Our region is not known for its mountainous, expansive views, or five mile long lakes. Still, there is plenty of good to be found and we try to make the most of it. It's not always an easy task, sometimes it takes an applied state of mind to enjoy our surroundings. While there is indeed much beauty to be found, it is also common to hear traffic in the near distance, or leave with an extra pound of litter in your pack that you found along the trail. I write this not to complain, but rather to remind myself that we always have to take the good with the bad in life, otherwise, we're just stuck with the bad... and that is never a good time.
There is an organization here called Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust, Inc. (known by locals as Joshua's Trust), a not-for-profit that protects over 4,000 acres of open space in Connecticut's Quiet Corner. These 4,000 acres are not interconnected, they expand over many towns, a few hundred acres here, ten acres there... you can imagine the potential for traffic noise or the surprise arrival in someone's backyard (oops!).
Even though it (mostly) lacks the never-ending feeling of a deep in the woods hiking experience, there is still plenty of magic to be found, and we are enjoying our little self-imposed mission to walk every single trail in the Joshua's Trust trail book. It is also worth mentioning that the dedication of the community necessary to maintain and manage all of this land is nothing short of inspiring.
It was wonderful to get out for some quiet family time on Easter Sunday, before the very large family gathering later in the day. This hike was close to home and gentle on the body which some of us were grateful for given that we pretty much ate only chocolate for breakfast!
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