2020

2020 – Year in Exploration

Other Years: 201620172018 | 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.

Wolf Rock

★★★☆☆

41.758975, -72.213081

Wolf Rock Nature Preserve Joshua’s Trust 108.3 acres in Mansfield, CT Parking: Shoulder parking near 62 Crane Hill Rd Storrs, CT Trail Map         …

Spiderweed Preserve

★★★☆☆

41.518443, -72.599637

Spiderweed Preserve Middlesex Land Trust 157 acres in Middletown, CT Parking: Shoulder parking for about 5 cars near 80 Dripps Road, Middletown, CT Trail Map     …

Hubbard Brook Preserve

★★★★☆

41.520788, -72.560650

Hubbard Brook Preserve / Scovill Loop Trails CFPA Blue Blaze Trail 75 acres in Middletown, CT Parking: Medium lot near 3606 River Rd, Middletown, CT  Trail Map …

Woodland Warbler Preserve

★★☆☆☆

41.482747, -72.310035

Woodland Warbler Preserve Salem Land Trust 272 acres in Salem, CT Parking: Shoulder parking near 349 West Rd Salem, CT Trail Map           Trails:…

Brainerd Quarry Preserve

★★★☆☆

41.488694, -72.505217

Brainerd Quarry Preserve Middlesex Land Trust 50 acres in Haddam, CT Parking: Shoulder parking near 213 Injun Hollow Rd East Hampton, CT Trail Map         …

Pomeroy State Park

★☆☆☆☆

93 Beaumont Hwy Lebanon, Connecticut

Pomeroy State Park Scenic Reserve Connecticut State Park 203 acres in Lebanon, CT Parking: A small unofficial pull off near 93 Beaumont Hwy Lebanon provides access Trail…

Darling Road Preserve

★★★☆☆

41.447833, -72.296345

Darling Road Preserve Salem Land Trust 142.5 acres in Salem, CT Parking: Small lot at 428 Darling Rd. and shoulder parking near 470 Darling Rd. Trail Map     …

Sunrise State Park

★★☆☆☆

10 Echo Farm Road, Moodus, CT, USA

Sunrise State Park Connecticut State Park 146 acres in East Haddam, CT Parking: At the end past 10 Echo Farm Road, Moodus, CT Trail Map    …

Old Furnace State Park

★★★★☆

450 S Frontage Rd, Danielson, CT 06239

Old Furnace State Park Connecticut State Park 367 acres in Killingly, CT Parking:  Medium lot available near 450 S Frontage Rd Danielson, CT Medium lot at the…

Shipyard Falls

★★☆☆☆

41.552483, -72.552670

Shipyard Falls Connecticut Waterfall in East Hampton, CT Parking: Shoulder parking near 16 Shipyard Rd Middle Haddam, CT Trail Map      Trails: None      Rating:…