60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Boston. Lafe Low
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including landmarks, side trips, and possible alternate routes along the way. Ultimately, the hike description will help you choose which hikes are best for you.
Nearby Activities
Look here for information on things to do or points of interest: nearby parks, museums, restaurants, and the like. Note that not every hike has a listing.
Directions
Used in conjunction with the GPS coordinates, the driving directions will help you locate each trailhead. Once at the trailhead, park only in designated areas.
GPS Trailhead Coordinates
As noted in “Trail Maps,” the author used a handheld GPS unit to obtain geographic data and sent the information to the publisher’s cartographers. The trailhead coordinates—the intersection of the latitude (north) and longitude (west)—will orient you from the trailhead. In some cases, you can drive within viewing distance of a trailhead. Other hiking routes require a short walk to the trailhead from a parking area.
You will also note that this guidebook uses the degrees–decimal minute format for presenting the GPS coordinates.
N42° 21.650′ W71° 04.250′
The latitude and longitude grid system is likely quite familiar to you, but here is a refresher, pertinent to visualizing the GPS coordinates:
Imaginary lines of latitude—called parallels and approximately 69 miles apart from each other—run horizontally around the globe. The equator is established to be 0°, and each parallel is indicated by degrees from the equator: up to 90°N at the North Pole and down to 90°S at the South Pole.
Imaginary lines of longitude—called meridians—run perpendicular to latitude lines and are likewise indicated by degrees. Starting from 0° at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England, they continue to the east and west until they meet 180° later at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. At the equator, longitude lines are also approximately 69 miles apart, but that distance narrows as the meridians converge toward the North and South Poles.
For more on GPS technology, visit usgs.gov.
TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS
The maps in this book have been produced with great care and, used with the hike text, will direct you to the trail and help you stay on course. However, you’ll find superior detail and valuable information in the U.S. Geological Survey’s 7.5-minute-series topographic maps. At mytopo.com, for example, you can view and print free USGS topos of the entire United States. Online services such as Trails.com charge annual fees for additional features such as shaded relief, which makes the topography stand out more. If you expect to print out many topo maps each year, it might be worth paying for such extras. The downside to USGS maps is that most are outdated, having been created 20–30 years ago; nevertheless, they provide excellent topographic detail. Of course, Google Earth (earth.google.com) does away with topo maps and their inaccuracies, replacing them with satellite imagery and its own inaccuracies. Regardless, what one lacks, the other augments. Google Earth is an excellent tool whether you have difficulty with topos or not.
If you’re new to hiking, you might be wondering, “What’s a topo map?” In short, it indicates not only linear distance but also elevation, using contour lines. These lines spread across the map like dozens of intricate spider webs. Each line represents a particular elevation, and at the base of each topo a contour’s interval designation is given. For example, if the contour interval is 20 feet, then the distance between each contour line is 20 feet. Follow five contour lines up on the same map, and the elevation has increased by 100 feet. In addition to the sources listed previously and in Appendix B, you’ll find topos at major universities, outdoor gear shops, and some public libraries, as well as online at nationalmap.gov and store.usgs.gov.
Weather
It has been said there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. Bostonians and New Englanders as a whole pay close attention to forecasts, while simultaneously regarding them with stubborn disdain and skepticism. This is due both to disposition and to the weather’s high degree of variability, not just season to season but minute by minute. A 20° drop or upward lurch in temperature is not unheard of either on a sultry summer evening or on a silvery afternoon in winter. Often the most reliable weather predictor is a stiff wind, for it likely signals a shift from humid to dry, hot to cool, or vice versa.
Source: USClimateData.com
Boston’s proximity to the sea and all that travels along the Gulf Stream from the Gulf of Mexico to Newfoundland and on across the Atlantic Ocean largely explains its fickle weather. In summer, the soggy winds of occasional Caribbean-born hurricanes add muscle and heft to the otherwise modest surf that smacks at the shore. These winds are known to drag in heat and humidity that settles on Boston’s neighborhoods like a soggy blanket. Other storms, such as Canada-bred nor’easters, deftly carve out the heat and replace perspiration with goose bumps. Bear in mind, too, that on any given day, the temperature at the shore is well below that of inland locations.
While there is no disagreement that a brilliant sunny day with the temperature between 65° F and 70° F is ideal for a hike in the hills, in today’s age of synthetic performance fabrics, you can have a pleasant hiking experience in almost all conditions. Indeed, facing the elements when properly dressed is a distinctly satisfying pleasure. To ensure you are in league with the weather when you set out on a hike, be sure to pack extra clothing. Having a windbreaker or dry T-shirt to change into after a sweaty climb or cloudburst can make all the difference. Remember, there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing.
Water
How much is enough? Well, one simple physiological fact should convince you to err on the side of excess when deciding how much water to pack: a hiker walking steadily in 90° heat needs approximately 10 quarts of fluid per day. That’s 2.5 gallons. A good rule of thumb is to hydrate prior to your hike, carry (and drink) 6 ounces of water for every mile you plan to hike, and hydrate again after the hike. For most people, the pleasures of hiking make carrying water a relatively minor price to pay to remain safe and healthy. So pack more water than you anticipate needing, even for short hikes.
If you are tempted to drink found water, do so with extreme caution. Many ponds and lakes encountered by hikers are fairly stagnant, and the water tastes terrible. Drinking such water presents inherent risks for thirsty trekkers. Giardia parasites contaminate many water sources and cause the dreaded intestinal giardiasis that can last for weeks after ingestion. For information, visit the Centers for Disease Control website at cdc.gov/parasites/giardia.
In any case, effective treatment is essential before using any water source found along the trail. Boiling water for two to three minutes is always a safe measure for camping, but day hikers can consider iodine tablets, approved chemical mixes, filtration units rated for giardia, and UV filtration. Some of these methods (for example, filtration with an added carbon filter) remove bad tastes typical in stagnant water, while others add their own taste. As a precaution, carry a means of water purification to help in a pinch or if you realize you have underestimated your consumption needs.
Clothing
Nothing about the weather in and around Boston is certain but its variability. It is not a question of if the weather will change, but when. Even if it is a brilliant blue-sky morning when you prepare to head for the hiking trail, grab a fleece jacket or vest for later in the day when temperatures dip, especially in the deep shade of the woods. Taking along a waterproof,