Last month my trusty and ever faithful companion Cinnamon and I hiked Millers Pond State Park and the northern portion of the expansive Cockaponset State Forest. As a follow-up to that adventure, we decided to hike the Chester portion of the forest in the Pattaconk Reservoir region. Cockaponset State Forest is a rather large expanse of woods that is broken into a half dozen separate non-contiguous areas from Clinton/Westbrook in the south to Middletown/Middlefield in the north. The entire forest is over 16,000 acres.  The section in Chester extends from Route 148 north along the entire length of Chester into the Turkey Hill area of southern Haddam.

The Pattaconk Reservoir section is accessed via Cedar Lake Road in Chester, about 4 miles from Route 9, Exit 6. There is a well marked entrance and a very large parking area.  However, I imagine the parking lots seem small on weekends.  From the parking areas there are some very nice views of the Pattaconk Reservoir. Many of the Forest’s trails meet at or near the parking areas.

We decided to take the blue blazed trail heading north on the west side of the reservoir. This trail is a singletrack with an abundance of small stream crossings. It is well marked and cleared. If you were to try this trail on your mountain bike be prepared for some tough sections of rocks and roots. It is also much more hilly than the multi-use trails that can also be found in this forest.  We very much enjoyed the small waterfalls and cascades that we passed on this trail. The blue trail intersects the Blue/Red trail at the northwestern tip of the reservoir. From this point going north, the blue trail becomes even more rustic. I suspect it gets much less use than the previous section. Nevertheless, it is well maintained and clearly marked all the way to its terminus at the Old County Road, a quiet gravel road that runs along the southern border of Haddam. From here we walked along Old County Road until we found the Red, multi-use, trail.  This trail was much wider than the blue trail and does not involve trekking up and down hills. There is enough room on this trail for both bikes and hikers with room to spare. We followed the red trail south for almost a mile until we intersected the gravel access road leading to the camping area on the north side of the reservoir. We were surprised to see the well maintained and sturdy shelters that were built for the camp sites. By our count there were at least (5) shelters well spaced along the northeast banks of the reservoir.  For the rest of our hike back to the parking area we took the Blue/Gold trail that follows the eastern shore of the reservoir. Here again, I would caution the biker that there are some sections of this trail suited only for hiking due to the rocks, roots, and other hazards. We arrived back at the car about 2 hours after we started. Our total mileage was just over 4 miles.

Sometime later this summer we hope to hike another portion of this State Forest.  We would highly recommend this section of Cockaponset  for your hiking and biking pleasure. If you are not a seasoned  mountain biker I would recommend sticking to the multi-use trails. We are truly blessed with an abundance of nice hiking and biking destinations here in Connecticut, all of which are easily accessible and well maintained.  Now, get outside and do some hiking.

Product Tested:

Petzl Tikka Plus 2 Headlamp

Best uses for product:

Camping, hiking at night, power outages

What you used the product for:

Peak Races Ultra 50 miler

Winter Storm Nemo

Hiking in the White Mountains

Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Irene

Reading in bed at night

Favorite aspect of the product:

My favorite aspect of the Tikka Plus 2 is the two white light settings. The highest setting was extremely important while doing the Peak Races Ultra. We were out in the middle of the woods in Vermont searching for the next little pink flag that let us know we were still on course. While the highest setting is great for being outside in the middle of the night on trails, I have found that walking around my house after losing power from a storm I prefer the lower setting. When you spend time in the low lighting of candles it seems to be easier on the eyes to use the lower setting of the headlamp. Also, at night, if I am reading in bed I tend to use the lower setting.

The Tikka Plus 2 also has a red light mode. This is even easier on your eyes and your camping partner’s eyes. In an emergency the white or red LED lights can be put into strobe mode.

How it fits:

The Tikka Plus 2 Headlamp has an adjustable headband strap. If I am out hiking I do tend to tighten it to make sure it is securely on. I have worn the headlamp over both wool hats in the winter and baseball hats and still had extra room to loosen if need be.

Heading out for some Long Island Sound paddling, Stonington Harbor makes a beautiful destination. Near the end of Long Island and Fisher’s Island the harbor has even more protection from the open ocean by some breakwaters. Unless you are lucky enough to have connections at one of the yacht clubs or commercial fishing launches in the harbor you will have to paddle in from a public launch. The closest of these launches is the Barn Island State Launch to the East of Stonington Harbor.

Coming from the east you will get a great view of the Old Stonington Lighthouse. The lighthouse first went into use in 1840 and lit the way for boats through Fisher’s Island Sound until 1889. The lighthouse is at the end of historic Stonington Borough. As you paddle along you will be able to take in the beautiful architecture of the buildings in the Borough. You may even recognize scenes from either Hope Springs or Mystic Pizza which both filmed in the borough.

Another highlight is heading out to one of the breakwaters and pulling your boat up on the little rocky beach area. This is a great spot to take a break from paddling and enjoy a picnic. On a clear day you may even be able to catch a glimpse of Block Island in the distance. Or you could just look north and admire all of the boats moored in the harbor. To the south you will be greeted by Fisher’s Island. No matter where you look you will have great views while paddling in Stonington Harbor.

Last week our buying team headed out to Ogden, UT for the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance spring show. The Grassroots Outdoor Alliance (GOA) is an organization representing 46 independent, specialty retailers with over 70 store fronts throughout the country. Trailblazer is one of the retailers with our Trailblazer and Denali store fronts. The spring show kicks off the season for outdoor industry trade shows. This is where the buyers and store owners often get their first, in person, look at the products that will be available for spring/summer 2014.

The multi-day event isn’t just about buying and sell. One of the things that the GOA likes to do is give back to the local community. In the case of this year’s spring show the goal was to raise enough money to donate 20 bikes to children who might not be able to afford them. In the end the Great Grassroots Bike Giveaway was able to donate 55 bikes to the Boys and Girls Club and Your Local Connection along with a $560 cash donation to both organizations. There were 39 kids were in attendance to receive their new bike, get helmets, and be fitted and given safety tips for riding.

Although we don’t sell bikes, the Trailblazer team still knows a thing or two about them and helped out a very grateful family. Originally Millie, the older sister, was chosen to get a bike and not her brother. Since GOA was able to raise money for the extra bikes, Millie’s little brother ended up leaving that evening with a huge smile on his face and a bike of his very own.

Location:

Shops at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT

Hours:

Sunday – Thursday 10:00AM-11:00PM

Friday – Saturday 10:00AM-1:00AM

Employees:

24

Brands Sold:

The Trailblazer in Mohegan Sun is unique in that it sees a wide variety of customers due to its location inside of the casino. Like the other Trailblazer locations you will find outdoor brands such as The North Face, Patagonia, Craghoppers, SmartWool, and Merrell. Where the Mohegan Sun location becomes unique is that it also carries Michael Kors Watches, Lucky Band Jeans and Clothing, Polo, Lacoste, 7 for all mankind, and Free People. The store also has a large collection of Fossil bags and watches along with Life is Good apparel. This is just a sampling of some of the brands that are sold at our Mohegan Sun location. Be sure to stop in and check out all of the offerings of the store.

Product Tested:

Banana Saver

Best uses for product:

Taking a banana safely anywhere you are going

What you used the product for:

I cannot stand when my bananas get bruised. I’m like a little kid and don’t want to eat the bruised, squishy area. For me, bananas use to be a fruit that stayed at home. They were safer there, less likely to get bumped, squished, squashed, or otherwise hurt. Then the Banana Saver came into my life.

Now I can take my banana on a hike, to work even when carrying my bricks, or on a picnic. The Banana Saver is made in America of food grade polypropylene. Better yet, it is top rack dishwasher safe. Coming in at 8.25” the Banana Saver fits a good majority of bananas. In fact I have yet to have a banana that couldn’t fit in. There is a large hole on the top for a steam to stick out of and a smaller slot on the bottom for a Popsicle stick if you want to make a frozen treat.

Check your local Trailblazer or Denali store to pick up your own Banana Saver and safely take your bananas anywhere. This is truly one of my favorite products.

Your Name:

Paul Parulis

Hometown:

Niantic, CT

How do you spend your days?

I’m retired, but not sitting at home. One day a week I drive a truck and pick up furniture & appliances for Habitat For Humanity. One day I help the Lyme Land Trust with trail maintenance. I have a lot of home projects and do Bath & Kitchen tiling for friends.

What are your hobbies?

Hiking, photography, and home improvement projects.

The best meal I’ve ever had was?

A filet mignon dinner at Bern’s Steak House in Tampa, Florida many moons ago when I worked for Richmond Construction Products.

What superhero power do you wish you had?

I would love to fly. I have often dreamt that I can.

Piece of gear that you couldn’t live without?

A good pair of hiking boots that don’t give me blisters.

If you could be any animal what would you be?

Koala – everybody loves the quiet, unassuming Koala

Dream vacation?

A week in Bora Bora on my way to New Zealand where I would hike the mountains of the South Island.

If you were to write a book about yourself, what would the title be?

Jack of Many Trades.

Any vineyard originally incorporated by the Chairman and CEO of Tiffany and CO. has to be worth a visit in my book. Now, Chamard Vineyards in Clinton is owned by Jonathan Rothberg, known for leading the way in the first complete human genome sequence. The vineyard has plenty of charm to go with its unique history. I once again picked a rainy day to visit a vineyard. At some point I will be able to enjoy a sunset at one.

Driving down to the main building the driveway is surrounded by vines with the beginnings of their buds. I imagined the lush green vines set against a bright blue sky, perhaps another day. Upon sprinting into the main building to avoid being soaked we had two options of where to go. Head to the right and sit for a quiet evening in The Bistro for some delicious foods including an assortment of locally grown and raised items. Our choice was heading to the Tasting Room to the left.

Before starting our tasting we took a few moments to examine some of the beautiful wood work around the room. The tasting room was already getting rather crowded. Chamard has a Spring Singer/Songwriting concert series and today’s concert needed to be moved from the barn into the Tasting Room due to the weather. This made things a little more enjoyable, being able to listen to live music while doing a wine tasting.

Chamard offers two types of tastings. There is the regular $15 wine tasting and then the $25 reserve wine tasting. We opted for the reserve tasting which also includes a wine glass that you take home when finished. Our server started us off with the 2010 Estate Reserve Chardonnay which ended up being our favorite. Upon completion of the tasting we ordered a bottle of the Reserve Chardonnay along with their Cheese Assortment. We spent the rest of the evening enjoying our local artisan cheeses, listening to good music, and enjoying a great atmosphere.

Summer is fast approaching. For many families that means kids are out of school. While summer offers many outdoor activities sometimes there will be rainy days. Instead of sitting home, watching TV, or playing video games we’ve come up with a few suggestions of things that you can do inside on a rainy day in Connecticut. Our picks are for almost all ages so that everyone can have fun. Click on the name to go directly to the locations website for more information.

1.)   Connecticut Science Center – Hartford

2.)    Indoor Rock Climbing –

Prime Climb – Wallingford

City Climb – New Haven

Stone Age Rock Gym – Manchester

3.)    Mystic Aquarium – Mystic

4.)    Sports Center of Connecticut – Shelton

5.)   Dinosaur State Park– Rocky Hill

6.)   Submarine Force Museum – Groton

7.)   Mashantucket Pequot Museum– Mashantucket

8.)   Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History – New Haven

9.)   Connecticut Sports Plex – North Branford

10.) Pez Visitor’s Center – Orange

I consider myself somewhat of a veteran of hiking in New Hampshire, having hiked the 48 4000-footers plus quite a few others in the past 5 years. In contrast, I have hiked very little in the neighboring state of Vermont. I recall having hiked Mt. Ascutney and Mt. Snow, but none others. So, when I was asked to spend the weekend  camping in Vermont, I thought this would be a great opportunity to spend some time on the famous Vermont Long Trail. As it turned out, this hike did not exactly fulfill my goal, because the trail to the summit of Pico Peak is not actually part of the Long Trail any more. Some years ago the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail were re-routed to accommodate an expansion of the Pico ski area, which to this date hasn’t materialized. The closest I came to a real Long Trail was the brewery I visited afterwards that carries the same name.

Pico Peak, at 3960 feet, is the northernmost summit of the Coolidge Range in the Green Mountains. It is located just north of Mt Killington. The most direct route to the summit is via the blue blazed Sherburne Trail which has its trailhead at Sherburne Pass. When I was planning this hike, I considered including Mt Killington, which is an additional 3 miles to the south. But Saturday was forecast to be very hot and humid and I didn’t want to overdue it.  I arrived at the trailhead at 7:30 am. There was only one other hiker there when I arrived and he was heading in the opposite direction.  Just before heading out another 2 hikers drove in. I had the trail virtually all to myself. It was indeed quiet all the way to Pico Camp.

The lower part of the Sherburne trail was somewhat muddy and wet. I understand that this is quite common for Vermont in May to early June. Some areas contained wood walkways to span the worst of the wet.  The trail itself was in very good condition overall. I do not recall encountering any blowdowns or other trail detours. Most wet areas could be avoided by walking along the trail edge.  The first 2 ½ miles of the trail up to Pico Camp was a consistent climb with no real steep sections.  At about 2 miles the trail exits the woods onto one of the Pico Peak ski trails. After walking about 50 yards up the ski trail the hiking trail re-enters the woods. At this point the trail is mostly flat and seems to hug the contour of the mountain.  At 2 ½ miles the trail meets the Pico Peak spur. This is also the location of Pico Camp, a wood structure with doors and windows and a toilet that is utilized by through hikers or overnight campers.  If you were to continue on the Sherburne Trail, in another ½ mile you would intersect the Long Trail as it continues toward Killington. I chose the 0.4 mile spur toward Pico’s Peak. This portion of the trail is much steeper. It also twice crosses ski trails on its way to the summit.  Due to the haze, the views in the distance beyond 4-5 miles were limited.

On this toasty warm and humid day there was a very nice breeze at the top which made for a pleasant walk-around. The summit is the top of the highest ski trail so there is a ski lift structure and an accompanying building. Additionally, there are two sets of microwave/cell towers that share the summit. Due to these man-made structures there are enough trees cleared on the summit to provide some views, the best of which is Mt. Killington to the south. You can also see straight down the ski slope all the way to the Pico Ski Lodge and Vermont highway route 4 to the north.

After exploring the summit and taking a short rest, I started my descent back to Sherburne Pass. Along the way I encountered many more hikers on their way up the trail. It was a popular trail, but I guess not at 7:30 when I began my hike.  I made it back to the trailhead without delay and was back in the roasting hot car by around 11:00 am. My hike covered about 6 miles in about 3 ½ hours.  If you are in Central Vermont, I would highly recommend this hike due to its fine views, well maintained trails and relatively short distance to the summit of a ‘just under 4000ft’ peak.