Section V Hike
We met where our last hike ended, at the Baptist Church on Route 165 in Exeter, RI. While the drivers were shuttling their cars to the terminus of today’s trek, we met up with another couple waiting for us on Hazard Road. Upon our return the group we had left at the church told us the members of the church were trying to get them to mass. Leaving, the trail heads west along Hargraves Trail, an abandon dirt road. Within minutes Mother Nature shows her strength, the old travel line is eroded with deep trenches. Evan stands in the bottom of Rhode Islands own Grand Canyon and it was over four feet deep. Even here in the woods the flood of 2010 has left its mark. Heading north the trail merges onto a dirt access road into Arcadia Wildlife Management Area. Crossing Falls River we find a lone fisherman wetting his line. Heading west the group turns left onto Barber Road, a gravel farm road that crosses Falls River once more before leading us up hill. As the trail leaves the old cart path the hikers take a break and shed some layers. Here we talk about the old Barber Farm and how that only stone foundations and walls remain. The trail descends into a pine forest and several hikers comment that maybe they took some layers off to soon. The forest is darkened by the tall growth and damp from the rain. Starting a gradual climb, we hike along a ridge with a wetland on our right and the pine woods continuing as far as you could see left. Cresting Sand Hill, we pass the wooden remains of a small building as the trail widens and continues through the dense grove of white pine. The trail emerges from the woods onto Austin Farm Road and we head toward our right for a short distance to a bridge crossing Falls River for the third time. The North South Trail returns to the woods by merging with the Ben Utter Trail. The damage caused by the 2010 flood is evident here with several sections of the trail washed out and a foot bridge crossing a babbling brook has collapsed. After passing the remains of an earthen dam the trail crosses Falls River on a footbridge. Someone draws my attention to a form along the rivers edge as a woman in camo works her way down stream. Every so often she picks something up for inspection before returning it to the ground. We hike over to the falls for lunch and make up stories about the woods-woman we just seen. Dark clouds move in and we head out hoping our luck holds and we beat the rain. Following Falls River Road, we make jokes about a sign stating that this was a minimum maintained road as three foot deep erosion trenches run down the middle of the gravel road. The trail returns to the woods at the sign and drops into a wooded wetland and a muddy trail. A pair of mallards takes flight from the wetland as we hike through abandon farmland. In the mud deer tracks are found and in several puddles tadpoles are seen hatching. Seen the group reach our vehicles, we have beaten the rain but barely. As I drive back to the store it starts to rain. Live the Experience!
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Checking the TV for the weather with the
rain coming down I wondered if I should trust the
weathermen. Each channel stated that it was a passing
shower and it would clear. Our group was dwindling, I
already had a call for one person dropping out do to rain
and a couple had to pass because of a late night at
Mohican Sun. Also four of our regulars, one of them Swamp
Dog, were on a Disney Cruise. By 8:00 am I had seven
hikers ready to brave the elements so we headed out. By
the time we reached Warwick, the rain had stopped and
Mister Sun was trying to break through.