2017 Hike #2: Great Pond and Wagner Woods - Simsbury, CT

Date Hiked: Monday, January 2, 2017
Estimated distance:  4.44 miles
Weather: 32°F, overcast
Resources: Massacoe State Forest, Great Pond Trail Map, Simsbury Land Trust, Wagner Woods Trail Map
Highlights of the trip:  Walking with ease on my MICROspikes!
Progress toward 2017 Outdoor Goals:  2/52 hikes; 8.55/250 miles hiked

With the trails still icy, I had thought a hike in a town in the eastern part of the state may would be a good idea. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with what is available and I was going to be by myself, so I ended up sticking closer to home.

I chose to hike at Great Pond and connect to the trails at Simsbury Land Trust's Wagner Woods property.  The parking lot at Great Pond was still open - I think they may close the gates once it really snows - but it was an ice rink.  I had put the MICROspikes in the car for yesterday's hike and never used them, but today I decided to break them in.  They are fantastic!  I had my poles with my, too, but I was able to walk across the ice with the MICROspikes on as I was extending my poles.  Not even the slightest slip.  Once they were on, I didn't really notice them.  This is in comparison to Yaktrax where I could feel the grip running under my foot and it actually made me feel a little unsteady, like my boot wasn't in full contact with the ground.

I headed off around Great Pond in a counter-clockwise direction.  The first view of the "pond" took me by surprise although it really shouldn't have.  I know there is a drought and had seen drastic evidence of it during my hike at Colebrook River Lake last fall, but it hit home again today.  The pond is empty except for a ring of water around the outside edge.  I am not sure it actually forms a complete ring.

The ground was pretty icy most of the way around the pond.  It started to get patchier in the last quarter of the circle.  I was able to keep the MICROspikes on, though.

After completing the walk around Great Pond, I took one of the side trails that brought me out just east of the parking area for Wagner Woods.  I had taken the MICROspikes off at this point because the trail was free of ice and snow.  I walked west along Great Pond Road and put the spikes back on at the entrance because it looked pretty icy on the red (Wagner) trail.  I was taking them off again a short time later because the blue (Boehm) trail was pretty clear and I kept them off until I was nearly back to my car at Great Pond.

Along the blue trail.  No water.

Witches Butter.

From the blue trail, I looped around to the yellow (Stierle) trail and then to the orange (Hop Brook) trail.  I took that down to the Hop Brook Overlook.

Hop Brook.

I backtracked up to the field and reconnected with the red trail and followed that out.  Along the red trail there are signs identifying some old foundations - one for the Boehm home which was destroyed in a fire.  It made me sad to think of the family losing the home that sat on this beautiful property.

Around the site of the Boehm home were the trees pictured below.  Does anyone know what they are?  The bark is what drew my notice.  Very thick and deeply furrowed.  Black locust?  I didn't walk over to investigate what leaves may have been lying about.

Foundation for an old barn and silo.

I carefully negotiated the ice near the entrance to the red trail, crossed the road and headed back to my car over at Great Pond. 

I had been meaning to connect these two sets of trails for awhile, and now I have done it.  It made for a nice hike.  You can add a little more mileage if you do some of the side trails at Great Pond instead of just sticking to the trail around the pond.  Something to investigate next time.