Oct 29 Bear in Randolph County

This sure looks like bear scat on the trail behind the house. Those are persimmon seeds in there, a favorite bear food. I saw more scat on the road by the house as well. 

Oct 28 American Tobacco Ride

These photos are all of the Beaver Creek impoundment area about 1/2 mile from the New Hill end of the American Tobacco Trail. The first two photos were taken in the early morning at the very beginning of my ride. While the rest were taken about noon as I finished my ride through the same area. The ride took me to the new bridge over I-40 and back to New Hill parking area. A few sandy spots are beginning to form in the Wake County section. Otherwise the trail is in great shape and is getting lots of use. A unicyclist was laboring along on the paved section. It looks like he was working much harder than I was but obviously had better balance.

Oct 18 Guilford Ct Salt Meadows

Guilford Salt Meadow

When the early colonists came to Guilford, one of the natural resources exploited was cordgrass growing in the salt meadows. The cordgrass was harvested each year and used to thatch roofs and provide animal bedding. Dams were built to hold back the tidewater so harvests could  be made. The meadows were also a environment for much aquatic and bird life, providing food for native Americans and colonists. Today the salt meadows are protected in Guilford by the Guilford Land Trust and the Audubon Society. 

Encroaching Phragmites 

A tropical invasive species, Phragmites australis is taking over large areas of salt meadows, all over the world. I saw evidence of that here. many spots contained nothing but Phragmites.

Thin leaved Cattails 

Brackish water

Further up East River, but still tidal, the river narrows enough for colonists to have built a bridge. It is speculated that this is the original site of the bridge used by the Post Road. There were several "Post Roads" over time. It quite possibly changed as bridges were built and towns expanded. It makes sense the earliest route would be at the narrowest point of the river.  Bridges downstream of here would have had much wider spans and most likely would have been built later than the mid 1600's. Boston was founded in 1630, New Amsterdam in 1625, New haven in 1638 and Guilford in 1639. Roads connecting these places, running along the Connecticut shore were built during this time. 

Historic Foote Bridge

Oct 12 Long Trail to Burnt Rock

Log with polypores

                           

                                                                 Ghostly Oysters

I had heard the Camel Hump parking area might be crowded on this nice Sunday. Getting there early was my agenda. There were plenty of spaces available. The hike began on Forest City Trail which intersected the Long Trail near Montclair Glen Shelter. It took over an hour to ascend to the Long Trail. I encountered a few people but not like I expected. From here all the way to Burnt Rock (Long Trail south) I saw only 5 people. Going up Mt Ethan Allen was tough. It was very steep and rocky. I was so glad to reach the fine viewing spot at the summit. Continuing on I thought I'd also have to summit Mt Ira Allen. It was on the map but I didn't look closely enough to see the trail skirted the east side. My altimeter showed me going down and I dreaded the ascent. The ascent of Ira Allen never happened. Finally, I took out the guidebook and saw my error.

Heading up Burnt Rock was tough. There were several spots where iron rungs aided the scramble over rocks. And there was even an aluminum ladder in, aptly named, Ladder Gulch. From here it was just a short distance to the top of Burnt Rock. There was a glimpse to the west but great views to the north and east. On a long ledge looking east, I stopped for a leisurely lunch. The view below was the view from "my spot".

Looking toward the Whites

The hike back to the parking area was much quicker than the morning hike. I was concerned with my energy level but did fine. Once I got off the Long Trail and headed down to the parking area, I began seeing many hikers. Back at the parking area, it was packed. As I drove off, the road was lined for almost a mile with cars. It must have been SRO on top of Camels Hump. The following day I spoke with a young fellow who did confirm, "it was a zoo up there".

Ladder Gulch

Oct 11 Start's Nest on the Long Trail

Looking north

Again starting from App Gap, but this time hiking Long Trail south. The trail climbed steeply out of the gap and as I approached Theron Dean Shelter, I had the option of going there through the Dean Cave. Of course that is what most people would do. It was a narrow crack in the rock. That was easy. However, then one must climb up a rock, proceed out a precipice and leap to another rock. You might decline that if you had a full pack. 

"Providence, Rhode Island". It must have been a nightmare

From here the trail was easier as it ascended to Stark's Nest, now park of Mad River Glen Ski Resort. I kept wondering why I was encountering so many people on the trail who didn't resemble hikers. The chairlift was operating today and bringing folks to the top. The views from here were spectacular. I could see Mt Washington and the Whites to the east. You could also get a glimpse of Lake Champlain and Mt Marcy and the Adirondacks to the west.

The shelter was available for LT hikers to overnight in. there were two notes on the wall about this "Providence,  Rhode Island" incident. 

Mad River Glen's complimentary shelter 

Heading back down, I passed many hikers out on this nice Saturday afternoon. Quite a few had backpacks on.

Easy way up

Oct 10 Long Trail - Molly Stark's Nest

Camels Hump from the south

From this direction, Camels Hump looks like a Camel's Hump. From I-89, the most seen view, it looks like a couching lion, its former name.

Beginning at Appalachian Gap (App Gap), I hike north on very steep and rugged trail. I had forgotten how difficult trail hiking was in Vermont after years of easy trail here in North Carolina. Reaching Molly Starks Balcony, as it is signed, I was rewarded with the view below. I later learned from the locals, the preferred name was "Molly Starks Nest".

Camels Hump and Mt Mansfield from Molly Stark's Nest

 It was downhill all the way to Birch Glen shelter. Once here, I realized I had hiked this section before. Still it was an enjoyable hike, even if I was not adding new LT mileage.

Birch Glen Shelter

This shelter is an easy access from a side trail, the Beane Trail. It did not look like it was used as a party shelter as one might expect.

Steep and rugged trail

The climb down to App Gap is very steep and rugged. I don't think the photo shows that but this was a spot I thought I should try to capture that character. 

Oct 7 Cape Cod Tour

You are here

Jim, our guide and host, shows where we are while in Harwichport. At anytime you could ask Jim where we were and he'd point to the spot. And yes, Cape Cod does curl around at the northern end just as his hand demonstrates. The lighthouse we visited is right where his watch is.

At the JFK memorial, Hyannisport

The memorial is a rather simple one, bathed in sea breezes and punctuated with the sounds of a nearby clanging flagpole. A short drive from here, we watched parasailors enjoying the stiff winds. How they and the birds managed to fly with and the into the wind, escaped me. We also made the mandatory drive by of the Kennedy compound. Not sure of exactly which estate was the one, we singled one out as the most likely. 

Highland Light

For you history enthusiasts, Cape Cod was the first landfall of the Mayflower. The ship was destined for New Amsterdam area but encountered Cape Cod. While trying to sail south around the cape, sand bar hazards loomed. So, they sailed into the protective bay on the west side and went ashore looking for some suitable land. It was here, at First Encounter Beach, native Americans were first met. Nearby, Miles Standish stumbled upon a buried cache of corn seed intended for the Indians' following year crop. Faced with starving pilgrims, Standish took the corn to feed his fellow passengers. Having seen that the land had no major fresh water sources nor possible ports, the ship continued on. Desperate to get on land, the Mayflower stopped at what is now Plymouth and ended up staying. Although a small structure was build, most spent the winter on the ship. As you recall, the Mayflower's departure from England was delayed, forcing the ship to arrive late in the fall. Subsequent ships of colonists found much more suitable lands just to the north. Boston was settled as a result.

Fast forward ahead many years; the area of Cape Cod now known as Truro was formerly known as Pamet and referred to as the "Dangerfields". Ships wrecked in these "dangerfields" often enough that a lighthouse was finally build with funds from Congress in 1797. The area one mile northeast, specifically called Peaked Hills Bar was the determining factor for placement of the light. This sand bar is where the British ship, Somerset, wrecked in 1778 with the loss of 21 lives. Longfellow's poem of Paul Revere's ride mentions the Somerset. His poem is also the reason we celebrate Paul Revere rather than the other riders that night. Paul Revere was stopped and detained while others did the work of alerting towns of the British advance. I digress. An interesting footnote involving the lighthouse involves the light's fuel. Whale oil with wicks was used until the 1860s when whale oil became less available. Pig fat was substituted. When the light was extinguished in the morning, a canvas cover was needed to cover the fuel. Apparently, the fat ignited when the sun's ray passed through the lens on those clear mornings. 

Much like the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the Highland Light needed to be moved from the eroding shoreline. In 1996, the lighthouse rolled from its previous location to its present one on a very slow journey.

In the Truro area, we hiked a trail in the National Seashore. This one was on the bay side. As you can see, shifting sands are at work. The beaches on the bay side have many weathered stones whereas the ocean beaches are just sand. The stones are of all sorts of rock. There are many colors of granite as well as quartz and some sedimentary rock. At the visitors center of the Cape Cod National Seashore, we learned Cape Cod was formed during the last glaciation. When the mile thick ice slowly arrived at the shore, the milder ocean waters prevented its advance. For thousands of years, the ice progressed and receded, in the process, gouging the ocean floor and eventually leaving a pile of dredging in the shape of Cape Cod. This is likely the same birth process for Long Island. 

Our tour of the cape continued to P-town. With a year-round population of 2500-3000, summer residents push it to 50-60,000.

One of the interesting pieces of trvia I learned today is the term "mooncussers". They are unscrupulous folks who lit fires on the beaches near sand bars, hoping ships would mistake them for lighthouses and run aground where their cargo could be stolen.  

Oct 6 Cape Cod Bikeway

Cranberry Bog

My ride today is on a rail trail. At 22 miles, the trail does not extend the full length of Cape Cod. During the mid 1800s a rail line was build by the Old Colony Railroad from Boston to Cape Cod. First to Sandwich and by 1873, all the way to Providencetown. The demise of the railroad began in 1935 with the opening of two bridges over the canal which separates the cape from the mainland. These bridges are still in use today and quite narrow by modern standards. Two years after the openings, passenger service was discontinued beyond Dennis and eventually was discontinued altogether. Freight continued until the mid 1960s when the tracks were abandoned.

Beginning near Harwichport, I accessed the Chatham rail trail to bring me to the Cape Cod Rail Trail. At the intersection of the 2 trails there was a roundabout. That is the first time I have encountered one on a bike trail. Apparently, in the summer, the trail hosts many more folks than I saw today. The trail is also centerlined, a clear signal that it is crowded at times.

Above is a photo of a cranberry bog. Massachusetts accounts for  30% of US production. I have read, cranberries are one of only 3 fruits which were native only to North America. The other two; blueberries and concord grapes. I think paw paws originated here too but they are not a major fruit food. Their name is derived from the pilgrims term, craneberries, attributed to the resemblance of their blossom to the head of a Sandhill crane. Cranberries grow in an acidic peal soil with sand and a supply of fresh water. The plant is actually a vine. Some of which are over 150 years old. Prior to fall harvest, the bog is flooded with fresh water using dams and ditches. A harvesting machine shakes the berries loose and they are collected in a large sieve. Earlier this year, a storm damaged the crop and it had to be harvested early.

Bay side salt meadow

My ride continued to Orleans and a bit beyond. I did not go to the trail's end in Wellfleet. Plans to extend the trail from Wellfleet to P-Town have identified 4 possible routes including the least likely, along the original rail route, now privately owned. Along my route, I noted camping, lodging and dining opportunities in the closely spaced towns. I also saw one group of bicycling tourists laden with gear.

I give this trail two thumbs up. It was a very pleasant experience.

Oct 3 Farmington Canal North

I'm on the northern end of the greenway today. This section has a new coat of asphalt. It crossed many roads as well; like the one below.

I rode from Granby to Simsbury. There was no trace of the canal. Near Simsbury, the trail does run alongside the Farmington River for a short distance. It is my understanding the trail follows the route of the railroad which replaced the canal. The canal bed may no longer be discernible. 

Oct 2 Farmington Canal South

The Farmington Canal Company was formed in 1825 and began construction the same year linking the tidewater of New Haven with Southwick, Massachusetts. By 1827, the canal had been completed to Cheshire. By the following year, the canal was complete to Farmington. There were the usual problems, lack of funding, drought, floods and vandalism. 1829 brought the canal to Westfield, Ma and in 1835 to the Connecticut River in Massachusetts. The following year the canal merged with the Northampton Canal and became the New Haven and Northampton Canal Co. 

As you may recall the era, canals are losing out to railroads. This canal was no different. By 1848, a railroad was replacing it. It is estimated the canal was never profitable and ended up losing stockholders a million dollars.

Today, the canal towpath is being renovated as a greenway linking New Haven with Northampton. My ride today was on the southern section in the Hamden area. As I rode south toward Yale University, the landscape changed to being more urban and not to my liking. I biked through one tunnel with several surveillance cameras and decided I was out of my element. 

The ride north was much nicer. The photo above shows some of the original walls of the canal. Somewhere near Wallingford, the greenway is still on the drawing board. So that was my turnaround spot.

Sept 30 Branford Ct Trolley Trail

The Branford Trolley Trail is part of a longer, still in process, Shoreline Trail from East Haven to Hammanasset. This portion is complete and was the route, for the most part, of the trolley line in Branford to Stony Creek and later to Guilford. 

Beginning  in Stony Creek, we walked as far west as the trail currently goes; to a Tilcon railroad line. Tilcon operates some quarries in the area and hauls crushed rock along a rail line to a private port in Branford. From there the rock is shipped by barge.

In the salt meadows we saw a variety of shore birds.

After walking in that direction, we retraced and then continued east through the tiny village of Stony Creek. The trail took us past the building my father operated as a knitting factory in the 1950's. From here, we followed a woods trail until we reached the salt meadow. At this point the original trolley line may not have followed the trail we did. 

Crossing the above bridge, we reached the opposite side and turned back once we reached another active railroad.