Kat Sack here! Sometimes Katastrophic Sackrilege to the running community, but most definitely The Mountain Lioness to those who follow and join my adventures. I currently call Tallahassee, FL home. The mountains are my favorite place to be and explore but given my location, I dive into other types of rad places too!

I created this blog as a personal project to document my adventures. Photos are great, but I love text describing more of the story and to recall what I have learned. I am no expert at outdoorsy activities, but I learn as I go! If you end up here, I hope you can get something out of it.

My original focus was on backpacking, hiking, camping, kayaking, and mountain biking. I have thus shifted the scope as I discovered my love for National and State Parks. I have the National Parks Passport and the Florida State Parks passport which have allowed me to discover places I originally would never have seen. Now I write about national monuments, history, run-cations, etc.

At some point I hope to dive into personal growth as well with topics including self-sufficiency and improvement, turning boredom into adventure, steps to heal my body and mind, and overcoming social adversities.

Life is an adventure. Go outside. Pay attention to all that is around you. Get lost in the moment. Everything has a story. Listen for it, even if you do not speak the same language.

Hiking at Saugatuck Falls Natural Area


Saugatuck Falls Hike

A Random Weekend in Connecticut

Redding, CT

12 May 2018


Introduction


For some silly reasons, I found myself in Connecticut for somewhere between 40 and 48 hours. Basically - arrive Friday night then swiftly fly back out at noon on Sunday. Saturday was my only time really to get into the nitty gritty Connecticut nature. Beginning with a list of 40+ things to do [in such a small state], I had to narrow it down. My thought process? I for sure had to hit up the single National Park/National Historic Site in the state but then the rest didn't really matter. As per usual, I goofed around on Google Maps. I arrived at the conclusion to hike at Saugatuck Falls Natural Area first thing in the morning. I was not disappointed.

Fun fact! I was born in Norwich, CT.

About the Saugatuck River Watershed

As much as I love trying to take millions of pictures of trees, I like to learn about where I ended up. After all, the Redding Land Trust and John Read Middle School Class of 2018 Nature Walk Project had put together a great sign for a hiker's thirst for knowledge. John Reed Middle school is across the road from the trailhead. A list to summarize -
  • A watershed is land that water travels on and under to drain into a body of water.
  • The two determining factors for the watershed's boundaries and direction of the runoff are topography and elevation. If rain flows down two different sides of one point, they are two separate watersheds.
  • Eleven towns are included in the Saugatuck River Watershed (you can look at the picture if you really want to know which ones they are)
  • They are partnered with the Nature Conservancy to keep the watershed healthy. 
  • Aspetuck River and Little River are the main two tributaries of the watershed in addition to other groundwater.
  • The Saugatuck River will then travel South to the Saugatuck Reservoir then to Long Island Sound, and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean.
  • 300,000+ consumers get their drinking water from this watershed 


Strava

Link to Strava Hiking Activity: Saugatuck Falls Natural Area, Connecticut

The Gear


The Story

The Northern overcast weather was a cool contrast to Tallahassee's head start on awful summer heat and humidity. The weekend timed perfectly to observe the greenery come to life in New England.
Now once and for all,
I begin the day's tales
with a wee waterfall
and sinister stone walls. 

The trailhead is across the street from John Read Middle School where I parked. View from parking lot below.

The entrance was nice.

I decided on the Falls Trail and Hardwood Trail Loop that I found with AllTrails. Advertised at 2.7 miles with favorable reviews, it was enough to enjoy the spot and also have time for more activities.
Eastern White Pine





I came up to this intersection where I continued straight. I would be returning from the Hemlock trail back to this spot.

The next photos are from the Falls Trail as I followed the Saugatuck River towards the waterfall.

That reflection!

I found it!

Same waterfall just landscape mode with more scenery. Check out the foam collecting in the little pool area on the bottom middle-left.

This is so cool.

Falls Trail

Hard. Wood. Let's get it on.

The HardWood trail. marked by the blue trailblazes, continues down the river for a bit before it veers off.

Someone lives in a pretty house across the river from this trail.

This is where the stone walls spread around me as I wander alone in the woods.

I felt like I was starring in the Blair Witch Project as they kept enclosing around me.

Massive plants and tiny feet.

Oh good, it gets creepier. Those trees are wild.

Continue with the Hardwood or hit the Wall Trail? AllTrails tells me to continue working with the Hardwood.

More creepy trees!

Luckily I was able to escape from the ever-encompassing stone walls and tantalizing twisty trees. I just hope whoever Ava is made it out too.





       Free at last from the ominous vale, 
       I intersect with the power line trail. 
       The trees and brush, boisterously blooming
       Storm clouds, brewing. Stewing. Looming.

After spending a long time on the Hardwood Trail, it started to burn. The Burn Trail took me along a trickling creek.

This sign needs a do-over.

I have returned to familiar territory from where the hike forked, and I took a right.

So crossing the first bridge to get back to the trailhead, I saw two geese! 

From my naked eye I just saw the two mature geese, but when looking through my camera while in full zoom, I saw a bunch of little geeselings!



Get in the river, don't be obtuse!
'But we have wings, so what's the use?
   The weather is grim!'
   Skip the fam'ly swim?
Don't be silly for we must always 'Think Goose'!




I hope you enjoyed my stupid poems.

My next stop on the Connecticut trip is Weir Farms National Historic Site: Weir Farm - An Oasis of Art and Nature in Connecticut


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Location: Saugatuck Falls Natural Area, 491 Redding Rd, Redding, CT 06896, USA

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