Eager for signs of Spring, we set out on the good trails at Lithia Springs. The first four vernal pools were still, with no sign of life, but later on we heard the wood frogs before we even saw the pool. There’s a photo of us lined up quietly so we could listen to the… Continue reading

Today the hikers celebrated Gwen (my hiker “little sister”) and my birthdays. Tony and Joe blazed a new long trail for us through the most beautiful Conway land, all privately owned – but owned by friends of Tony – so we were OK. Vasty, beautifully managed, varied terrain, lots of brooks and vernal pools, forest… Continue reading

Kestral Land Trust and Leverett Trails Committee have conserved, and are keeping up, this wonderful acreage. As it is St. Patrick’s Day today we gave the appropriate “Top o’ the Morning” greeting to one another, then got on our way in search of anything green. Nesting geese gave us a hard time so we moved… Continue reading

Rain was in the forecast but it’s Thursday, so we hike. Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary here in Conway seemed like a “go to” place where maybe we could beat the rain. And we did! Just as we returned to our cars, and after a rather short 2 hour hike (with lots of lallygagging), the rain… Continue reading

This was a particularly wonderful hike. a day full of history and challenging trails. We met in the area known as “the desert”, the site of extreme flood damage from the 1874 dam burst that killed many, severely impacted manufacturing in Western MA, and left its mark to this day. “The desert” is a vast… Continue reading