Just a report from this past weekend. It's my first attempt, hope it's not terrible!
We started out on Rising Corner Rd. in Southwick, MA with hopes of making Heublein Tower the following day.
Day #1: Thanks to the website, we realized that the first 3 miles, that were originally a road walk, had been relocated to the woods! The parking was simple & easy, with the homeowner across the street coming over & pointing us in the right direction & giving us some trail conditions. Nice to see people so friendly about a trail going through their backyard!
We started a bit late (1015), & with the addition of the 3 miles, weren't sure we'd make it to the Farmington River overlook by dinner. All relatively slow movers who don't get out often! Either way, the walking was very enjoyable with lots of ridgewalks & views through trees. The CT Walk book was pretty accurate with its mileage & overlook locations, so that's a plus! It was nice taking lunch at one where we could see Heublein Tower in the distance, though it looked too far away to get to! We ended up getting in the 14 miles to the view over the Farmington. Be warned, it looks to be a party spot for the locals, beer bottles & glass. We had no issues with the 3 other folks that showed up, & there is plenty of space for tents. Enjoyed a sunset dinner & a cigar & called it a night!
Day #2: We planned on this being the shorter day, Heublein Tower being just over 9 miles away (I was pushing to go to the next road crossing, Albany Ave). Quick breakfast & we headed out. The town below, Tarrifville, didn't have anything close by that was open when we walked through, but it was quick. Headed back into the woods & saw a few deer, & more people than Saturday. We even ran into one man & his dogs who warned us of a bear & 2 cubs he had seen earlier... Would be cool without the Cubs! Blame it on being out of shape, but today's walking was a lot tougher. No more soft dirt & ridgewalk, but a lot more rocks & PUDS. A few miles in, my buddy showed us a gigantic blister on his heel, so we took lunch at "The Pinnacle" in Penwood State Park. Ran into a large group of people out on a MeetUp event, which was cool to see!
We ended up stopping at the entrance of Penwood State Park, due to my friends feet killing him. Just 7 miles in & a couple short of Heublein Tower! Note about the park, the Walk book shows bathrooms & such at the entrance, but they're actually about a mile away (you'd take a left off the trail, once you reach the paved road). The bathrooms were under construction & they had no water source, bummer!
All and all, a good weekend! Great weather & a great way for us to do more than our usual 3 mile out & back trips! We'll be back for more!