Gloucester, Rhode Island
Emerging out into the day light onto Willie Woodhead Road. This newly paved road with few houses on it, takes us passed great views of Ponagansett Reservoir and a golden retriever that announces our presences to the quiet households. Heading west along Old Snake Hill Road the group trek by a sawmill and wooded farmland before crossing Route 94. Old Snake Hill Road slowly turns to a dirt cart path as it passes working farms of cattle and the biggest turkey I have ever seen. The trail turns muddy while we leave our westward trek and start to head south once more. After a split in the trail the group takes a lunch break. Just off the trail water running through an ancient stone raceway on its way to Killington Pond. Sitting above the stone works, we eat our lunch and talk about past and future hikes. Just before returning to the trail, a dirt bike passes skillfully making its way down slope of the ice flow that covers the trail. Entering the Killington Wildlife Refuge the trail weaves it’s way along the state line of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Stopping with others we watch a small waterfall flow over the stone dam of Killington Pond to the south/east and a beautiful wooded wetland to the north/west. The trail turns even more muddy and dug up, leaving Rhode Island and eventually turns into cart paths once more. At one point the group hike by a boulder made up of pure white quartz that marks the entrance to someone’s camp. The trail returns to pavement a Pond Road that we follow between Killington Pond and Middle Reservoir. On a stop sign at the intersection of Pond Road and Riley Chase Road, the trail is blazed with stickers commemorating the first and second section hikes along the trail in 1992 and 1993. Continuing along Riley Chase Road between stonewalls and farmland the road returns to dirt. At one point we cross the slopes of Jerimoth Hill, at 812 feet is Rhode Islands highest point. Ending our hike at Route 44 on the Conn./RI line, we head over to Pizza King and a Spaghetti Pizza. Live the Experience!
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On a beautiful morning we head out of the
George Washington Management Area to continue our trek
south along the North/South Trail. From Route 44 we turn
down Durfee Hill Road and leave the pavement behind for a
while and enter the Durfee Hill Management Area. Hiking
along a cart path through a hemlock forest that slowly
climbs seventy-five in elevation and roller coasters
through the forest for the next 3 miles. For the first
time on our trek along the North South Trail we have a
clear trail with old snow. The quiet of the dark
evergreen forest is broken by the sounds of birds turning
leaves over looking for food and the cascading brooks
that ramble a cross the trail filled to their brims from
winters melt. As the day goes by others fine out how fine
a day we have and the sound of dirt bikes are heard.