Blue Trail - Carter Preserve

Overview: The Blue Trail roughly parallels the Yellow Trail (see a separate guide), with two trailheads: one is a tenth of a mile from Old Mill Road and the other is a half-mile from Route 112. This guide describes the Blue Trail from the Old Mill Road entrance.

Turning left off the Yellow Trail, the Blue Trail explores the area where the young oak forest meets a belt of pitch pines that had been working their way to the east. With the forest canopy now closed, the pitch pines are unlikely to advance further without some disturbance, such as a hurricane or fire. Ahead on the left, look for a gap in the stone wall, which points to an area where livestock -- probably sheep -- were moved from one pasture to another in the 1800s.

Approximately three quarters of the way around the trail, a long, narrow pond comes into view on the left, below. Locally, it is known as Ice Pond, and indeed, blocks of ice were harvested here, in the days before electricity. It has long been dammed at the western end, but beavers have reinforced it in the past few years, raising the water level significantly. A second gap in the stone wall shows where an old farm road once led down to the dam.

Past the pond, the Red Trail comes in from the left at a large diameter pitch pine. The Blue Trail continues straight ahead and ultimately runs between two small but steep hills. Hikers seem to pick up their pace a bit here, perhaps a bit leery that someone might be looking down from above! The Blue Trail goes out with a bang: meeting the Yellow Trail at large rock outcropping, perfectly suitable for climbing and enjoying a snack.

Tips: A shortcut (also blazed in blue) cuts back to the Yellow Trail, giving visitors another loop option.

The Blue Trail can be easily combined with the Yellow and Red Trails for a 3.5-mile hike.