After reading about the famous pedestrian, E.P. Weston, and studying satellite maps of my local area, I heard about a local rails-to-trails project taking place in my area (link to: Mattapoisett Rail Trail).  On Sunday, April 26, 2009,  the volunteers were holding a pledge drive, so I decided to walk the present and future trail from Fairhaven to Wareham, Massachusetts.  A third of the railway bed has been converted to recreational trail, pending more local funding.  This April 27 report followed several weekend walks of more than 10 miles.

At a little after 9:00 I left Fairhaven from Margarets and got to Depot street in Mattapoisett a couple hours later. The dogs only came as far as the YMCA, where my wife had driven to meet me. I had carried the dogs across the little footbridge before, and once was enough!

This map was prepared with the help of MapMyWalk.com.

Then I walked up North Street to Mahoney's. Out in the open on the pavement the heat was probably the worst. In behind the Bay Club they have made a heavy gravel road for quite some way, plus there's a couple cell towers. I hadn't remembered the fire hydrants going very far along the railway bed, but they do.

Coming out in Marion did not take the rail path through Washburn park at 1:00, but walked over the highway to the water station by the Methodist Church. Finding it closed, I continued walking along County Road and stopped at my friend Jim's place. My wife brought me a cold smoothie and of course the dogs jumped out of the car for a swim along the muddy river bank!

Cool tip of the day:  Drink ice water, go for a swim, or dunk your head!

Continuing along County Road, I passed Blackmoor Pond Road. Then I consulted the map again and returned to Blackmoor Pond Road when I understood that it parallels Route 195. Hardly onto Blackmoor Pond Road, I noticed a gated conservation area on the right and a couple abandoned railroad ties just beyond. To the left was another gate and a long grassy way, straight and flat. This could only be the railway!

This section was really great, going by ponds and cranberry bogs. The last section has the original railroad ties, closely spaced, and the original iron rails intact. The trees have grown over it, leaving a small archway over the path. Just too cool.

From there it was a dangerous walk along Fearing Hill Road, behind Target and under the newer RR bridge to Main Street. There was a lovely patch of rhubarb in a swampy area by the river. A lady raking leaves told me it was 1 1/4 miles to the Crossing in Wareham, so I phoned home and trotted the rest of the way.

I got there at about 4:00. It was only about 18 miles, according the the satellite map, if you count my mistakes and missed turns. Considering that on a day when the temperatures get into the 80's, that the real temperature on pavement in the open gets higher, it was hot enough.

After an interminable wait at Perry's, the dogs got their doggy dish with a biscuit on top, and I got a raspberry sorbet cooler. One sip and I exclaimed, "The wait was worth it!"
 

Below:  On a 13-mile walk, April 5, 2009