Sunday, March 21
The 17 year old son of a cousin of my mother-in-law was visiting from New Mexico. One of the things he wanted to do during his first visit to Rhode Island was to climb it's highest peak, 812 feet above sea level. I had done the arduous climb up Mount Jerimoth before, so I prepared him for the grueling journey. The drive, that is. We went with my youngest son, my brother-in-law, and his daughter.
Jerimoth Hill has an interesting history.
Brown University owns the peak, but the most direct path from route 101 had no public access. The man who owned the land did not allow access, even to the point of threatening violence on trespassers. Eventually, he relented and allowed hikers on certain holidays. He has since passed, and new owners allow access all year from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Brown has an observatory in a clearing near the peak, so clearly there is another path. There are stories of people bushwhacking through bogs to visit the peak. It would seem to me that a public land trail could have been constructed a long time ago to avoid this controversy. The trail as it stands is a mere 200 yards from the highway. I'm very thankful that the land owners have made this path available, but much of the story seems pointless. Having been on this path before, I knew what to expect. I cautioned my visitor not to be disappointed.
The further West you go and away from the ocean, the higher the land is in Rhode Island. Here, on the faintest of hills, is what passes for a high point. On the walk from Route 101 you cannot perceive an incline. If you continue the eight tenths of a mile west into Connecticut, I'm sure you'll have trouble finding land lower than 812.
This hike in the past, we walked back to the car. There are a couple nearby walks in my Walks and Rambles book. Durfee Hill is closest, but I had been there and was fairly unimpressed. Besides, the recent rains made that one even less desirable. I took the group to the Walkabout Trail in the
George Washington Management Area, but more about that later.
The 17 year old son of a cousin of my mother-in-law was visiting from New Mexico. One of the things he wanted to do during his first visit to Rhode Island was to climb it's highest peak, 812 feet above sea level. I had done the arduous climb up Mount Jerimoth before, so I prepared him for the grueling journey. The drive, that is. We went with my youngest son, my brother-in-law, and his daughter.
Jerimoth Hill has an interesting history. Brown University owns the peak, but the most direct path from route 101 had no public access. The man who owned the land did not allow access, even to the point of threatening violence on trespassers. Eventually, he relented and allowed hikers on certain holidays. He has since passed, and new owners allow access all year from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Brown has an observatory in a clearing near the peak, so clearly there is another path. There are stories of people bushwhacking through bogs to visit the peak. It would seem to me that a public land trail could have been constructed a long time ago to avoid this controversy. The trail as it stands is a mere 200 yards from the highway. I'm very thankful that the land owners have made this path available, but much of the story seems pointless. Having been on this path before, I knew what to expect. I cautioned my visitor not to be disappointed.
The further West you go and away from the ocean, the higher the land is in Rhode Island. Here, on the faintest of hills, is what passes for a high point. On the walk from Route 101 you cannot perceive an incline. If you continue the eight tenths of a mile west into Connecticut, I'm sure you'll have trouble finding land lower than 812.
This hike in the past, we walked back to the car. There are a couple nearby walks in my Walks and Rambles book. Durfee Hill is closest, but I had been there and was fairly unimpressed. Besides, the recent rains made that one even less desirable. I took the group to the Walkabout Trail in the George Washington Management Area, but more about that later.
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