Saturday, November 19, 2011

Hiking: Second 10-mile trip plan - Kendal Green to Concord via Lincoln


For my second ten mile hike in my quest to fulfill the requirements of the BSA Hiking Merit Badge, I've chosen a route that is a mixture of trails and country roads, leading from where I’m living, on Page Road in the Kendal Green neighborhood of Weston, Mass., to the Concord Station, at 90 Thoreau Street in Concord.  I will pass through Cat Rock Park and take trails that connect Weston and Lincoln at Conant Road. I’ll follow Conant briefly before taking Lincoln town trails the back route to cross Silver Hill Road and continue on through to Bedford Road and Lincoln town center.

At the library in Lincoln, I will continue north on Bedford Street to the Cambridge Turnpike (Massachusetts Route 2), where three quarters of a mile on I will reach North Great Road and the Minuteman National Historical Park. I will head west from here along the old Battle Road to Main Street and Concord town center. I’ll catch the train from there back to Kendal Green.

The total mileage of this trip is about eleven miles. I’ll pack snacks and extra clothing as I did for my previous hike, but since I will not be able to head out until around 1 p.m., I will take along a flashlight to be prepared. By the time the sun sets I should be in a populous area near Concord, but I don’t want to take any chances.

I’ll navigate using the GPS on my phone when needed but will primarily depend on maps. I’ll carry the Trail Map of Lincoln, Mass., which I purchased from the town office, and the map of the Minuteman National Historic Park, which I picked up for free at the downtown Boston Freedom Trail National Parks office. I’ll also carry the Boston Western Suburbs Map (GM Johnson City Map Series) and the MBTA System Map (including a schedule for the Fitchburg/Acton Line).

I estimate the hike should take around four hours, since the elevation gains will be only slight, and I will not be hiking on a rocky or rugged surface for the majority of it. Also, I’m considering about a half hour may be spent taking photos and sightseeing along the way.

Tomorrow night I’ll post a follow-up to this one. Until then…

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