Karst!

Now this is really going back to my roots! Returning to a major karst area I first laid eyes on decades ago, a newer owner for some of that property. We covered all the features around his land. Hoping the future brings good things!

Tekoa!

Ascending the 'spine' of Tekoa Mountain

Ah Tekoa! Its lofty ledges always provided a challenge for me. Whether I be young, or in this case now a bona fide senior. A small group of Hilltown Hiker members started on up through the Grace Robson Sanctuary from a favorite entrance on the Westfield border. We wished to check out possible access to a cave in the cliffs with what data had been accumulated. We got a good look-over from the spiny ridge where Unkamit's Trail climbs the Mountain. Nothing looked real promising at this point in time. But we noticed a possible access/descent to an area likely to contain other caves.

On the return, my companions put in some maintenance work on the main trail running through the Sanctuary.

View of cliffs below Counterfeiters Cave

One of the formations at the Potholes
First real opportunity to get back out to the so-called potholes of southern Berkshire. Some of these horizontally formed features caught our eyes back in December. The second look was well worth the effort. Personally, I have some doubts about their relationship to how potholes form but readily admit it is beyond the range of my limited knowledge. I went solo on this trip and had a good look at the area. From the top of the major 'hole', which is over 150 feet wide and 55 feet deep, to some large breakdown and a descent to ledges of further interest. I see plenty of ancient movement in sections of those ledges and a large amount of 'scoured out' rock laying below them.

Anyway, it will take a lot more geologic knowledge than I possess to figure out what has happened here. It does look like a significant amount of water was involved.

One of the formations at the Potholes

The Road

It hasn't happened much in recent times. But time to return to the road and geologic happenings. This trip was meant to be a type of dry run for what will hopefully be a future expansion into what was often my 'bread and butter'.

During the first day, three rocks, sandwiched in between two caves, were sought out with Rhode Island explorer extraordinaire, Mike G. Rolling into the East Lyme, CT area we connected and set off to visit the Devil's Den. Sometimes called Indian Cave, it certainly had good possibilities as a Native American shelter.

Mike takes on the Devil's Den

Just a bit west, was an old relic, from local history and the Golden Age of postcards: Toad Rock. Not really looking very toad-like, it still boasts a good size and almost a surprise to have survived to this day. The base has been cemented in, I'm guessing to add some stability to the boulder. There is a good sized rock ledge (and drop) in close proximity.

Toad Rock, as it appeared in the early 1900s

Continuing our adventures still further east, we landed at Rocky Point, looking for a balanced boulder that got a mention in old photos of the area. This one was located without too much trouble and we moved on into Rhode Island.

The Balanced Rock @ East Lyme CT

Another old postcard and another jaunt off into light woods near the Pawcatuck River brought us to Rolling Rock. Not exactly immense in size, its noteworthy for making a rare postcard that looked to be someone's private photo long ago.

We finished out our day together (me, heading off to Warwick for the night) visiting a cave I came across years ago. Mike had yet to visit this one so it was about ten miles north to visit another in the series of Dinosaur Caves.

Looking out of North Dinosaur Cave

I started the second day taking in something that had long been on my list: Slate Rock Park in Providence. This is the site that legend tells us founder of Providence, Roger Williams, first encountered Native Americans. Due to filling (not to mention the accidental blasting of the rock) the site is not quite on the water anymore. However, a nice monument was erected commemorating the site. I walked the neighborhood a bit, encountering an abandoned train tunnel.

Rolling up into Massachusetts, I made my way to the Wrentham State Forest. A lead on a 'Skull Rock' existed that was eventually located with a bit of a search (marginal looking and very shadow dependent). Wampum Cave Rock was not far away so I walked to that, finally finishing before noon. It only remained to roll on up to the Mass Pike and head on west home.

Foothills of Tekoa

Dam site for the old Tekoa Reservoir

Back into the foothills of Tekoa Mountain! Using a favorite Westfield approach, we visited the old Tekoa Reservoir, now minus its two dams and drained. Then it was off through the woods of the Grace Robson Sanctuary to locate the old homestead of Richard Falley, which would later become the Robson home. Then it was a couple of town boundary markers and along Moose Meadow Brook to the location of Falley's gun shop (Revolutionary War muskets) followed by a rum production site.

Millstone for the old gun shop

Following along Unkamit's Path we soon came out on the challenging ridge leading up Tekoa. This was only followed a short distance before we returned to Moose Meadow Brook on the Grace Robson Sanctuary Trail. Just below the road crossing, lies the remains of an old grist mill dam.

Unkamit's - where are you?

I returned to the wilds of Becket still reeling from significant amounts of snow. It was a long shot but Unkamit's Path wound through these woods. I took a shot at seeing if any pathway - or blazes - could be located. None was found by this individual! Hopefully, others will have better luck as we work to put this old hiking trail back in shape.

The old Shaker Mill Dam

Shatterack!

Returning to the quintessential hilltown of Russell, a small group of Hoilltown Hikers gathered at the base of Shatterack Mountain where Unkamit's Path comes wandering through. Recent storms left the woodlands very much in doubt as to trail conditions. A more formal group hike was scheduled the following (re-scheduled to the next day) so this was for the purpose of a preliminary trail check.

Impressive glacial boulder on Shatterack Mountain approach

The steep hike went off without a hitch. Some branch clearing was involved. And leader, Liz, spruced up the white blazes used on the Path. Upon completion, we went down the Westfield River to check out a dam with an impressive water flow and falls.