I’ve walked the Weston Reservoir loop in the past and wasn’t a fan. Too many people, too many unleashed dogs loping about, too much fencing, which parsed the water view into metal diamond shapes of chain-link. I’m always good for a nice 2-mile hike on a wide path that cuts through a towering pine forest, but the drama of this trail! After two dogs came up behind me in the full snarl of a real fight, their frantic owners trying to call them off each other, I concluded this particular walk wasn’t the kind of quiet, nature-based experience I sought. I swore off the Weston Reservoir loop.
Wide trails and towering pines of the Weston Reservoir trails make this a tremendously popular hiking spot, under 20 minutes from Natick Center.That was a few years ago, on a perfect summer day. What would happen, I wondered, if I went right now, when packed snow and ice would likely deter a good number of walkers? If I could sneak in when those who need hip replacements (both human and canine) didn’t dare set out, a better experience might result, I reasoned. Since I’m just one fall away from needing my own hip replacement, but am still (over) confident in my balance and reflexes, I strapped on my Yaktraxs and headed to the trail. My plan proved sound.
