4/29/2011 Lamentation Mountain (4/22/2011)

another car where it really shouldn't be, in the woods, and it is shot up

basically saying be careful because if not you will fall and die, obviously this is here because some did just that, they weren't careful and the proceeded to fall and die

looking south west, just to the east of the mountain is Meriden

Mr. L found something, he is looking southwest, i am looking northwest

looking north, if it was a nice day out you can see the Berkshires in Mass

So again this hike occurred on 4/22/2011. Myself and Mr. L woke up early, got some breakfast and drove out here to Lamentation Mountain.  We parked on what we hoped was a parking lot but it was actually an extention of someone's driveway so we hoped that his car would still be there when we got off the trail, and if it wasn't who cares the car cost him 500 bucks.  So we head out along the CT blue trail ( Metacomet), I think here it is called that Mattabasett, I could be wrong and I more than likely spelled it wrong.  Anyway, we head out and are walking through straight up shit.  The trail aka atv path was destroyed.  We followed this for awhile and prayed that we would pick up some elevation so we could get out of this shit.  Finally we did and pretty much picked up I would estimate 200 to 300 feet of elevation in around 300 feet of hiking.  That doesn't sound too bad but trust me it is, anytime a trail switches back and forth up a hillside or mountain side, it's doing that because the elevation gain would be too much to go straight up the side.  So we get to what we think is the top and realize that false summits suck because this one had I would say around 3 of them.  See this is a mind fuck (excuse my language but there really is no other way to describe it and get my point across).  I refer to it like this because well you think you are at the top of the mountain and well your not, it might flatten out for a little bit, but then it goes up some more and continues this for awhile until finally you are at the top.  So we continue this and then finally come out along the top and follow the ridgeline of Lamentation Mountain for the rest of the hike.  On a nice day you can easily see all the way to Mass and see the Berkshires.  We could see that far but unfortunately the pictures don't show it.  We could also see all the way to New Haven and see Hartford.  I would have to say the views we saw were some of the best so far.  While hiking we came upon a young man who we dubbed "Rainman".  He literally came out of nowhere.  We came over a crest in the ridgeline and there he was staring out over Berlin and looking west towards Southington.  We both decided that this kid was probably going to jump because that's what he looked like he was thinking about.  He wouldn't have lived.  Anyway we get away from Rainman and kept on going south east.  If we were to follow the trail all the way we would end up at Mount Higby in Middletown.  So while hiking we came up with a plan to have someone drop us off at the trailhead at Lamentation Mountain and we would hike to Route 66 in Middlefield.  That would be a cool hike so that one will be happening soon.  The hike overall was a good one.  The one thing I have noticed alot on these hikes is that the forrest looks like it got carpet bombed.  There are dead trees all over the place which literally look like someone called in high explosive artillery and proceeded to say fire for effect because it looks like everything was blown to shit.  Who knows, but I guess the wind could do that.  Well it was a good hike and I can't wait to get back out on the trail but I am getting ready for several jiu-jitsu tournaments in the near future.  Until then be safe and stay loose.