Gray Rock

Here's an easy 3 mile out-and-back hike with two easy climbs through
abandoned farmland and up a small ridge overlooking watershed. There
are two letterboxes to be found in about two hours of pleasant
walking.

In Groton on CT Rte. 184, about 1 miles east of I-95, find a little
pull-out to park just beyond the stoplight at Gungywamp Rd and right
across from Paul's Service Center. (The Gray Rock is a fenced-in,
half-buried glacial erratic a short bit further east). The trails
here are not marked, so this rather detailed cluesheet may favor the
compass masters in your group.

Park, then walk in towards the "No Campfires or Open Flames" sign.
Bear 150 at the first intersection and pass a mortered stone
gatepost to the ESE. Skip a little dink leading back toward the road,
then go 136 down the old farm path.

Pass by the first right, an upside down "Y" and continue straight on
100. Then, a few steps later, go straight through the cross trail
and soon bypass a leftwards leading "Y". Walk between walls to a "T".

Turn to 150, avoid the next right, and continue straight through
the field, a bit of forest, and another field. Go straight through a
right-turn "Y" by a campfire back into the woods.

Turn to 084 and walk through a stone wall uphill through mountain
laurel. In thick laurel, trail splits. Go straight on 046 and
downhill to Groton City No Trespassing signs.

Curve 270 and hike steeply uphill through erratics. At the top, the
trail curves left and then T's. Turn to 180 and in a short bit bear
left on 114 at a triple tree in rock. A short way on this footpath
brings you to a spot overlooking the Groton Reservoir (fairly hidden
when the leaves are in). There are a couple of rocks leaning on a
tree on the SE side of the trail. Look there for your first find, the
Reservoir Letterbox.

Now continue south above the water through a ledgy boulder field,
skipping a faint right going 310. The trail sweeps to the southwest.
At a "Y", bear 300 to a wonderful slickrock overlook (if you come to
an almost-vertical dropoff, you've missed the "Y" turnoff). From the
highest point, find the water tower across I95 at 238. Turn around
and march straight back from there 25 steps to a ledge and find the
Slickrock Letterbox at about knee level.

To return, retrace your way north along the reservoir bypassing
that "faint Y at 310" and bypassing the next left to find the steep
no trespassing triple trunked tree in rock intersection again. Head
305 into more laurel, and in a surprisingly short way return to a
familiar "T". Now walk 255, back downhill, through the stone wall,
and right to the campfire "Y".

Fork 344 and pass through the field, then north at the "T". A few
steps later, turn west at the "Y. Return between walls and in quick
succession go straight west at the "Y", straight through the cross
trail, and 290 at the "Y". A simple right-left returns you to your
beginning.



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