Hubbard Park History, Geology And a Walk

The Hanging Hills form a scenic backdrop used on a recent photo shoot for Moo Dog Knits (and a featured new custom made cabled wool sweater.) The time on the spine of the mountain reminded me of what geological treasures (and human history) are contained in the greater Connecticut River Valley.

Commuters and travelers on busy Interstate 691 in central Connecticut may notice a castle high on the rocky crag of the Hanging Hills of Meriden. Castle Craig, a rook-like stone tower, commands attention, though many have no idea how to access the mountain road, nor why the landmark exists.

Walter Hubbard is why. He is the man who gifted some 1,800 acres to create a the buffer of land, water, pathways and woods, long before the age of open space preservation. Today known as Hubbard Park, it is only one of his park legacies.

The Hanging Hills are a traprock mountain ridge and two of the peaks are located within the park, South Mountain and East Peak.

The rock exposures are worth seeing up close, as the veined formations were formed by volcanic activity 200 million years ago during the rifting apart of North America from Eurasia.

Lava flows covered the red sandstone in what would become the valley and the flows cooled and hardened into traprock (also known as basalt). As time passed, all was covered, then shoved and tilted. Time past, erosion uncovered the hardest rock and left the ridge layers that ring the valley today.

The hills remain unblemished by quarries or housing, but there are transmission towers on the west ridge.

A drive up the spine of the mountain to the stone tower offers panoramic views and occasional glimpses of soaring hawks.

Hubbard was born Sept. 23, 1823, in Middletown, Conn., and raised on a farm. At 18, he “secured a position as clerk in a country store where, by his thrift, his energy and his strict attention to his employer’s interests, he was enabled to accumulate enough capital to embark in business for himself.”

And he never looked back. First he opened a small store in Meriden. Then, along with his brother-in-law, Bradley, Hubbard founded the Bradley and Hubbard Manufacturing Company, growing it from clock making to quality lighting and other goods. By 1888, the company employed more than 1,000 workers and had showrooms in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago.

Eye-Level Beauty: Why Walk Or Stroll

There's so much to see on a walk. From botanical sights to architecture and geologic wonders - it's all missed in a vehicle.

Take Middletown, Connecticut - home to Wesleyan University, a vibrant Main Street with dozens a restaurants and eateries plus its location right on the Connecticut River.

Wesleyan offers acres of sidewalks, buildings built of brownstone, crosswalks, history.

The university even has a site dedicated to virtual geological field trips where walkers may brush up on information and details about formations before setting out for trips close to home or across the globe.

On a recent visit to New York City, the brownstones (many built from Portland quarry stone, right across the river from Middletown), intrigued me. New York offers walking tours in a dizzying array from history to art to architecture. Comfortable footwear matters while spending a day on foot. Your choice in shoes will mean a day of delight or pure hell with foot pain.

Gone Walking - To Quiet Avalonia Land Preserves

True silence is hard to find.

Yet on the lands owned and managed by Avalonia Land Conservancy (ALC) it is possible to escape the ever-present sound of traffic or dogs barking and find solace in the quiet.

ALC owns more than 2,500 acres of land preserved as perpetual open space for passive enjoyment, and that includes walking, bird watching, nature study, and photography.

By the way, Avalonia refers to the region of igneous and metamorphic rock formations underlying southeastern Connecticut.

According to the organization's Web site, the land trust was formed originally to "accept land in the towns of Groton, Ledyard, North Stonington, and Stonington. The towns of Griswold, Preston, and Voluntown joined the land trust in 1972. Sprague was added in 2007."

Parcels range in size from a half acre to 142 acres. Some parcels are of historic interest, containing colonial-era stone walls, old foundations and wells, and even a unique sheep wash in Ledyard.

The ALC also owns two islands in Long Island Sound: Sandy Point, Rhode Island and South Dumpling, New York.

Meadows, Light, Hemlock Grove, Volcanic Rock

The 32-acre John Tynan Memorial Park is owned by the City of Middletown and offers a variety of walks. Access to the eastern side of Higby Mountain is possible from the entrance on Higby Road.

From the Middletown guide to trails: "Turning north, the trail enters a dense shrub thicket. Then turning west, the trail crosses an intermittent stream and enters forested land, predominantly eastern hemlock. There is a second water crossing at Fall Brook (continue west instead of heading downstream because that path dead-ends).



"At this point, the trail becomes rocky, slopes upward, and then veers slightly south. The trail ends at the intersection of Massa Tom Road, a woods road that connects Country Club Road with the Mount Higby Reservoir service area.



"The crossing at Fall Brook can be difficult, if not impossible, when
the water level rises."

And when the water level is low, scan the stream bed for rocks filled with small holes - vesicles (that's the term for holes) left from when a long ago volcano was active in Connecticut - and left the Swiss-cheesy rock behind as evidence.

Winter Walks: River's End, Long Island Sound

New England winters test human and dogs. Blasting winds, cold clawing at your face and stinging sand await - but walking daily means sometimes the weather is a true force to reckon with.

Like this recent stormy day at Hammonasset Beach State Park. (In my family, when someone says "the beach" this is the destination.)

Located in Madison, the park offers plenty of walking and thinking space in the winter. No fee is charged for admission in off-season. Do note that if there is snow, the front gates most likely are closed and all walks start there.



Here's an excerpt from the history of the park, listed on the Connecticut DEP site (which offers maps and links worth a look): "Hammonasset' means, "where we dig holes in the ground" and refers to the place where a settlement of eastern woodland Indians farmed along the river.

"In 1898 the Winchester Repeating Arms Company bought Hammonasset and used it as a testing site for their new rifle . . . which it was fired into targets on the beach.

"During World War II the park was closed to the public and loaned to the federal government as an army reservation."

The geology at the park is quite interesting too. The rock beach at the south end shows off the glacial outwash and on clear days walkers can see Long Island, a terminal moraine. But that's another story.

Ancient, Worn-down Mountains, Glaciated Landscape (And Company) Restores The Soul

"Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it."

- Soren Kierkegaard

One of the best things in life is to share what you love, and in doing so, "infect" another generation. Walking in Connecticut does that, especially when shared with good company (and that includes dogs).

"If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk." - Raymond Inmon

Connecticut River Vista, Source To Sound

The Connecticut River is a long tidal river that begins at the Canadian border and flows south to empty into Long Island Sound.

The Connecticut River Valley encompasses so much more than the state of Connecticut - to explore the human stories, geology, river valley towns, cultural history and related tributaries along the way easily could fill a lifetime of wandering and walking.

For example:

The Connecticut River Greenway State Park connects open spaces, parks, scenic vistas, and archaeological and historic sites along the length of the Connecticut River as it passes through Massachusetts.

There are more than 12 miles of permanently protected shoreline, and numerous access points to the river including Pauchaug (as seen above), in Northfield (Route 63), with a paved parking area and boat ramp.

Dinosaur Trackway: Walk This Way

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The Connecticut Valley is full of dinosaur footprints and trackways.

One such location is a little-known park in Middlefield, Conn., where a small park allows visitors to view up tilted rocks with dinosaur footprints preserved in stone. The old quarry once owned by Professor W.R. Coe and was the property of the Yale Peabody Museum for an outdoor exhibit. At one time the tracks were painted so they would appear more distinct. Now owned by the town of Middlefield, a small sign proclaims Powder Hill Dinosaur Park. The neat and sturdy (now privately-owned) home opposite the fenced-in area (across the street) was once the home of Professor Coe.

Follow the tracks in the floor of the quarry and try to imagine the dinosaur walking along the mud in Triassic era time. Those who examine the layers carefully will also uncover petrified ripple marks and mud cracks, now preserved in stone.

Directions: Take Route 66 from Meriden (east) or from Middletown (west) onto Route 147. Turn south and turn on Powder Hill Road. About 1/4 mile past the now dormant Powder Ridge Ski entrance, the park is on the right.