A short distance from the center of Mason, there are new trails to explore.
Last weekend, I attended the dedication ceremony for two new pieces of land, donated to the town by Jennifer Beck and Sandy Gray, and a fresh set of trails designed and cut by high school student Michael Piernas.
Following the dedication, there was a group hike, visiting several spots of note on the trail. I kept with the group for the first portion of the hike, which stopped by the site of a former saw and grist mill, and then set out on my own to try to cover every bit of new trail — while there is a main loop, there are a few side trails to explore.
It’s hard to adequately describe coming across the site of the old mill spillway. There is no mistaking it for anything else, first of all. The wall, made of stone, towers above the site of the spillway, creating an L shape. It’s one of those things that makes you wonder how it was accomplished without the use of modern equipment.
Not much is known about the mill. It’s referenced in Mason histories as being a saw and grist mill owned by the Mason Mill Company, but references to it are scant. The old mill building was eventually fully destroyed by a flash flood, which washed a large portion of the wall downstream. While exploring the trails, it’s possible to spot large rocks that were likely part of that wall once. It’s somewhat daunting to imagine the kinds of forces it would take to move rocks that large that far.
For a portion of the hike, you’re walking alongside Mason Brook. The brook was not particularly high this late into June, but there are a few spots where you can hear it burbling over the rocks, and the trail eventually takes you down to the brookside, where there are lovely views of the small cascades that, along with the mill site, were one of the main reasons for conserving the land in the first place.
The trail is also lined by laurel in many places, which is in bloom this time of year, making for a lovely view along your hike. I also spotted, on a less frequent basis, wild blueberry and many, many ferns.
Though there are several points along the hike where you can spot homes or the cemetery through the trees, the property is adjacent to Old Ashby Road, which is not a bustling throughway, making for a very quiet, restful hike with some lovely and unusual views.
Overall, even exploring the totality of the trails available is still a reasonably short hike. While there are some dips in elevation, it is never more than a fairly steep hill. This trail is suitable for children and families to explore.
At one point, the trail does cross the Mason Brook. At this time of the year, the brook was running low, and there were several points where the brook was not entirely dry, but was easily crossable with a single hop. Crossing is likely to be more difficult in the springtime, when waters are higher and the brook is rushing.
Currently a dry trail, there are some spots that are likely to be muddy in spring.
Parking for the trail is accessible on the side of Old Ashby Road, by Prospect Hill Cemetery. There is a sign at the trailhead marking the Happy Trails Conservation Land.