When you eventually get to the start of the trail, it will look something like this. Nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac (the road is called Panthorn Trail), is a very well concealed blue triangle. Do you see it on that tiny tree stump slightly left of center? This is the start of the trail.
Once you start walking into the woods, the path becomes more overgrown. It no longer looks like a well-traveled path, but one that nature has restored and covered with leaves, overgrown brush, and fallen limbs. Follow the blue triangles to the path. (Hint: you will see two trees coming out of the same trunk/root structure, each trunk has a triangle. Walk between them and up that steep incline to stay on the trail. Yes, that steep incline that doesn't really look hike-able. That's the trail. Oh there won't be too many visible blue triangles going up the incline, just wing it. When you turn around you might see some more blue triangles, not visible from the bottom of the incline. This is how you will know you are on the right path, or not.)
You also will see this boulder jutting out on your right once you start up the incline. The rock formations are pretty interesting. Admire them while you stop to take a breath. There is also a stream that is trickling down on the left side. It has been very dry lately, making it a trickle. Perhaps most springs it is usually running harder. Which means that getting to the trail would require crossing the stream. Luckily it was dry for me today.
A little ways up the incline, you start to have a view. If you turn around. In the distance there is another ridgeline. What's that? The picture below looks pretty close to the picture above? Why yes, it is only about 15 feet further up the trail and looking off to the right instead of the left.
So where are the views from the top? Ok, shamelessly I admit I didn't make it to the top. Once I started climbing, it felt as though I were climbing the picture below than the top-most picture of the hillside.
I had to make a decision about 1/2 way up: do I continue and see if it's worth it, or do I start my descent. Then I came across a hiker that made me feel like a complete beginner. Decked out in hiking gear, two ski-pole style hiking sticks, and a backpack, he was coming down the same incline I was attempting to climb. I smiled and said hello, then asked if the view was worth it. He shrugged and said it was okay, but with the leaves coming in it was difficult to see much, if anything. I weighed my options as he continued down the hill. Should I continue? I wasn't going to let myself quit, just because it was a challenge. (A beet-red face, dripping sweat, wish I had brought water on what was supposed to be a 2 mile, 1 hour hike kind of challenge.) So I continued a little farther up the trail. I had to use my hands to steady myself, pull up a rock or two. I noticed the trail's trickling stream was wetting leaves that were along the path. I continued on a short distance more, still exerting all the effort I could muster. I stopped and looked down. How am I going to get down this without breaking my neck? I need the poles that guy had.
I made the decision to turn around and abort the mission. Exhaustion had won. And in retrospect, I don't think it was an irrational, quitter decision. I think rational thought actually won. As I descended, it was a quick-step most of the way. I gained momentum going down the rocks, and slid a few times. Those wet leaves were certainly an obstacle. I stopped when I could, but the descent was faster than with which I was comfortable. A couple of the skidding halts had images of having to call 911 for myself because of imagining smacking my head or taking a rock to the spine.
I was not ready for this hike. As much as I wish I could say, "oh yeah, that is an easy climb," it really wasn't.
I also usually like to post a map and elevation reading for the hikes/walks I do. Which brings me to my next point- I got lost. Yes, I got lost in the 100 acre wood that is between Lake Compounce and this cul-de-sac. I traipsed through woods and around the stream, over the stream, through the stream, in someone's backyard. (I sincerely apologize for that, by the way. I really didn't mean to be in your backyard.) I just couldn't believe that the vertical incline was where the trail was going. I suppose my reading comprehension skills are not that good, as I found this trail in the New England hiking book. And I promise there are no further trail markings anywhere else but on those double trees. I saw a sign leaning against a tree further past the trail, near the fence that demarcates Lake Compounce from the woods. That didn't give me anything. So I wandered around, looking for something blue on a tree.
For the fun of it, I thought I would post the map below. All of those pins were where I stopped, paused the RunKeeper app, and said "where am I? Where is the blue trail?" Alright, enough of your laughing at me. Well, no, you can laugh some more. I thought it would be easy to pick up the trail again after I got down the incline. I suppose I'm more like a rat in a maze re-tracing my incorrect steps, because just as I said to myself, "Oh, thank God, there's the trail out of here." I realized that it was a familiar trail alright. It was someone's back yard trail in the woods. Yup, and there is their woodpile. Oh, hi neighbor. Just going for a walk through your backyard. Don't mind me. (And she didn't seem to. Again, I am sorry.)
My biggest fear was running into the hiker again, who I saw on my descent heading to go up again. He nodded and said "Gonna do it again." All I could think was, "please don't see me wandering around lost looking for my car. Please, please, please."
So, if you see the picture below, you are in the wrong spot. You should not be eye-level with Lake Compounce during this hike. Maybe in the fall, when it is dry again, and I am armed with water, bug spray, and muscles, I will attempt to make it to the summit of this. Perhaps now you can see why I was a little distracted from making it to the top. As you can see, I spent the first 0.6 miles trying to figure out how to get on the trail by blazing through saplings.
If you would like to try your hand at this trail yourself, you can head on out to Southington.
Directions:
I-84 to exit 31 (West St/Rte 229). Head West on 229 for about a mile and a half. Take a left onto Welch Road (you'll see a driving range on the corner of Welch and 229). Go straight down about a mile to Mt. Vernon Road and take a left. You'll pass a golf course and Lincoln College is on the corner of Welch and Mt. Vernon. Your first right is Panthorn Trail. Go down to the end and park at the end of the cul-de-sac.
PS- It is tick season. During the course of writing this, I felt something crawling on my forehead. I swiped it off onto my desk, and lo and behold, a tick. It was the first my husband had seen in his entire life and now he thinks there are ticks crawling all over him.
I unfurled the cuffs on my pants I wore for today's hike, figuring this would be a good time to see if I carried any more into the house. Aside from being filled with detritus from the woods, there was also a small, but fat, jet black spider. Strange that I could have a tick on me (part of the arachnid family), and not be phased. But the spider that was in the cuff of my pants was far worse to me, invoking feelings of panic and need for quick disposal. Not that I would prefer Lyme's disease (anyone who knows me knows the last thing I need is Lyme's disease on top of everything else in life) to a likely-innocuous spider crawling on me, but when are irrational fears rational anyway?
So spray yourselves with bug spray before you go out anywhere! It is tick season!
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