Earlier today I wanted to head out with my camera to take some photos. I had other things going on later in the day so I didn't want to go too far. So I thought I'd head to the Leominster State Forest. I've been there a few times, but haven't done many of the trails there. There is a nice beach like area with benches that's really nice. Next to that there is a beach area which I'm sure is open to the public during the warmer months. For once I stopped to look at the map they had there to see where the trails went. And, I noticed there was an entrance for another trail a little bit down the street. It looked like it had some elevation and might have some nice look out points at the top. Since I hadn't been to that part I decided to give it a try. To get to the top it says something like a half mile walk. I thought to myself "that doesn't seem too bad" and started walking on the trail. There were tons of leaves everywhere so I had to keep an eye on that, but it was a fairly easy walk. I did see a lot of cars in the lot so I was thinking I'd see some people along the way. I didn't actually see anyone until I got to the stone side of the mountain. I did see some people practicing rock climbing with their ropes and gear. I didn't want to distract them so I just kept on my way. To the left of where they were I noticed the trail making a steep incline. With all the leaves everywhere I knew I had to go slow and really plan my footing especially with my camera in one hand. (I had left my camera bag in the car like a dummy). You'll see in some of the photos below that the red marks on the trees helped me to stay on course. There were a couple times where other trails intersected the main trail. I went up the steep rocky hill slowly and also walked near the summit slowly as well. That's also where I saw some people walking around and more people rock climbing on the much taller rock facades. One thing I noted is that I really should have brought a wider lens. It became a little tricky to show the full scale of the climb, the drop, the edges and all the rocks everywhere. But, I do have a lens on order that I'll most likely be taking on all my photo walks going forward. I'll be keeping the Fuji 35mm lens for pictures of people and for points of interest. After wandering around a bit at the top near the edges I made my way down and back to the car. Luckily the experience of making the climb made me better prepared for that rocky descent. Note to self: get a camera strap or bring your camera bag next time. Being able to hold on to trees or branches was very helpful along the way. Also, I need to be careful about doing this kind of hike when all the leaves are on the ground. Being a cloudy day I was nervous that it would start raining and make the descent treacherous, but alas I got lucky. The weather, although cloudy, was fantastic for November. 74 degrees and a small wind made it very pleasant. To find some maps of the area visit here. Looks like there are some other really cool trails I can visit in the future. Please enjoy the photos. I was torn on color or black and white, but chose color. Can you spot the little friend?
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