Last week at camp I ventured out onto the Wheaton Trust trail off Route 1. It is the same trail where I lost my way back in 2018, sweating through the wilderness to find myself only 500 feet from the highway, but some miles from my initial point of entry. This time I was accompanied by my kids and had the benefit of the new trail map brochure prepared by the Trust. The brochure is now available locally and at the trail sign-in post. The route is well marked and provided one pays attention to the map and the trail markings, getting lost is not an issue, though none of that is any use without the stamina and balance to handle the two or so miles of natural terrain to Sucker Lake.
The trail begins rather seductively some 1000 feet from the turn-off, with a cleared walkway to a car-width sized opening, everything plainly marked, and open to the skies. A few feet away a wooden bench is chained to a tree – undoubtedly a welcome sight to exhausted, returning hikers and perhaps a bit of a hint to what lies ahead. Eager to be on my way, I darted into the thick woods, my daughter Kara and her husband behind me. The trail quickly narrowed to the width of a bleacher row at Yankee Stadium – little over a foot wide. The ground was uneven with roots bared and tree stumps and sawn branches from a recent cutting. The light was much dimmer. There was no reason for sunglasses so I tucked them into my shirt pocket and slowly adjusted to the reduced light in the heavily canopied wood. I noticed how quiet it was. There were no morning birds or sounds of water lapping against the rocks– just stillness. We were alert at every turn for the next small directional sign nailed to a tree and the occasional painted limb indicating a trail marker. It was easy to miss these clues when forest debris or mud puddles obscure the obvious pathway. The trails are not level and obstacles, such as a fallen tree blocking the path, can be disorienting– like taking a wrong turn an unfamiliar city. Without clear detour signs one quickly loses direction. I always keep my head down to avoid a stumble, however with eyes on the ground it is easy to miss the trail markers. I learned my lesson the last time. These trails are marked early in the season and nature has a way of not adhering to anyone’s schedule. Avoiding the mud puddles from the recent rains then returning to the prescribed marked area on the map took a bit of walking back and forth to reorient ourselves.
The hike from the trailhead to the picnic area at Sucker Lake took us an hour and a half—a distance of only two miles. The over, the under, the balancing, the crossing of small streams, the muddy, low-lying areas and the large granite boulders all made for a bumpy trek. This time, with the help of my ever-alert children, the well-marked trail, and the new map, we did not get lost and together conquered a great hike. I sent my kids back to camp through a shortcut in the woods from the lake and I ventured on to pick up the truck from the trailhead. My cell gps calculated another hour walk so I decided it was enough. I turned around and took the same familiar shortcut back and hitched a ride with Katie to my truck. It was enough hiking for one day and I most certainly did not want to push my luck.
