Yale Forest-Nipmuck Trail Hike & Farm Tour

We started out the day with four of us taking a trip over to my neighbors&rsquo farm for a farm-yard tour and demo on sugar-bush management. The Dominique chickens were definitely the hit of the farm-yard. After muffins and cider we were lead to the farms sugar-bush for a demo in the proper removal of timber. The demo involved using two sets of oxen to&nbspremove felled trees. Oxen were used to minimize ground compaction. Maple trees have very shallow root systems which would be damaged by modern tree harvesting equipment.

After spotting a few cars at the end of the trail, fifteen of us headed up into Yale Forest for a hike. We were joined by&nbspKris C.&nbspthe&nbspforests' assistant manager. Our first destination point was a shelter-wood harvest where Kris gave a very informative half hour talk on the various techniques utilized to manage the forest.&nbspHe explained the seventy year management cycle and the life stages the forest goes through during those seventy years.

Leaving Kris for his return trip to New Haven, we hoped onto the Nipmuck trail and headed south. We had Joe L. and amateur mycologist on the hike, so along the way we kept and eye out for fungi. Joe was able to identify all the fungi we spotted and tell us a little about each specimen.

The Nipmuck trail lead us to a&nbspscenic overlook where we were able to&nbspgaze down upon&nbspbeautiful fall colors decorating the trees of Boston Hollow.

The trip was wrapped up with a short car ride back to the starting point.

Catch the wonder of the fall foliage during this early autumn stroll through the woods of Ashford, CT. I will be leading a 5 mile relaxed hike through the privately owned Yale Forest. We will be traveling along the Nipmuck Trail in the Boston Hollow section of the forest. Bring along your camera, walking shoes, a snack and beverage. Starting time will be 1 PM.

As a side trip for those who want to see the &quotRebirth of a New England Farm&quot, my neighbors at Cranberry Hill Farm will be hosting a tour of their farmstead starting at 10:30 AM. This tour is part of the Last Green Valley / Walking Weekends 08. See how the owners are re-establishing a traditional diversified family farm. Learn about the use of draft animals and other &quotold-fashioned&quot solutions to operate the small farm today.