Shenipsit Trail: Mid-Connectors

This section of the Shenipsit Trail I’m grouping together to call the Shenipsit Mid-Connectors because they sit at the heart of the trail, but are likely only ever hiked by people thru-hiking/running the trail.  They tend to be less traveled but certainly still passable and maintain their own certain charm. There are four sections:

• Birch Mtn Road to Amanda Drive
  • Walking along the guard rail coming from Case Mountain the trail hooks downhill amid a crop of poison ivy to cross Birch Mountain brook on a well built bridge.  This low wet marshy area was overgrown with ferns and skunk cabbage but the trail was easy enough to follow until popping out alongside private property on Amanda Drive skirting the edge of someones home on an easement.  The trail crosses straight over the road.
• Amanda Drive to Carter Street
  • Passing over Amanda Drive the trail continues up a couple wood steps to an overgrown entrance and a steep climb that was very overgrown on my thru-hike. A couple fallen trees have bumped the trail this way and that during the climb but still was blazed well enough to follow.  After the climb the trail turns north among open forest with lots of low ferns and a gas utility pipeline just off to the right.  The trail crosses almost straight over Carter Street under the yellow gate.
• Carter Street to Camp Meeting Road
  • Crossing over Carter Street the trail now continues down the gas pipeline corridor on a nicely mowed path until choosing a seemingly random point to turn east back into the forest until Camp Meeting Road.  The trail continues straight over the road around the chain link fence.
• Camp Meeting Road to Rt. 85
  • The trail heads down the gravel driveway here on what I assume was a staging area for trucks and equipment while they were building the Charter Oak Greenway. The next blaze is on a tree down off the big curve where you’ll hop across old culverts to cross Porter Brook. And along another unnamed stream briefly before popping out alongside a hayfield.  Turn left to head towards the road.

Heading south: Case Mountain

Heading North: Short road walk to Charter Oak Greenway