I’ve been very very intermittently section-hiking the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail (now the New England National Scenic Trail) for a few years now. I drop my bike at one end, park at the other, and hike north. This is probably the 11th or 12th such hike, starting at the Massachusetts border, since I split some of the longer sections, but this one is very short and took less than 2 hours. Unfortunately I got confused and ended at Orchard St, missing the last few feet of this section between Orchard and Federal St. (will take 2 minutes next time). Not many views but very beautiful, through young beech and white pine woods. I only saw one other person though it was a lovely Saturday. I heard a hermit thrush and a veery singing at the same time, then another hermit thrush later in the hike, and finally a wood thrush on the bike back to complete the trifecta of singing thrushes that are common around here. On the way back to the car I took a little detour to explore Elf Meadow Conservation Area–took the loop trail, very pretty.
