Section 6: No, THIS is ShenipThat'sIt! Stafford ~ 2 miles December 23, 2016 Ah yes, the good ol’ Shenipsit Trail. The oft-forgotten long distance CFPA trail right up the center of Connecticut. From East Hampton down near the Portland border up into Stafford near the Massachusetts border, this trail has never … [Read more...]
Shenipsit Afterword
6 Section Hikes, 4 Regional Hikes Began: 11/24/2007 (Case Mountain Trails) Finished: 12/23/2016* *I completed the Shenipsit in 2010... but then they extended it at some point and I had to go back up to Stafford to complete it again. I have no idea how long the Shenipsit really is. Everything I read says … [Read more...]
Shenipsit Trail: Section 5
Section 5: ShenipThat'sIt!* Ellington/Somers/Stafford ~ 8 miles May 2010 *The title implies that this section completed the Shenipsit. That later became inaccurate, for as you'll read, the northern end was extended. This just didn’t seem right. A hike on the Shenipsit – my final one – with good weather! … [Read more...]
Shenipsit Trail: Section 4
Section 4: SHHhhhhhhenipsit Vernon, Tolland, Ellington ~ 6 miles May 13, 2010 Ahhh, such a clever title. For this is the secret section of what has become quite the oddball trail. I’ve come to learn why the Shenipsit isn’t included in the conversation with CFPA’s “big” trails (Metacomet, Mattabesett, … [Read more...]
Shenipsit Trail: Section 3
Section 3: A Seriously Mixed Bag Manchester, Bolton, Vernon, ~ 12.2 miles March 14, 2010 I’m glad I had a partner for this hike – the learned Dennis Paul Himes (trailname: Cumulus) – or else I may have gone crazy. For this is one very strange stretch of the Shenipsit. Four towns, three town parks, two … [Read more...]
Gay City State Park
“We Built This Gay City… We Built This Gay City on Rocks and Roll(ing Hills)!” Bolton, Glastonbury & Hebron, about 11 miles total June 17 and 24, 2009 It is always challenging for me to logically and concisely present these "trail networks" for easy consumption. I put a lot of effort into planning for and hiking … [Read more...]
Shenipsit Trail: Section 2
Section 2: A Blistering Pace… A Bloody Failure Route 2 Crossing - Coop Sawmill Road, 8.2 Miles January 17, 2010 Argh. So frustrating. Now that I’m back to work, I can no longer just go for a hike any old time like I could in the good ol’ days of summer 2009. I did take advantage of that time, sure, but … [Read more...]
Shenipsit Regional Trails Intro
Shenipsit Regional Trail Network Bolton, Glastonbury, Hebron, Manchester, Vernon Like the Tunxis Trail, the Shenipsit has a whole host of trails leading to, leading from, or nearby that are included as sort of part of the main trail. I always figure the best way to present them is under their own separate section, … [Read more...]
Shenipsit Trail: Section 1
Section 1: What's all this Shenipsit? Gadpouch Road Terminus - Route 2 Crossing, 8.2 Miles May 5, 2009 It was high time I got going on the Shenipsit. While not one of the "big three" CFPA trails (Quinnipiac, Metacomet, Mattabesett), I've always felt it should be included in any discussion on Connecticut's long … [Read more...]
Risley Pond/Box Mountain Loop Trail
Risleying Above Vernon/Bolton, supposedly 2.6 miles February 16, 2009 President's Day. And guess what? We need a new mattress. Our bed is a rather excellent modern platform bed from some overpriced modern furniture store and we love it. However, the futon mattress - which is a very good futon mattress as far as … [Read more...]