Mount Higby

I finally got up here, solo, to scout it before bringing anyone smaller, and it lived up to the hype. It's a traprock ridge over Meriden, and the whole appeal is the views and the ledges, both of which deliver.

You park in a good-sized lot off Route 66, room for around twenty cars, and there was no rush when I went. Pick up the blue blazes of the Mattabesett Trail. The nice part is the first leg gives you a look at Black Pond before you do any real work. Then it turns uphill. Here's what I had wrong before I went: I'd braced for a gnarly scramble, and it's really just a steady, easygoing climb. The elevation comes gradually, and the reward at the top is open cliffs and ledges.

Peekaboo views the whole way up, then open ledges to sit on and catch the wind. The climb is easier than it looks.

The ledges are the whole thing. You get peekaboo views through the trees the entire way up, and there are open spots all along to sit down, take a break, catch the wind, and get a photo. Great photo ops top to bottom. It never felt like a grind, just a good climb with a payoff around every bend.

On age: I'd bring a kid around seven and up without much worry. The distance is the real ask here, not the climb. My crew hasn't done it yet, so I'm holding the ratings until the family trip, but this one's staying on the list, and Lyman Orchards is ten minutes away for pie after.