Northeast Wild

Appalachian Trail in the area of Kent and Cornwall Bridge CT.  An easy (get-in-shape) backpack on the River Road section, S to N.  Gate (closed May-Sep) near trailhead for St. John's Ledges to Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter & Campsite 2.3 miles, camped here, user friendly, el 400', fair amount of road noise.  Nice walking alongside the Housatonic River - mostly deciduous trees.  Abundant birdsong, variety of birds.  Lightly used railroad on other side of river, Rt. 7 not too far away.  Stony Brook Campsites at 2.7 mi.  AT pulls away from river & goes along edge of grass/clover field.  Road crossing at 5.4 miles.  Climb 500'.  Silver Hill Campsite at 6.3 miles, el 900' - camped here - unique with pavilion, 3 picnic tables, well pump for water, a bench swing & observation platform - almost glamping but little privacy, some pines.  Lots of motorcycles heard on nearby Rt.7 on Sunday, quieter on Monday.  Went a bit further...

May 26, 2014 - WOODS POND & HOUSATONIC RIVER canoeing from Lenox Station, MA.  A plastic dock now replaces the muddy put-in that I had to put up with last time I was here - a bit high for kayakers tho.  The river upstream passes thru wildlife refuge & state forest land, mostly undeveloped.  A dam downstream of the put-in creates Woods Pond & very little current is noticed paddling upstream for the first couple of miles.  Many backwaters along the way.  5 miles to Decker Landing access.  Electrical lines & power station of the Electric Power Research Institute - interesting but jarring.  Turned around a couple of miles above the New Lenox Rd bridge.  Abundant birdsong, bullfrogs doing the bass lines.  Beaver, muskrats, goslings, wood ducks, mallards, bald eagle, yellow warblers, least sandpipers, oriole, cardinal, red-winged blackbirds, hawks, water snake.  A few blackflies in the morning but absent l...