“HIKING” GREENWICH POINT PARK

  7 TOD’S DRIFTWAY, GREENWICH

  THURSDAY DECEMBER 9, 2021

10:30

We will be walking around Greenwich Point starting at 10:30 am.  

NOTE THAT THIS START TIME IS ONE HALF HOUR LATER THAN OTHER HIKES. We will be walking about 3 miles over flat, mostly paved or packed gravel paths, which should take us about an hour and a half.

Greenwich Point is a 147 acre property owned by the Town of Greenwich which bought the property in 1945. The peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water, was the private estate of J. Kennedy Tod who purchased the property in the 1880s. Greenwich Point offers spectacular views of Manhattan and the Greenwich shoreline. It is a beautiful place to walk and only available to non-Greenwich residents (without a substantial fee) during the months of December-April. You will not regret coming on this “hike”!

We will assemble in the first parking lot on the right after you pass the gatehouse. Greenwich Point can be windy and cold so layer up! Dogs on a leash are permitted and, as always, bring guests.

We will have an optional lunch at Louie’s Italian Restaurant in Cos Cob at 136 River Road Ext, a 12 minute drive from the Point.

DIRECTIONS: Google Greenwich Point Park for guidance

Contacts: Dave McCollum and 203-858-5688 and Bob Plunkett

Followup:

An enthusiastic group of 16 braved cold and windy, but bright, conditions over a little more than 3 miles at Greenwich Point this morning. This was our first chance to tour the spectacular peninsula after a two year absence due to weather and Covid. The wait was worth it, as it always is at GP. We had a fairly good view of Manhattan and a
very look at the Greenwich shoreline on our way around. Except for a stretch of about 400 yards, the trail is hard packed or pavement and very flat. We attracted four guests and the total group was the largest since Sherwood Island last year. J Kennedy Tod picked a beautiful place to site his mansion over 130 years ago and, like many of the places we hike, a municipal, state or charitable entity had the foresight to acquire the property for the benefit of future generations. Wildlife report-birds, nonlife report-one dead fish.

The group transferred to Louie’s Italian Restaurant in Cos Cob for a great lunch after the hike. This was the 8 th and final hike of 2021, an activity well suited to the unusual conditions of this year. Thanks to all who participated! We
hope to schedule some more hikes over the winter months.
Dave McCollum and Bob Plunkett

HIKING MIANUS RIVER PARK
STAMFORD, CT
NOVEMBER 18, 2021

On a spectacular mid-November day, 10 DMAers and 2 spouses hiked
for 3.8 miles in a little over two hours through the beautiful trails at
Mianus River Park, a 391 acre nature reserve on the
Stamford/Greenwich border. The combination of some still colorful
leaves, glacial rock outcroppings and a forest floor largely free of low
foliage made for a very scenic hike. Alas, again we spotted no wildlife
but we did encounter many other hikers and their dogs on such a nice
day. No injuries or other mishaps occurred extending our safety record!
The beauty of these hikes is the opportunity to converse with each
other in a quiet setting and to get to talk to every hiker at some point
during the walk.

After the hike, ten of us enjoyed a delicious and well served lunch at
Jody’s 19 th Hole at the E Gaynor Brennan Golf Course in Stamford.
Our next hike will be on Thursday December 9 at 10:00 at Greenwich
Point. Always a DMA favorite for its flat path and spectacular views of
Manhattan, we welcome a return after a Covid enforced absence of
two years.
Dave McCollum and Bob Plunkett

HIKING DEVIL’S DEN PRESERVE

WESTON, CT

MONDAY OCTOBER 25, 2021

    10:00 AM

The Devil’s Den Preserve’s original 1,400 acres  was purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 1966 using funds donated by Katherine Ordway, a local philanthropist. Today it encompasses over 1,700 acres and is the largest preserve in SW Connecticut. The history of the property goes back to 1767 when it was first used as a sawmill during the Revolution. Forestry was the principal use of the property until the 1930s but the many stone walls on the land indicate its use for agriculture as well. For about 80 years during that time span, charcoal was produced at over 30 sites on the property. There are woodlands, wetlands, ponds and streams on the acreage.

We will be hiking a trail of about 4 miles which we rate as easy to moderate. The trails are mostly wide and well maintained but often have rocks and roots as you would expect. There are no serious ups and downs but there is a fair degree of elevation change. We estimate the hike will take 2 ½ to 3 hours.

There will be no lunch after this hike.

As usual we welcome friends, spouses and others to join us. These hikes are a great way to meet new members and to have a chance to converse in an outdoor environment. NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED AT DEVIL’S DEN.

Devil’s Den is accessed off of Exit 42 on the Merritt Parkway. The address is 30 Pent Road, Weston but Google Maps and Waze recognize Devil’s Den as a destination.

Contacts: Dave McCollum  and Bob Plunkett 

Not deterred by an overnight rain which left the trails a bit wet, a hardy group of
10 DMAers hiked about 5 miles in three hours over the Perry, Godfrey and
Aspetuck trails at the 1700 acre Devil’s Den Preserve in Weston. The damp ground
was offset by very mild and occasionally sunny weather. The trail markings and
signage at DD re very good and we navigated the course with nary a wrong turn.
Oh, wait a minute, the navigation excellence was actually more the result of
various hiker’s backwoods savvy and a nose for the correct direction!
The Preserve’s ownership by The Nature Conservancy dates to 1966 but the
property records go back to 1767. While forestry and agriculture were the
principal uses of the land, for eight decades the property was chiefly used to
produce charcoal. The accompanying photo shows one relic of that period. Again
on this hike, as was the case at Trout Valley last month, we saw very few humans
and only a worm and a toad for wildlife. These animals, which surely reside in
preserves like DD, must somehow know we are coming and spend the day in
hiding.
The next hike is scheduled for The Zofnass Family Preserve in Pound Ridge, NY on
Thursday November 18.
As of now, we plan to resume the optional lunch after this hike.
Spouses, friends and any others are encouraged to join us and dogs on a leash are
allowed at Zofnass.
Dave McCollum and Bob Plunkett