First Day

The Williamsburg Balance Rock: November 2002

I would hate to call any trip into the outdoors "routine" but perhaps the term I'm searching for might be "low keyed". Such was First Day, something I always wanted to do an outdoor hike on, but usually I'm socked away hibernating at home for the winter. This year provided no excuses as the most perfect of weather - and most perfect of opportunities - prevailed.

Williamsburg Woodland Trails is one of many organizations who in recent years watch over and protect much outdoor landscape across Massachusetts. They have an annual First Day hike and this one provided just the right opportunity. The beautiful weather brought a record number of walkers (around eighty) to a sponsored hike by WWT and a pleasant surprise to leader Gwen Blodgett. I had met Gwen several years earlier at the local Balance Rock after investigating the Walking Club Plaque farther to the north.

On the return home, I did a more intensive search for the local mineral Cummingtonite at one of the sites looked over recently. Success at locating the mineral in ledges along an old abandoned road.