Hike #16: Tunxis Trail (Roberts Brook) - East Hartland, CT

Date Hiked:  Saturday, March 19, 2016
Estimated distance round-trip: 4.61 miles
Weather: 32-40°F, sunny, but cold
Resources: CFPA Interactive Trail Map, Short Nature Walks in CT starting on page 11, CTMQ
Highlights of the trip: Roberts Brook
Progress toward 2016 hiking goals:  16/52 hikes; 53.91/250 miles; 8/25 miles on Tunxis Trail

The friend who hiked with me last weekend on the northernmost part of the Tunxis Trail, joined me again this week for the next section.  We left one car at the small parking area at the beginning of Pine Mountain Road and drove up to start our hike where we left one car last week, at the corner of Pine Street and Walnut Hill Road (old Route 20).

I was kicking myself at the start of the hike.  I started the MapMyHike app while we were at the car, but then paused it because we were getting stuff out of the back.  I forgot to restart it until we were down the trail a little way.  It makes it look like we went straight from point A to point B.  This only messes up the mileage toward my 250 mile goal.  The mileage for the Tunxis Trail is based upon the Connecticut Walk Book.

From the car we headed down old Route 20 and turned south when we got to the blue-blazed Tunxis Trail.  I really need to take notes as I hike, because I'm a little confused about Roberts Brook.  We hiked across one brook without much water and later came to a brook with much steeper banks, like a ravine.  I assumed this was Roberts Brook, because I had looked at topo maps ahead of time and thought Roberts Brook had steep sides.  There wasn't much water, so it was a little disappointing that this was supposed to be the highlight of the hike.  Somewhere along here (see, I need to take notes), you can see down to the reservoir.  It is probably hidden from view once the trees leaf out.

What I thought was Roberts Brook.

A little farther along the trail, we even came to a trail marker that indicated that Roberts Brook Ravine was in the direction from which we had just come.

Then we came to another stream.  This one actually had a lot more water than either of the previous two streams and it would make sense that this was Roberts Brook, regardless of what the sign said. 

The trail to the stream was not steep and continued on the other side of the stream.  It didn't seem the best place to cross, so we started walking up along the edge of the stream to find some good rocks to use as stepping stones.  We thought we found one place, but the bank was a little steeper on the other side.  We looked up the stream and, lo and behold, there was a bridge!  As far as I can tell, there was no indication on the trail that there was a bridge upstream.  I don't think there was a trail that led to it.  Did I miss something?  It is not mentioned in the Walk Book or any other place I have seen.

We crossed the bridge and took a few more pictures of waterfalls upstream, then bushwhacked our way back to the trail.  We came out on a woods road that I thought might be Pine Mountain Road, but looking at my GPS, I could see it was not.  We were not doing Pine Mountain today, so I didn't want to pass where our car was parked.  There has been logging in the area and there are a couple of spur roads (Roberts Spur Road and Pine Mountain Spur Road) that made things confusing.  The GPS was a big help.  We came to another road that I was able to confirm was Pine Mountain Road and we walked the mile or so back to the car.

I am not really sure what to make of the signage for Roberts Brook Ravine.  My pictures are time-stamped, so I know I came to the sign before getting to what I now believe to be Roberts Brook.  I enjoyed this hike, so I may have to go back at some point and take more detailed notes.

I know last week, I ended with "On to Pine Mountain!", but this time I mean it.  The next section of the Tunxis will include Pine Mountain and maybe Indian Council Caves.