Arcadia: Breakheart and shelter trails

Breakheart Pond Arcadia

On a crisp mid November morning I decided not to go bike riding and instead hike one of my favorite trails: breakfast trail in Arcadia forest in Exeter Rhode Island. 

First let me warm you,  Arcadia is big! If it's small compared to parks in new Hampshire or Maine.  But one wrong turn, and you could be hiking a few more hours than you planned.

I parked at Breakheart pond which is located off ft 165. There are plenty of areas to park.  The trails are well marked. Breakheart has yellow blaze markings and shelter tall is white. Break heart pond has a nice dam and some interesting rock formations to check out.

Trails are well marked

Follow the yellow trail,  which is break heart,  around the pond and you will get on a small single track tail.  You might still see some mountain bikers on this trail, but it's mainly good for hiking. I know when I've mountain biked it, I had to dismount a few time because of the rocks. 

After about 3 miles on the yellow  tail,  you will see markings for the white trail which is called shelter trail and that is also clearly marked. Shelter trail will take you back to plain road which is a dirt road that you can easily take to 165. There is an interesting abandoned campground on shelter trail and be careful to stay on the white trail at this location. I found myself getting off the train a few times because it was not marked very well and the leaf litter made finding the trail difficult.

Overall Breakheart and shelter trails are very difficult to hike. They are well marked, not many steep climbs and not too rocky. These trails are good for trail running and average for mountain biking. If you are in Arcadia in the fall, make sure you wear orange! There re plenty of hunters! 

One of the many creeks

On Shelter trail (the white blazed trail), on top of a hill, there are the remains of an old campground. there are many run down cabins and this impressive fire place. 

You'r friendly trekker

Pelloni Preserves: Hopkinton RI

On the morning of Veterans day I decided to check out a new (to me) preserve in Hopkinton RI. Located between Collins Rd and Diamond Hill RD in Hopkinton is Pelloni Preserves. It was a crisp cool November day, all of the leaves have fallen off the trees and there is a lot of leaf litter on the trails.

Parking for the preserves is located off of Collins RD on a side street called Cedar Knoll Lane. The parking area is well marked from the Hopkinton Land Trust. The parking is located in between two homes.

Here's the map: pelloni preserves

Wide unmarked paths!

This is a small hiking area and the trails are mainly double


ride trails. It offers some nice views of the Tomoquag valley and some interesting rock formations. There are lots of beech, maples and oak trees.

The trails could be marked a little better. There were many times I was wondering if I was actually on a marked trail or if I got off the trail onto one made by a teenage dirt biker. Many of the trails I used ended up with a 'private property' sign, or I ended up in someone's backyard.

The most interesting this that happened to me: I was hiking along a ridge. One my left was a higher elevation and too my right was the valley. I heard some running uphill to my right and as soon as I turned my head, 4 female deer ran around me. They were so close I could have touched them. I then turn towards my left to see what they were running from and over the hill came a 5 point buck. He stopped when he saw me, lifted his head and grunted a few times. He then walked in front of me about 20 feet.

Pelloni Preserves is a nice short hike. There are some interesting features, but I wouldn't make any special trips to it. I would combine this hike with some of the other hiking paths locally and make a day of hiking in Hopkinton. This area would be very good for trail running!

Located on Old Truck trail!

Colonial New England, Hopkinton RI, Brightman Farm

While Hiking on Canonchet Preserves in Hopkinton RI, it becomes evident that this wooded area was once a thriving colonial village. There are many house foundations, retaining walls, Saw mills,  stone walls, stone piles, and even a few failed colonial dams (with locks). Many of these foundations are along the Canonchet brook which today is a small creek.

Located on private property is the remains of the old Brightman Farm. This farm is along the Canonchet brook, it contains many stone walls, a house foundation, the old colonial road, an interesting natural cliff formation, and some stone piles.

There has been many claims about these stone piles. Some people say they were built by Narragansett Indians. Current day Narragansett Indians have claimed a right of passage ceremony was to carry these rocks here. However, I have personally found pieces of iron in these piles that would disprove this claim. Another counter argument would be the condition of these piles. If they were made during the height of the Narragansett (before 1600), they would have been covered by more leaf litter and dirt. One only has to compare this with other Algonquin Indian sites in New England.

The most likely cause of these stone piles is from Colonial American land clearing. The common technique was to place rocks on bigger rocks so you could farm the land. Colonial Americans would then wait till winter when the land was frozen, then drag a sled to where these rocks are stacked and move them to retaining walls. If you tried to move them during the spring or summer, you would get bogged down in mud, or the axles on your cart would break.

 Also - what else are you going to do in the winter?

Here are some pictures of Joseph Brightman's farm. I know Joseph Brightman settled in Hopkinton in the early 1700s. I assume that he is the son of Joseph Brightman that signed the Postmouth Compact in the 1600s. This would make sense. The Hopkinton area would have seemed safer after the King Phillips War and more people would have settled in the area. Joseph and Sarah Brightman had 7 children at this farm, many of these children lived and raised their family on this land. But then after the American Revolution it seemed that many moved to the Scranton PA area. This was most likely to the destruction of the Iroquois after the American Revolution, once again opening land. There is a cemetery for the Brightmans on a neighboring property.

Looking down at the colonial farm from a colonial retaining wall. There most likely was a barn on top of this retaining wall.

If you look closely you can see a square shape made by stones. This is at the bottom of a retaining wall and is most like the foundation for a barn structure.

One of the many stone piles

The colonial road that leads to the farmhouse foundation

A stone wall near the house foundation

This was most likely the farm's gardening area. It is right across the colonial road and across from where the house was. The land has been cleared of stones and the soil is very good. 

Inside the foundation of the Brightman house. There is also a part of the home that did not have a stone foundation. 

Inside the foundation is this interesting cavern. It was not used as a fireplace (even though it is by the area that would have been the house fireplace). I believe this was used to hide family items. In the leaf litter is a large stone that looks like it would cover this hole. Interestingly other stone foundations in the area have similar features. 

Another retaining wall

Another stone pile

Hopkinton RI: Canonchet Preserves

Sign on RT 3 greeting visitors

About 1 mile off Exit 2 of Highway 95 is Canonchet Preserves. The preserve parking area is off of RT 3 and is clearly marked. The recently designated preserve has two main trails, both clearly marked. Here's the map:trail map

Sign warning about coyotes

Stairs on Lawton Foster RD North that lead to the Blue trail. 

The Blue trail (the Hoxsie trail) is about 1 mile long is on the north side of the preserve. It traverses  along the back side of Canonchet Farms. There are many stone piles along this trail.  These stone piles are evidence of colonial land clearing. There are many people that people these are from indigenous people; however, the amount of stone foundations, stone fences, and dams in the area show the amount of land clearing that was occurring in the this area.

The blue trail

One of the many rock piles on the blue trail

Old colonial dam on yellow trail

Not very visible because of the leaf litter is a man made trench that circles the hill. 

The Yellow trail (Canonchet trail) is also about a mile long and traverses along the south side of the preserve. The yellow trail offers some interesting colonial ruins, a mill, dam, house, and a pretty interesting man made cave that creates for some interesting stores.

Both of these trails connect at Lawton Foster RD, so it is possible to hike one trail and return on the other. If you are more adventurous you can cross Lawton Foster RD and continue hiking on the Yellow trail and eventually connect the Long and Ell pond trails by Ashville pond and Hike for hours! If you continue accross Lawton Foster you will see many more foundations and see what a large 1700 colonial village Canonchet was.

Foundation of a colonial house across from the mill on the yellow trail

Canonchet Preserves is not a technically advanced hike. It is pretty easy. There has been reports of aggressive coyotes on the trail, so if you bring your dog, it is best to keep it on a leash.Keep your eyes open for turkeys, deer, owls, woodpeckers, foxes and fishers.

Inside the foundation of a colonial mill on the yellow trail

Outside the foundation of the colonial mill

Small man made cave between the colonial house and mill. Many stories have been told about hiding riches, or children from colonial criminals have been told about this place. 

Bring a hiking stick because there might be a few muddy spots.

Lantern Ledge - North Stonington CT

Who would have thought that right next to Foxwoods in North Stonington CT. Right off of RT 2, is beautiful lantern ledge. Within a short 30 minutes hike, you will be 450 feet up, over looking South Eastern Connecticut. On a clear day you can clearly see New London, Norwich, and Westerly Rhode Island.

Blue Pond Hopkinton RI

Yesterday 19 OCT2015 I ventured out to Blue Pond in Canonchet village, Hopkinton RI.

 Blue Pond used to be a local Victorian vacation spot where many people used to camp and fish in the late 1800 and early 1900s. Many of the old timers living in Hopkinton still talk about catching a weeks worth of fish back when Blue Pond was fully loaded and fully stocked.

Access to the pond area is off of Canonchet Road in Hopkinton. If you are heading from RT 95 and RT 3, take Canonchet Rd and go past Green Plastics. You will see Ashville pond on the left and a little further up there will be a parking area on the right. That is one of the entrances to Blue Pond. There is another entrance (that has a steel gate) that goes straight to the old earthen damn in between the parking area and Ashville pond.

Here is a link to the hiking paths in the area:
http://www.mdc.net/~dbrier/yawgoog/trails/img/long-ell-ponds.jpg

In 2009 the earthen damn failed due to the 3 days of heavy rain and flooded all of the Canonchet area. I went out to see the damage for myself a few years later. Much of the old roads were washed out and not suitable for mountain biking anymore. The terrain is very rocky, there are a few downed trees blocking the paths.

A shadow of what Blue Pond used to be. This pond was at least 10 times bigger! 

Notice the size of the earthen dam, It's at least 10 feet tall. 

When I got to the pond I was amazed to see the pond is now about a tenth of what it used to be! The only water left is on the north area. The level of the water is easily ten feet below the high mark of the damn.

This is where the dam failed. You can see the granite slabs at the bottom that was used to control
drainage. This trench is approx. 10 feet deep.

Blue Pond area is still beautiful. There is still plenty of hiking available and lots of water fowl. I do not recommend the area for mountain biking, but it is a good day hike.