Return to old Haunts

Hiding in the foliage: Boulder Cave

Always a treat to return to past areas of explorations. The Rowe Historical Society was having a program on the Hoosac Tunnel. And I had already planned to return there for the purpose of identifying a postcard.

But the day began off the Mohawk Trail a bit farther to the west. Near the borders of Florida and Monroe is a deposit of glacial boulders and within one of these boulders is a small cave formation. Very insignificant as far as size goes, it is more of a home to the porcupines. But on my way out of the area, I traveled a back road new to me. From the car, I saw numerous boulders of gigantic proportion. But with the hot sticky weather, and trying to stick to a time schedule, I settled for marking their location for a future visit.

The next stop was at one of the more glorious vies in western Massachusetts. A stone balcony on Hunt Hill overlooks the Deerfield River and the Valley.

Eventually landing in Rowe, I worked the society members for identification on my postcard image, which is likely from the local Pulpit Rock. The program, which focused on the lining towers used in construction of the Hoosac Tunnel, proved very educational. On the way out of town, I stopped off at Pelham Brook for a quick visit with the old Profile Rock/Stone Face. Not looking too much like it's former self, in recent times.

Salt water adventures

Storm surge at the Great Gargoyle

After much anticipation - and delay, the new kayak finally found its way to salt water. Still, as I made my way towards Essex County, it seemed as if the recent weeks of rain might be a premonition of things to come. Upon arrival, the better part of two days was spent waiting out rain showers. During that interval, big boulders in the West Gloucester woods were checked out (first day), and shoreline sites on the second. Among those seen along the Cape Ann coast were Plum and Folly Coves, Halibut Point, and Pigeon Cove. The storm surges along the ocean were quite impressive but also a reminder of how dangerous it could be venturing out too far onto the rocks. I did get to see the Halibut Point sea boulder cave(s) completely immersed, while over at Pigeon Cove, the surged reached up to the base of the Great Gargoyle. Also located was one more site from an old postcard, but this was in an area well visited in the past by the Giant's Stairs/Cathedral Rocks. Pigeon Hill and Granite Pier also got a look over while in the area.

Milestone marker on the way to the Parker River

On the third day the rains did give way for a significant portion of the day enabling me to head on up to Newbury. On my way to the Parker River, a curious stone - an ancient milestone marker - was seen by the side of the road. But I finally got the kayak on out to the river with a couple hours to go before high tide. Working my way upstream, I navigated as far as that section of the waterway would allow. In the process, I passed two islands. One contains the Balance Rock. The second is accessible by land and, previous to entering the river, I had stopped in to catch Gerrish Rock as it slowly sank beneath the waters just off that island. But on the return down river, the rising tide made for a tight squeeze under the bridge but saved me climbing up an embankment to the car: the waters now reached the very bottom of the tires!

The fourth day was more for R&R as the rains once again moved in by early afternoon. However, in the morning I squeezed in Pool's Hill which is sometimes called Hospital Hill for the old Rockport hospital that once existed here. The 'Turtle Mound' is also located nearby. Downtown: the Headlands where a significant dike can be seen amongst the rocks of the shore.

Turtle Mound/Rocks near the old hospital site

The fifth day got off with a bang as part of the Tompson's Reservation with Eagle Rock was hiked. This is a BIG piece of property and certain sections contain significant boulder formations. So a return visit will be in order. A Rockport quarry was visited and my local guide explained this was perhaps the most recent of the area's past quarrying operations. Like many of the others, it now contains water. The morning was ended with a return to Hospital Hill where my guide showed me the ruins of the old hospital, now surrounded by woods. The afternoon was spent once again out on the water. The Jones River brought me out to the Annisquam where I headed north until reaching the ocean by the lighthouse.

Significant thunderstorms gave way to bright sunshine for the morning of the sixth day. It was the day to head home but I still had my primary goal ahead of me. To cover a portion of the Rockport shoreline from water. This included two visits (pre-low tide and low tide) to the Devil's Den, the Pigeon Cove area (often visited by foot) and south to (almost) Straitsmouth Gap. Observation from the sea allowed me to see two exposures of the great Pigeon Cove porphyry dike. Other observations were old postcard sites, discovery of a small sea cave formation, and in general just get a different perspective on the whole area that is unattainable from shore. But then, that is what the whole goal of kayaking was about!

Confluences: The Sequel

Building upon the recent trip to Greenfield, I returned to the Connecticut River. Entering the River north of the French King Bridge, I was enjoying a steady current downstream - and towards the French King Rock. Ah - but river currents can be a tricky thing. Especially for the still 'green' kayaker dude. Upon approaching the Rock I found strong, swirling waters that made a landing pretty much impossible. But on my VERY close encounter (of the hard kind) I did notice French King to be a rock of the conglomerate formation.

Making my way down river, I went under the Bridge, and into the Millers River. Shortly, I disembarked to examine a 'quasi cave formtion' but my return to the river and upstream was short lived as I encountered some impassible white water conditions. So I return to the Connecticut River and muscled my way up stream, examining very marginal quasi cave formtions along the west bank. I stopped opposite the French King Rock once more for few photos before making my way across the River and back to the car.

Barton Cove provided a much more sedate setting as I paddled the shoreline for a pleasant and interesting examination of the local geology. I was finally able to gain access (and float into) another of those 'quasi' cave formations I had seen in years past from an opposite shore. Also seen was a neat little cave that I had visited some years earlier.

Return of the Conglomerates

"Peep into Hades". As suggested by John Lovell's circa 1870 photograph.

An afternoon was spent scrounging the central Berkshire countryside for signs of marble; finding dolomitic, calcitic, and contacts with the local schists. Even a couple quasi-cave formations presented themselves. But the next day, it was time to return to the conglomerates: my somewhat dormant projects within the Connecticut River Valley.

More ledges were examined for long lost formations photographed by John Lovell from Amherst over 140 years ago. No success to be found here. But I returned to a well known site that Lovell also covered at one point. Here a premiere cave formation exists that has long been know to history - for almost two hundred years! I recreated a number of Lovell's views, shot a few of my own modern interpretations, before moving on to another set of ledges.

In returning to Graves Ledge - or Rock Shelter - I came with a much more 'improved' image of Etta's Nook courtesy of a recent internet auction. Although I must have visited Etta's more than a dozen times in the past, I finally got to see exactly where JL had taken his photo from. A modern 'now' photograph is pretty much obscured with tree growth. But before leaving the Valley again, I was able to visit the ledge above Etta's and see it's geologic connection with Graves' Cave. The Cave is formed by gravity assisted movement of a large section of the cliff that is adjacent to Etta's, and forming the Nook's left wall.

"Etta's Nook": As suggested by John Lovell's circa 1870 photograph.

Quartzites and Marble

Outcrops of Cheshire Quartzite overlooking the Town of Cheshire

The central Berkshires, to the north, offers a significant area of Cheshire Quartzite. Of course, the type locale would be Cheshire where a marvelous exposure exists at the Cobbles. This also happens to be somewhat across the valley from the schists and Stockbridge Marble karsts where many of the central Berkshire caves can be found.

So with my vacation plans to the Ocean thwarted by foul weather, I used the opportunity to ascend the Cobbles, accessible via the Appalachian Trail. Notes from the late speleologist Alan R. "Al" Plante suggested crevice cave formations in the vicinity. However, my observations indicate the best opportunity for 'caves' (and I use that tern VERY loosely) may exist in the talus that has come off the face of the Cobbles. Better examples can be found about four and a half miles to the S SW at the Gulf and Wizard's Glen.

But a pretty good (almost 180 degree) view can be had from the quartzite ledges. A view across the Valley that allowed me to see a mass of dark gray rain clouds moving in over Mt. Greylock. Soon, being pelted with freezing rain, I made a quick check of the ledges and talus before descending back down to the trailhead.

[4/28/12] Not wanting to show any 'favorites' amongst the rocks, a long forgotten marble quarry right in central Berkshire County was visited. According to an old geologic bulletin, this was the likely Brodie Quarry.

The old Brodie Quarry in central Berkshire County

Confluences and French Kings

King Philip's - or French King Rock - on the Connecticut River

Greenfield offers up a pretty good postcard show during April, so a chance to visit the Connecticut River Valley. After scooping up a modest bunch of select cards (including a rare 'cave'), I headed out further East. Here I searched out the confluence of the Millers and Connecticut Rivers for possible put in locations. This would allow access to both rivers and a possible visit to the Millers River Cave(s).

Along the way a pretty good land based look was gained of King Philip's (French King) Rock in the Connecticut. There is one story that the first planting of a French flag on American soil was at this location. Seems I've also heard one of those buried treasure stories in connection with the Rock.

Jump into ... Spring?

The unorthodox 'winter' and its weather has not gone wasted in recent times. Ice recently receeded in local lakes, eventually leaving altogether, allowing me to start up kayaking once again. Time will be devoted to training and testing new equipment for the eventual return to the ocean.

But, tying up one loose end: a return to a shoreline feature in the Central Berkshires at Pulpit Rock.