Each New Years Day, the American State Parks encourages Americans to take a hike and enjoy the outdoors.This is a co-ordinated project with State Parks nationwide, but almost all organizations that sponsor trails have joined in this effort. According to the American State Parks website 85,000 people hiked 176,366 miles on New Years Day last year. Fortunately for us, there are a vast number of trail opportunities in our area.

The Friends of Topsmead State Forest sponsored a pair of First Day Hikes at Topsmead State Forest this year; an “historical tour” of the grounds, and a “bird trail” hike. Jani led the “Historical tour”, a 2-hour walk-and-talk, drawing on the 30 years she worked there maintaining the grounds.

Topsmead is a 600-acre property that was gifted to the state by Edith Morton Chase in 1972.  It features diverse landscapes, including bike and nature trails, formal gardens, unique bird habitats, and a meticulously crafted English Tudor style cottage. The 18 participants on Jani’s hike walked approximately 1½ miles, mostly on old dirt roads and paths or through fields, listening to stories of Topsmead’s past, its evolution, and of its principals and its many employees.

One notable stop was at a bird blind, where Jani was asked to explain what a blind was. As if on cue, she spotted a bobcat hunting a few hundred yards across a hayfield, which made a great illustration of how a blind might be utilized. (The bobcat appeared to be successful in its hunt, climaxing with a dramatic leap-and-pounce, just as the tour was ready to move on.)

Another interesting aspect of the hike was seeing the original approach to the main house, which is not readily visible to visitors who arrive from the public parking lot. It gave hikers a vastly different perspective on the whole property and its layout.

There were many fresh insights about the house and the cottage from which it grew, as well as the many outbuildings at Topsmead. Judging from the hikers’ responses, this may become an annual part of the First Day Hikes.