Boyden Farm & Murkwood Conservation Area, Sandwich MA.

    A few days after hiking Lowell Holly Reservation in Mashpee, I decided to head back that way and hike George Ryder Conservation Area. They are right next to each other and I wanted to check it out. I went down 6A to Quaker Meetinghouse Rd. then to Cotuit Rd. and pulled into the big parking area. I mistakenly pulled into Boyden Farm Conservation Area, which I forgot is before Ryder. I figured why not do this one since I would be doing it eventually anyway.
     I noticed 2 trailheads at each end of the parking lot that has room for well over 20 cars. Seeing that I knew it was a loop trail. Maps are available at the Town hall but of course I didn’t bother. No fun if you can’t get lost once in a while. (Lol) I started on the left trail and headed into the thick woods away from the road at a slight angle before it seemed to head back towards Cotuit Rd. The narrow trail turned into a carriage road and again headed away from the road with a neighborhood on the left. The trail got narrow again as it went down a hill that ended up at what turned out to be Peters Pond. There was a nice beach a little further to the right but the trail didn’t seem to bring me to it. I went back up the hill and followed the trail that was now looping back to the other entrance on the opposite side of the parking lot. On the way back  I saw an opening that went into a big field. I saw a carriage road to my left and took it down to Peters Pond, past cottages to the main beach. I headed back and went back to the trail that did bring me back to the parking lot.

   The trail was about 2 ½ miles so I decided I would stop at Murkwood Conservation Area on the way back to Yarmouth. The entrance to the parking area that is more like a small field is on the north side of Rte 6A. There is a new trail sign on a telephone pole that heads into the woods. The trail is narrow and curves around and gives a choice of going left or right. I always seem to go left and I did again. The level trail goes over a boardwalk and follows around Scorton Creek Marsh eventually leading to some fantastic views of the marsh and Cape Cod Bay. The trail loops back to where there was a choice of left and right. There is also a trail that cuts through the middle. This worked out good as I added another 1.75 miles to my daily hike and added 2 more trails to my list.

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

Accessibility - 5 - Murkwood on 6A and Boyden on Cotuit Rd
Parking -  5 - 20+ at both
Length-  3 - Together they are a 5 but separately not long enough
Degree of Difficulty- 5-  both pretty easy with some hills at Boyden
Extras-  4 - Other parks in the area
Trail Markings- 3- None but don’t really need them
Trail Maintenance- 5 - No problems
Variation - 3 - Loop trails with cut across trails
Scenic  - 3 - Both ended up surprising me
Worth Returning - 4 - Together a nice hike
Surface - Roots, Pine needles
Map - no for Boyden  - but I found one for Murkwood after I did it
Beach -   yes
Facilities - no
What I liked - Both places I didn’t know the trail led to nice views
What I didn’t - No Markings --- until I realized it didn’t matter

Rating 40 out of 50

Lowell Holly, Mashpee MA

       July has been nice on Cape Cod, mostly hot and sunny. Friends have asked if it is hard to walk/hike everyday when it is so hot and humid. Let me tell you it is so much easier now than it was in the winter. Going on 9 months and I have lost close to 90 lbs and 8 inches.
      There are many trails in each of the Cape towns. I decided to go to a trail in a new town. I decided on Mashpee and Lowell Holly Reservation. The Cape is packed in the summer, even more so on the weekends. Sundays Rte 6, the Mid-Cape Highway, can be backed up many exits with so many tourists heading home. I didn’t want to take a chance on sitting in bumper to bumper traffic so I took 6A. Starting in Yarmouth I drove through Barnstable and into Sandwich and took Quaker Meetinghouse Rd. to Cotuit Rd where I took a left and looked for south Sandwich Rd. On the way I passed some Sandwich trails I hadn’t hiked yet. Murkwood Conservation Area on 6A. On Cotuit Rd I passed Boyden Farm Conservation Land and Ryder Conservation Land. The main entrance to Ryder is actually just before Lowell Holly on South Sandwich.
       Lowell Holly has two parking areas - one that is year round (6 cars) and another that is seasonal (20 cars). Parking at the seasonal cuts off about half the trail, so I parked at the year round lot. The heavily rooted trail leads up hills into thick woods and starts out wide enough for two people. The trail connects to carriage roads and leads to a sandy beach on Wakeby Pond and the seasonal parking area. The trail brought me to a couple of small beach areas before becoming very narrow as I headed back into the woods. There was a walking bridge made of wood planks on logs to help walk through a swamp area. There were a few steep hills as the trail brought me around the peninsula to Conumet Point which juts out into Wakeby Pond. Walking back brought me to the other side of the peninsula and Mashpee Pond. I could see the pond off and on through the thick woods. The trail which was not always tree covered looped back to the main trail which turned into a carriage road and brought me back to the beach side and the trail that would bring me back to my car. On the way back I noticed a couple of side trails but I just stayed on the main trail which was marked by red  or white squares on some of the trees.
       A nice hike on a hot summer day. I thought of jumping in the inviting lake but I didn’t want to stop and I didn’t want to walk back through the woods all wet. Next time I will enjoy a nice swim. Lowell Holly is a place you can tell your friends to - Take A Hike - and - Go Jump In A Lake.

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

Accessibility - 5 - Exit 3 south on Quaker Meetinghouse - left on Cotuit - right on S Sandwich
Parking -  5 - year round  6 - Seasonal  20
Length-  5 - As long as you park at year round area
Degree of Difficulty- 4 - Some tough hills
Extras-  4 - Other Conservation Areas - Beach - Boating - Fishing
Trail Markings- 4 - Not bad but could be better
Trail Maintenance-   4 - boardwalks could be better
Variation - 3 - Pretty much up and back
Scenic  - 5 - The ponds are beautiful
Worth Returning - 5 - No doubt
Surface - Roots, Pine needles, Sand, walking bridge, muck
Map - yes
Beach -   yes
Facilities - port o potties at seasonal parking
What I liked - I like the woods being surrounded by the ponds and the great views
What I didn’t - Needs a little work on the boardwalks on the Wakeby side of the peninsular where it’s swampy

Rating 44 out of 50

Barclay Ponds, Chatham Ma.

Barclay Pond Trails, The Triangle & No Name - Chatham MA.

     I hadn’t tried any Chatham trails, so I figured a busy summer weekend would be the perfect time to go. I noticed in my research that Barclay Ponds Trail was off of Queen Anne Road. I could go back roads all the way there so I wouldn’t have to deal with the heavy tourist traffic. I noticed a sign that read - Cooperative Conservation Project by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Town of Chatham. I decided to check it out and drove down the dirt road to a small parking area with another sign - Chatham Conservation Area at a trail head. I started up the dirt trail into the woods, that was wide enough for two people. I passed a trail on my right and kept going straight until I had to go left or right. Going left brings you out to some houses and a wider dirt road. Going right brings you up and down hills to the street and back up to the trail I had first passed. The trail was about 3.5 miles long.

     
         I decided to see if I could find the trail I came to hike so I kept going straight on Queen Anne. I didn’t realize Queen Anne went right. The road I stayed straight on became Comers Rd. In between Comers and the next intersection, Training Field Rd, I saw another trail with parking for a few cars along the road. Again no name - just a sign - Chatham Conservation Area. I walked into the woods and saw that there was a choice of going left or right. I went left on the narrow trail that brought me out at one turn to the intersection where there was parking alongside the road for a couple more cars. I went back into the woods and ended up following the trail around “The Golden Triangle” . That’s what the area in between the roads that connect to each other Queen Anne, Old Comers and Training Field. The trail was narrow and easy and took about 20 minutes.
     When I got back in my car I took a right on Training Field. It brought me to Old Queen Anne where I took a right to go home when I noticed a small parking lot  that was surrounded by bushes with what looked like a hole in the middle. The hole was the beginning of Barclay Ponds Trail. I know this because when I got home I looked it up. I did this because again there was no sign. What is it with Chatham ? I always thought it was a money town. Come on put up a Sign - Will Ya.
    I went back a few days later to hike Barclay Ponds. Of course there was no map either. I went between the bushes on a narrow trail. Not far in there was a path on the right but I ignored it and stayed on the trail that headed off towards the left. A little further down the trail was another choice, but this time There were signs on a tree. One read Barclays Pond Loop and pointed to the left trail. The other read Mary’s Pond and pointed to a trail that went right. I took the Barclay and followed the narrow trail through the woods that at times came close to the street and others close to the pond. The trail went about ¾ of the way around the pond where it ended and I headed back. I found another parking area on the way back and still don’t know which road it is on. I got back to the trail I was walking and saw that instead of going all the way back to the trees where the signs were, I could take another trail that ended up bringing me to Mary’s Pond which had a few houses on the opposite side. The trail kept going in the woods up and down hills to another pond. This one much bigger with a sign on a tree that read Schoolhouse Pond. This pond seemed to have a beach on the opposite side. I took the wrong trail back and ended up going in circles for a half hour on different paths that went between Schoolhouse Pond and a water shed. Finally I realized all I had to do was face the pond and go right. I retraced my steps and luckily saw the sign on the tree and I was headed back. By Mary’s Pond I saw a trail that went up a steep hill and towards where I figured My car was parked. I was hoping this was the trail that would lead me to the tree that had the pond signs on it. If it was I could take a left to lead be back to the parking area. It turned out it was the first path I saw that was on the right when I first started the hike. Whew !!! I was happy to see m car. Work was tough that night so I told everyone - I got lost in the woods today, the worst part is - I found my way out. lol

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

Accessibility - 3 - No signs so a bit hard to find
Parking -  3 - About 8 at Barclay 3 at Triangle and 4 at No-name
Length-  4 - Barclay and no name are decent and triangle short
Degree of Difficulty- 4 - Barclay has some steep hills - No name some hills and Triangle is easy
Extras-  1 - None
Trail Markings- 1 - None
Trail Maintenance-   4 - could use a little work
Variation - 4- Barclay, plenty - No Name, some - Triangle, none
Scenic  - 2 - Only Barclay with 3 different lakes
Worth Returning - 1- Not likely- glad I did them but no reason to go back
Surface - Pine needles, sand
Map - No
Beach -   No
Facilities - No
What I liked - Good thing they had pond signs on trees
What I didn’t - No Map or Markers

Rating 27 out of 50

Fox Island Marsh & Pilgrim Springs Woodlands Conservation Area.

     
       Day off, no plans, perfect weather. Wellfleet here I come. Since moving back from Florida I have fallen in love with Wellfleet, but had yet to hike one of it’s many trails. I decided on Fox Island Marsh and Pilgrim Springs Woodlands Conservation Area. There are two areas to park- both off Rte 6 - the Baker Road Trailhead is off Way 112 - The other trailhead is on Pilgrim Springs Rd. Coming fro Yarmouth both roads are on the left, with Way 112 first and Pilgrim springs next. The roads are a little less than 2 miles after the entrance to The Marconi Area at The National Seashore . Looking at the map I decided to start at Pilgrim Springs, which is 2/10 of a mile on the left. I picked this one because the trailhead is at one end, while The Baker trailhead looked like it was in the middle.
        Right at the beginning of the narrow trail that led into the thick woods and straight up a hill was an arrow marker on a tree. Always a good sign, I had the map with me and decided I would keep taking the trails to my left. That way I would eventually end up where I started. The trail widened in parts and had some benches along the way that overlooked the marsh thru the trees. All the way there were the arrow markers on the trees. There were a few dirt roads along the way that led to cottages, but the arrows made it easy to stay on the trail. The trail brought me to Whale Bone Point where I saw the beautiful views of Fox island Marsh and Blackfish Creek. It was low tide and I decided to walk along the shore. Since it was summer there was al kinds of small boats moored along the way. I kept walking until I saw what seemed like a private beach and turned back. I didn’t want to bother anyone. I did bother hundreds of the fiddler crabs on the way back and forth.
       I went back into the woods a little further down the marsh than where I had come out. The trail brought me to another dirt road and eventually the much larger parking lot of the Baker Road Trailhead. I followed the arrows back thru the woods and came to a spot where the arrows pointed left and right. My picking left worked and I was brought back down the hill I had first climbed and to my car.
     

     

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

Accessibility - 5 - 2 choices both off Rte 6
Parking -  4 - Pilgrim Springs only room for 3 cars - Baker Road can fit 15 - 20
Length-  5 - about 3.5 round trip but can add more with marsh
Degree of Difficulty- 5 - only a couple of hills
Extras-  4 - Not far from beaches and National Seashore
Trail Markings- 4 - plenty but should have different colors for the different trails
Trail Maintenance-   5 - very good
Variation - 4 - Can mix and match but bring the map
Scenic  - 5- Awesome coming out of forest and seeing the marsh
Worth Returning - 5 - No doubt
Surface - Pine needles, sand
Beach -   No
Facilities - No
What I liked - Forest and Marsh - great diversity
What I didn’t -  The markers could have been better

Rating 46 out of 50

Lake Whitehall State Park, Hopkinton MA.

       
               On the 8th month anniversary of the day I started walking, I had to go Off-Cape. My hometown, Hopkinton, MA., has 2 State Parks and many trails. I had time once I got there to hike Whitehall State Park. The weather was cloudy with some off and on rain when I started. Looking at the map of the trail, which I forgot to take with me, that went around the lake I figured it to be about 6 miles. I took the trail on the west side of the lake that has many inlets and a maze of islands. The trees are huge, so much bigger than The Cape trees. The trail stayed close to the lake, which was on my left, and had houses that could be seen through the heavy woods. Many of the houses had paths leading to them and had canoes and kayaks sitting by the water. The first part of the trail was easy going through the forest with a short walk in a meadow before going back to the woods. The trail was wide enough for 2 - 3 people There were a few small walking bridges, making it easy to get over the many streams leading to the water. Blue arrows with a hiker on them on trees kept me on the right trail as it turned around the lake. I came across a small sitting area where you can read about the history of the area and the site of Hopkinton Springs.
        The rain got heavier and I thought I was further along than I was. The trail became narrow, winding, many more hills. Many of the hills were very steep, with the rain I had to climb more than a few. The bridges got worse and worse. Broken boards on a couple, one bridge was just branches from trees bunched together and eventually just big rocks. I saw another meadow up ahead and walked to it. I followed the mowed path, First to a road, then up another path to a back yard, back towards the woods. I took another path to another road before going back in the woods. I couldn’t find  another hiking arrow. I went back to the 1st road I saw and walked down it this time - still no marker. I walked back to the woods and saw that just before the meadow the trail turned left. I added about 2 miles going back and forth.
         One of my sisters lives across the street from the lake and I kept thinking I would see it from the trail. When I was looking I was still far away. On their marriage certificate my brother in law wrote under occupation - Swashbuckler. My mother was working in the town clerks office at the time and did not see the humor. Lol.  The rain got heavy- Yes I have seen the rain!! My rain jacket gave in - my jeans were waterlogged and the hike got worse and worse. The trail led to out to Pond St. I knew the lake was to the left so I walked over a small bridge. Again I didn’t see an arrow and kept walking on the street in the downpour. When I came to Winter St. I was afraid I would choose the wrong way - It seems I had been doing that all day. Actually lately all my decisions have seemed to be wrong . I turned back and just as I was almost back to the trail I had come out of I saw a marker on a tree in the back yard of the house past the bridge. The marker could have been closer to the road - with my hood on I just missed it.
When I got back on the trail I just stayed close to the water. Looking at the map when I got home - for a while I didn’t think I would ever get there - I added more time by not going straight and meandering through one of the peninsulas. As I got wetter and the trail got tougher I thought I could see the end when I looked over the lake. Nope!! It was like being in line for a Disney ride!! It just seemed to never end. I even thought of ‘borrowing” a canoe and leaving it by the parking lot. (not really} I would have stopped at my sisters if I had seen the house but I never did. Two people were fishing and the look on their faces when they saw me come around the corner was priceless. What a site I was!! I was very happy when I saw my car and very happy I didn’t try this trail earlier. If I had done this none in my 2nd month I might have quit then. I certainly won’t forget my 1st hiking road trip!!

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

Accessibility - 5 - Rte 135, the village Woodville, in Hopkinton Ma
Parking -  5 - Plenty
Length-  5 - Over 6 miles
Degree of Difficulty- 3 - West side is easy. East Side can be tough in spots
Extras-  4- Kayaking, canoeing, fishing
Trail Markings-  3 - Great most of the way, when you really need the markers - uugghh!!
Trail Maintenance-   3 - needs work on some bridges
Variation - 4 - Without trying
Scenic  - 3- Nice lake, would be great in fall
Worth Returning - 4 - On a NICE fall day
Surface - Pine needles, grass, stones, roots, streams, pavement
Beach -   No
Facilities - No
What I liked - Length
What I didn’t - Markers not in place when most needed

Rating 39 out of 50