The drive there was pleasant and sunny, taking a route which neither of us was familiar. Simply putting 4411 Durham RD, Guilford CT into the gps, brought us almost directly to the parking lot. Although the sign for the parking lot was a little small, there is room for a dozen or so cars to park. The hiking trails are accessed directly from the parking area.
There are two trails that meet up with the main trail. The most direct route is the shortest, but is a relatively difficult climb. We opted for the longer, easier path, blazed orange and blue. Walking this way added half an hour to the hike, and was a slow, constant ascent. There are many downed trees across the trail which were cut to allow access.
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| Lisa found the obstacles fun. |
Meeting up with the blue trail started a swift ascent to the ridge line. The trip up was not easy, definitely not for small children. There are many trees and roots to use as handholds, but you need to be wary of flaking and loose rocks. Another reason to worry about children is the height. The ridge drop off is incredibly steep, and there are no railings or trees to prevent a fall.
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| Plenty of views |
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| Lisa holding on for dear life. |
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| Plenty of vistas |
We walked to the top of the ridge, revealing tremendous views. We spent some time exploring the rather sparse woods atop the ridge. The blue trail leads back to RT-77, and a walk back to the parking lot along the rather busy roadway. We decided against that and retraced our steps back to the car. We bypassed the blue-orange trail to prevent a further loss of time and navigated the incredibly steep hill.
This hike was a lot of fun. From a lovely ride, a great lunch, and incredible views, this was a challenging hike and a tremendous way to spend an afternoon.
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