Hampden Hiking Circuit (Papermill Park, Reeds Brook Trails, Dorothea Dix Park, Library/Avalon Village Trail, Turtlehead Park, and the LL Bean Parcel)
"It's not supposed to be snowing yet" I thought as I left my house this morning. The National Weather Service predicted snow would start at 1 pm, so I initially planned on driving to the coast. Yet a light snow and freezing rain was already falling, making the roads slippery. I changed plans and decided instead to hike all of the publicly accessible trails in nearby Hampden. My first stop was Papermill Park. This is one of my favorite short, local hikes, as the trail provides views of the Souadabscook Stream as it cascades over a waterfall. The hike can be extended by crossing a small stream but I elected not to, to avoid icy rocks at the stream crossing. My hike was slightly less than half a mile. My next stop was the Reeds Brook Trails, where I hiked 1.25 miles on the North and South Loops. I avoid Reeds Brook during the summer and fall, as the trail can have tall grass with ticks. Today the trail had a thin layer of sn...
