Nipmuck Trail

“Then sings my soul…….”

8:15 Sunday morning found me at Wolf Rock in Mansfield.  I had hiked to this spot 2 weeks ago and now I approached it from the other direction on a different section of trail.  I am really enjoying walking on this Nipmuck Trail which is part of the Blue Blaze Trail System in Connecticut.  Since this is not a loop trail and I have no car spotters, I park my car and walk to a pre-determined location and then walk back the way I came.  This suits me fine because on the walk in, when I see all this great stuff and I want to linger a bit, I know I’ll see it on the way back and I’m glad for the second chance to see a certain rock or stream or tree that has caught my eye.

These trails are exactly the “roots and rocks” type of trail that I prefer with slight elevation gains and losses although some are quite steep here and there.  The section that I picked out is only 1.6 miles to my destination and then back for a total of 3.2 miles, which is a bit shorter than the last section which totaled 4 miles.  For my next hike I’ll drive to this same parking area on Clover Mill Rd in Mansfield and I’ll pick up the trail, walking northeasterly rather than southwest.  The access to the various trail sections seem to be spaced out just right so that one can pick up the trail easily enough from almost anywhere.  My goal is to ultimately hike the entire Nipmuck Trail, which, I actually will be hiking twice since I’m covering the same ground area twice each time I hike!  After I complete the Nipmuck I’ll most likely tackle the Shenipsic or the Natchaug Trail.  I have an awesome trail guide book put out by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association for the Blue Blaze trail system in eastern Connecticut.  It’s called the Connecticut Walk Book-East and they also put out one for the “West.”  It actually is a loose leaf 3-ring binder which is great because you can take out the sections that you want and bring them with you.  I always make a copy of the section that I’m doing (I make 2 copies and bring one with me so that the original stays nice and pristine in the book) and highlight it and mark it up in red pen too and then leave it on the kitchen counter for Mike to refer to just in case I don’t return at the specified time.  He says that although he doesn’t look at it, that it is good to have so that all he needs to do is to turn it over to the police if I don’t return in “a day or two or three!!”  Very funny!

 

Up at “The Rock,” I take my pack off and pull out my map to study it.  I really don’t need a map but I like to look at it and I like to pretend that I am on some huge long distance hike, like say; the Appalachian Trail.  (Oh, please don’t get me started.  The AT, 2175 miles, runs from Georgia to Maine and would take me 6 ½ months to hike.  And my trail name will be Whispers.  Oh!!  Some day!)  I rummage through my pack and pull out my breakfast along with a thermos of hot sweet tea and my water bottle.  It is only 30 degrees out and the sun feels good on my back.  As I devour my peanut butter and jelly sandwich I look all around me, turning while standing in place, gawking at the simple beauty of this spot and trying to memorize each rock and tree so that I might recall the images later whenever I please.  I am at a summit of sorts and there is a clear view of the horizon.  Not a 360 degree view but more like 200 degrees.  I can see the woods below where I hiked from 2 weeks ago.  I see fields and farm land.  I am standing on a cliff and the last 2/10’s of a mile were very steep from the direction I hiked to 2 weeks ago.  Today, to get to this same point from the other direction the trail was more gradual.  There is a huge bolder at the top, Wolf Rock, that looks as if it was strategically, if precariously, placed.  But all logic and reason makes us ask why and how!  Actually, this bolder was dragged here by a glacier, deposited in its’ place and left behind when the glacier receded.  The guide book told me that!  Very cool!

Although the view is stunning I am more interested in the immediate surroundings.  The trail worn bare; the ledge, the rocks and the trees.  I realize that this may not sound like much of a view to some people but it really truly speaks to me and, once again, I am so happy to be here in my element. 

Now that I have stopped walking I know that I may soon feel a chill and quickly pull on my polar tech fleece jacket. If you go walking in 30 degree or lower temperatures (or even higher) and you stop for any length of time it is important that you bring another layer to put on when you stop.  Put it on before you feel a chill.  Put it on as soon as you stop! 

I have lingered here for about 10 minutes and it is now time to head back.

The walk back always seems shorter and I’m enjoying it all over again.  Now, having built up enough body heat I stop to remove my outer fleece jacket and then stand still to look and to listen.  The woods are very quiet and still.  I strain my ears to hear any possible sound and I am glad that there is none.  There are no cars that I can hear in the distance or sirens or anything.  The only sound I can hear now is the ringing in my ears and the pounding of my heart.  It is a bluebird day, class I, without a single cloud in the sky.  My eyes are suddenly drawn to a slight movement off a ways to my left and I turn just in time to see a very large chipmunk scurry into a rock wall.  I have seen no other living creatures all morning.  The woods are mine!       

As I continue on I would stop a few more times just to stand still and listen.  Finally, I’m approaching a ridge.  The down slope of this ridge was one of my favorite spots this morning and I am happy to be here although now my hike is almost over as I am about 5 minutes from the trail head.  The trail here is made up of rocks.  Some are like stepping stones that you might see in a stream while most of them are as big as the seat of a table chair and flat-ish on top which makes walking on them easier.  These rocks are worn clean but just on either side of the trail the rocks are covered with a deep green lush moss.  The blue blazes on the trees are faint at best to non existent but it is not difficult to see where to walk.  The trail rocks have a  silvery shimmer and are lined on either side with the moss covered rocks looking much like a green carpet.  I remember thinking on the walk in that the blazes weren’t marked all that well but that all I needed to do was to look at the trail and the way would be obvious.  Three quarters of the way down now I stopped yet again and turned to look at the trail behind me.  On the walk in the sun hadn’t yet cleared the ridge but now, nearly 2 hours later, the sun was high and filtering through the bare trees setting the moss covered rocks all a glow, shimmering and sparkling like emeralds. 

“Then sings my soul.”  This lovely church hymn pops into my head at this sight and I’ve been singing it all week now.  


I've posted the lyrics to How Great Thou Art below for your reading and singing pleasure.  Now if only I could sing.  If I were ever granted 3 wishes my 3^rd wish would be that I could sing from the depths of my soul.

How Great Thou Art

Oh Lord my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds
Thy hands have made
I see the stars
I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout
The universe displayed

Then sings my soul
My Savior, God, to Thee
How great thou art
How great thou art

The last 2/10’s of a mile back to the trail head consisted of walking over a lovely foot bridge to cross a stream and walking past a few different stonewalls.  There are stonewalls here in the middle of the woods.  Nothing speaks to me more!  It’s hard to imagine that these woods were once all fields and farm land!

I have posted some pics and video below although they really don't do it justice.  You really would have to have to been there.  So, get outside when you can and take it all in!  I highly recommend it!  I hope you enjoyed my post and my pics!