Posted By auntie on May 15, 2016

8-1/4 miles; Charlestown, RI

I have some sad news to report… my old pal, Bucky Beaver, is no more.

I decided it was time to hit the Vin Gormley Trail again, and as is my wont, I parked at what I like to call the Bucky Beaver Trailhead on Kings Factory Highway. When I got there I was shocked and saddened to find Bucky was no longer at his post… instead, I found this:

Ratso?

Bucky! Where are you, dude? And who is this ratty imposter?

No answers were to be found, so I hiked the trail in a rather melancholy fashion, reflecting on the mortality of us all.

I found Bucky on my second ever hike of the Vin Gormley Trail. I had started off at the beach and hiked the road to the trailhead on King’s Factory, and while on that dismal road section, discovered poor old Bucky lost and discarded by the roadside. I picked him up, but I didn’t honestly feel like carrying him the whole remaining 6-1/2 miles, so I kind of stuck him onto a nail just under the mileage sign. And there he stayed for four long years.

I guess I’m just going to have to reconcile myself to the rat. I guess I could call him Ratso Rizzo. But he’s no Bucky, that’s for sure.

Bucky RIP

Please imagine the sad music of your choice while viewing. Thank you.

Category: Misc Stuff, Rhode Island, Walks and Hikes | 4 Comments »
Tags: 7–10 miles, Charlestown RI, RI

Posted By auntie on May 9, 2016

1/2 mile; Rocky Hill, CT

Since we were so close, my challenge companions and I decided to knock off the “easy” rated Dinosaur Park, which was only about 20 minutes away. It was a short but very interesting little walk.

I don’t know about you guys, but I LOVED dinosaurs when I was a kid. I once found a perfectly preserved fossilized fern in my own back yard in Portsmouth, RI, and decided then and there, at the tender age of 10, that I was going to be a paleontologist when I grew up. Many years later, I can say that was a fantasy. But this kind of thing just ignites my interest all over again. Actual preserved fossilized dino footprints!

Boardwalk

The short walk to the designated selfie spot was along a boardwalk through a swamp. Appropriate for the site, I suppose.

Dino Prints

The niftiest part of this park, the actual fossilized dinosaur prints, were not accessible to us since we were there on a Monday, and the exhibit hall is closed on Mondays. But there is another nifty feature where you can bring your own plaster-of-paris for molds and make copies of the prints. That’s what is picture, above. It’s raised up, so when you make your print, it looks like a real footprint.

My Selfie

And here I am at the designated Arthropod Interpretive Sign.

You can find out more about the CT DEEP’s Sky’s the Limit Challenge here, and Dinosaur Park, here.

Category: Connecticut, Easy Walks, Walks and Hikes | 1 Comment »
Tags: 2 miles or less, CT, Rocky Hill CT

Posted By auntie on May 9, 2016

6-1/2 miles; Haddam, CT

Time for another installment of the Sky’s the Limit Challenge Hikes.This time we went to Miller’s Pond State Park in Haddam, CT. We were looking for a particular spot on the shore of the pond for our in-park selfies.

Old Cellar Hole or Home Site

This magnificent structure greeted us just moments into the hike. It must have been quite a homestead, once, and not all that long ago either, because the stones were mortared. Wonder what it was?

Nifty Blazing

I just loved this nifty blazing scheme. Red-White-Red, on a cairn.

White Wood Anemones

I can barely say “anemones,” and to be honest, it took me several tries to type it. Nonetheless, I love the spring ephemerals.

Magnificent Reishi Fungus

Speaking of magnificent, these were the most beautiful Reishi fungus I’ve ever seen. Reishi, or Hemlock Varnish Shelf, have medicinal properties when used as a tea. Google it. You’ll be overwhelmed with the claims.

Interesting Sign

This was quite near the “selfie spot.” It hardly needed a warning; I peeked over the edge and it’s quite a daunting drop.

You can find information about Miller’s Pond State Park at the CT DEEP website.

Category: Connecticut, Walks and Hikes | 1 Comment »
Tags: 5–7 miles, CT, Haddam CT

Posted By auntie on May 5, 2016

2 miles; Richmond, RI

Today was a special trip to an Audubon sanctuary that is not normally open to the public. It was a birding hike. I had never been on a birding hike before, so I dressed for regular hiking on this overcast 40-degree day. Bad idea… birders don’t hike, per se. They walk a bit, stop and listen for about 10 minutes, then walk a bit more. I froze. But the property was very pretty, and interesting in that it spanned both banks of the Queen’s River with a “rustic” bridge built by the Boy Scouts.

Birder on Bridge

The bridge was, as I said, “rustic,” i.e., old, with a bit of tilt and ropes for handholds.

Red Squirrel meal remains

Our guide on this hike was very knowledgeable about more than just birds. He told us this pile of scales from a pinecone was probably left by a red squirrel, who ripped the cone apart looking for the tasty nuts inside.

Orange Fungus

This tree branch was just covered with this orange fungus. Unfortunately, my research assistant, Dr. Google, let me down on this one. Or I just simply didn’t have the patience to comb through the results, so it will have to be a mystery fungus.

Category: Rhode Island, Walks and Hikes | No Comments »
Tags: 2–5 miles, RI, Richmond RI

Posted By auntie on May 1, 2016

4 miles; Hopkinton, RI

Today I finally managed to clear my schedule enough to hike with my “Usual Suspect” friends and Fidget the Corgi. We went on a trip through the Boy Scout camp (probably the last one till Fall), but in a direction we weren’t used to, and it made it seem like a completely different trail. And the weather, which has been so cool, was ideal for hiking. It would have been perfect except for the gnats…

Future Blueberries

Mmmm…. Blueberries. Of course the birds usually get all the ripe berries from the high bush plants, but a girl can dream, can’t she?

On the Shores of Hidden Lake

Here are the Usual Suspects and Fidget the Corgi. Hidden Lake is so beautiful, it’s hard to believe it’s really in Rhode Island. It seems more like a wild place in the woods of Maine.

Cool Bridge

Lots of cool bridges all through here.

Hidden Lake

It really was a near-perfect hike on near-perfect day.

You can find the map of the Boy Scout Camp online, here. Just beware, it’s one of my pet peeves, but the map is laid out with North to the right of the page, not to the top. I honestly can’t even read maps like this, and whenever possible, I’ll open them up in Photoshop and turn everything around so it’s all going the “right” way. This map would take days worth of work to turn around, however, so you’re on your own.

Category: Rhode Island, Walks and Hikes | No Comments »
Tags: 2–5 miles, Hopkinton RI, RI

Posted By auntie on April 30, 2016

7.3 miles; Burrilville and Gloucester, RI

This was a PCHC hike which essentially duplicated Leg #2 of our North-South Trail hike, except I was just not feeling it. As a result I opted, since I’ve already done the N-S Trail, to take a road shortcut at the end that cut off about a mile or so of hiking. I’m not sure why, but my legs were really, really tired today.

Cool Mailbox

This was a very cool mailbox installation along a short stretch of road-walking. I love the crow and the hurricane lantern, and the antlers… I guess I just love the whole thing.

Richardson Pond

This the prettiest spot on the whole hike. It’s just as pretty as the first time. We saw some birdwatchers here with a gigantic telephoto lens.

Dam Monument

I noticed this monument at the dam this trip. It is part of the original 1883 dam on the Bowdish Reservoir.

Category: Rhode Island, Walks and Hikes | No Comments »
Tags: 7–10 miles, Burrillville RI, Gloucester RI, RI