2020

2020 – Year in Exploration

Other Years: 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

Stats:

1 website complete crash
6 months rebuilding
99 locations explored
- Coming back to update this with a breakdown
150,878 website views
1,017 hours of YouTube movies watched

Story of 2020

exploreCT.org’s 2020 mirrored the tumultuousness of the real world. I had the stirrings of server problems at the end of 2019 continuing through January and February until [The Great Crash] came in March.
I was forced to delete my site, lose my backups, and rebuild from square one
Rebuilding was much slower than I expected taking a full six months to get [Back to 100%]. But, the site was stronger, faster, better; or so I thought.
In the Fall, cleared from rebuilding the site, I had a list of changes accumulated that I was looking to fix. I would update one aspect, fix a gap, tweak and customize only to realize doing so had broken elements of my site and exposed weaknesses I didn’t know where there.
These broken elements and weaknesses were technical jargon filled messes. But, I treated it like a puzzle in a video game. I had to solve this puzzle by reading notes left by others (questions in online forums) piecing the disparate information together while figuring out how it applied to the unfamiliar style of puzzle in front of me. Let me tell you, it was SO satisfying to finally unlock the puzzle and fix the issues.
Heading into 2021, the site is (for now) at its best point ever and well positioned to in breadth, depth, and usefulness.

Shenipsit Trail: Dickinson Rd

★★☆☆☆

41.649529, -72.518351

Shenipsit Trail: Dickinson Rd Blue Blaze Trail and Connecticut State Forest in East Hampton and Glastonbury, CT Parking: Shoulder parking past 96 Dickinson Road, South Glastonbury, CT… Read more…

Stoddard Hill State Park

★★☆☆☆

41.460391, -72.065988

Stoddard Hill State Park Connecticut State Park 55 acres in Ledyard, CT Parking: Medium lot near 1917 CT-12, Gales Ferry, CT Trail Map Trails: Less…

Barnes Boat Launch

★★☆☆☆

41.998262, -72.605292

Donald W. Barnes Boat Launch Connecticut River Boat Launch in Enfield, CT Parking: Medium sized lot near S River St, Enfield, CT Trail Map Barnes Boat launch… Read more…

Jones Mountain

★★★☆☆

161 Steele Rd, New Hartford, CT 06057

Jones Mountain Preserve New Hartford Land Trust 284 acres in New Hartford, CT Parking: Shoulder parking near 161 Steele Rd, New Hartford, CT Trail Map …

Valley Falls

★★★☆☆

300 Valley Falls Rd, Vernon, CT 06066, USA

Valley Falls Park / Andrew Kenneth Webster Preserve Vernon Town Park and Northern Connecticut Land Trust 196 acres in Vernon, CT Parking: Large lot near 300 Valley…

Dean Easement

★★☆☆☆

41.455865, -72.397042

Dean Easement East Haddam Conservation Easement 280 acres in East Haddam, CT Parking: Small lot on the left just before the fields or after near 126 Parker…

Enders Falls

★★★★★

41.954637, -72.878227

Enders Falls Connecticut State Forest 2,103 acres in Granby and Barkhamsted, CT Parking: Large lot near 173-117 Barkhamsted Rd, West Granby, CT Trail Map Trails:…

Haddam Island State Park

★★☆☆☆

41.491960, -72.518535

Haddam Island State Park Connecticut State Park 14 acres in Haddam, CT Parking: Water access only, closest boat launch is from Haddam Meadows State Park Trail Map … Read more…