Nobscot Scout Reservation

So here it is, the hike that started it all!! On June 15th, I decided to get out and hike one of my favorite places - Nobscot Scout Reservation in Sudbury MA.  You see I used to be a Boy Scout and along with my father, I pretty much have them to thank for my love and appreciation of the outdoors.

From the parking area on Nobscot/Edgell rd, there are many trails to choose from.  There is a big board with information and trail maps, and if you need any further info, there is the rangers cabin which is in clear view of the parking area.  Now being a Boy Scout reservation, they keep this place CLEAN!!! This is one of the cleanest places I've hiked in the metrowest!

Now maybe it's the nostalgia of the place, but I find that nobscot is the perfect quick getaway.  It has multiple trails throughout the reservation ( though I've heard some say too many),  as well as a bunch of interesting sites.  My loop hike takes me through some of thehighlights of the reservation.

From the parking area I took the Ellis trail to a right turn onto Jethro trail. Now these trails are easily found on the trail map and are actually pretty wide trails (good for children).  Jethro trail is going to turn right when it meets up with the tower trail.  Now right before this intersection is where the "event" took place that inspired this blog and for those concerned, my face didn't sustain any real injuries and I'm still as handsome as ever!  Moving forward, I proceeded up the Tower trail and my ascent of Mt Nobscot.

Now I was told when I was younger that Mt Nobscot actually qualifies as a mountain by one foot.  So not to fret, it is only a brief hike to the top.  Unfortunately when you get to the summit there is not a good vista point.  There is a fire tower that overlooks the reservation but again unfortunately there is no public access.


Now from the top of Mt Nobscot, I took a right on to the Bay Circuit trail (more on the Bay Circuit trail to come in the future), and followed that approx a mile to "Tippling Rock".  Tippling Rock is an elevated rock outcrop that looks over the reservation. This is where I decided to stop for a lunch break.

From the top of Tippling Rock, it's hard to believe that you're still in the "burbs".  On a clear day you can see the Hancock and Prudential in Boston!  After eating my peanut butter sandwich I retraced steps back down the rocks and hopped on Thirty Rod trail which took me to Pond trail to Belden trail and back to the parking lot.  On the return to the parking lot, I passed Nup'see pond and an old smallpox burial ground.   I'm guessing the overall loop was approx 2.5-3 miles.

So there you have it!! The first of hopefully many hikes to come!  Hopefully if this rain ever lets up ill be out checking out another great location in the Wild Wild Metrowest!!

In the beginning....

On the Wild Wild Metrowest

The other day, I was out hiking one of my favorite nearby destinations.  Weather wise, it was a top ten Saturday afternoon and it felt like I had the woods to myself!  So I'm hiking along one of my favorite routes, admiring a hawk circling above and SMACK!!!! I had walked face first into a very large fallen tree branch.  After dropping a steady stream of f-bombs, I immediately looked around to see if anyone had noticed.  "Of course not. I hadn't seen anyone since I left the parking lot". Now maybe it was the trauma from using my face as an axe, but I actually felt a sadness that there WASN'T someone there in the distance laughing at my expense!!

With todays hustle and bustle mentality towards life, fewer and fewer people are experiencing the outdoors.  To pause for a second, I GET IT!! Trust me I get it! I am the father of two beautiful little girls, married to an awesome wife who is the hardest working person I have ever met, and for myself, my job is probably the furthest away you can get from 9-5! So I get it.  The house is always a mess, poopy diapers always need changing, and the lawn!, my poor neighbors have to look at MY LAWN!!! I GET IT!!!!

But I digress

I have found that with all the things going on in my life, it is indeed hard to get out and enjoy the outdoors like I used to. Luckily living just west of Boston, there are an abundance of "wild" properties.  This blog will take me hiking through some of the local area properties where the "hustle and bustle" can be (at least temporarily) left behind and will hopefully show others just how close "The outdoors" can be!

Some hikes will be short 1-milers, others will be longer.  Hopefully along the way, the girls will be joining me (My youngest, is still pretty much bear bait, so we'll have to wait and see!).  So off we go to the Wild Wild Metrowest!!