Fort Hill, Eastham MA.

 
     When friends come to visit I usually take them for a scenic tour. I start here in Yarmouth and head east on Rte 28 through Dennis, Harwich, Chatham, and Orleans where the road connects with Rtes. 6 and 6A. We make many stops along the way so I can show them how different each part of The Cape is. We keep going east on Rte 6 through Eastham to Wellfleet and then turn back. The way back I take them on Rte 6A  through Brewster so they get a feel of the north side also.
     One of the best views is at Fort Hill which is part of The National Seashore. Not far from the Orleans rotary on the south side of the street, take Governor Prence Road to Fort Hill Road go past The Penniman House, a historical whalers house built in 1868. There are two parking areas, one on the left and one at the top of the hill where the road ends. You can start the trail at either one. I parked at the first one which has room for about 14 cars. The view even from here is incredible.
    There is a map of the National Seashore and a box with the trail guide at the beginning of the wide gravel path that leads into the meadow.  Not far down you have a choice of going left to Red Maple Swamp or staying straight to Skiff Hill. The boardwalk that goes over Red Maple Swamp was being repaired so it was closed so I went straight. Again I had a choice up ahead, follow a trail into the woods or keep following the main trail around the meadow towards the ocean. I went into the woods and found a gazebo that looks out over Salt Pond Bay and Coast Guard Beach. There are educational signs explaining the history and wildlife of this part of The Cape. There is one trail on the left and another on the right. The right one brings you back through woods to the meadow trail. The left one is pavement and leads past the end of The Red Maple Swamp trail and seasonal restrooms to Hemenway Landing. More parking and a place to put boats in the water with a beach. The tide was in my favor so instead of heading back to the trail I walked along the shore to see if there was a way back to the trail that way. There was a wide sand trail at first so I followed it. It kept getting smaller and I wondered if I should turn back. I kept seeing no hunting signs so I figured it was still a trail unless people hunt from boats. I finally saw what looked like a small entrance back to where the trail was. I had to pull myself up the steep hill that had eroded away, but I was right and came out at the meadow trail. Good thing I wasn’t 2 minutes slower or I would have probably scared a couple that was coming down the trail from the opposite way.

       I kept going towards the ocean, which I couldn’t see now because I was coming up to Skiff Hill passing a stone wall along the way. Instead of taking the trail that went up to Fort Hill Overlook I went back to the water and walked around and went up to the overlook from the other side. I could have walked back to my car down the street but I went down the part of the trail that starts at the overlook and went back around the meadow. There is parking for about 12 cars up here. By walking the beach and the trail the length was just about right. From now on when I show friends The Cape I will make sure we have enough time to hike Fort Hill. So Far the best of the best

FOR MORE PICS go to FACEBOOK

Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - ! ½ miles from rotary on the south side of Rte 6 in Eastham
Parking -  5 - 3 areas - lower area, top of hill, Hemenway St landing
Length-  5  Just right
Degree of Difficulty- 5 - easy
Extras-  4 - Pennimann House, Lookout area with historical ==== and high and low tide -----  flyer-- Next to town landing that can be used for beach, boating, fishing etc.
Trail Markings-  5 - plenty of signs - cell phone tour stop
Trail Maintenance-   5 They are working on Red Swamp boarwalk
Variation - 5- The pasture, the marsh, the woods
Scenic  - 5+ - One of the most spectacular views on The Cape
Worth Returning - 5  Over and over
Surface - Grass, pavement, pine needles, sand, boardwalk
Beach -   yes
Facilities - yes

Rating 49 out of 50

                                 

South Eastham & Upper Boat Meadow Conservation Areas

                                   
       Cape Cod has been  in a rainy, cloudy, chilly weather pattern for a while. It was quite a surprise when I woke up the other day and saw the sun. Perfect - hopefully I could get a new trail in before the weather returns to “normal”. I not only went for a new trail but a new town - Eastham. Rte 6A and 28 meet with Rte 6 at a rotary that leads through Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and ends in Provincetown. South Eastham Street is a ½ mile on the left. Take that to Arrowhead drive then another left at Peach Orchard Lane. Take this dead end until you reach South Eastham Conservation Area.
      There are two trails one to the left of the parking area and the other by the trail sign. I went for the sign trail first. The path was wide and right away there was another trail on the right. The side trail is short and just loops back to the main trail, almost up and back. You will see red markers on some trees when walking through the thick forest that is also home of Jeremiah’s Gutter. The trail splits not too far in  and I went to the right which turned out to be short, leads over a small wooded bridge and ends at The Cape Cod Rail Trail. I turned around and went back to the split. I followed the red signs and went close to a house and a pond. I saw an SUV up ahead and thought the trail was bringing me to a driveway. Stupid me - It was mine - LOL !! The trail had looped and I came out on the opening I had seen on the left when I had first parked.

       I had read it was a 1.5 hour walk. That usually means 5 - 6 miles, I had just done 1 mile. Either these people were very slow or I missed something. I went back in the woods and looked for another trail. This time where the red trail had started to loop back to the left, I decided to bear to the right.  This trail also stopped at the Rail Trail. I turned around and kept walking to the right and saw pavement ahead. I also saw another sign Upper Boat Meadow Conservation Area. I had no idea where I was so I walked down the road and I realized I was at the rotary. On the way back I noticed there were blue markers on some of the trees. Two trails that lead into each other, but still didn’t add up to the length that I anticipated. It was cool finding out for myself, but I kept thinking how crazy that the sight I looked at didn’t mention it. I found this map with more research after the hike.
     By the time I got back to my car it had clouded up, but I wanted to check out Skaket Beach in Orleans. It was low tide, but there were a lot of deep tide pools. I went out as far as I could go over sea grass. I am so happy I was still wearing my hiking boots. I saw the grass moving as I walked through it and saw all these crabs scurrying for their holes in the sand. All I could think of is if I were barefoot they would be going after my toes instead of trying to hide in the sand.

Like on Facebook
 
Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5 - Not far off highway
Parking -  3 - 5-8 cars
Length-  4 - Not bad once you figure it out
Degree of Difficulty- 5 - easy
Extras-  3 - Bike Trail
Trail Markings-  3 - It would be perfect if they would just tell you what the markings mean at the beginning
Trail Maintenance-   5
Variation - 3- Yes but you have to experiment
Scenic  - 2- Not really
Worth Returning - 2  probably not
Surface - Dirt, pine needles, roots
Beach -   no
Facilities - no

Rating 37 out of 50

                                 

Fresh Pond Conservation Area & Johnny Kelley Recreation Area, Dennis MA.

 

     Cape Cod weather so far in May has been terrible. Cloudy, rainy and windy. I don’t usually hike new trails in bad conditions, but it’s been a tough month so far. Usually when things are tough I go to the beach, but in this weather it just makes it worse. I didn’t want to go far so I decided to go to Dennis and try two different trails. The first, Fresh Pond Conservation Lands which boasts a dog park.

 The second, not far away, Johnny Kelley Recreational Area. This one has a life course and a Braille trail.

        Fresh pond is on Rte 134 between Rte 28 and Upper County Rd. The parking lot holds about 8 cars. There are two small fenced in areas for the dogs to play. No dogs on this rainy day. Straight ahead is the pond and I noticed a trail next to it that lead into the woods. As I walked to it I noticed another trail on my right next to the second dog area. Neither trail looked marked so I took the left trail by the pond. Not far down I noticed another trail to my right. I ignored it and kept going, deciding to figure it out later. It had rained even harder the night before so the trail, which has many spots to look at the pond, was very muddy. There was small logs in many of the extra muddy areas to act as small stepping bridges. Halfway down the trail I saw blue and orange markings on some trees. Turns out I was on the orange trail which loops back to the trail I had ignored a little earlier. The orange trail became the blue trail and right away split off. I stayed on the blue trail that still followed along side of the pond. I found out later that the split off was an extra narrow trail and the one that started behind the second dog area. The blue trail I had stayed on ended up going almost halfway around the pond before it just ended. One part ended at the pond, while another path looked like it would go farther but ended in the middle of pricker bushes. Ouch !! I turned around and followed the blue trail which went real close to Rte 134 and ended up right behind the first dog area. I hadn’t seen that trail when I came into the park. Across the street is another trail, but that is real short and loops around between Rte 134 and Center St. The hike turned out to be close to 3 miles only because I went back around a few times to check out the small connecting trails and the one across the street.
       Take a left on Rte 134 from the parking area and go over Rte 6 and take the first left on Bob Crowell Road to get to Johnny Kelley Recreation Area. Basketball and tennis courts, softball and soccer fields and a playground are surrounded by an ample parking area. The trail starts behind the playground and pavilion. The path is wide and follows the fields and loops back to the beginning. There are many fitness stops along the way. These are all up to date and well kept. The full course is 1 mile, the big loop is .6 mile and the small loop is .4 mile. There is a sign at the beginning that can also be read in Braille. It reads:
Welcome to the Dennis Braille Trail. Stop often to listen, smell and feel. Use of these senses will add pleasure to your walk. Follow the rope on your right side of the trail. A disc in the rope indicates a stop. Reach out above the disc to locate the signs for information or directions.
        Despite the rain another good day of exploring the different trails of Cape Cod. The sun came out a couple of days after I did these trails. I hadn’t done Callery- Darling in a while and decided to go back. Wow !! What a difference !!
Color is so much better than black and white. I can’t wait to find new trails, but it will be fun to see the trails I have already done in the summer after doing them this past winter.

                                                                 FRESH POND

Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5  On Rte 134 in between Rte 28 and Upper County Rd.
Parking -  3- About 8 cars  
Length-  3 - Even with the extra trails just not long enough
Degree of Difficulty- 4   Easy but muddy
Extras-  3 - Dog park
Trail Markings-  3 - They don’t start until the middle of the trails
Trail Maintenance-   4  Needs a little work
Variation - 3- There is but too short
Scenic  - 3- The pond
Worth Returning - 2  probably not
Surface - Dirt, pine needles, roots
Beach -   no
Facilities - no

Rating 33 out of 50

                                                              JOHNNY KELLEY

Accessibility - 5  Exit 9 off Rte 6, north on 134 then 1st left to the end of the road
Parking -  5-  Plenty
Length-  3-  1 mile, but you can do as many laps as you want
Degree of Difficulty- 5 - Easy
Extras-  5 - Life course and all the courts, fields and playground
Trail Markings-  5  signs telling all about different stuff
Trail Maintenance-   5
Variation - 1  Circle
Scenic  - 1-
Worth Returning - 4 - for the life course
Surface - Hard packed dirt
Beach -   no
Facilities - yes

Rating 39 out of 50

Happy Mothers Day / 6 Month Reflections

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.  ~Tenneva Jordan

    Mothers Day 49 yrs ago I was 5 yrs old and decided to take my first hike. My mother was working at a restaurant and we were at my grandmothers house in Framingham MA. with my aunts, uncles and cousins. I decided I should be with my mother and started walking with my 3 yr old cousin down the street over the railroad tracks across Rte 135. We were headed in the right direction and had gone almost a mile of the 8 mile walk when another Uncle drove by us. He glanced over at first when he saw 2 youngsters walking alone. A minute later he realized what he saw, turned around and brought us back to my grandmothers. I’m so lucky that together my mother and I can still laugh about it today - I think my father is still pissed though. Lol
    Anyways --- HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM I Love You !!!
     I have been walking/hiking everyday for just over 6 months and have lost 80 lbs. For the 1st 2 ½ months I walked Seagull Beach in Yarmouth, West Dennis Beach, the cranberry bog by the Yarmouth House on Rte 28 or the mall with a friend. He stopped due to some traveling and work related reasons, but the other day we walked Seagull beach together for the 1st time since January. It was nice to go back to the beginning - I really noticed the difference. When we walked back then it seemed so much harder. I always used a point up ahead as a reference to how much further we had to go. Once we made it there I would use another. This time we were almost done when I realized I never even thought about it and laughed at how hard it had been in the beginning.
      When we started I kept track of the miles we did each day. Starting in February I decided to keep better records. Now I record - where I go, miles, calories lost, temperature and conditions. I did 8 different places in February, 7 new ones, 15 different ones in March, 8 new, and 19 different in April, 9 new.
Callery- Darling leads with 30 different times with 20 coming in February, only 4 in April. Next is The cranberry bog down the street with 7, I do that one when time is an issue. RJ Syrjala is third with 5, same thing It is close and another bog is connected to the short trail. Four times I have walked/hiked Sandy Pond, Historical Society of Yarmouth, Crows Pasture, Flax Pond and Chapin Beach.
These are my favorite trails so far:

1   John Wing     Brewster                                        
2   Crows Pasture  Dennis
3   Callery Darling   Yarmouth
4   Indian Lands    Dennis
5   HSOY    Yarmouth

My least favorites have been Horse Pond in Yarmouth and Hokum Rock in Dennis. They are just too confusing without any markings.
   The beaches I like the best are still Chapin - Mayflower and Corporation in Dennis, the view is breathtaking and the tide goes out so far. Plus I know when and how the tide comes in so I won’t get caught in it.
   27 trails down with 70 something to go. There are many trails I have only hiked once and I would like to again. Some I will but with so many more to go - who knows. All I do know is I can’t wait to see where the next 6 months bring me !!
Oh yeah -- Happy Mothers Day to you too C. W. !!

Hokum Rock, Dennis MA.

   
       Hiking is such a part of my daily routine I hadn’t realized that last week was my six month anniversary.  The toughest part now is deciding where to go. My nephew was wondering if I would run out of trails to hike. Cape Cod has over 100 named trails in it’s 15 towns. February 18 was the first time I did a trail other than Callery- Darling. I have done 23 since then, so I should be ok for a while.  I can’t do a different trail everyday due to such detours like ; weather, work, travel and now gas prices. Most days I decide where to go before I leave the house in the morning. Other days I’m indecisive and just start driving. The other day was one of those days. I had a meeting so I was later than usual. I had a late breakfast and they served a sandwich at the meeting so I was looking for an easy walk. I decided on Corporation beach and headed down Rte 28 and headed for Old Bass River Rd. I passed Indian Lands and then John Kelley (haven’t done that one yet}. Just before I got to Rte 6A I saw Hokum Rock Rd and remembered reading and hearing about the great Hokum Rock.
       The parking area is on the south side of the street and has enough room for maybe 8-10 cars. There is one big set of rocks right by the parking area. I thought it was just another big rock. The way I read it was Hokum Rock was a huge rock people climbed. So I headed off into the woods. The trail led to an open sandy area, not sure where to go I went left and stayed to the right seeing another trail not too far ahead. The narrow trail was unmarked and split right away. I went to the left still having no idea where I was going. That would be the theme of the day. I decided right away I would try to stay on the trail I was on. Good thing because there were so many splits I can’t remember how many. Some split in two, some three.  Not only that but a bunch of steep hills too. So much for my easy walk - Ha Ha !!
       When I am hiking a trail like this without any markers an old Happy Hour song always comes to mind. The name of the song is “Charlie on the MTA’, my version is--will he ever return, no he’ll never return and his fate is still unknown, he may hike forever on the trails of Cape Cod, he’s the man who’ll never return.
       I was going to turn around after 2 miles if I didn’t come to any sort of ending. I saw a pond up ahead and the trail I was on actually led down a steep hill right to it and had two people fishing in the water on the other side. I checked the pedometer and it was 1.7 miles from where I started. Good enough !! By then I had figured out that Hokum Rock was the one I saw at the beginning. I took a couple of pictures, turned around walked up the very steep hill, back into the woods and stayed on the same trail until I got back to the rock. I was very happy I was smart enough to stay on the same path the whole way. My curiosity might bring me back, but if I do I will make sure I have a compass. Hokum Rock and  Plymouth Rock have one thing in common, I thought both would be much bigger !!

 


Ratings 1- the cellar  2- shoddy  3- tolerable  4- worthy  5- wicked good

Accessibility - 5  2nd left off Old Bass River Road from 6A in Dennis
Parking -  4  - Better than most
Length-  5 - looks like the trails go all over
Degree of Difficulty- 3 - some very steep hills
Extras-  2- Beaches not  to far,
Trail Markings-  1 - the worst by far, especially with so many choices
Trail Maintenance-   2 - a lot of junk around
Variation - 5- too much since they aren’t marked
Scenic  - 2- The rock
Worth Returning - 3 - Maybe out of curiosity
Beach -   no
Facilities - no

Rating 32 out of 50