We parked in parking area P8, and headed through the gate along the paved road west to the northern trailhead of the white-blazed Hank's East trail. We took that south to the Highlands Trail, making a left on that and descending sharply for a stretch. At Union Valley Road the trail continued in the woods just along the road, so the noise of the cars takes away from the experience. It improved a bit once we made the left on the HT and continued following Gould Road in the woods at the edge of the road. Gould Road is used less. When the HT made a right into the forest, we made a left following a woods road (what used to be the HT at this point) first north, then west, back to Union Valley Road. We crossed the road and then backtracked along the HT, eventually climbing steeply back to the white trail, then the paved road, back to the car in P8. That's where we ate lunch while being molested by two free-range goats. They're a joy! Laura brought some old Pop-Tarts this time. They scarfed them down in two seconds!

Total distance hiked today was 5.2 miles in about 3 hours and 15 minutes.