woodland wanderings: Mount Tom

I decided to find a place to stay to save me the morning drive to Mt. Tom. Based on the price and the last minute availability, I knew the room wouldn’t be a palace but I didn’t expect to be assaulted by a cloud of dust and a room full of moose motif when I opened the door. I took off the spread, opened the windows and grabbed my emergency blanket from the car. I would be sleeping on top of the sheets tonight. When I got into bed I was immediately sucked down into a black hole of sagging mattress.

Cute in the photo but unclean sheets and dust everywhere took away any cuteness.

I got up, packed my gear, happy to be leaving that room and heading off to Tom. I was surprised to see the parking lot hadn’t been plowed. When I hiked Field last winter the entire lot had been cleared. Today I had to park on the side of the road.

The rain washed away a lot of the snow and turned some of the lower trail into a muddy mess. Most of the trail was packed snow but some areas, that looked solid, actually had running water under it.

an earlier hiker must have had wet feet after postholing here.

There are a few water crossings. The first two can be a little tricky but you can get across without getting wet. The second one is only tricky because the rocks move when you step on them. The rest are small easy walkovers.

There were lots of hikers on the trail today. I chatted with a few and got to meet “Emerel” and “Franko” who frequently log their hikes on NE Trail Conditions. It’s always nice to connect a face to a trail log.

As I approached the summit, three very boisterous hikers came up behind me. They were nice but definitely not quiet. Although there wasn’t a view on the summit today, I was hoping to have a few minutes of solitude and a brief yoga practice. Since I’m a winter hiking newbie, hiking on the weekend adds a level of 'safety in numbers' I wouldn't have hiking during the week. The trade-off is I can’t expect to have the summit to myself.

Before heading down, I placed a wooden "happiness ornament" in a tree just off the trail. You are supposed to write wishes on it. If you see it, write your own message. Just be careful, I stepped knee-deep reaching for the tree.