WLBH 2-23-16

AMC SEM Post-Hike Trip Report

TRIP DATE: 02-23-2016     

                                        

TRIP LOCATION:         Blue Hills – Hills and Notches   

  

MEETING TIME:         10:30 am     

  

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS):         15

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):    3 hrs 40 mins

LENGTH IN MILES:     6.2 miles

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET): 500 feet

DIFFICULTY:            C                       (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S):      Paul Brookes, Cathy MacCurtain

CO-LEADER NAME(S):            Pat Acorn

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION: Bernie & Phyl’s Parking lot in Braintree

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:        No                 TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS: N/A

WAS TRIP WITHIN WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?         No

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED:

Today’s hike was along some of the Skyline trail summiting Nahanton and Kitchamakin hills.  We then had lunch at the picnic tables around Chickatawbut Overlook.  After lunch we descended via the Sassaman Notch to return to our cars.  It was an enjoyable hike.  

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE: Overcast but dry, mid 30’s.

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.)

IMPORTANT: Contact Hike Committee Chair ASAP with any medical emergencies or other serious incidents.

WLBH 2-16-16

AMC SEM Post-Hike Trip Report

TRIP DATE: 02-16-2016   

                                          

TRIP LOCATION:         Blue Hills     

MEETING TIME:         10:30 am    

   

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS):         10

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):    5 hrs mins

LENGTH IN MILES:     7.7 miles

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET): 50 feet

DIFFICULTY:            B                       (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S):      Paul Brookes, Cathy MacCurtain

CO-LEADER NAME(S):            Pat Acorn

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION: Donovan Elementary School in Randolph.

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:        No                 TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS: N/A

WAS TRIP WITHIN WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?         No

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED:

We hiked all the trails in Mid-Ponkapoag stopping on the horse bridge for a group photo.  The trails were a few inches of melting wet slush and flooded out in parts making for hard work on the legs; Then an hour into the hike it started raining.  By lunch time many in the group were wet, tired and hungry.

We lunched at the site of the now decommissioned Nike-Ajax missile launch pads that protected Greater Boston from June 1955 until March 1963. Somewhat re-energized from lunch we hiked the trails around the horse riding stable.

Returning to the pipeline we acknowledged that we would not be able to do the optional trails and be back at the cars by our intended 2:30pm finish time.  The leaders decided to give the group a choice.  Most wanted to return to the cars but some wanted to do the optional trails. We decided to split the group. Cathy and Pat led the first group back to the cars.  I led the remainder of the group along the optional trails and returned to the cars an hour later. Back at my car I texted Cathy and we confirmed all in both groups were safely back.

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE: Cloudy, wet, upper 40’s.

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.)

IMPORTANT: Contact Hike Committee Chair ASAP with any medical emergencies or other serious incidents.

Borderland/BCT Hike 2-11-16

AMC SEM Post-Hike Trip Report

TRIP DATE:     2/11/2016    

TRIP LOCATION:  Borderland/BCT  

MEETING TIME:         10:00  

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS):                     27

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):    3:15

LENGTH IN MILES:     5

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET): negligible

DIFFICULTY:            C=average/D=easy  (Would have been D-easy without the snow, fallen branches)

LEADER NAME(S):      Bob Vogel

CO-LEADER NAME(S):          

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION: Borderland main parking lot

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:            No             TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS:

WAS TRIP WITHIN WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?  No 

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED:

Ames Boulder Trail, Pond Edge, Swamp, Pond Walk, Quiet Woods, Pond Edge, Rockland St (to Rockland Street), down Rockland St to continuation of BCT (still in Borderland) on opposite side of Rockland St., BCT a short distance to first power towers. Back via Rockland St Trail to Pond Walk too the parking lot.

There were quite a few downed limbs on Rockland Street Trail. We picked up most of the medium sized ones. (Some were too big to move, and there were far too many small ones to pick all of those.)

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE: 20’s. A bit of snow before 10, but it stopped by 10.  A bit breezy in the open on the power lines, which is why we went back into the woods to eat.

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.)  We had a fun hike on trails ‘not normally hiked’. At our lunch stop (on the section of Borderland Trail on the opposite side of Rockland St.) I asked how many had ever been there before. No one had. 

There was one ‘tricky’ stream crossing on that section. Several rocks to hop across.. but more tricky when snow covered and wearing snowshoes. I stood in the middle and offered a hand to anyone wanting support, and we all crossed, twice, fine. But a bridge would be a nice improvement. J

IMPORTANT: Contact Hike Committee Chair ASAP with any medical emergencies or other serious incidents.

Allens Pond Hike 2-4-16

AMC SEM POST-HIKE TRIP REPORT

TRIP DATE      Feb. 4, 2016

TRIP LOCATION:  Allens Pond, Westport/Dartmouth,  MA     

               

WAS TRIP CANCELLED? (y/n):  N

MEETING TIME:         10:00 AM     

  

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS):            9

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):    4 hours

LENGTH IN MILES:     6.5

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET): N/A

DIFFICULTY:          C                         (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S):      Walt Granda

CO-LEADER NAME(S):     

      

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION: Stone Barn Farm,  East Horseback RD

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:      No                    TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS:

WAS TRIP WITHIN WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?   NO    

       

IF YES TO ABOVE, DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED:

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE:  Cloudy, rain stopped one hour before the hike

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.)   The trails were very wet from heavy rains on Wednesday.  Some sections of the trails were under water.  Great area to explore.  Trails take you along the shoreline and through wetlands, pastures, forests and near giant  boulders

IMPORTANT: Contact Hike Committee Chair ASAP with any medical emergencies or other serious incidents.