NInth Leg, 22 June 2008

Another back and forth, we started at end of last walk on Rte 27 just north of the Pequot Trail and turn around point was start of Pequot Woods Trail on Sandy Hollow Rd in Mystic,

Length: 3 miles each way. Total 6 miles walking for the day.

This was day of my going away at Harkness which was a very sad event, but we did this walk early in the morning with intention of turning around sooner. This was a great walk and they keep getting better. Kind of misty and foggy but not bad, cloud cover 100% at start but irregular clouds.

I have ridden this a lot on the bike but never walked any of it. River Rd is very nice and it has always been the road I would suggest that out of town riders to ride on. Somewhere along the river the sky opened briefly and the thinest amount of blue sky and sunshine appeared. That was the last sunshine until right at the turn around point which when I saw direct sunlight on the very spot that we chose to turn around, I saw that as somehow a good sign.

Going back down the hill back into the valley and the sky opened up completely and it was blue and sunny and much hotter, I wasn't expecting heat at all.

The walk was all pavement but went along two small Avolonia preserves one on a road leaving River rd that was actually stream with a bunch of old mill foundations and stuff(and a neat little waterfall)and the other one was marsh right on the river. There is public boat launch right under the twin rte 95 bridges, Domino did not like the sound of the busy Sunday traffic above.

In the first mile we cut through a cemetery that was right on the water, that was nice. On the way back in the same cemetery, there was a solitary woman standing at grave in a very sad pose, I couldn't bear to look at her and her sadness.

A milestone- the first river- the Mystic River even though it is not that far from my start nor that mighty of a river, I am going to measure this walk by rivers crossed and we passed the first one, on small bridge over a narrow stream on a stone lined channel.

Also on Sandy Hollow Rd, there is s state sign signifying this as scenic road, the sign is in the shape of Connecticut with a star in Groton like a "You are Here" indicator. By a rough measure using hand width, we are maybe 1/10 of the way now?