Thursday Hikers

We celebrated the new year today with a long and vigorous hike out to Conway Station where the rich history of trolleys and trains happened, ending in 1919. 100 years is not all that long ago, but so much change has happened in those 100 years. Famous Conway butter and apples were regularly hauled to Boston, and woollen, cotton, shoes, buttons, cutlery and other commodities manufactured in Conway were sent all over. Steeply wooded now, the site of the WIldwood Pavillion sat beside a huge man made lake. Folks from Conway would take the trolley out to the lake for Sunday afternoon picnics, boating, and swimming. The remains of the railroad trestle supports are actually stunning in their hugeness.
The South River meets the Deerfield River just past the remains of the gigantic old railroad bridge. The confluence of the two rivers is a well know place for fishermen!.Come on up Phil, and anyone else interested, and I can take you there.
The Polly’s* Crossing bridge is a footbridge across the South River that, once crossed, has trails to Deerfield.
We went back to Donna and Tom’s home for a marvelous pot luck New Year gathering where we ate and ate and shared gifts with one another. All in all, a perfect day! (And I will sleep real well tonight!) Love, Penny (*Note to Tara and Paul: It was 90 year old Polly Bartlett that was pumping that hand car at the Trolley Festival this summer. )