2021

Wayne Ball

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Hike100 participant

Date completed: 8/06/2021

Miles: I ran the entire MA section from Rising Corner to NH.

Base: Feeding Hills, MA

Describe the NET: Simply amazing, wonderful trails for all ages and skill levels. 

What do you love about the NET? That it’s right in my backyard, thankful to be so close to a trailhead.

Trail Story: 

Back in May of this year, a few friends and I decided to run the entire MA section of the NET back in May of this year. Mileage was approximately 101 miles, it took us just over 36 hours but we all had a blast and enjoyed the day, night, and then a new day again. We have such a treasure right in our backyard and I’m glad more are getting to enjoy the NET. 

Laura Prue

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Hike100 Participant

Date completed: 8/04/2021

Miles: Laura completed the Massachusetts portion of the NET, all 19 sections for a total of 140 miles. 

Base: Brookfield, MA

Bob Melusky

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Hike100 Participant

Date completed: 7/20/2021

Miles: I hiked the entire trail in CT, including the side trails, except for some road walk sections. Most were solo hikes, out and back. I recorded all my hikes on Strava.

Base: Manchester, CT

Describe the NET: The CT NET was quite a surprise for the rugged beauty, vista after vista, great ledges, and fascinating geology. All in our backyards. 

What do you love about the NET? The ledges! I love to hike rock ledges. 

Advice for NET hikers: It’s an interesting trail for experienced hikers, with unique traprock ledges and well-suited for beginners with short loops available to get a taste of the trail. There is an active community of enthusiastic hikers that hike year-round to offer advice.

Trail Story: 

At the end of 2020, I started on the NET at Rising Corner in Agawam and headed south. My first goal was to hike the Metacomet Trail, but once I got rolling, I decided to hike as much of the NET as I could in Connecticut. Most of my hikes were solo out-and-back, but I did car spot with a friend a couple of times, plus the side trails had some loop opportunities. I had a great time researching history along the way and taking and posting photos from every hike. I have a great appreciation for the people who donated the land, allowed passage on private property, built the trails, and maintain them to such high standards.

Lars Brown

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Hike100 Participant

Date completed: 7/20/2021

Miles: I have hiked just over 200 miles on the NET since 1 Jan. Last year are started keeping track of which sections I’d hiked, all of them out and back – so I hike every section – twice. Now I have only Section 14 to complete so I may soon claim to have hiked all of the MA NET sections. 

Base: Belchertown, MA

Describe the NET: Great trail for section hiking. 

What do you love about the NET? If I start early I can usually have the section I’m hiking to myself. On some sections, you can hike a short distance and be away from the noise of roads and highways.

Advice for NET hikers: Good boots, clean water and rain gear…Take a Hike!

Trail Story: 

At 53 I needed a new hobby – one that I could maintain at my own pace and on my own time. Hiking fits this bill. Almost every weekday morning I walk out my door onto Section 10 and get in 2.5 miles on a loop (not all of it NET).
On the weekends I try to get at least one long hike (> 6 miles) and sometimes 2 hikes logged. As of today, I have logged 450+ miles since 1 Jan and I feel great. I’ve dropped 15 pounds and I sleep, very well these days.
Love my smelly, swampy hiking boots that are now like a pair of slippers.

Deanna Anderson

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Hike100 participant

Date completed: 7/10/2021

Miles: I started section one on April 22, 2021. Most of the sections I did as out and back but a few I just did one way. I completed section 12 on July 10, 2021, and logged 106.79 miles. I will continue all the way through MA and then the unofficial NH portion.

Base: Wallingford, CT

Describe the NET: It is a very well marked and at times challenging trail. The views and beauty of the woods are incredible!

Advice for NET hikers: Bring lots of water, wear good shoes and don’t forget snacks!

Trail Story: 

This has been an amazing experience! I’m starting to see CT in a whole new way and I can’t wait to finish the trail. I highly recommend that people complete this challenge in order to have these same experiences.

Gary Metz

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Hike50 Participant

Date completed: 6/22/2021

Miles: CT Sections 1-7, CT Section 7 to Godwin campsite, CT Section 15

Base: Norwich, CT

Describe the NET: A challenge well worth taking if you have any affection for the outdoors or a great place to just spend the day if you want to escape the asphalt.

What do you love about the NET? The supertrail feel in a long trail package.

Advice for NET hikers: Do it. Walk a short section if new, then a longer section and possibly a few sections after that but do it! 

Trail Story: 

I started the NET by myself with the intention of section hiking the whole thing and I am making considerable progress. Over the last 2 weekends and some short hikes during the last month I have covered over 50 miles of the trail solo, with My girlfriend Amy and my good friend Allen.
It means a lot to me that there is a place I can be with nature and the trail offers varying difficulties for those that are less experienced the opportunity to get out and hike and more importantly, hike with me!
I pulled my first 18 mile day ever on the 19th and I am looking to get longer distance from here out and will be completing the CT section of the trail, at least, this year.

Photo Source: Gary Metz

Maureen, Margaret & Mary Curtiss

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Hike50 Participants 

Date completed: 6/8/2021

Miles: We have hiked Section 15 to 9 in CT this year as a trio of sisters. We started in March and finished section 9 last weekend.

Base: Winchester, NH

What do you love about the NET? Solitude and variety, we have seen so many interesting things in the woods, last weekend it was charcoal furnaces in Durham.

Advice for NET hikers: Get out there!

Trail Story: 

What a great adventure — sharing this time out on the trail with my sisters. We hiked all of Massachusettes as a duo last year and this year we are closer to another sister and meet up and have been hiking in CT. We had my niece and another sister join us for the picture above. The whole clan follows our adventures that we post on Facebook.

Stephen Scarlato

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Hike100 Participant 

Date completed: 5/27/2021

Miles: Primarily hiking in northern Massachusetts as I worried on completing my goal of hiking the entire NET. Scattered hikes closer to home on Metacomet, Mattabesett and Menunkatuck as well. 

Base: Windsor, CT

What do you love about the NET? Views, ridge walks, accessibility, opportunities for continuing north to Canada

Advice for NET hikers: Do it! There are very few mountain lions. Just don’t fall off the cliffs. 

Trail Story: 

I saw a moose! Section 17, Massachusetts, just north of the Richardson-Zlogar cabin. First moose I’ve ever seen in Massachusetts!

John Torrone

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Hike100 Participant 

Date completed: 5/8/2021

Miles: I went from Penwood State Forest in CT though all sections up to the Notch Visitors Center in Amherst, MA. I ran the two most northern Ct sections and Sections 1-4 in MA multiple times. 

Base: Westfield, Ma

Describe the NET: Very scenic. Slightly technical with a good amount of climbing 

What do you love about the NET? It’s challenging 

Photos taken by John Torrone

Caitlin Daly

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Hike100 Participant 

Date completed: 3/22/2021

Base: Avon, CT

Miles: Hiked all of the metacomet trail and spent my remaining miles trail running at rattlesnake, ragged, penwood, and the rt.44 trail. 

Describe the NET: Flat with more sloping, technical parts at distinguished parks, lush with evergreen, beautiful. 

What do you love about the NET? I love revisiting trails and getting to know the different wildlife around.  

Advice for NET hikers: Always bring water

Trail Story:

After completing the winter Saranac 6er in NY, I came back to CT excited to tackle our own trails in snowy conditions. I started the second week of January and went into the last weeks of March. I greatly enjoyed finding beautiful features of CT along the way, and having a better understanding of how the towns along the trail fit together.

Photos taken by Caitlin Daly