Metacomet trail - part 17

This hike occurred on March 15, 2014

Trail Heads:

7 Holcomb St., East Granby, CT - We parked on the side of the road. There was plenty of space for parking on the shoulder around the intersection.

2809 Phelps Rd, West Suffield, CT - We parked on the side of the road. There was quite a lot of parking available both on the side of Phelps Rd and across the intersection of Mountain Rd.

Length/Distance: According the Connecticut Walk book, the route between the trail heads on Holcomb St/Turkey Hills Rd (Rt20) and Phelps Rd was 5.2 miles. According to my GPS tracking program, our route was 6.14 miles. 

Summary: We started our day off with a trip to Mrs. Murphy's Donuts in Southwick. The shop was about 10 minutes north of Phelps Rd. With donuts and iced tea for breakfast, we hiked from Phelps Rd towards Holcomb St. There was still some ice and snow on the trail but it had melted down quite a bit so there was also mud. 

The day was sunny and warm (mid to high 40's). 

After the initial climb, it was mostly a ridge walk. We passed by signage for the "George A Harmon Woodlot" and "Deer Run," both part of the Suffield Land Conservancy.  

There was also a random green post which appeared to have the latitude and longitudinal coordinates. 

Interesting, it seemed that in some of the higher areas, the snow had melted more rapidly. We theorized this was because of the rocky slabs.

At the first lookout, we could see the Heublein Tower in the distance.  

We also could see a small storm closing in from the right. 

With it came strong gusts of wind, a 10 degree drop in temperature, and some light rain. The trail began another climb as we battled the wind. An odd rock formation was near the trail. 

Once we reached the next plateau, a sign let us know we were entering the property of the Bloomfield Fish and Game Club and we might be shot. 

We passed by another look out. The wind made it bitterly cold (low 20's) though it meant the storm moved overhead very quickly. 

After a bit more hiking, we found a lookout where we could see the Newgate Prison. 

By the time we got to the final lookout, the clouds had passed by and the temperatures were back to the 40's. 

From here, it was a fairly short distance to Holcomb St. 

Over all, the hike was pleasant. The warmer weather was nice but the storm mid-hike was less than optimal. We look forward to more warm weather in the near future.