I decided to check on some awesome natural features in Mohawk Trail State Forest (Massachusetts).  If my run went well, and the weather held up, I would also drive to Florida Mountain and check on a potential waterfall above the Hairpin Turn on Route 2.

Part I - Mohawk Trail State Forest

First off, Mohawk.  I parked at the small lot opposite the Nelson Family Cemetery and picnic area along River Road.  The Elder Grove Trail starts just after the bridge at Zoar Gap, and it would lead into an outstanding group of White Pine in excess of 150-feet tall, including but not limited to:

• Saheda (171.4')
• Tecumseh (166.8')
• Osceola (160.5')
• Sacajawea (159.2')
• Sitting Bull (152.9')
• Crazy Horse (150.2')

 All told, the Elder Grove has at least 25 White Pine worth visiting.

Looking across the bridge at Zoar Gap at Elder Grove Trailhead, Negus rises up

 

Saheda Pine in the Elder's Grove

From there, I continued through the Red Pine Plantation, circa 1930, and into the lower meadow past the Wheeler Cemetery.  The Deerfield and Cold River were really roaring today, after the heavy rain we've had recently.  I re-connected with the Mahican-Mohawk Trail and wound my way through additional large White Pine before seeing a new sign with a corresponding new trail connecting to "Thumper Mountain".

Red Pine Plantation, north end of lower meadow

Wheeler Family Cemetery

This new spur connects to the fairly recent trail up Thumper Mountain from the HQ (southwest).  Very nice work by the staff at Mohawk to add this piece in.  On the way up to the summit, there is a bushwhack to the "Gateway", which is somewhat similar to the opening I saw a few weeks back in Monroe.

The "Gateway"

 

The "Gateway"

The "Gateway"

Spent some time with the rocks, climbed Thumper and enjoyed the view before heading back down toward the group camping area.  Connecting with the Nature Trail, until heading down steeply to the Trees of Peace and specifically the Jake Swamp Pine (tallest tree in New England).

View westerly from the top of Thumper Mountain

Worn sign on an obscure path into the "Trees of Peace"

Chief Jake Swamp White Pine;  tallest tree in the New England

More Chief Jake Swamp White Pine

Chief Jake Swamp's base

Through the upper meadow to the Algonquin Grove, and the "Cave".  Past the "Passage" and the connection to the Elder Grove Trail off the Mahican-Mohawk.

Upper Meadow looking north

Upper Meadow looking back south

Algonquin Grove Cave

Algonquin Grove Cave

Algonquin Grove Cave

The "Passage";  a link from Mohawk Trail to the Red Pine Plantation

While running through the large White Pine's of the Elder Grove, I felt the spirit of my old dog Tippi with me.  We had visited and ran through this area often for the last 3 or 4 years of her life.  An incredible feeling of warmth came over me, and I let out a loud "TIPS!" like I used to do when we ran, to get her attention.  Just as I let it out, the music I had playing through my headphones (a Lisa Germano record) broadcast small ringing bells, which sounded just like Tippi's tags on her collar used to do.  I smiled the whole rest of the day!

Part II - Florida Mountain, On Top of the World & Florida State Forest

I felt good after leaving Mohawk, with 6.5-miles on my legs.  I drove up to Route 2 and past the Whitcomb Summit, and to the dirt road across from BNRC's Hoosac Range Parking Area.  Today would be the day I viewed the waterfall above the Hairpin Turn.

It was wet and muddy, and it suddenly got decently cold.  Along the way I looked off of "On Top of the World", saw the huge Boundary Boulder, and observed the Beaver Dam.  The effluent from the beaver dam tore through the remains of old stonework, and left the mountain in a series of cascades.  Just to the north, a second cascade dropped off from Canyon Brook.  I scrambled down the mountain a bit, but it was a little too slippery to risk by myself.  It was fantastic seeing the two streams meeting a few more hundred feet below, and I promised myself to get back here when I wasn't alone.

On the return, I took one of the optional paths for a ways, it matches up with the trail layer segment from Massachusetts GIS.  The Florida portion gave me an additional 2.8-miles round trip, totaling up my day with 9.3-miles!

Message at entrance, written on a rock:  "...everything happens for a reason."

 

View off "Top of the World", Mount Greylock in distance

Twenty Foot High Boulder along the path

Another View of Boulder

Stone work at effluent of Beaver Dam

  
Beginnings of the Falls

Beaver Dam

Beaver Dam

Also, going back to this day in 1993.  I completed the Bridgeport Marathon in ~3:32:00.  This was my second completed marathon, and I remember it being more difficult than the first.

Very heavy rain and wind all day Sunday, especially during the evening hours.  I figured it would be very wet on any trails, so I took the day to drive out to Cornwall, Connecticut to research the following locations for future explorations:

Gold's Pines
Day Preserve
Ballyhack Preserve
Cathedral Pines
Mohawk Trail State Forest & the Mohawk Trail in Connecticut

I became familiar with the locations, including the main parking area of Mohawk on Route 128 and an additional road crossing along Route 43.  

I took a hike/jog into Gold's Pines, which appears to be a work in progress with trail maintenance.  Completed 2.2-miles, with some bushwhacking along the feeder stream to Mill Brook.  I ended up connecting with the trail to the Day Preserve's open meadow, and found my first ever geo-cache in the stonewall along the field.

Observed the tall pine within Gold's;  here are links to individual trees...

155' - Tallest tree in Connecticut as of March 31, 2016
146' - White Pine #1
146' - White Pine #2
140' - White Pine #1
140' - White Pine #2

Some of my photographs on this overcast rainy day follow;  I will have to go back in winter to better acquaint myself with the specific White Pine.

Heavy, pouring rain all day today, which is no surprise as the weather stations have predicted it correctly for several days now.

I drove out to McLean to run the 6.4-mile loop I've been doing as a sort of fast run.  This time, due to the conditions and a real lack of motivation for running in the rain, I ran counter-clockwise which is opposite of my normal direction on this route.  I imagine it was slow going, it certainly felt it although I didn't use a timer at all.

Looking at my yearly miles, I am at 856.1.  I had a goal this season of 1000-miles running, and I'm slightly ahead of pace.  This is rewarding for me to realize because I had two intervals of lyme disease and strep throat as well, which really threw some water on my fitness and training.  With nine-weeks left in the year, I have to average 16-miles per week to succeed at the 1000-mile goal.  So far so good.

Week Three of our Master Naturalists Level II training at Goodwin State Forest.  Today's class covered Connecticut's Geology.

 

Once again, after class, I took a run through some more of the trails Goodwin offers.  I reconnected with the Natchaug Trail, where I had previously left off.  I noticed some interesting rock-piles, tall stonewalls, nice straight white pine, a couple brooks and a fantastic waterfall.

I also explored a single-track not on the official map, one of many around the Black Spruce Pond area.  There are a few more I noticed that I will explore in the future. 

 

I ended up with 8.5-miles for the day.  The only disappointment was at Orchard Hill, which on the two prior visits I've had, I really thought it was a beautiful spot.  This time, logging has thinned out the entire knob pretty severely.  I am not a fan of what's been done.

 

Cellar Hole along the Natchaug Trail

View off Orchard Hill

What I think is Whitman Brook along the Natchaug Trail

There are a series of rockpiles along the Natchaug Trail

Falls at Goodwin Brook

Falls at Goodwin Brook

Falls at Goodwin Brook

Falls at Goodwin Brook

Old Well along the Natchaug Trail

Old factory or dam foundation along Beaverdam or Silvermine Brook

 White Pine stand within tall stoned-wall area

Tall Stonewall slightly off-trail

Small nook in the tall stonewall slightly off-trail

White Pine within the tall stonewall

I was running out of available daylight, so I stopped off at Brazin Bruce Park and thought I would run a short 3.1-miles around the athletic fields and wooded sections.

This was the spot I built up my walks after surgery in October of 2015.  Me and Tips would do random loops and figure-eights, and when we were really lucky DL would join us.  I have very good memories of this area.

Music 2017...

Effort #31, Electric Jump Into the Fire...

A return to the Dark Heart Duo, from summer sixteen live at Crown Street.  Jon Evil is getting well from his long illness, and he has mentioned that drumming will be back in his arsenal.

This is an "electric" version of Nilsson's "Jump Into the Fire", with one guitar, a loop pedal, and drums.

Monroe / Dunbar Brook Part IV

I thought that I would go back for a final reflection of my Monroe State Forest trip of October 10th, 2017.  One thing that is available within the forest are three overnight shelters.

The Ridge Shelter is located after the steep climb up the Smith Hollow Trail, after leaving the Dunbar Brook Trail.  The Smith Hollow Shelter is further along on the Smith Hollow Trail after leaving Raycroft Extension Road.  The final is the Dunbar Brook Shelter which is on the north side of Dunbar Brook.  All three shelters look to be in nice condition and the outhouses were still intact during my visit.

Ridge Shelter

Smith Hollow Shelter

A stonewall near Smith Hollow Shelter

Dunbar Brook Shelter

Also, along River Road, in Florida, just prior to the Picnic Area adjacent to the start of the Dunbar Brook Trailhead (and parking area), is the Legate Cemetery.  The oldest recorded interment is 1838, that of Jane Maria Legate.

There is data available at Legate Cemetery

I've passed and visited this graveyard many times through the years, and on the 10th I spent a little time within it between the Monroe run and the Waterfall hike.  For those who are interested in old graveyards, this is another worth spending time in.

 

 

Monroe / Dunbar Brook Part III

Going back once more to my trip to Monroe State Forest on October 10th, 2017, I left out the end of my trip.  After leaving the forest and my 12.7-mile run, I drove back along River Road to the Eastern Portal of the Hoosac Tunnel, in Florida, Massachusetts.

There exist some wonderful information about the tunnel, available here: Hoosac Tunnel.

Behind the Tunnel, roughly 1/2-mile west, is the convergence of Cascade Brook and it's tributary.  Each forms an impressive waterfall, Cascade Brook (on the right when facing) at 40', and the Tributary (on the left) at 80'.  You'll see the falls along Cascade Brook first, and you have to climb up onto the shelf to see the Tributary Falls, as it is somewhat hidden during the approach.

The trail in is very scenic, with a few spots where the drop off is severe.  Along the 1/2-mile hike in, there are a few smaller 10' or so falls to enjoy.  For a 1-mile total hike, the pay-off of the twin falls really delivers.  My goal will be to visit this spot next spring, when the water is really rushing down the mountain.

Eastern Portal of the Hoosac Tunnel

One of the smaller falls on the hike

Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls

Tributary Falls

Tributary Falls

 Cascade Falls

Original Opening for the Eastern Portal

Original Opening for the Eastern Portal