Monday, July 31, 2023
Halyards
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Knockabout
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Schooner
Friday, July 28, 2023
Thursday, July 27, 2023
PHL
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Back to the Future
Well, that was it for my Massachusetts hiking adventures. Now it was time to head back to Virginia by way of Philadelphia. Fortunately, most flights were on time on this particular Friday, including mine. Woohoo!
Monday, July 24, 2023
Regeneration
Sunday, July 23, 2023
White Pine
It started after I left the Cranberry Pond Trail, hung a right onto a fire road, then decided to take the so-called White Pine Trail, which appears on some maps but not on others. As it turns out, the White Pine Trail is very poorly marked. Heck! The last honest-to-goodness marker I saw was the one shown above . . .
Saturday, July 22, 2023
South End
Friday, July 21, 2023
Warning!
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Mount Toby Forest
So my next hiking adventure took me to the Mount Toby Forest where I planned to hike the Cranberry Pond Trail. Here's what the University of Massachusetts has to say about this area:
"Department of Natural Resources Conservation at UMass-Amherst has responsibility for managing the 755-acre Mt. Toby Demonstration forest for teaching, research and demonstration. We also try to coordinate with recreational users of the Forest, as well as the Mass. DCR (who operate the fire tower at the summit), and other organizations. The Forest is topographically diverse. To the south are three hills, the highest being Mount Toby (1269 feet). Slopes are steep with small cliffs and ledges to the east and west. There is a deep valley between two of the hills – Roaring Mountain to the south and Ox Hill to the north – with a brook that drops in a waterfall near the eastern border of the Forest. Most, but not all of it, has been logged more than once, but some areas are so inaccessible that they were never logged. Today, UMass students and faculty use the forest for teaching, field exercises, and forestry research activities. Mount Toby is used heavily by the general public for a variety of recreational activities. These are allowed so long as they conform with the University Trustees guidelines for use of the Forest and do not interfere with teaching and research activities."
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Trail's End
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Monday, July 17, 2023
Sunday, July 16, 2023
Falls
Saturday, July 15, 2023
Buffam Falls
Friday, July 14, 2023
Fourth
Thursday, July 13, 2023
Congregational Church
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Sorrel
It may be known as Common Yellow Wood Sorrel to some, but it appeared quite uncommon to me as I ambled along the Norwottuck Rail Trail last week. I thought at first that it must be a kind of shamrock. Then I read this on thespruce.com:
"Wood sorrel is also often confused with shamrocks—another plant in the clover family. Sorrel is sometimes called 'false shamrock,' and during St. Patrick's Day season, it's common to find yellow wood sorrel misbranded and sold as shamrock."
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Bridge
Monday, July 10, 2023
BOS
Sunday, July 9, 2023
Final Approach
In the photo above, I was, as I recall, cruising at somewhere near 34,000 feet at a leisurely 550 mph!