Cat's Hole - 1 Year Later

The 2nd week of April last year we headed out to Cat's Hole. 53 weeks later we went back. We had some great corner routes to work and John & I had some new gear to break in. It was a glorious sunny day to get some cuts and scrapes and work the rocks for all they were worth!



"Mama said these was my magic shoes!" John saved up his allowance and got what I'm starting to believe is the climbers equivalent of Playschool's My First Climbing Shoe. I feel like every body has an old pair of Coyote's lieing around!

Maura was practicing placing gear for some aid climbing she'll be doing this summer. Had a little trouble on the first crack, but it gave her a lot of good practice. (An explanation for my mom...there's not a person on the other end of that rope! Talk about trusting your gear!)


One challenging thing that we found; even on the climbs that were well within our skill level, the last 10 - 15 feet weren't! You'd work your way up there only to find an ending of slick rock with tiny holds and nowhere to put your feet. Though John's looking comfy at the moment.
What a difference a year makes. That's all I could keep thinking all day. Last year when we headed up to Cat's Hole I couldn't climb due to problems with my shoulder and wrist. Now check out that nice left reach!




I love that high step, baby!



Our resident climbing Goddess; here on the ground with us mere mortals!




We moved on to tougher pastures - and with it came this nice clear shot of John. This crack & corner system totally kicked our butts! Neither of us could finish it out, but that's what happens when you save your biggest challenge for the end of the day.

A geological side note if there's anyone interested - the reddish/orange appearance of the rock actually comes from rust. These rocks are volcanic rock (igneous rock) and therefore have a high iron content. Expose them to the sun & water & air and eventually = rust. :)

Climbing makes us happy. End of story!

West Rock Ridge

This isn't exactly about hiking, but I've been biking (only one letter off) around West Rock Ridge park lately, and it's pretty nice. The last two times I've been up there, I've biked up to the Judges' Cave and the South Overlook. Today, at one of the lookout areas at the South Overlook, a Red-tail Hawk flew in and perched on a treetop not more than 25 feet from where I was sitting. It was a pretty impressive sight. After a few minutes he glided off down the hill.

Next time I go out there, I'm going to take a right into the park away from the Cave and Overlook and see where that goes.

Ragged Mountain Pics

We went up to Ragged Mountain over the weekend. It was GORGOUS, though chilly and windy at times. It's very rocky up there, so lots to roll your ankles on!

A few of our group had climbed up there before, and they have better details in the previous posts.

Beautiful view of the lake!Russ conquering the world.John and some pretty CT blue sky.
Nick! Don't jump!
I think too much.

Ragged Mountain: Small Cliff

Ragged Mountain: Small Cliff
Southington, CT

If the Main Cliff looks a little daunting at first, the Small Cliff at Ragged also features some incredible climbs. There is a very nice chimney to shimmey up, and several fun face climbs on the fractured traprock.

The approach to the Small Cliff is also a nice, leisurely walk through the woods, with a little bit of scrambling now and then. A lot of the path follows the Metacomet Trail (blue blazes), a large trail system that can be found weaving around many of central Connecticut's best hiking spots.

Ragged Mountain: Main Cliff

Ragged Mountain: Main Cliff
Southington, CT

Ragged is the tallest and most popular climbing area in Connecticut. The land that the cliff is on is owned by The Ragged Mountain Access Fund, a group comprised primarily of the people who go there often and want to ensure that this great area is kept open for climbers to enjoy.

Some views from the top...

At the base of the cliff looking up

Taking a break at the top and having a snack, the most important part of any hiking / climbing trip ;-)

The approach from the parking lot is approximately 45 minutes from car to cliff top. Along the way, the trail takes you past many minor cliff areas and past interesting formations like Lost Owl Spire, shown above.

John tying in with "Clark Bar Crack" looming ominously in the background...

Checking out some face climbs further down the wall...

Taking a break, having a snack

One way to tackle an challenging heel hook ledge...

Another way to tackle that heel hook ledge...

Chatfield Hollow

What a great day to be outdoors. Maura and I made our way to Chatfield Hollow in Killingworth this morning, and were treated with warm, sunny weather the whole way. Ever so slightly more remote from the road than Washington's Head, when there wasn't any traffic you could forget the road was even there. Other than a group of hikers who passed through, there was no one else out in the area.

Many surfaces were covered with a thin layer of loose debris, and most of the cracks were still wet from the rain earlier this week.

I completed two routes here (my first two): Clark Bar Crack and Kyle's Corner. Both a lot of fun.

Maura's got some pictures I hope to get a hold of. Stay tuned.

Catshole/Washington's Head

Had a great treck up to Meriden today with our friends Maura & Otter & had a great time climbing Catshole, known to the locals as Washington's Head. Maura brought along her copy of Rock Climbing Connecticut which had some nice trail names/notations. Not much climbing for me thou due to a bum shoulder...but the other three were good and tired in the end. We also had an awesome climbing neighbor by way of a Frenchman who kept doing the same trial, "Pegasus", over and over and he was AMAZING. It was a little cold and I was a bit annoyed at being on the ground most of the day - but all and all a nice day spent outside (if you could ignore the road noise and the fact that we were walking distance from the mall). One major perk: the walk from the car to the face is about 3 minutes. Also, the trees grow at a slight angle to the hill, so when you're belaying you can lean back & it doesn't hurt your neck ;)

West Rock Ridge State Park

Not far from New Haven, in the town of Hamden, is West Rock Ridge State Park. It's a fairly small park, with about 15-20 miles of trails crisscrossing the park. Last Sunday my husband and I hiked the southern portion of the park, covering almost all of the trails on the southern ridge. It was a lovely fall day, and due to the closure of the park to motorvehicle traffic it was nearly deserted and very hiker friendly (except for 2 teenagers who were lighting a fire in the middle of the woods like morons).









The main trails - used for horseback riding, biking, and driving to the main highlights of the park - are paved. But once you get off the well beaten path their are well marked "blue-trails" with some great hiking and spectacular views.
One of the best features of West Ridge is the range of accessability. The offer handicapped access for fishing and paved routes to picnic areas, but also ridge-edge hiking.


















A touch of history - their is an area in the park known as the "Judge's Cave" where 2 of the signators on the declaration for the death of King George hid out for a few weeks in early May in the 1600's. This "cave" consists of a bunch of boulders leaning up against one another (The very same boulders that my hubby is standing on). It's pritty intense, and is great bouldering - as you can see w/ my husband on top of one. Their are interesting rock formations throughout the southern portion of the park - and I imagine throughout - that are great for scrambling over. (such as the ones I'm on in this pic)






















Another cool thing about this spot is the view - holy moly! It is reported on their website that you can see up to 200 sq miles on a clear day. From the spot where we perched for a snack and water you could see Long Island and the sound - which I thought was pritty freaking cool. (and you can see on the horizon of this last picture - it was more clear to eyesight, but you can kind of make it out).
















All in all, it was a great hiking experience, with the exception of the pyro-teens (and they weren't really so bad, just misinformed).




And now I'd like you to share your experiances. E-mail me at darleneemccullough@gmail.com and I will add you to our member list so you can publish your CT hiking info!