a great look at the valley and down the ridge line toward Talcott Mountain and the Heublein Tower.  Unfortunately, it was pretty hazy, so our views were limited.  At around the 1.5 mile mark, there is a view of Old Newgate Prison.  Still closed for renovations with no opening date in sight as of this writing.

Old Newgate Prison on far side of road.

The basalt formations along the ridge are really interesting.

Basalt spire.

At about the 4.0 mile mark, there is a great view of flat-topped Manituck Mountain.

Manituck Mountain

The trail register is near one of the viewpoints (can't remember which one).  We nearly missed it because as we came back down from the viewpoint, it was behind us.  One of the people who signed it the day before us was on his way to completing the whole New England Trail.  He was planning on finishing at Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire (which isn't technically on the NET - yet).  I like the idea of setting a goal like this.  The Appalachian Trail is beyond me, but perhaps the NET is achievable.