Ma on With Eager Feet

The “Blue Lagoon”

Wed, 12 May 2021 02:37:25 +0000

It’s been far too long since I wrote about my travels here, and there are lots of awful reasons why that is. Rather than waste time talking about how I should have written more, I’m going to jump right in to my next post.

At the end of April, over a year into the pandemic, we took a small family “camping” trip in Sturbridge, our (new) home town. We love to stay in cabins when we camp — you can enjoy that outdoor, campground feeling, but never have to worry about putting away a soaking wet tent, or dealing with the maintenance on a camper. For the number of times we camp each year, paying extra for the cabin just seems like a smart deal.

Plimpton Forest (and a bit more)

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 01:11:09 +0000

Some news to start: next month I’m heading on a three night, four day hike through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, staying overnights at the High Huts of the White Mountains with some friends from work. So I’ve been gearing up and doing practice hikes as often as I can. I have yet to do a real tough mountain hike (I plan to hit up Wachusett before the hike, but am not sure when I’ll make it happen), but this Labor Day I wanted to hike several days in my hiking boots to break them in and make sure I shook out any issues.

Quinebaug River Trail – East Brimfield Section (Kayak)

Mon, 22 May 2017 23:19:08 +0000

For the past two years, I’ve wanted to take a kayak or canoe along the Quinebaug River Trail between Lake Siog and the East Brimfield Reservoir. But whenever I’ve had the time, the river’s been too low, whether because of drought (last year) or just general late season low flow. But this spring has seen enough rain to keep all the nearby rivers fat and happy, which made for a great opportunity.

Midstate Trail – Spencer (Solo)

Sun, 10 Jan 2016 14:30:21 +0000

On the first Sunday of the New Year, Evie and Jess made a last-minute decision to cheer on a friend at a gymnastics event in Western MA, and I made a last-minute decision to revisit the Sibley Farm / Burncoat Pond property with the intent of walking a portion of the Midstate Trail. I’d hiked here with Jess twice before (1, 2) and both times we had mostly ignored the Midstate Trail. Looking at the map, I realized I probably had enough time to hike the trail from the parking area up to Route 9 and back.

Grand Trunk Trail to East Brimfield Dam – Sturbridge

Sat, 24 Oct 2015 19:25:46 +0000

It seems a recurring theme that we don’t have as much time to explore the trails on our Saturdays as we used to. Real life conspires to sap away even our protected time. And so last weekend we again found ourselves looking for a close hike which wouldn’t take up too much of our time.

We ended up driving towards one trail and stopping at another; we saw a parking area on Holland Road in Sturbridge with a Friends of Sturbridge Trails sign on it, and decided to see what it was. It turns out, it’s a somewhat new extension of the existing Grand Trunk Trail. This section walks along the Quineboag River to the East Brimfield Dam, and will eventually connect into the Brimfield section of the trail.

Rock House Reservation – West Brookfield

Sat, 10 Oct 2015 21:00:03 +0000

I last wrote about Rock House in November of 2014. On that day, we went for a long hike in the rain. This time around, it was a shorter hike, but the weather was much more pleasant.

I started the day by pitching in at a town cleanup of a vacant lot, and spent several hours doing the kind of physical labor I went into engineering explicitly to avoid. So while we still wanted to hike, I wanted something a little less taxing. We picked Rock House because we know the trails well (map here), it was close, and we knew we could do a shorter loop and still get some fall scenery in.

Getting back into the swing of it

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 23:57:22 +0000

Over the summer, our hikes were tough to manage. Without gymnastics blocking out the time, we either had to hike as a family, or hike when Evie was otherwise occupied, which wasn’t often. Given the heat and the bugs, we didn’t get out nearly as often as we had hoped.

But Fall is here, and with it comes cooler temperatures, fewer bugs, and a renewed presence in gymnastics for our little bundle of energy.

(Family) Wells State Park – Sturbridge

Fri, 24 Jul 2015 14:41:19 +0000

Summer vacation means more family time, and we used that time at the start of July for a hike at Wells State Park in Sturbridge.

I’ve written a few posts in the past about hiking here; it’s a massive property with fairly long trails, and it’s possible to get over 6 miles of hiking in a day fairly easily as I demonstrated in a prior post. But this hike was a shorter journey, with our daughter dragging her feet a bit (perhaps because nothing is quite as fun as exploring Purgatory Chasm!).

Purgatory Chasm – Sutton

Sun, 28 Jun 2015 14:45:19 +0000

Our family feet have been eagerly dashing around, but not anywhere that was worth blogging about. This weekend, summer officially began in our household as Evie’s gymnastics schedule changed and Saturdays are officially free for the whole family. We celebrated by heading somewhere where Evie could explore and adventure – Purgatory Chasm State Reservation.

This was not a hiking trip, it was an exploring trip. Our goal was to let Evie climb rocks, wriggle through caves, and feel the freedom of summer. It was a clear success.

(Solo) Canoeing, East Brookfield River (again!) – Brookfield, East Brookfield

Mon, 18 May 2015 22:49:04 +0000

This “Saturdate”, my wife and I hit up a local asparagus festival (no pictures, sorry) and power-washed the house (no pictures, you’re welcome). We hoped to get some time outdoors as a family on Sunday, however.

My daughter likes to think she wants to go canoeing with us. She oohs and aahs over pictures my wife and I have taken, and says it sounds like fun, plus there can be fishing involved!

Canoeing – Quaboag Pond, East Brookfield River – Brookfield, East Brookfield

Sat, 09 May 2015 20:04:31 +0000

The weather was incredible this weekend, and we had to choose from hiking or canoeing. I hadn’t gotten Jess out on the water yet and so I pushed for a canoe trip. Fortunately, she was game.

We decided to stay close to home and simple; we put in on Quaboag Pond, in Brookfield, less than a half mile from our house. Jess hadn’t been in a canoe since she was a child, so she was a bit nervous at first but it didn’t take long for her to realize how stable of a platform it was as long as the water was calm.

Solo Canoeing, Hamilton Rod and Gun Club – Sturbridge

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 23:25:15 +0000

This past weekend, I took ownership of a genuine “beater” pick-up truck. This truck is old enough to drive, and it looks it. But it can do one thing our family SUV can’t — handle a canoe atop it.

The white sections are metal trim my father-in-law and I fastened to the body to make it pass inspection. The truck used to be his, and when he took it off the road I gave it a new home. I don’t know how long it will last, but a summer of canoe trips will be worth the cost of insuring it.

(Solo) Opacum Woods – Sturbridge

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 23:14:58 +0000

Spring fever is in full swing, and when I found myself with a free afternoon I knew I had to spend some of it in the woods. I debated my options for a while but ended up returning to Opacum Woods, a site I’d been to a few times before (last time, with Jess, was in the fall).

Fishing and Exploring in Sturbridge

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 15:41:56 +0000

No big hikes this weekend, but there was plenty of the outdoors.

Saturday, my in-laws came to visit, and my father-in-law and I got out our dusty fishing equipment and decided to try and hit the Quinebaug River to see if we could land any freshly stocked trout. We fished two separate sections near Old Sturbridge Village, exploring the shore and trying from a dozen different spots. We got a few hookups but landed no fish. It was a beautiful day with highs in the low 70s, and regardless of what the fish were doing we couldn’t have been more content. The water was clear, we saw fish and birds, enjoyed the warm air, and enjoyed some good company.

Grand Trunk Trail – Brimfield

Sat, 11 Apr 2015 20:22:55 +0000

Last time we hiked in Brimfield, it was December and fresh snow was on the ground. Now, it’s April, and on a beautiful sunny day we wanted a hike without too much mud (it rained all week, and snow is still melting) and without too much strain on the legs. Brimfield seemed to fit the bill again.

As you can see, it was a beautiful early Spring day. The sky was rich blue with a bright warm sun, and giant puffy clouds drifted overhead.

Sibley Farm – Spencer

Sun, 18 Jan 2015 14:40:18 +0000

This is our second trip to the Sibley Farm property. The first trip is described in a previous post.

It was a beautiful day to be outdoors yesterday, as far as winter days go. The cold temperatures didn’t seem too bitter since the skies were clear and the air was calm. With errands to run we only had a short window to enjoy the outdoors, so we returned to Sibley Farm to explore some of the trails we missed two weeks ago.

Sibley Farm / Burncoat Pond – Spencer

Sat, 03 Jan 2015 22:02:27 +0000

For the second day in a row, we were able to get out for a hike. Today was our usual Saturday, with a couple hour break while Evie was in gymnastics. We were forced to leave a bit later than usual due to a delivery (my snowblower has been repaired; you can all thank me later when we get no snow this year) so we picked a spot close to home which was new to us.

Yellick Conservation Area – Northboro

Sat, 03 Jan 2015 04:18:06 +0000

Our first hike of 2015 was a spur-of-the-moment excursion in Northboro, a town we once called home and where my mother still lives. We were already in town and ended up able to drop our daughter off with Grandma for a couple hours. I pulled up the Northboro Trails Committee website and looked for something close by. We ended up starting at the Coyote Trail, which meanders through the Yellick Conservation Area. You can read more about the area in this news article I found later, which pointed me nicely to this updated map.

(Solo) South Spencer Rail Trail – Spencer

Sat, 20 Dec 2014 19:20:36 +0000

Two Saturdays in a row, holiday activities kept Jess and I from our now-weekly outdoor explorations. When on the third Saturday, the last before Christmas, she departed for a family shopping excursion, I decided to get out into the woods, even if only for an hour or so.

Trying to stay close to home and not lose the whole day, I picked the South Spencer Rail Trail (read about it briefly at the Spencer Parks and Recreation web page), also called the Depot Trail. It is a two-mile, mostly-flat trail connecting South Spencer Rd. and Chestnut St. in the center of Spencer, built along the abandoned South Spencer Railway (built in 1878 to connect two rail stations in Spencer). We’d been here once before as a family to explore some geocaches, though we only covered half the trail that day.

Grand Trunk Trail – Brimfield

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 14:34:59 +0000

With several inches of Wednesday’s snow still on the ground and no snow-specific gear, we targeted a nice flat well-traveled trail for our post-Thanksgiving Saturday hike. We chose the Grand Trunk Trail in Brimfield (also known as the Brimfield Trail and the Titanic Rail Trail). We’d done this trail over the summer with our daughter on a day of exploration and geocaching, and knew it would be passable in boots without too much trouble. In the summer we saw tadpoles, rabbits, and snakes — this time, not so much.

Buffumville Lake – Charlton

Sat, 22 Nov 2014 21:54:54 +0000

We keep finding new places to go on our weekend hikes; today we decided to explore a US Army Corps of Engineers property I’ve driven by a few times called Buffumville Lake.

The lake there is part of a flood control dam project, and the area is named after a mill owner named Buffum from the 19th century. After checking the trail map and based on the time we had, we decided to take the South Loop, which goes around the southern area of the lake, closely paralleling the lake shore. The map listed it as 4 miles, but our GPS readings came in at 5. We also learned from Facebook that the lake was currently a few feet low in an attempt to kill off some invasive aquatic plants.

(Solo) Miller Forest Tract – Monson

Tue, 18 Nov 2014 15:36:12 +0000

This past Saturday, Jess was out of town with her mother, so it fell to me to take Evie to gymnastics and then fill a few hours on my own. I made two important choices: I was going to pick up some beer, and get a hike in.

After packing a lunch, I first dropped off some growlers at Tree House Brewing in Monson. Tree House is a world-class brewery which I’ve been following since they first opened in a barn in Brimfield in 2011 (they were brewing a test batch when the famous tornado struck; you can read about it here). They’ve gone from being the area’s best-kept secret to being listed as the brewers of the world’s best American IPA by Beer Advocate. If you’re at all a beer fan, it’s worth seeking them out. It’s worth browsing their site just to see their great beer photography.

Peaked Mountain – Monson

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 03:11:03 +0000

You cannot ask for much better fall hiking weather than we had this weekend. Mild enough that only a few extra layers were needed, no real wind to speak of, and a clear blue sky letting ample sun through to warm the air just enough. There are two sides of November, and I love them both — this was without a doubt the “beautiful sunny late fall” side.

Last weekend while at Rock House, we picked up a trail map for Peaked Mountain in Monson. It’s a bit of a drive (40+ minutes), but we knew we’d have enough time for a couple hours there if we packed a lunch. With the weather so nice, we decided to give it a shot.

Rock House Reservation – West Brookfield

Sat, 01 Nov 2014 20:04:35 +0000

The weather forecast today was for temperatures in the low 40s, wind, and rain. We briefly considered staying indoors, but we knew we’d regret it. So we added some layers and headed west on Route 9. Nearly all the way through West Brookfield, right before Ware, is the Rock House Reservation.

This property, maintained by the Trustees of Reservations, is a favorite local natural retreat. We’ve been here a half-dozen times with our daughter, exploring and geocaching, but this time we went because we knew we could get a few miles of hiking in on familiar trails (map available here) while being sheltered from the worst of the weather by the trees. We’d also never come without her, and wanted to enjoy the scenery of the area at our own pace.

Wachusett Mountain – Princeton

Sun, 26 Oct 2014 02:22:37 +0000

Jess and I have been talking about testing ourselves with a longer, tougher hike before winter changes things too drastically. With my mother visiting and able to bring Evie to gymnastics, we decided this weekend was the perfect chance to give a longer outing a try.

We departed for Wachusett Mountain State Reservation in Princeton, MA, home of the famous Central MA ski area. We had been pouring over trail maps and plotting a route that would take us around the mountain before going up and over. We knew we’d be looking at several hours of hiking and so packed a lunch and more water than usual.

Quinebaug Woods and Tantiusques – Sturbridge and Holland

Mon, 20 Oct 2014 00:57:17 +0000

After a rainy week, we knew the trails might be a bit muddy and slippery with fallen leaves, so we opted for some easier locations this weekend. With Evie safely handed off to Saturday gymnastics, we stopped for lunch at Soup to Nuts in Sturbridge. They’re a cozy lunch spot with a limited menu including a rotation of homemade soups and quiches. Even though I’d never heard of it, they’ve been in business 31 years. Shows what I know!

(Solo) Wells State Park – Sturbridge

Mon, 13 Oct 2014 01:40:19 +0000

With my wife and daughter out of town, I had to make a decision on how to spend my Sunday afternoon: watching the Patriots beat up on the Bills, or hiking on a beautiful sunny October day?

Fortunately, I have the technology available to solve this problem — a DVR! Safe in the knowledge that I could watch the Pats any time on this Sunday, I was free to explore other options.

Moore State Park – Paxton

Sun, 05 Oct 2014 22:51:32 +0000

Two trips in one weekend? Definitely!

With the weather improving greatly, we decided to take another day hike, this one with our daughter. Jess suggested Moore State Park in Paxton, which she had stumbled on in the past when researching hiking locations in the area. We’d driven past it several times when driving North on Route 31, but never stopped.

Our daughter enjoys hiking but prefers geocaching to a vanilla hike. Knowing we’re headed to a destination and that once we get there we’ll find a box full of goodies gives her incentive to keep moving. There are several caches hidden at this park, and with that carrot dangling ahead of her, we packed her up and headed North.

Opacum Woods – Sturbridge

Sat, 04 Oct 2014 22:38:21 +0000

Another Saturday, another Saturday hike! We had to suffer through some rain for this one, though.

We decided to explore Opacum Woods, a property held in trust by the Opacum Land Trust. It’s a beautiful wooded area located behind a nice neighborhood in Sturbridge. It fills the corner made by the connection of Interstates 84 and 90.

At the trailhead we met some folks from Opacum who were closing up shop; earlier in the day they had officially opened up a new bridge built as an Eagle Scout project and were handing out new trail maps. They gave us one of the new maps; a definite improvement on the one we had picked up when we ran into them at the Big MOE.

Leadmine Trails – Sturbridge

Sat, 27 Sep 2014 22:25:11 +0000

These Saturday hikes are becoming a bit of a tradition, as our daughter spends a few hours in gymnastics and we explore our surroundings one trail at a time.

On this Saturday we returned to Leadmine Road, where we had previously parked to explore the Heins Farm property. This time, though, we descended onto the trails which explore the Leadmine conservation area which borders Old Sturbridge Village. A trail map can be seen on the Friends of Sturbridge Trails website.

Old Sturbridge Village

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 22:10:23 +0000

My wife and I had a babysitter lined up for Tuesday night and decided to go for a quick walk before our dinner out (at our favorite local restaurant Cedar Street Grille). She knew just what to suggest – a quick lap around her walking trail at Old Sturbridge Village. She comes here on a regular basis with her best friend and was curious how many miles she was actually burning on each lap. MapMyHike in hand, we took a quick tour and learned it was a 1.44 mile loop, rather than the “about a mile” she was assuming before.

Westville Dam – Sturbridge and Southbridge

Sun, 21 Sep 2014 20:07:19 +0000

A surprise hike took us to Westville Dam today with a friend and his family (after gorging on a breakfast buffet in honor of his 37th birthday). There were six of us who burned off the breakfast calories at a recreational area which I’d previously done some biking at.

We did a three mile loop which starts at the parking area, follows a rail trail’s wide easy grade, then crosses a dam and follows some steep peaks and valleys before looping back. The trail crosses between Sturbridge and Southbridge and follows along a recreational area where people picnic in the summer months. It also borders a popular spring fly-fishing location (noted for later…).

Wells State Park – Sturbridge

Sat, 20 Sep 2014 20:48:09 +0000

Our lovely daughter has a gymnastics class that takes up a few hours mid-day on Saturday. Even after pausing for lunch, we still have some time to get in a hike (or run some errands, or clean the house, but you know, hiking makes for more interesting blog posts), which is what we did on this day.

We’ve explored Wells State Park a few times since we moved out here, but we hadn’t been in a few years. You can check out the trail map on the state web page here.

Heins Farm – Sturbridge

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 19:26:39 +0000

Today, I took the day off from work to spend with my wife, celebrating her birthday (which was earlier this week). While our daughter spent the day at school, we went on a mid-day hike exploring the Heins Farm property in Sturbridge, MA. You can see a trail map at the Friends of Sturbridge Trails site.

It’s a beautiful property close to Old Sturbridge Village. There’s a trail designed for accessibility (The Pond Loop, 0.7 miles) as well as another 2.3 miles of trails in a variety of terrain from wooded to wild fields. We hiked the majority of the trails at an easy pace and would recommend this trail to all skill levels. It was quiet but only a stone’s throw from OSV and Route 20, making it a quick retreat close to home.