We were lucky enough to have a fellow backpacking enthusiast visit for a few days, so we headed back to the Lye Brook Wilderness for some adventure. Here's a write up from the trip.
Day 1
We arrived at the trail head at about 11am after a couple of stops to pick up sandwiches and then at Ball Mountain Dam on the West River. After unloading our packs and making final preparations I drove the car a couple of miles to the other end of the loop we would be hiking. It was about noon by the time I’d make my way back to Erin and James, but I knew we’d all appreciate it in a couple of days at the end of the hiking.
We set off up the forest road towards the wilderness. It was a brutal uphill hike for the next couple of miles in the heat of the day with our fully loaded packs. We stopped briefly at Prospect rock to admire the view and get a sense of how much elevation we’d gained. Finally we left the forest road and hit the trail, crossing the first river and stopping to soak out hands/heads/hats in the cool and refreshing water.
We continued hiking for several more miles along the wooded AT/LT encountering a few other people along the way. We stopped at Winhall River for a short break and a snack. Pressing on we covered more distance and as we neared Stratton Pond there were a few passing rain showers. Once at the pond we found the north tail closed due to flooding so made our way around the south side and doubled back to reach the tenting area. We were the first to arrive which gave us the opportunity to secure one of the tenting platforms. Next priority was finding water and filtering water. Once the water shortage/crisis was over I took a refreshing dip in the lake which was one of the highlights of the trip.
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| Swimming in the lake. |
With camp setup James and I began working on the fire. Having yet to discover the full potential of birch bark, it was hard work, but we got it going as Erin presented us with some very tasty burritos. As it got dark, the fire continued to thrive and James was able to utilize a drying bush that was near by. We finished the day off with some ginger-o’s and hot chocolates before turning in for the night.
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| The blazing campfire of the first night. |
Day 2
We woke up to the sound of heavy rain on the tent in the morning. We gave it some time and fortunately the worst of it passed. Breakfast was oatmeal. I went to the spring to get more water to filter and saw the morning fog rising on the lake.
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| Enjoying breakfast on the second day. |
With our bags all backed up again, we set off towards Bourn Pond at about 11am. The terrain/scenery was slightly different for this section. The trail was wetter and harder to follow in parts as we pushed through dense thickets. After a couple of river crossings we stopped for lunch at the side of the pond. We did a quick exploratory hike to the site of the North Bourne shelter to see what it was like.
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| One of several river crossings. |
We left the pond and headed onto an overgrown trail with the intention of finding somewhere to camp for the night. One section of the trail ran through a blackberry patch where the berries were a sweet surprise as headed onward. We crossed a small stream, but weren’t able to find a place to camp in the original target area. After some time we stopped to regroup and agreed to continue along the trail while looking for a place to camp.
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| On the trail. |
Water was the priority so when we encountered a stream I dropped my pack and completed a scout of the surrounding area for anything suitable. The first search was unsuccessful, so we continued along the trail, our legs tired and our spirits fading.
We crossed another small stream and then a larger stream. I knew we had to take on a serous scout of this area as we were losing daylight. We left the trail and started searching up stream. The terrain was difficult to get through so I followed the stream looking for somewhere that could accommodate two tents. I found nothing within a reasonable distance of the main trail.
I headed back with the intention of finding somewhere closer to the trail and met back up with Erin, and then James. James said he’d found something we might want to check-out - a flat spot on the edge of pond like area. It sounded too good to be true. We followed him through the bushes, around trees, and up-and-over mounds a short distance to the area he was talking about. It looked good and had a plentiful supply of fire wood.
With camp established at our new location. We set forth on fire-making, water-filtering, cooking dinner. We had noodles followed by freshly baked cupcakes. We had a great fire that we hoped would keep the bears away. After a late night mission to get more water, we put some more wood on the fire and retired to our tents.
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| Our wild campsite. |
Day 3
After a night spent listening for bears we ate breakfast, packed up camp and hit the trail for the final leg back to the car. The trail began descending and after several miles we reached the spur to Lye Brook falls. We stopped at the falls for lunch and then continued downwards. After miles of downhill we finally reached the car after completing 19 miles.
GPS Track
Click the "View larger map" button at the top right to open in Google Maps.
