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Trail Tales This section is for hikers to contribute stories of adventures they have had, pictures and trail conditions for others to enjoy. Contributions to this page are appreciated. Sandy the Horse Completes Midstate
Hi, Don --
Click Here to follow Zack and his end to end hike....
I recently completed a
thru-hike of the Mid State Trail (very enjoyable) and thought some notes
from my journal might help you and others associated with the trail.
I have no criticisms; the trail was, for the most part, well marked.
Just trying to be of help.
1. For food,
there is a good pizza shop in town at Oxford, Mass. It is just to
the left of the trail as you head north. (Police Station is to the
right of trail)
2. I got lost
crossing under Rt 20. First, there was a no trespassing sign near
a home owner's yard so I had to go to further away from the actual trail
and down a steep embankment and then circle back to find the tunnel
under Rt 20. This wasn't too bad, but then I got lost coming
out the tunnel on the other side. I couldn't find the marker
directing me back into the woods and, instead, went left on Rt 20.
I suggest clearer yellow triangles here.
3. A perfect
restaurant awaits on Rt 31. As you head north on the trail, take a
left on Rt 31 and five minutes later, on top of the hill, is the Black
& White restaurant.
4. A variety
store with deli awaits at the juncture of Rt 68 and road. It's
only a tenth of a mile to the left of the trail as you head north.
5. Just after
Barre Dam, two concrete slabs prevent cars from driving over a plank
bridge, BUT they were switched somehow so that the markers/directions
are reversed/opposite. I suspect that when the slabs were
removed and put back, someone didn't notice that the
triangles/directions were wrong.
6. Forgot to
mention that the Spencer Country Inn on Rt 19 is closed.
7. My notes say
that there aren't many triangle markers as you climb up the hill on
Davis Street from Rt 68. I kept climbing and because I was used to
seeing frequent markers, I walked back down to Rt 68, figuring I had
gone the wrong way. More markers needed here, I think.
8. I'm sure you
are aware that the trail emerges into the parking lot of the Wachusett
Inn, where I stayed the night. Got a single room for a reduced
rate and the meals were good. I had no trouble as a single hiker
and find it odd that this was not listed in the guide book.
I did my thru
thru-hike in the middle of June and did not encounter one other person
the whole time I was out there. Truthfully, the shelters, except
for Long Pond, were pretty messy. Not your fault and a shame hikers
can't clean up a little bit. Trash all over, and many unburnables
dumped in the fire pits.
Again, please
interpret these as constructive comments. It was a splendid little
hike. There is only one thing I would urge you to do in your next
revised guidebook. Hikers, especially thru-hikers, need to know
water availability. A lot more of the streams, in my opinion, need
to be listed in the guidebook.
Ray
I finished the Midstate
trail going north-bound on Thursday,
Now that I have finished,
I would like order the trail patch. Thanks to Art Donahue for these great pictures from Channel 5's Chronicle show.
Oxford Bridge Cow Tunnel Moose Hill
Redemption Rock Wachusett Summit Watatic Summit
for the record---
Route 20 Cow Tunnel Oxford horse farm Charlton, MA Oxford, MA
A friend and I started hiking the Mid State trail today. We parked
at Wallum Lake with the goal of going south to the RI/MA marker as a
starter. Went north instead, and got as far as 4.15. We had
lunch there and hiked back to the Lake parking lot. The day was
warm, and that cold lake water felt good on our tired feet when we
returned.
We thoroughly enjoyed the hike. Never saw a soul, even though
it is a school vacation week. We were,however, fascinated by the
small blue moths. We saw several pairs mostly at the southern end of
the trail. The yellow blazes are great, easy to follow and kept us on
the trail in both directions. The trail maintenance is fantastic.
We are from Cape Cod where our trails are mostly covered with pine needles
or are sand.
The trail hiking guide is nicely done. Coming back,
going North to South, we were able to follow the guide's points of
interest and enjoyed them. We did find the Southern New England
Trunkline Trail a small river, but with a little ingenuity got across with
a minimum of inconvenience.
We'll be back and have every intention of doing the entire 92
miles. Please thank your committee for us. The day was very
enjoyable, and walking on those wooded trails is a joy.
Sincerely, Maynard Simpson Hi! Thanks for sending the trail guide. It was very helpful with my latest part of the journey. I spent a few hours (4 1/2) hiking more of the trail yesterday. I went north from route 12 in Oxford to route 20 in Charlton. It was very humid and the deerflies and ticks were ruthless. The scenery was beautiful! I did not see any other hikers though. I found two parts of the 12 to 20 stretch where the markers either disappear for a while or are anything but obvious. The saw mill off of Old Charlton Road was a challenge. There were no markers for about 1/2 a mile or so between the gas pipeline and the road after you pass the saw mill. It took about 1/2 an hr to get back on track there. The other tricky part was at the horse farm after the farm pond. I lost the trail for a while due to overgrown ground flora. That took another 45 minutes. I noticed on the way back that the trail was much easier to follow. That is, the markers were more readily seen. Maybe the trail is maintained from north to south. Anyway, it was the most difficult part so far and only because of poor visible marks. The trail itself is in great condition. Its good to see the good people at Mass Highways built a tunnel under route 20. I have some pictures for you. ~ Doug
Just north of the west branch of the Ware River, (which is about a half-mile north of the Barre Falls dam) is a beaver colony, hidden in the woods a little off the trail. After you cross the river you pass through a big field - a clearing of tree stumps, bordered by woods. On the right (traveling north on the trail) is the pond in the woods. The little guys have dammed up an old bridge abutment. Pretty smart work.~ Michael Paul
Hi Don, I finished the second leg of my journey about a month ago and
waited Wanted to get back to you before
my memory fails. As you know I have had some Hi Don, I finished the trail
staying overnight at the Muddy pond shelter on a
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