The White Tailed Buck

7:00 am: I spotted something swimming fast across the lake this morning, and as it came closer I realized it was a Buck. The lens on the camera was a short one...20-70 mm.   Wonder if a Dog or Coywolf forced him into the lake. I hope he finds a good hiding place as Deer Hunting Season begins soon. Be safe!

Cleft in the Rock

Hilltown Land Trust

It's Veteran's Day. Good day for a hike. This Hilltown Land Trust property is a mile down the road from our house. The "trail," while freshly cut, is not too clearly marked.  Spots of blue paint on squares of white paper, nailed onto trees.  No clear path, and in some places the "sign" markers are missing.

 What was an easy walk at first, past huge bolders covered with several species of moss and lichens, soon became more difficult as the "trail" started it's descent past a "glacier dump" into a wooded basin surrounded with  ledges and bolders.  After picking our way down the trail, using our walking sticks to test for holes between rocks, hidden by oak leaves, we made the turn back towards our starting point, following for a brief stretch,  an old established "trail" along a brook and through a Hemlock grove. Old stepping stones placed across a clear running stream left us on the other side facing a steep climb between boulders and trees, back up to the top of the hill, and our vehicle.

While the Hilltown Trust describes this as a  "moderate" hike,  for a couple of 75 year olds with arthritic knees,  the climb back out was beyond Most Difficult.