Sunday, September 23, 2018

Rockin' the North Shore



Small cave formation within Franklin Park

Back out on the road less than two weeks after my last trip ended. It all began on Day One with additional time put in on places visited during that previous trip. This was areas in the outskirts of Boston. It all began with a return to Hemlock Gorge and its Devil's Den/Indian Cave. Then swinging less than 10 miles (as the crow flies!) it was once again Mattapan where a more careful examination was made of the boulders first seen two weeks prior. It included combing the grounds for additional geologic treasures and I was rewarded with the discovery of a second large deposit of Roxbury Conglomerate boulders. With a short time remaining to get out of the City before rush hour traffic, I backtracked a bit to make a quick excursion through the Wilderness section of Franklin Park. Again, additional boulders of conglomerate came to light and the rediscovery of a small cave first seen some years prior.


The Devil's Pulpit - and possible Whitefield pulpit

My ultimate destination was the favorite campsite on Cape Ann and my 'trusty' GPS decided to give me a tour of some of the most urban parts of Boston, prior to taking me out of the city. But by Day Two, I was ready to continue the travel up into the more northerly sections of Essex County. Here a more thorough examination was carried out of the Nubble Squid rocks, part of the Clinton-Newbury Fault. An old favorite was next at the Devil's Den and Pulpit, followed by the diminutive rock Bummers Rock before finishing this day at with a lead hanging over from long ago: Frazer's Rock.


Frazer's Rock - very early 1900s.



Dungeon Rock @ Lynn Woods.

Kicking off the Third Day, I wandered down to an old favorite hangout in Lynn at Lynn Woods. This was mostly to update information on several sites, some well known, and some not so well known. Here, I covered Dungeon Rock, Union Rock, and Forest Castle. An old 1890s map found upon my return home, makes it clear there are many more objects of interest to be found. Wandering through Lynn, I took a quick look at a street with the name Echo Grove hoping it might provide a clue to an old stereoview of a location bearing that name. Once again, additional research provided the information it was another site within Lynn Woods. This day was finished up at Lynn's Lovers Leap.


Lovers Leap.



Lovers Leap - circa 1870s/80s.

An intentional light duty day was planned for my Fourth Day so I stayed closed to camp catching the famed Pigeon Cove shoreline, lunching at Lanes Cove, at finishing down by the Blackburn entrance to Dogtown. Here I updated photos of Tent Rock, a somewhat little know quarry down near the reservoir, and visiting five of Babson's inscribed boulders: Be True, Be Clean, Save, Help Mother, and Get A Job.


Ship Rock - early 1900s postcard image.

Day Five brought us once again to the end of another camping trip. Pulling out of town, I headed down Rt 128 to land in Peabody. Here, a visit to a very favorite at Ship Rock. After that, I stuck to the same moraine as Ship Rock to investigate possible boulders discovered on aerial imagery. Some very huge ones, exceeding 100 feet in circumference, were located. Definitely some of the best discoveries to come out of this area in years. Then eventually on to the Mohawk Trail to make my way back to the Berkshires.


The BMW Boulder. Over 100 ' circumference and 16+ feet high.