Along the small parking area at Canton Road for McLean Reservation, there is a stand of Pitch Pine, as well as some White Pine.  Wuzzam learned the difference prior to our run Sunday, namely Pitch Pine has three-needles and White Pine has five-needles.

Pitch Pine Needles in the right, White Pine Needles in the left

Pitch Pine at McLean Game Refuge

White Pine at McLean Game Refuge

After leaving Florida on Sunday, I stopped off at the "Hail to the Sunrise" statue in Charlemont.

During the drive back from Adams Sunday, we stopped off at our property in Florida Mountain to put the canoes away for the winter, and set up my Pop's tree-stand.  It was also a good time to check my Pop's progress on his cabin.

My Mom and her buddy Otis

The Cabin

 Pop showing us the marks from a young bear climbing this apple tree

Rambled out to McLean with the Wuzzam.  There were a series of waterfalls that he hasn't seen, as well as a pretty incredible ledge worth noticing.  We wanted to get in a longish run, so I thought the thing to do would be to connect McLean with Holcomb Farm Trails for a big loop.

The section on the eastern side of Holcomb Farm, with the Mclean Game Refuge connection available, is often tricky and in the past, slightly grown-in.  I figured I would navigate it well enough, after all, I've done it before, the last time being October 10th, 2016.

The run to that point was awesome, including the following:

• Northgate Falls
• Westledge Falls
• Carpenter Falls
• Two "Perched" Rocks
• The extensive stonewall work along Weed Hill
• Diamond Ledge (which blew Wuzzam's mind)
• The quality of the trails that McLean and Holcomb offer 

On the east-side of Holcomb, we lost our way.  We ended up following a trail that eventually was swallowed up in briars.. so I knocked on a door to ask if there happened to be a trail through the field and woods in front of us that would get us in the vicinity of McLean. There is, and the home-owner told us to point toward a corner of the field and the trail lead through their conservation easement.  It got us to Barn Door Hills Road, about a half-mile from the entrance to McLean, right where we should have ended up if I kept on the correct path.

The map shows where we made our mistake, circled in bright green;  the section between it and the pink circle is the trail we should have stayed on.  The red line is today's route, and the yellow line is from a year ago.  I plan on going back in the next couple weeks to verify the route still works in real life.

Once finished, we totaled up 13.5-miles of running and exploring.

Northgate Falls

Westledge Falls

Westledge Falls with Wuzzam under the ledge

First "Perched" Boulder

Second "Perched" Boulder

Carpenter Falls

Wuzzam at Carpenter Falls plaque

Diamond Ledge

Wuzzam at Diamond Ledge

Wuzzam at Diamond Ledge

Holcomb Farm

Stopped off at DAR once again, on my way to the Folks.  Ran through the forest for 7.2-miles, along the Ashfield Chapel Brook Trail, the Moose Run, the Hootenanny, the Long Trail, and the Twining Brook Pond Trail.

After lunch, my parents and I drove to Florida Mountain to put our canoes in the barn, and check out my Pop's progress on the cabin.  I drove the Mohawk Trail (Route 2) back to Connecticut, and stopped at the Hail to the Sunrise Memorial for a visit.  I'll post photographs of these during the upcoming week.

Beaver Dam and Pond, Ashfield Chapel Brook Trail

Hemlock and it's rock

Bent Tree in front of large boulders

Large Turtle Effigy

Birch on it's rock

Large Boulders with adjacent stonewall, small cave underneath

View through small "Cave"

Twining Pond and Camping Area

I planned on attending a Bark Identification Class at Goodwin today, to support the Master Naturalist Program.  The program didn't start until 1:00 p.m., so the Wuzzam met me early to take a run around Pine Acres Lake, Brown Hill Marsh, and Black Spruce Pond. 

We managed a decently paced 10.3-miles in high forties to low fifties degrees!  And the Bark Id program was excellent as well!

Foundation near Brown Hill Marsh

Old Grave-marker near intersection of Potter and Eleventh Section Roads

 Old Grave-marker, again

On my return trip back CT after a wonderful visit with my parents, I stopped off at Savoy Mountain State Forest for a 7.6-mile ramble.  Halfway home I stopped in Goshen to take some photographs of the Goshen Tunnel (see Dec 6th entry).

Savoy Mountain State Forest welcome sign at North Pond

10' High Balanced Rock along the North Pond Loop

 Another view of the Balanced Rock along the North Pond Loop

A second balanced rock, smaller in size, along the North Pond Loop

Another view of the second balanced rock along the North Pond Loop

One more view of the balanced rock along the North Pond Loop

 One of my favorite brooks, a tributary of Tower Brook

A perched boulder along the Blackburnian Loop

Another view of the perched boulder along the Blackburnian Loop

Lower Beaver Dam at Lost Pond location (I remember when these did not exist)

Looking west toward Lost Pond, from one of the lower Beaver Dams

Looking North from the South end of Lost Pond

Large Beaver Lodge at Lost Pond

Large Beaver Lodge at Lost Pond

Looking west toward Lost Pond, from one of the lower Beaver Dams

The small stone in front of the larger one is a "rocking stone"

From the "Rocking Stone", I can see Greylock to the West

Just below the summit of Spruce Hill, two sets of windmills are viewable

Looking off Spruce Hill...  My Place of Peace

Cellar Hole along the Busby Trail