"BEARSDEN DAY 1: I decided to test out my new gear with an overnight trip to Bearsden Conservation Area in Athol, MA. I arrived at the Bearsden Road parking area and began heading up Round Top Trail around 4:30pm. The afternoon weather, while cloudy, was a fairly pleasant low-50s with no wind. Round Top offers a clear view to southeast where the summit of Mt. Wachusett is visible. Continuing north along the Round Top Trail I discovered my first piece of evidence that the Conservation Area is undergoing significant change when I followed a sign saying “Warren Vista” to a dead end. I then followed a trail back to Bearsden Road which did not exist on any map, found a sign saying “Bemis Hill” and proceeded to completely lose the trail. Despite following faded yellow “B” markers, the clear-cutting activity made the trail indiscernible, and I ended up just bushwhacking my way to the top of Bemis Hill. Once there, I found an overgrown trail and followed more “B” markers down until the trail vanished amongst the undergrowth. I did my best to follow the markers, but I was back to bushwhacking until I reached the Deep Cut Bypass Trail which was mercifully a very wide and obvious path. After ..." — JCalautti • Apr 10, 2025