Report to Hikers — week of Feb 10-Feb 16

Hello Hikers!

Wed Feb 12

Snowmobile trail, Yellow Barn SF, Dryden

I always look forward to the view when you turn the corner off Route 13 onto Irish Settlement Road and start up the hill to Yellow Barn

It’s nothing super-picturesque or dramatic, but I really like the way it rises gently across the rolling fields up to the strip of dark woods at the top — I get a sense of deep countryside, and adventure ….

….. I especially like this slowly decaying farm on the drive up the hill — it has a melancholy feeling of passing time

The snow was pretty deep and exhausting, so we stuck to the snowmobile trail, which was nicely packed down. This trail’s a bit monotonous in winter if you’re looking for lively scenery, but it’s a good way to get some exercise and schmooze.

The mood of the walk changes abruptly about half way in, when you come to a vast field. The sun was shining brightly by this point, and with the glare and the bounced light, it was like being on the beach

The procedure is to walk to the far end, wander back into the scrubby woods for a little while, then turn around

Official head count: 16H

This is the view driving back down Irish Settlement Road toward Route 13 — I think this is a really interesting panorama, and I love it

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Sat Feb 15

Shindagin Hollow SF — snowmobile trail

This is another hike where the last part of the drive to the trail head, south on Central Chapel Road, creates a great rural atmosphere. I really like the scenery all along the way, including this cluster of farm buildings, which I think has a very pleasing architectural massing

It was quite cold at the trail head — five above when we arrived, just 15 when we headed home — but the actual hike didn’t seem cold at all — there was very little wind, and the sun was bouncing brightly off the fresh snow

The snowmobile trail had actually been groomed and it was extremely easy walking. At one point a small group of riders roared by — a couple of us joked about catching a ride back to the cars — even though the trail surface was nice, it was still getting exhausting in the snow.