Long Pond
Posted By auntie on July 22, 2012

4.62 miles ★★★★½
whew. if i ever called any of my previous hikes “climby,” i lied—only because i’d never tried this one. i kind of knew it was a strenuous hike, and so i never attempted it solo. but today i went out with the usual suspects, and it was a major workout. i tried using hiking poles today for the first time, too, and they came in extremely handy. that said, it’s one of the prettiest places i’ve visited. very un-rhode island-like. my friends say it’s as close to white mountain hiking as you get in ri.

sun through hemlock trunks
there is one stretch where you’re walking through a rhododendron jungle. the plants are almost primeval looking. and huge… more than 3 stories tall. i wonder when they’re in bloom.

rhododendrons
i apologize for the poor quality of the next photo, but it was the best shot i got. i am planning on being on this part of the trail again tomorrow, so i’ll try and get a better picture. anyway, it’s interesting. it’s called rattlesnake plantain. this particular specimen is the downy rattlesnake plantain, although, as is usually the case with common names, it’s not actually a plantain, it’s an orchid. and the leaves last for up to 4 years.

downy rattlesnake plantain
and of course no post here would be complete without a fungus! this is an older specimen of hemlock varnish shelf fungus. the younger organisms have white margins. mr. g says you can make a medicinal tea from them. well, maybe you can…

hemlock varnish shelf (ganoderma tsugae)
I’ve never seen those rodos in bloom. It must be a spectacular sight.
Glad you enjoyed it, despite all the climby…..
well, you know what they say… whatever doesn’t kill you…
[…] i did back in may. i also did the narragansett trail stretch of this last month, as part of the long pond hike. it’s still one of the prettiest hikes in rhode island… at least, the part that is in […]