Category: Hiking (Page 6 of 8)

Hiking Zofnass Family Preserve in Pound Ridge on Thursday, Oct 18,  2018  The Zofnass Family Preserve in Pound Ridge is a 150 acre property owned by the Westchester Land Trust.  At this time of the year it is a lush green. There are about 8 miles of trails over a rustic terrain. We will be hiking a loop of about 3 miles, which should be completed in about 2-2 ½ hours. This hike is not for beginners. The trail is
quite rugged with several ups and downs. You do need stamina and a sense ofbalance. Experienced hikers will find this hike in the rustic wilderness most enjoyable.

Due to limited parking space at the trailhead we will meet at 9.30 am at the Long Ridge​ Tavern located at 2635 Long Ridge Road, Stamford​ and car pool from there. Take Exit 34 off the Merritt Parkway and head north on Long Ridge Road for about 3.8 miles till you come to the Tavern on the right ( a red building just before the the blinking traffic light.)

From the Long Ridge Tavern the ride to the trailhead , located at 245 Upper Shad Road is about 5-8 minutes. We expect to start hiking by 9.45 am and finish by about 12.15
pm. Its a beautiful time of the year and the hike should be a rewarding experience.

Lunch will follow at the Long Ridge Tavern for those interested, about 12.30 pm.

We welcome participation from spouses.

Dogs on leash are allowed.

Contact for this hike: Sunil Saksena 203-561-8601 ssaksena44@gmail.com

Picture from this year’s hike.

Hiking Mianus River Gorg​e
167 Mianus River Road,
Bedford, NY 10506
Tuesday May 29, 2018
10.30 am

We will be hiking Mianus River Gorge in Bedford on Tuesday. May 29, 2018 at 10.30
am​ ( Note this 30 min later than our usual 10.00 am start).

The Gorge is a 750 acre preserve of old-growth forest that was established more than sixty years ago as the first
land project of the Nature Conservancy.  While the main trail is 4 miles long, part of it has been rendered inaccessible since a short stretch runs through private property over which the owners have recently denied access to the public. Thus our hike will be a relatively short one: a 2.5 mile loop. The outbound portion of the loop consists of a couple of sustained climbs along a gradual slope. The return is largely downward. The trail is well kept, well marked and rugged in
places. Visitors have the sense of a remote wilderness in the midst of an urban area. The gorge area is quite beautiful at this time of the year with the leaves providing plenty of shade. This promises to be a particularly enjoyable hike. Spouse are welcome.

Starting at 10.30, we should be done hiking by 12 noon. Lunch for the hungry will follow at the Long Ridge Tavern, 2635 Long Ridge Road, Stamford.

Directions: ( Google maps;Mianus River Gorge, Bedford)
Proceed South on the Merritt and take Exit 34 ( Long Ridge Road).
At the bottom of the exit ramp make a right and proceed north on Long Ridge approx
7.3 miles.
Make a left on Millers Mill Road and then after crossing the bridge, make another left on Mianus River Road (a dirt road).
About a half mile down this dirt road on the left is the entrance to the Mianus River Gorge. Plenty of parking is available.
Be alert​: its easy to miss Miller’s Mill Road. Check your odometer when you enter LongRidge Road from the Merritt so you know when you have traveled 7.3 miles. Two helpfullandmarks to watch for: Twin Lakes Drive on the right come just before you turn left onMiller’s Run. Also house number 116 on the right is just across the road from Miller’s Run.

Contact for this hike: Sunil Saksena, ssaksena44@gmail.com, 203-561-8601 Cell

This 100 acre property is now owned by the Town of Greenwich, but was at one time the estate
of a Mr Wertheim, a New York investment banker. The property is of interest because the
mansion that sits atop a small hill was home to Barbara Tuchman, the noted historian, who was
Mr Wertheim’s daughter and who wrote her Pulitzer prize- winning book “The Guns of August”
while secluded in a small cabin on the property. The mansion itself fell into disrepair and was demolished by the Town , but its skeleton was preserved for its historical interest.

Except for a couple of gentle slopes, the hiking trails on this property are fairly flat and suitable for almost anyone who is interested in hiking. Its a very pretty property, rustic and wooded and you will marvel that so much open space has been preserved in the middle of a residential area.

We expect to hike about 2-2 1/2 hours followed by lunch, which is optional will be at the Little
Pub at 531 East Putnam Ave Greenwich at about 12.30pm

Directions:​ On Google Maps mark your destination as Pomerance Park, Greenwich or 101
Orchard Street, Greenwich. Take I-95 South towards Greenwich and get off at Exit 5. Off the Exit ramp make a left turn onto Route 1 South ( also called East Putnam Ave).. Proceed just over a mile and then make a sharp right turn onto Orchard Street(there is a Gulf station at the corner). Drive up Orchard
Street about 0.75 miles and you will see Pomerance Park on your right. Pull into the parking lot
where we will meet at 10.00am

Contact :Sunil Saksena ssaksena44@gmail.com
203-561-8601

Our next hike is set for Thursday May 3, 2018 at 10.00 am

The Leon Levy Preserve was established approximately 10 years ago when the 400 acre Bell property was purchased by the Westchester Land Trust. The hiking trails here are wide, well maintained, well marked and range from an easy to a light moderate level of difficulty. This hike should appeal to hikers of all levels of experience. We welcome spouses and significant others — they will enjoy this outing.

We will start at 10.00am, hike for perhaps 3.5 miles and be done by approximately 12 noon.

Following the hike, an optional lunch will be at Cava Wine Bar and Restaurant at 2 Forest Avenue, New Canaan. A fixed price ($19) two- course lunch awaits you there.

Directions:
The best directions can be had by googling 45 Smith Ridge Road in South Salem, NY. This is a private home on Route 123 very close to the Preserve. In fact, a few yards from their mailbox is a brown sign saying the the Leon Levy Preserve is just ahead on the left. There is ample parking.

For those traveling from Darien, you will basically being going up Mansfield Ave (Route 124) into New Canaan and there connect to Route 123 N which is Smith Ridge Road in New Canaan. Proceed on Route 123 N well into New York State till you see the mailbox for 45 Smith Ridge Road in South Salem and spot the Leon Levy sign mentioned above.

Contact for this hike: Sunil Saksena, 203-561-8601; ssaksena44@gmail.com

We will be walking Greenwich Point Park on Friday December 8 at 10.30 am. Note that this is half an hour later than our usual start time of 10.00 am.

Greenwich Point is a beautiful peninsula surrounded on three sides by Long Island Sound. The walking trail is completely flat and does not require any special skills other than a desire to walk amid some pretty spectacular scenery. We will be doing the full circuit of about 3 miles in about 1 1⁄2 hours.

Following the walk we will have lunch at the Italian Restaurant Applausi Osteria Toscana( 199
Sound Beach Road). Last year this restaurant was a hit with our group.

Directions: Google Greenwich Point for the best directions.
Take Exit 5 off the South bound I-95. At the end of the exit ramp make a sharp right onto Rt 1 and then at the first traffic light make another right onto Sound Beach Road. Continue on Sound Beach for 1.8 miles, then at the T junction make a right on Shore Road which becomes Tods Driftway after 1.3 miles. You enter Greenwich Point Park through a somewhat obscure stone gateway and park in the first parking lot on the right where we will meet.

This park is open only for Greenwich Residents during the season, but this being off-season anyone can enter. Leashed dogs are allowed after Dec 1.

Clothing: It is usually quite windy at Greenwich Point and will probably be chilly
as well. Be appropriately clad. Walking will warm you up and it should be
invigorating and fun. All are welcome. ( Last year our group numbered 18 ).

Contact: Sunil Saksena 203-561-8601 ; ssaksena44@gmail.com

We will be hiking at Saxon Woods Park in Scarsdale, NY on Friday Nov 17 at 10 am. This is a 700 acre county park and contains an 18 hole golf course, tennis courts, a huge swimming pool, soccer fields and several miles of hiking trails in the woods. We will be hiking the part of the
park that is south of the Hutchinson Parkway off exit 22. The trails here are wide, well maintained and well marked and largely devoid of treacherous roots and rocks. We will hike a loop of about 3.5 miles which will take us 2-2.5 hours. This promises to be a most enjoyable
hike and we welcome our regular hikers as well as newcomers. Spouses and significant others will find this hike fun.

After the hike, at around 12.30pm we will have lunch(optional) at the nearby Red Plum Restaurant, a highly regarded and popular place serving mouth-watering Asian dishes at reasonable luncheon prices. ( Located at 251 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck).

Directions
Head South on the Merritt Parkway into Westchester. Take Exit 22 off the Hutch and make a left turn at the top of exit ramp onto Mamaroneck Road. Proceed about 200 yards and then make a left into the parking lot of the Weinberg Nature Center, marked by an easy to miss sign.

Address: 455 Mamaroneck Road, Scarsdale.
Meeting Time at parking lot: 10.00am
Contact: Sunil Saksena, 203-561- 8601, ssaksena44@gmail.com

We will be hiking the trails at Devil’s Den Preserve in Weston on Thursday, October 12, with a 10 am start. This is the largest nature preserve in SW Connecticut and extremely popular with hikers. Owned by the Nature Conservancy, its has 1700 acres of woodlands, wetlands, ponds and streams, and 20 miles of picturesque trails. It is home to 145 species of birds, 20 species of mammals, and over 400 varieties of trees and wildflowers.

We will be hiking a loop of about 3.5 miles.This trail has a moderate level of difficulty in that there are places of gradual uphill, but these are usually followed by long stretches of flat trail.  You do need sturdy shoes as the trail is rocky in places.

The hike will last about 2-2 ½ hours and will give us ample opportunity to bathe in the forest air.  I mention this because the Japanese believe hiking is good for one’s health, not just because of the exercise involved, but also because it gives one the opportunity to breathe the forest air which is swirling with healthful compounds released by the trees.

After the hike, at about 12.30pm,we will have lunch at a nearby restaurant, Wiremill Saloon and Barbeque, which is a local favorite and a short drive away.  It is located at 12 Old Mill Road,
Redding.

A usual, we welcome spouses and significant others on our hikes.

Directions
Take Exit 42 off the Merritt Parkway and at the bottom of exit ramp make a right turn onto Route 57 North towards Weston. After 3.8 miles, at the flashing light bear right to follow CT-53 for 1.7 miles. Turn left on Godfrey Road West and drive half a mile. Make right on to Pent Road which ends in the parking lot for Devil’s Den.

On Google Maps use this destination address : 33 Pent Road, Weston

Contact : Sunil Saksena 203-561-8601 (cell) ssaksena44@gmail.com

We will be hiking two properties in New Canaan on Septembr 15. Both are easily accessible and are a short drive from Darien. Both are rated C+ on the level of difficulty scale used to grade hikes (for a fuller description of this rating click on the Hiking tab   on the DMA website). This means that the terrain is relatively flat, but the trails may occasionally be strewn with rocks and roots. So one  has to exercise some care in traversing these trails, but other than that, they are relatively easy and should appeal even to the novice hiker.

The first property we will be hiking is the Hicks Kelley Audubon property owned by the New Canaan Land Trust. This T-shaped property is approximately 40 acres with just under two miles of interesting trails.

Following this hike we will take a short drive to the second property,the 80 acre Waveney Park, which is owned by the Town of New Canaan. Here the trail loop is about 1.5 miles and serenely beautiful.

 
After completing both trails we will head downtown for lunch at Restaurant  Chef Luis (129 Elm St., New Canaan)

We meet at 10 am on Friday, Septemeber 15 at the Hicks Kelley property, the entrance to which is adjacent to mailbox of house no. 161 on  Cedar Lane.

Driving instructions: Off the north-bound Merritt Parkway take exit 38. At bottom of the exit ramp make a right turn and after 0.3 miles( that is, at the second light) turn right onto Carter Road. Proceed 1.3 miles on Carter, then make a right turn on to Dabney Road ( this turn is at 409 Carter Rd).  Bear left at the fork and Dabney becomes Cedar Lane . Park along the road near 161 Cedar. It shouldnt take more than 5-6 minutes once you get off the Merritt.

Direction from Hicks Kelley to Waveney Park (which is off Exit 37) will be handed out on site.

These two hikes are relatively easy and have have been selected to encourage maximum particpation and to provide a warm up to the more challenging hikes to come. In addition to our regulars, we are hoping to entice some newcomers to give hiking a try.

Contact: Sunil Saksena, 203-561-8601, ssaksena44@gmail.com

HIKING BABCOCK PRESERVE in GREENWICH, CT

Reschedule from FRIDAY MAY 26, 2017 due to weather.

Our last hike of the season will be on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. We will be hiking the Babcock Preserve which is a 300 acre tract of forested land in Greenwich, north of the Merritt. It is the largest park in Greenwich and consists of several hiking trails over a relatively easy terrain. It was acquired by the Town of Greenwich in 1972, partially by gift and partially by purchase from the Babcock Family.
At this time of the year the park is a particularly pretty lush green with its tranquillity interrupted only by the chirping of birds. We plan to hike about 3.5 miles and be done by 12.30pm. Half this trail is relatively flat with the balance consisting of a not too strenuous gentle slope.
As usual wives and significant others are welcome.
After the hike we will have lunch (optional) at the Asiana Bistro, a fusion Asian restaurant located at 844 High Ridge Road in Stamford.

DIRECTIONS

From the south-bound Merritt Parkway take Exit 31 (North St). At the top of the exit ramp make a left turn on to North St-north. About half a mile down the road on the left will be the clearly marked entrance to Babcock Preserve. There is ample parking. Meet there at 10.00am on 5/26/17.

Contact: Sunil Saksena. ssaksena44@gmail.com, 203-561-8601

Mianus River Park Hike
scheduled for Friday April 28, 2017 at 10am
Merriebrook Lane, Stamford
The 400 acre Mianus River Park straddles the towns of Stamford and Greenwich and is owned jointly by them. Its dramatic landscape includes the Mianus River and its tributary streams, a hilly terrain, hiking trails, rock formations and plentiful widflowers. We have hiked here before but this time we will be trying a new, more interesting trail.This trail starts with climbing a hill followed by the slope easing off into a comfortable hike.

More about the park can be found at:
Mianus River Park

We will hike approximately 3.5 miles and, starting at 10am, be done by about 12.30 pm.

As usual, participation from spouses, significant others and friends is welcome.

The hike will be followed by lunch(optional) at the Mackenzie Bar and Grill located at 970 High Ridge Road, Stamford.
Date & Time : Friday, April 28, 2017 at 10 am

Meeting Point: Parking lot at the Stamford entrance of the Mianus River Park on Merriebrook Lane, off Westover Road
Parking. : lower level, just below the large red cabin on the right side of Merriebrook

Directions: . Search for Merriebrook Lane in Stamford on google maps or follow these
directions:
Heading south towards NYC on the Merritt take exit 33 on to Den Road . Then take the first left on to Bangall Road and a left again on to Riverbank Rd. This turns slightly right and becomes Westover Road. After 1.2 miles, make a right on to Merriebrook Lane( careful, it’s easy to miss this turn). The park entrance and parking lot is ¼ mile down the hill on Merriebrook.

Contact. : Sunil Saksena.
ssaksena44@gmail.com
203-561-8601 cell

Hiking Pomerance Park,
Greenwich Connecticut

We will be hiking Pomerance Park, located at 101 Orchard Street, Greenwich on Thursday
March 30, 2017 at 10 am

This 100 acre property is now owned by the Town of Greenwich, but was at one time the estate
of a Mr Wertheim, a New York investment banker. The property is of interest because the
mansion that sits atop a small hill was home to Barbara Tuchman, the noted historian, who was
Mr Wertheim’s daughter and who wrote her Pulitzer prize- winning book “The Guns of August”
while secluded in a small cabin on the property. The mansion itself fell into disrepair and was
demolished by the Town , but its skeleton was preserved for its historical interest.
Except for a couple of gentle slopes, the hiking trails on this property are fairly flat and suitable
for almost anyone who is interested in hiking. Its a very pretty property, rustic and wooded and
you will marvel that so much open space has been preserved in the middle of a residential area.

We expect to hike about 2-21/2 hours followed by lunch, which is optional will be at the Little
Pub at 531 East Putnam Ave Greenwich at about 12.30pm

Directions: On Google Maps mark your destination as Pomerance Park, Greenwich or 101
Orchard Street, Greenwich.

Take I-95 South towards Greenwich and get off at Exit 5. Off the Exit ramp make a left turn
onto Route 1 South ( also called East Putnam Ave).. Proceed just over a mile and then make a
sharp right turn onto Orchard Street(there is a Gulf station at the corner). Drive up Orchard
Street about 0.75 miles and you will see Pomerance Park on your right. Pull into the parking lot
where we will meet at 10.00am

Contact :Sunil Saksena ssaksena44@gmail.com
203-561-8601

“Hiking” Greenwich Point Park,
6 Tod’s Driftway, Greenwich
Thursday, December 1, 2016

We will be walking Greenwich Point Park on Thursday, December1 at 10.30 am. Note that this is an hour later than our usual start time of 9.30 am.

Greenwich Point is a beautiful peninsula surrounded on three sides by Long Island Sound. The walking trail is completely flat and does not require any special skills other than a desire to walk amid some pretty spectacular scenery. We will be doing the full circuit of about 3 miles in about 1 ½ hours.

Following the walk we will have lunch at the highly recommended Italian Restaurant Applausi Osteria Toscana,199 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, Conn. Take a look at the menu here.

Directions: Google Greenwich Point for the best directions.

Take Exit 5 off the South bound I-95. At the end of the exit ramp make a sharp right onto Rt 1 and then at the first traffic light make a right onto Sound Beach Road. Continue on Sound Beach for 1.8 miles, then at the T junction make right on Shore Road which becomes Tods Driftway after 1.3 miles. You enter Greenwich Point Park through a stone gateway and park in the first parking lot on the right where we will meet.

This park is open only for Greenwich Residents during the season, but this being off-season anyone can enter. However incoming cars are checked to make sure there are no dogs as they are not allowed in the park.

Clothing: It is usually quite windy at Greenwich Point and will probably be chilly as well. Be appropriately clad. Walking will warm you up and it should be invigorating and fun. All are welcome.

( Rain date: Friday December 2 at 10.30am)

Contact: Sunil Saksena 203-561-8601