Location: Naugatuck Forest, Oxford Reservoir Block, Oxford
Condition of Trails(s): Deep snow
Observations: The deep snow made snowshoeing a challenge, especially since about half the trails I walked with two friends had not seen any use. In some places there were snowshoe tracks, and in other places there were cross-country ski tracks, but we did not encounter anyone else. There were a few large trees down across the trails, one about 18-inches in diameter that was lying about one foot above the ground.
When the snow melts away, the Naugatuck Forest has a good mix of woods roads, as this section was once water company property, and rugged single track that has lots of rocks, due to some severe erosion. For now, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing is the way to go. Expect plenty of elevation changes as the property goes from about 225 feet to 825 feet above sea level. The further north on the property, the higher the elevations. Absolutely nothing is blazed in this area, although the unnamed trails are generally pretty obvious. The state has an excellent map available at http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/stateparks/maps/NaugatuckEastWestBlocksTrailMap.pdf. Oddly, the map does not show the powerlines that cross the property in two different directions. If you are using the powerlines to orient yourself, remember that there are TWO sets of them. The best starting location is the trailhead at 1 Old Litchfield Tpke, Oxford. Normally, it holds about 8 cars, but with the deep snow, there is now room for maybe five. In biking season, people always have the option of parking on Molleur View Drive, about one-third of a mile south of this trailhead and biking up, but the road is narrow, so it's not recommended for walking.
Directions: Rt. 8 N. to Exit 23. Left at end of ramp to Rt. 42 West for 1.6 miles. Rt. 8 S. to Exit 24. Right onto S. Main St. (becomes Rt. 42 West) for 2.6 miles. Old Litchfield Tpke. is a right turn about 1/3 mile past Oxford town line.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold
Trail Ambassador Email: bikehikekayak {at} sbcglobal {dot} net Town:
Trail(s) Walked: Woods roads and trails near and around the reservoirs
How did you use the trail: Snowshoe
What was the time of day: 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Duration (Hours): 4
Distance (Miles): 3.5
No comments:
Post a Comment