Friday, July 15, 2011

East Side Trail Extension

The East Side Trail (EST) is now essentially complete. Until the trail map is updated a brief description is as follows. From the EST intersection with the Brook Loop (red blazes) follow blue blazes 425' easterly and cross apartment complex driveway on left side of brook overpass. After another tenth of a mile the old coal mine shaft, a 15' high ledge overhang, will be off to your left with a small brook on your immediate right. Continue easterly along an old grassy cartpath and just beyond a brook crossing take a hard left through a lightly wooded trail section 200' to the edge of a meadow at utility pole #3. Hug brush line on left and cross paved drive still by brush line and head to the right of a very large triple oak 250' north of the drive. Follow blue blazes downhill where the EST follows the south side of Coal Mine Brook to the trail terminus at Lake Quinsigamond. There is also a new short red loop just west of the Plantation Street crossing that goes over a small knoll on the right.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Complete At Last!

A week and a half ago the Sisters of Notre Dame, the City of Worcester, and the Greater Worcester Land Trust reached an agreement whereby a trail easement was granted to the Trust and the City for the East Side Trail section between the Coal Mine shaft on the Plantation Towers site and the Mohegan Council Boy Scouts of America site. This completes the protection of the East Side Trail.

The trail has since been blazed and opened on this crossing by the East Side Trail's father Mr. Gene Tivnan.

Additionally land was acquired on Trinity Avenue to create a new trailhead for Green Hill park and access to the red loop trail. The scoping of the connection has only just begun and this will not be open for a while.

A formal trail kickoff, ribbon cutting, and hike are being planned and will be announced soon.

Stay tuned!