New hiking trail opens in Landing

ROXBURY – With speeches by elected officials and the fanfare of a ribbon cutting, the first marked hiking trail in the Landing section of the township opened recently, adding another leg to the town’s existing and growing trail system.
The Ice Age Trail, a short mile and half, heavily wooded hike, is aptly named for the time on earth when glaciers pushed through the area, depositing rocks, boulders and soil which ultimately shaped the local terrain.
According to Tim Burns, chairman of the Roxbury Trails committee, the Ice Age Trail is actually an existing trail forged over the years by local residents. Only a minimal amount of work and money, about $700 according to Burns, was needed to get the trail open, including adding a 12-foot bridge over a wet ravine, which was built by the local Home Depot and donated to the town.

“This is the first trail in Landing,” said Sandi DiDomenico, program director for the Roxbury recreation. “We’re excited about that and excited for the growth for Landing.”
The trailhead is marked with a kiosk and is located on Orben Drive with a small parking lot. According to DiDomenico, the trail winds through thick woods and can be rough with stones, rocks and a few small boulders but is wide enough for two people to walk side by side. There are two very steep inclines leading to a flat are along a ridge which opens for spectacular winter views. The trail has a few intersections but is marked with the distinct orange and white Township of Roxbury 1740 trail markers, and loops bringing hikers back to the trailhead.
Approximately 75 people, some with their dogs, attended the ribbon cutting ceremony and inaugural hike. Tyler Karpman, a ten-year-old Landing resident who was with his mother, was the first hiker to step onto the trail, leading the rest of the group into the woods.
“I liked it. I’m going to start hiking more on this trail. When you get to the ridge it’s a beautiful view,” said Karpman after reemerging from the woods about an hour after starting. After further thought he realized “its kind a challenging, that section that’s up hill.” And with that he walked back to the trail to wait for his mother, who he left behind on one of the challenging hills.