After a couple of days having a feeding frenzy I decided to take a hike along the Warner Trail. This 30 plus mile trail starts in Canton, Mass and runs southwest to Diamond Hill Park in Cumberland, RI. The trail first conceived after World War II by members of the AMC has seen many changes to its route do to development in recent years.

The trek started from the parking lot at Diamond Hill in Cumberland, RI and from the start I was saddened. The state of Rhode Island gave up their 99 year lease on the park property a few years ago and the park became the property of the town of Cumberland. Different organizations have run fund raiser events at the park for several years but recently they've been running a haunted hill during the month of October. Each year the area gets trashed not only from visitor trash but from the remains of haunting stations left in the woods. I have no problem with the event but I feel the groups running the event should be held responsible for the total clean up of the area right after the event. After about 10 minutes of bushwhacking around the debris field I was able to find the white triangle markers of the Warner Trail .

The trail parallels Diamond Hill Road south till is switchbacks up the slope of Diamond Hill. Following the ridge north the trail offers some excellent views to the valley below and the highest point in Cumberland; Beacon Pole. It isn't long before the haunted dumpsite is almost forgotten as the trail crests the summit around the water tank. Here you can find the concrete remains of the chairlift and towrope anchors from the hills ski slope past. Heading north the trail starts to descend but not before great views of the park to the west and the Diamond Hill Reservoir to the east can be seen. Descending on a loose gravel trail you enter a hard wood forest of birch and oak eventually ending on Fisher Road . Turning east (right) follow the paved road a short distance to a cul-de-sac and reentering the woods on the left, opposite house number 15.

Leaving the Diamond Hill Park, the trail now traverses the Diamond Hill Reservoir property. After a steep but graded descent the trail heads north once more along the shoreline of the reservoir. Ice build-up can be seen in the muddy wet areas of the trail as it twists its way through a wetland. Crossing a brook the trail follows the reservoir's north bank heading east and in a short while there is a small side trail that takes you out to the waters edge. Out in the clearing I find a large chair-shaped rock that I take advantage of. Sitting there sharing a Harvest Bar with my chocolate lab Grady, I here the noise of what sounded like a jet flying low overhead and look up. Breaking just feet over our heads are three wood ducks making a water landing. Shortly another group of three join them and I'm not sure why, but after about ten minutes the raft grew to about 20 ducks. What was strange, all the ducks arrived in small groups of two or three. Watching the ducks move farther out in the reservoir with Grady's insistences, I catch the glimpse of a deer walking out of the woods for a drink.

Returning to the trail, now on Camp Karr-Anna we head around the most northerly section of Diamond Hill Reservoir. At a bend in the trail I spot an abandoned campsite overlooking the water. There are a couple of sleeping bags out on the ground and a tent set up in the middle of the trail. Grady helps himself to the food leftovers in a cook pot, licking the wooden spoon clean. Heading deeper into the camp property I smell campfire smoke. Arriving at Tingley Road I turn around and head back. At the campsite Grady goes over to the pot once more to make sure it was clean and steps on one of the sleeping bags. Sticking his head out from under the bag a dark haired youth says HEY!  Apologizing for the disturbance, we make a hasty retreat along the waters edge before he realizes Grady ate his breakfast.