Archive for the ‘Cape Cod Hiking’ Category

The Light at Aquinnah on Martha's Vineyard

It was a beautiful, cold February day when Chris and I wandered around Aquinnah. There aren’t very many people there at that time of year, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Menemsha

The shoreline at the foot of the Menemsha Hills reminded me of Maine. As I remember the day it was cold, but by February standards pleasant. We stopped and ate our sandwiches before wandering out onto the rocky beach. Chris found a few broken lobster traps washed up on the rocks.

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West Barnstable Conservation Area

West Barnstable, Ma.

November 29, 2009

Topo

The West Barnstable Conservation Area is 1,114 acres of mix woods trails. There are several entrances and parking areas, with the main parking area and entrance off Race Lane in West Barnstable. We chose to hike the trails near the power lines and parked in the small area along Chase Road in Sandwich. The trail leaving the parking area is the North Ridge Trail.

Trail begins off Chase Road in Sandwich

We marked off a 3-mile loop that we wanted to hike.

Trail starts up a slight hill

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Mashpee River

Mashpee, Ma.

November 8, 2009

Sign at the entrance to North Lot off Quinaquisset Ave

Mashpee River Topo Map

It was an early Sunday morning that I hiked along the Mashpee River. Parking in the small lot off Quinaquisset Ave, I first walked about 20 minutes down and back along the west side of the river. The trail along the east side of the river requires crossing the power line and following the trail into the woods back twoard Route 28.

These rails look like a bridge, but serve to keep hikers on the trail

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Isabel Smith Monomoy River Conservation Lands

Harwich, Ma.

October 30, 2009

I was in this area this morning after my original plans fell through and decided to take a walk. It is 77 acres with a trail of one mile and a quarter.

Parking area trailhead sign off Bay Road

Trailhead information

The trails in this area are all open and easy walking. there are some rolling hills, but nothing difficult.

Beginning of the trail

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East Head Pond/Reservoir

Myles Standish State Forest

Carver/Plymouth, Ma.

October 25, 2009

The Myles Standish State Forest is roughly 14, 635 acres of multy-use land that stretches across Plymouth and Carver. On this Sunday morning, Chris and I drove to one of our favorite hikes near the Carver entrance, East Head Pond, which is also known as East Head Reservoir. This three-mile loop trail around the 92-acre pond begins at the park headquarters where there are maps available as well as any updated information necessary for the hiker.

Myles Standish State Forest

East Head Pond Topo Map

Information at trailhead

Behind and to the left of this information board is the trailhead if you wish to hike it in a clockwise direction as we did.

The trail begins wide and easy and remains an easy walk all the way.

Right away there are views of East Head Pond. On this day it was 62 degrees, no wind and mostly sunny.

East Head Pond looking north

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Lowell Holly Reservation

Mashpee/Sandwich, Ma.

October 23, 2009

The 135-acre Lowell Holly reservation is named for its donor,  Abbot Lawrence Lowell, and has several hundred native American holly trees, which grow naturally only along the New England coast. Within the reservation, owned by the Trustees of Reservations, are four miles of trails and former carriage roads.

Lowell Holly Topo Map

The year-round entrance and parking area are off Sandwich Road in Mashpee.

Entrance sign on Sandwich Road

There is a small parking area at the trailhead.

Trailhead

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Jehu Pond Conservation Area

Mashpee, Ma.

October 12, 2009

Just after noon on Columbus Day I pulled into the parking are at the Jehu Pond Conservation Area off Great Neck Road in Mashpee.  Jehu Pond Conservation Area is part of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge established in 1995 to preserve and protect the natural resources associated with the Waquoit Bay area.  When complete the plan calls for the refuge to encompas 5,871 acres.

Jehu Pond Topo Map

Trail sign

The Jehu Pond Area enters on a wide dirt road. This is the Amy Brown Road which runs for just over a mile through the refuge. There are other dirt roads off the Amy Brown and several trails, some to Jehu Pond and others north in the direction of Red Brook Road. However, nothing is marked, so it’s important to maintain your bearings when wandering the trails.

The Amy Brown Road at the tralhead

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Eagle Pond

Cotuit, Ma.

October 11, 2009

Eagle Pond is at the heart of the Mary Lowell Barton Conservation Area in Cotuit. It is an area of 151 acres that includes Bell Farm/Little River tract and the Charles Almy Cedar Swamp and Ropes Field.  All areas except the Charles Almy Cedar Swamp are connected by trails.

Eagle Pond is a “kettle hole” created by the retreating glacier over 12,000 years ago.  It averages 18 feet deep and is fed by ground water, with a half-mile of shore line. Tall pines on the northern half of the Eagle Pond area were once a white pine plantation in the 1700′s with some of the tall trees reserved for British naval vessels.  The southern and eastern side of Eagle Pond was once farmland.

Eagle Pond Topo Map

Mary Lowell Barton wass instrumental in placing protections on the land

The Eagle Pond Carriage Path Trail loops around the pond with numerous opportunities to walk down to the water for a better view.  I entered from Putnam Avenue, however there are other trailheads that access the area.

Eagle Pond

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Crocker Neck Conservation Area

Cotuit, Ma.

Octoberr 11, 2009

Crocker Neck is a 97-acre town-owned conservation are in the southwestern corner of Cotuit.  It is named for the old Barnstable family that once owned the land. According the the Barnstable Conservation Commission, “The Neck is part of the outwash plain, sands carried south off the melting glacier 12,000 years ago.”

Crocker Neck Topo Map

There are a mile and a half of walking trails on the Neck. On this midday Sunday it took me a little over an hour to stroll from the trailhead to the end of the Tidepool Trail on Popponesset Bay and back.

Trailhead

Most the the trail is open. The hike begins on the Dike Trail which is just a five minute walk to Fullers Marsh.

Dike Trail

Fuller's Marsh

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