Rediscovering the Connecticut Wilderness — Part 3

Mike stood near his tent before we began our third day of hiking.

This is a continuation of Scott and Michael’s account of their three-day hike from Wolcott to Litchfield along the Mattatuck Trail.

The section of the Mattatuck Trail between Black Rock State Park and Route 109 was the most beautiful stretch of the hike, crossing many small streams and old stone walls. We wondered how long they have been there, and marveled at the work that went into them.

It did not seem like three miles. Despite its beauty, we were quite tired from two full days of hiking. It was getting late on Saturday afternoon and we still had many miles to go. It was cool under the pine canopy and the prehistoric mosquitoes were out in full force. Our bodies were like a traveling buffet for them, and soon we were itching all over. We emerged from the woods onto a road. The warm sun on the hot tar was inviting, so we used this opportunity to shed our shoes and soak it up. We had no fear of traffic, because this road is not a road; it is the back entrance to yet another wastewater recovery plant.

We couldn’t dally long, or we would get nowhere. Soon we were back to logging the miles. After an interminable period, we realized we were closing in on Route 109—and then, there it was! We bounded up a small slope and stood staring at the speeding traffic. We waited for a lull. When it came, we ran across the road, no easy feat with a 30-pound pack on your back.

This engraved rock pays tribute to Alain White and his sister May, whose vision and generosity led to the formation of the White Memorial Foundation.

Once across the road, we entered the city of Waterbury watershed property, as many signs reminded us. We walked up a dirt road for less than a mile to where the road takes a left and, after cutting across a small stream, angles to the west. Soon we were on a long dirt mound about 5 feet wide and about 30 feet high—our trail description calls this the "goat path." It seemed like an odd geological formation, and we wondered how it was created. It might have been the rail bed for a small railway that was known to exist in the area years ago. By this time it was late in the day, so any relief we got from the bugs was short-lived. We moved faster to try to make it harder for them to catch us.

We were approaching the boundary for the White Memorial Conservation Center—or "White’s Woods," as it is known locally. Several mountain bikers zoomed past, and we crossed two dirt roads. Finally we entered the Whites Woods property. Whites Woods meant to us that we were in Litchfield, our backyard. We had logged over 24 miles in two days. We stopped for the night.

Whites Woods is an interesting place. It was established in 1964 on property originally owned by Alain White and his sister, May. Their vision and generosity led to the formation of the White Memorial Foundation. As a nonprofit organization, the Center exists for the purpose of education, conservation, research and recreation. Today the endowment the Whites funded supports almost 4,000 acres of diverse environmental niches. We have spent many happy hours at all times of the year exploring Whites Woods. It is renown for its trails that are used for things such as off-road biking and cross-country skiing. Whites Woods and its attendant trails wind and twist throughout the community of Litchfield.

On Sunday we were on the trail again. The Mattatuck trail takes its time as it wanders through Whites Woods. In fact, because we are so familiar with the area, we decided to take a shortcut. The trails are broad, flat and marked quite well, but we got lost for a brief period anyway. It was a cool and rainy day, and so despite the ease of hiking, we become quite cold and tired early.

Whites Woods is really the end of the Mattatuck Trail. From Whites Woods there is a two-mile break before it resumes again for a two-mile stretch over Prospect Mountain on the Bantam/ Litchfield border. The trail is not marked at all in this area. After Prospect Mountain there is yet another larger break of about eight miles before the trail resumes and finally reaches its official terminus at Mohawk Mountain.

We had hiked 34 miles in three days. We were tired and wet. It was the end of the trail for us. We called it a day just a few miles from our homes. We had hiked the major section of the contiguous trail, and been mostly faithful to its vacillations. It was with a bittersweet feeling that we turned our back to the trail, unfinished, and headed for home.

But the trail is never really done. We will return to it one day. There are also other trails to be hiked, such as the Mattabassett and the Tunxis. The threats to our wilderness areas have not gone away. The trails must be maintained. We will hike the trails and enjoy them when we can. This was not the end, but a break between sections, like crossing a road. Adventure is a state of mind, and not a place to be visited. The trail starts right outside your front door. Who knows where it might end?

If you should follow that trail into the woods to see where it may lead, may you find what you seek; take notice of the beauty that we have right here in our own backyard. But please be kind and respect our natural resources. Believe it or not, the wilderness is fragile. One step can crush a flower into non-existence. Follow the principles of "leave no trace"—take out everything you bring into the woods, and leave it a better place than you found it! In this way we can ensure that there will always be trails to follow and wilderness in Connecticut to rediscover.