Pine Mt. Wanderings

Some days you just need a hike...

It wasn't a unique trail, so counted only for mileage, but we just wanted to get out for an easy-moderate hike somewhere nice.  Pine almost always fits that bill.  Bonus that it's also so close by!

We ascended the Arlene Francis Morse Trail to the top as usual, then continued down the back (or front?) side of the mountain on the access road, aka Mary Jane Morse Greenwood Trail, to extend our hiking time a bit and enjoy the views from there as well.  We went about 2/3 of the way down, until we knew there would be less views and more dog shit (😒 sigh) beyond that point, then we reversed course to resummit. From there we made our final descent on the Robert A. Greenwood Sr. Loop.  Boy those trail names are a mouthful!  LOL

Along the way, we spotted a curious looking item that I joked was a grenade.  And eek! Someone pulled the pin!! 😱 😂  Of course I don't really believe it's a discarded explosive; I think it's simply some part that fell off a tool or machine, but I was amused by it's resemblance to a hand grenade.  I don't know what it really is; if you do, please leave a comment and tell me!  Either way I was mildly excited just to be able to take a unique photo on these trails, as I have so many from past hikes, and honestly a lot of them look the same. LOL  Of course that never stops me from taking more! 😉  I mean, how can you not of that view?!

One new addition to the viewpoint is a very large cairn.  Last time we were there we discovered a small one that someone had presumably made just for "fun."  We do not know if this larger one, which obviously took a lot of work and muscle, is another incident of hikers violating Leave No Trace rules, or if it is official Forest Society activity.  In any case, we can't deny it looks pretty cool.  But FYI, please do look up why you are not supposed to build or disturb cairns/rock piles on official hiking trails.  (Or beaches, for that matter.)

Other encounters along our trip included me, well, coming close to tripping over a chipmunk, who apparently wasn't overly concerned about us hoofing it up the trail. LOL  We also crossed paths with a very cute, very soft, pattable Lab puppy who was super excited to be hiking and meet new people. 😄  And along with the usual beautiful sights, we admired a really cool old tree along the back access road.  Which of course, because it's silly me, I scrambled up to hug it.  It was a bit of a precarious venture too, being on the edge of a deep ditch with awkward rocks and sapling branches around its base.  Upon my first attempt, I almost nixed the idea out of concern for my safety, but determination won out, and eventually I made my way to the tree.  Thankfully, without injury.

Now, I won't say I entirely regret this foolish hippie undertaking, but it did trigger the one negative experience on Pine (besides all the dog shit)... Ticks!  I immediately had to pick one or two off my pants after climbing back on the trail.  Not long after, despite checking myself over after finding the first ones, I felt a particularly stubborn ankle biter unthwarted by my socks and gaiters.  At another point, Hummingbird stopped me so she could pick off yet another one climbing my leg.  

This was still not as bad as the pretty river trail I had found while driving through CT over the weekend, and enjoyed stretching my legs on for half a mile - I came out covered in the damn things!  It was pretty horrifying.  Bug season has barely started and I am already so over it.  Ugh. 

Despite the friggin ticks, Pine Mt. was an otherwise lovely and satisfying hike this afternoon, as well as much needed Nature Therapy for both Hummingbird & I, as expected.  Like I said, it usually is.  😊

Part of the Greenwood Loop trail.

They look like pussywillows, and yet, not quite. Do you know?

4/18 Pine wanderings, 2.6 mi, 1:06 hrs, 495 ft.