We've all had one of those days! Well today was my one of those days. I opened the store up as usual at 6:00am for the ice fishermen to get their bait. Do to the crazy weather we've been having not a person came in for bait. I really wasn't surprised though, we've had bad ice this winter. Then just as I was about to close the store up for the morning, one of our regulars came in. Matt had left New York early to make it on time for our second section hike along the Warner Trail . When I told him that no one had signed up for it he looked disappointed, till I said What the heck, I have to go home first and change but I'll meet you at the trailhead on Hancock Street in Wrentham , Mass.

Picking Matt up on Hancock Street we shuttle over to Taunton Street at the Wrentham Senior Center to start our hike. Finding the parking lot there full, we park on the access road to Wrentham's DPW. It's been several years since I've hiked this section of the trail so with guidebook in hand Grady, Matt and I head out. The guidebook stated the trail paralleled the access road along a woods road in pines. A little way down the access road we found a woods road in the pines and stared to follow it. With each step on the carpet of pine needles the scent of pine would fill the air. As the trail skirted the edge of a ridgeline over looking two ponds with a dirt road separating them, we found our first trail marks on a tree. In the ice incased ponds where several mallard ducks and one mute swan swimming in a small spot of open water along the east bank. Leaving the trout pond, the trail passes through the pines and crosses Breech Street into Wrentham State Forest .

The trail, well marked meanders through hardwoods of oak and maple and crosses a couple of perennial streams. At the streams, large sections of ice have filled the path. The ice not safe for Matt or I holds Grady's weight with no problem. Downstream at one crossing, a small rock out crop forms a waterfall with nearby tree branches covered in ice. Stopping to take a picture, I find out that the new battery I had just put in the camera was dead. Continuing on, the trail climbs a rocky hill and descends down into a wooded col on the other side. Here the quiet woods are replaced by the sounds of traffic. Shortly Route 495 comes into view as the Warner Trail parallels it for a short distance. Leaving the highway we traverse up another rock covered hill. Peering through the leafless trees great views to the east and south were had. Leaving the summit, the trail drops down to Route 1A. Stopping before we got to the road, I call Grady over to put his leash back on. Reaching into my pack, I find out I must have left it at the small waterfall. Looking into my pack to see what I had for a replacement I take my camera strap, a carabiner and Grady's Grateful Dead collar as a handgrip to form a decent leash.

The trail follows Route 1A north to Wampum Corner and turns southwest on Route 121. Almost right away it leaves the road and heads due south along an abandoned railroad bed. We cross the entrance road to Wrentham Outlet and pass under Route 495. While we're walking Matt and I are talking about the store and our plans for the coming spring. Crossing a road we continue on till the railroad bed starts to vanish from the growth of vegetation. Checking the map out, it shows us that we had been talking too much and not watching out for the trail markers. Backtracking to Green Street , we follow it till we recover the trail markers in some telephone poles. The Warner Trail enters the woods once more on an old cart path. The trail takes us into another hardwood forest with several small brooks running full with last week's rain. Like before, ice has built up along the trail near the brooks we have to cross. The day is warming up so even Grady fell through some of the ice covering the path. Leaving the lowlands the trail turns and makes a steady climb upward till we reach a steep rock jumble that tops of at Red Brush Hill. The trail follows the ridgeline with scrub pines and runs along smooth ledge that peeks though the pine needles. Stopping at Sunset Rock, a smooth boulder outcrop we take in a great view of Diamond Hill in Rhode Island . As a turkey vulture soars over us, we leave. Talking about the view from the rock and how it was a great way to end the trip we descend a rock-covered slope down to Hancock Street and Matt's car.