| Directions: |
9 months ago I spilled the beans on a spot I developed in southern CT via a letter I wrote to Rock and Ice... Well I am re-spilling the beans because I live in Oregon now and its time to share....
In Branford there lies a quiet secluded boulder field with 75+ problems scattered about the woods. There is a concentration of giant boulders and highballs, 10'ers, 15'ers, etc. Something for everyone, from VB to V-out of my league. Its all Stoney Creek granite, the same stuff used on the base of the Statue of Liberty, and it has potential to chew your tips if you don't tape up.
Take I-95 to exit 56. Head south off the exit and pick up 146 at a strange 4 way junction--there should be a small liquor store on the right but I haven't been back in years so I cannot confirm. Go left at the junction onto 146. Turn left onto Old Quarry Road and go past a collection of houses and cross the marsh. You will come by a few more secluded houses and then you'll see a parking pull off on your right. Park here.
Take the only trail up and it will join a small river/brook. When you see a small waterfall, you can continue straight or take a hard left up a poor path up a small craggy hill for a few isolated warm up boulders. At the top of that hill, go right and you'll find a few warm ups and another trail that reconnects to the main trail.
Whether you got to the warm ups or continued straight past the waterfall, both trails run parallel to one another, separated by a few craggy outcroppings. Eventually they join up again. The original trail makes a hard left when the river becomes more marshy. You will find a faint foot path on your right that will take you to a giant cluster of house sized boulders, bordered by a marsh on the east side, piled on haphazardly around each other, and a craggy dirty wall on the west side. Climb away.
There is also a cave/shelter made by these boulders. Broken glass abounds the cave.
If you continue past the boulders along the marsh, or up the trail that leads up the cragginess, you will find boulders in every directions. A giant egg split down the middle enough to form a chimney is also out there somewhere. There is also a continuous 9' wall of rock that runs east to west somewhere back there.
Have fun. Enjoy. |
Sequence numbers indicate the left (L) to right (R) order of the routes.
