Shelter Trail, Arcadia

Saturday, May 15

A little late getting around to posting, huh?

I was supposed to assist with DEM and AMC volunteers for a maintenance project on the Ben Utter trail in Arcadia. I got a late start. A very late start. I figured I would just find them on the trail. I was wrong.

The forest path that is called Austin Farm Road is now blocked before you reach the Ben Utter trail head. Had I remembered my Arcadia map from Great Swamp Press, I might have figured that out. I didn't have any cell phone numbers, so after an hour of pointless driving around, I stopped at the Shelter trail and started walking.

After a short walk, maybe a half mile, I ended at a river (Flat River, I learned). I saw a side path a short walk back, so I took it. Come to find out, the walk to the river is the side trail and I was back on Shelter trail proper. I followed until it reached some, well, shelters. Mostly dissolved at this point. I continued on.

I passed Penny Cut off but stayed on Shelter. I came to a spot that was quite beautiful. I took some pictures. Continuing on, I apparently merged onto Breakheart trail. I heard people ahead and wondered if it was the camp. Camp E-Hun-Tee is for kids in bad situations, I understand. I know very little about it, except that it's off limits. Soon, I came upon some boys near some makeshift shelters. From a distance I asked if this was the camp. One said it was. I said I should turn around, then. They agreed. I didn't think I was close to the camp at all and wondered why there were no signs warning me. Soon I passed a tree with a sign about twenty feet up it. Knowing where I was and knowing the situation, I figured out that it was a warning that the camp was off limits. Otherwise, I would have had no idea. They need a new sign, and they need to hang it lower.

I followed the trail back, stopping off at a concrete foundation to take care of some feet problems. My old hikers were tearing my feet up fairly bad. I popped on a couple bandages and continued on. I got back to the car and headed home.

The volunteer group worked a different section of the trail, I learned. They ask me to volunteer about three times a year, and I've only managed to participate once.