Thursday, February 18, 2016

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.

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