Welcome To My Hike!
When I can’t physically go out for a bike ride, a suitable substitution must be found that does not over stress my painful shoulder. I have found there is nothing quite like a good day-hike to get the heart and lungs working as designed. And when you have a short woodsy trail literally 100 yards from your back door I say… GO FOR IT! EVERYDAY.
The Windswept Ridge nature preserve is located in Essex, Connecticut and is managed by the Essex Land Trust; a very well marked and maintained set of trails. It’s comprised of a series of loops and this video takes us on a portion of, what I call, the big loop that includes the Yellow, Red, and Green trails. This option is less than two miles total including the distance to and from my house. The main trailhead off of Plans Road in Essex is a great place to begin your hike - clockwise or counterclockwise - completely up to you.
This video is intended to give you a quick glimpse of what is in store for you during if you decide to complete a full loop of the Windswept Ridge nature preserve. For those who view this and swear off of the trail because of the climbing and the areas of roots, rocks, and mud I traversed, fear not… the nice wide (yellow) main trail extends from the Trailhead north for about 1/2 mile for an nice down and back workout… and you are free to take as many reps as you can stand.
I have placed links below this description for the digital Windswept Ridge brochure which includes a detailed map.
Brochure - www.essexlandtrust.org/Assets/Brochures/Windswept%20Ridge%20Trail%20Map%20&%20Brochure.pdf