With gasoline still fetching a good premium, it is hoped early summer rationing can allow me to resume a more normal schedule in the near future. But right now it is typical hot and humid summer weather. A good chance for a country drive out into Franklin County and to pass through towns that figured prominently in my travels some ten or more years ago. By chance the Conway Historical Society was featuring a talk on eminent Victorian Age geologist Edward Hitchcock. I was able to connect with society members to discuss an early town resident - Joe Herrick - who has a local geographic feature named after him. He also lends his name to a local cave as well. On the way home - a quick pass by Camp Rock out in the wilds of Hawley where an early settler to the area camped out at one point in time.

Although my ultimate destination was the South Shore, the goals of this trip were primarily the area of the "Boston Beltway" or Rt. 128, perhaps better known to some as I-95 and some of I-93.

Day One: Coming in off the Mass Pike, and heading southward, a series of stops were made to visit caves in areas adjacent to the Beltway. First stop was the cave of many names: one Devil's Den but also at least three other names have referenced this site. Moving closer into town along another historic road - the old Boston to Worcester Turnpike (Rt. 9)- I revisited Gooch's Cave to at least sort out which one it may be portrayed upon a old postcard. Back to 128, and farther south, I dropped in at a small cave/rock shelter on DCR property. Another old time mention was of a "pothole" on property of one of the early town's inhabitants. My inclination at this point is that it is/was a large depression that is now a pond. Something along the line of a glacial kettle hole. Farther back to the west I sorted out an abundance of reports and photos (both modern and antique) on another Devil's Den to see how many caves were involved and what went with each reported site. Ultimately they all pointed to one location but this at least clears up a bunch of confusion. Moving on down south I hiked a property that was the site of an archeological study a few years back. I was reported two Indian rock shelters existed here - one large enough to shelter 30 people! I saw no real evidence of such sites but the local attendant did confirm that archeological digs had taken place here. Before setting up camp on the South Shore, I finally was able to locate a rock that I've looked several years for. It takes its name of "Glad Tidings" from two stories surrounding its history.

Day Two: Somewhat backtracking, I dropped in to the Blue Hills to search out a cave deep in its forests that I've seen on a couple past occasions. Interesting here was access was along an old right-of-way that was Rt. 128 in it's earliest days. I continued working this area trying to gather information on the possible site of a reported (1898) "Rattlesnake Den" which included walking another old section of the Rt. 128 highway that is abandoned, but still mostly paved. Moving on to the south side of present day 128, I sought out the "Garden of the Gods" in a local town forest, a serene location of glacial boulders. A reported Devil's Den (got to love that name!) is reported in the area and needs to be worked on in the future.

Day Three: Returning once again to the Blue Hills Reservation, I visited a large hunk of rock that has been known in the past as Grepon. A small talus cave lies along one side. I then got my first chance to visit the famed Quincy Quarries now managed as part of the Blue Hills, DCR, property. having time to kill while waiting for the local library to open, I retreat to the South Shore once again to visit House Rock. This old favorite is said to be the largest glacial boulder in the State and well represented on old postcards. The Rock has been portrayed with numerous "profiles" including Queen Victoria, the Sphinx (same view), as well as a minor sphinx and a couple other humanoid faces. Meanwhile at the local library, I followed up on last year's discovery of Writing Rock and a local Indian cave in an adjacent town. But the bad news was inclement weather moving in later that night so I pulled up camp and headed back up the good old Boston Beltway leaving at least one more reported Devil's Den and an Indian cave to work another day.

I guess we're all feeling the pain of gas prices but I continue to focus on some well planned adventures into far reaching places. BUT a nice day in the woods can be priceless so I took to the Savoy Mountain State Forest - that is until the black flies and allergies were a reminder why May is a tough month for me in the outdoors.

I revisited all three balance rocks located there and previously studied in the past. A local newspaper article from 1956 (as well as a recently secured first edition of the AMC trail guide for Massachusetts [1964]) mentions three in number and two of the rocks are pretty well confirmed. The third is still somewhat up in the air as to it's exact location but the old news article does mention it as being "extremely small" and indeed this "baby sized" balance rock shown to me several years ago by a member of the State Forest staff sure is small at 24 ft in circumference

Lots to go over after fours days out. So let's go

Day One: Using the Blackstone Valley as my entryway to Rhode Island, work was begun on various projects to take place in the region. Much will be updating information on sites - some of which have not been visited in almost a decade.
First up was a reexamination of the Castle Cave(s) site, then (one of many) King Philip's cave sites, and on the border with Rhode Island the Blackstone Gorge. The Gorge is the likely site of old postcards Lover's Leap/Rock. A ways to the south, the former site of the Old Man's Face off Narragansett Beach was searched for any possible, identifiable, remains of what was Rhode Island's most famous profile rock formation. Apparently none survives to this day.

Day Two: Starting off the early morn was a visited to Purgatory to examine sand lens within the Purgatory Conglomerate (My thanks to Professor Jan Tullis at Brown University for helping out with this one). Within these sand lens may be found the site of the historic "Squaw and Devil Tracks" (Newport area folklore) and an abundance of historical graffiti. The Hanging Rocks were photographed from a couple different angles (one old postcard depicts this as a profile formation with the politically incorrect "N" head name attached) before moving up the shore to spend time amongst the rocks looking for "Swallows Cave". It is not clear after searching - and talking with local sources - if this is ineed a "cave" or just another rock formation. Moving somewhat west in the Narragansett Bay, several sea cave sites were worked with one cave being dived at low tide. Finally, an extensive investigation was made of pseudo-karst features along a section of coastline.

Day Three: Starting off by cruising the southwestern most shores of Aquidneck Island and catching the errie site of the Jamestown Bridge seemingly "suspended" - and protruding - out of the fog. Rolling on into an old fort, I tried to catch a glimpse of the Newport Profile hidden away in the rocks across the cove. However it was probably too far away and not the right angle. Then farther on down the coast, a chance to once again look at a series of sea caves linked to the pirate history of the area. With rough seas and tide at maximum height, no water exploration was undertaken on this day. The Forty Steps was up next where the whole area was looked over, and photographed, for possible signs of past 'Steps' construction, along with cliff side photos to compare with those from the past. Then moving on north some time was spent trying to gain access to an old mill site and valley now surrounded by modern day expansion. This was suspended after a couple of people - and their leads - did not pan out. Still farther to the north, I returned to the area where King Philip/Metacom ruled from, and ultimately met his death. One old postcard of "King Philip's Rock" (an inscribed boulder) was investigated but likely the rock was destroyed in making a government facility on the mountain top. A search of that mountain top did not reveal it still to be in existence. STILL father north, Kings/King's Rock finally was located, the local library director was 'worked' for information, and Abram's Rock once again visited as well as other boulders in the area with names like Wildcat, Kittens, and Lion's Head.

Day Four: Returning to the "Land of Abram", Devil's Rock and a rock with the history of one "Margaret" - or Meg - were investigated. Also found was a likely location for Spinning Rock where the ladies would meet in days of old to work their looms and talk of life. Devil's Rock does present a number of the "Devil's Footprint" formations including the much rarer "cloven hoof" type. Rolling on into Taunton, the Old Colony Historical Society was visited and several rocks in the town's history discussed. On up in Norton (home to it's own famous Devil and his footprint story) I dropped in to visit an "old" friend at their historical society before heading into Foxborough to check out a local campground for future use - NOT! Slightly west, I once again investigated an old route of the Warner Trail for possible access to what was once know as the Cart and Oxen Rock (formation) which is presently pretty much surrounded by private land. Returning to my "roots" of the latter 1990's, I took a short hike into the local State Forest where I spent much time investigating rocky formations and small caves in years past. I hope to continue on with that at a future date. Route 495 and the Mass Pike returned me to the Berkshires.

[Update: Going over the photos of the trip give a "very likely" possibility to Lover's Leap/Rock (Blackstone pc's) being in the Blackstone Gorge. A more precise location for the former "Conrad's Cave" near the 40 Steps was obtained. And just in: a new pc of the Devil's Den area in Rockport, MA that compares favorably with my photo of the conjectured site from last fall. Profile Rock is supposedly located at the Den.]

Past Trips - 2007

For those of you that are into such things - and want to take the time to sift through all of this - here are my notes in 'raw form' Without dates, or photos, but in chronological order starting with the latter part of the year and working back in time.

For most of you that know me - or have followed this page over the years - the time has arrived once again. Time to close out another season! Some good weather may still be in there and it will evaluated on a week to week basis. Once in awhile I'll even stick my head out into the cold. I've already got the beginnings of next year roughed out and plenty to get into. Worcester County, especially the Blackstone Valley area will figure prominently. Probably the South Shore and adjacent regions will be hit earlier than the normal September of the past few years. Rhode Island is still on the radar and there are more caves to get to. But for this past Sunday, cool crisp weather brought me out to the old site of Berkshire (trolley) Park - an area visited during January of this year. The big ledge of quartzite, the boulder 'cave', and possible sites for the Tower at Crystal Rock postcard were all once again visited. Time has just about erased all signs of Man's past in this area so I came away with nothing definite. The preceding Thursday was the annual Thanksgiving Day excursion on the Appalachian Trail. This year was near ideal with temperatures into the low 50's.

Rolling southeast across the Connecticut landscape, down into the very corner of the Nutmeg State, the first stop at dawn's early light was Bear (Den) Cave. Finishing here it was over the border into Rhode Island to reconnect with my 'new bud' Ted. We set off for a tour of Indian Cave, old quarry sites, and an old homestead foundation. Later, he drove me through town, showing the approximate location for a slave cave that was once part of the Underground Railroad. Pulling out of town, I headed almost directly north to work a local library (unsuccessfully) for information on a possible Indian Village /encampment site. Afterwards, I then directed myself westward, returning once more by way of Connecticut, catching the famed Frog Rock (almost one-half mile west of the Pomfret-Eastford town line; just north of Rt. 44).

With November here, and the end of another season in sight, I headed on down for two days south of the border - in Connecticut. On the first day a number of miles were logged on the Air Line Rail Trail, one of the many bike paths that have sprung up following old railroad right of ways. The second day was over to the west, on a couple of properties of the Roxbury Land Trust. The first was a large tract of land that once mined and processed iron ore. Remains of the old operations (carefully preserved) that can be seen include the blast furnace, ore roasters, donkey paths, and - of course - the old iron mines themselves. Nearby on the second tract visited (Brain E. Tierney Preserve) were fields, mountainsides, and a cascade.

Purely a reconnaissance mission on a cool, crisp, fall day. South (Berkshire) County was the location and Belcher's Cave was the destination. I am planning on using this information in producing a story, partially about the site of old Gill Belcher's counterfeiting operation. That story has been well told so this will focus more specifically on the cave itself.

Day One: Swinging on down into Washington County, Rhode Island, I made a quick pass through the Indian caves first visited back in August. Then it was on to meet my 'new bud' Ted whom I made the acquaintance of, also, on that August trip. Together we hiked on out to search once again for (another) Indian cave I had made two previous attempts to locate. Hours (and many miles) later we still could not find the cave! However, not to be totally thwarted, Ted is going to hook us up with a knowledgeable local individual on the next try. [Update: Two days later, Ted returned to the wilderness and located the Indian Cave.] Heading down to the ocean shore, I visited the site of Profile and Turtle Rock before coming inland a bit to Coronation Rock, where Queen Esther of the Ninigret Tribe was crowned in 1770. A little farther north was a reservation with a very special set of glacial boulders (small caves here) with significance to the local tribe. Also in the area, a possible site for Cup and Saucer Rock. Trying to work some cave leads, I journeyed up northwest towards the Connecticut state line before finally hiking off into the woods. Massive expanses of beautiful ledges were looked at, one small cave was found. Day Two: Long before dawn broke, I was

With November here, and the end of another season in sight, I headed on down for two days south of the border - in Connecticut. On the first day a number of miles were logged on the Airline Bike Trail, one of the many bike paths that have sprung up following old railroad right of ways. The second day was over to the west, on a couple of properties of the Roxbury Land Trust. The first is a large tract of land that once mined and processed iron ore. Remains of the old operations (carefully preserved) that can be seen include the blast furnace, ore roasters, donkey paths, and - of course - the old iron mines themselves. Nearby on the second tract visited (Brain E. Tierney Preseve) were fields, mountainsides, and a cascade.

Purely a reconnaissance mission on a cool, crisp, fall day. South (Berkshire) County was the location and Belcher's Cave was the destination. I am planning on using this information in producing a story, partially about the site of old Gill Belcher's counterfeiting operation. That story has been well told so this will focus more specifically on the cave itself. chugging up the interstate back into Massachusetts and Norfolk County. Descending upon a dead end road in a suburban neighborhood, I waited for first light. Then it was out into the marshes and across one major island before one final very brutal bushwhack brought me to the island of the Devil's footprints. Upon finishing here, I rolled on back into the Blackstone Valley where several projects awaited me. I had long hoped to find an easier, more sensible, route into a significant Native American historical site. More bushwhacking through the woods proved that is probably impossible. So next year, when the local business whose property I crossed in the past opens, a return visit will be made. Since I had work waiting for me later that night (Oh Boy~!), the other projects were put on hold and the return home was made

Hooking up with a stellar bunch of individuals from a local land trust, I returned to the eastern side of the Quabbin Reservoir. On this day a trail was cleared to Indian (Head) Rock. Although a significant amount of work was done, much more needs to be done, to bring the Indian Head out into the open once again. In years past there had been a magnificent view from the ridge where the glaciers dropped the big erratic some 10,000 years ago.

Smack dab in the middle of the big fall season and four more days on the road: Day One: Rolling into Essex County in the early morning, I returned to work some areas left after my spring visit. Saddler's Rock was first up. History records a couple other odd formations nearby including a rock with a "cloven footprint", a rock with a "child's footprint", and a rock split by lightning. The area is SO heavily developed now one would indeed have to be lucky to find those three sites. But a great view can be had (between two houses) from the top of Sadler's Rock. Dropping back into Lynn Woods, the Forest Castle was finally located, then I dropped in at Dungeon Rock (door open - so descended) to look up the "Sleeping Pirate" formation as well as the "Witch's Face". It became obvious the Witch needed exactly the correct lighting and shadows to make the illusion work - which it wasn't at this particular time of morning. Heading down to the coast I quickly looked up Sliding Rock and the Cliff Cradle once again but I suspected with the tide in, availability would be limited. And it was! I then headed to the north for my third visit to Ship Rock, finally catching some favorable lighting whenever the sun would slide behind the partly cloudy sky cover. Final outing of the day took me into the Essex - Manchester Land Trust woods to do some hiking and visit Pulpit Rock (and cave) and the Heap of Rocks, containing one very fine rock exposure along with a forest littered with erratics. Day Two: Hitting Rockport just after low tide, I scoured the shoreline for Profile Rock depicted on a couple of old postcards. I thought I saw it in the distance to the north, but upon arriving there, it was all for naught except for being at the edge of Chapin's Gully. After returning, and moving the car, I searched a bit more passing an old friend - the Great Gargoyle - and stopping a little short of the Frog Rock. So riding farther south, I stopped at perhaps the only public shoreline access in the vicinity. Looking to the north, I thought I could see the Profile Rock, and to the south - the Oldest Inhabitant, another humanoid rock formation. Next up was a section of Dogtown I had not yet visited. Some nice forest and of course the usual boulders and moraines. Scooting into town, I stopped at the local library and reference department (giving them a 'kick' out of the Old Man of Joppa postcard) digesting a couple books, and a few articles on local sites. Coming on down into Bass Rocks, I did my own study (photographic and other) on the region, reacquainting myself with the George Washington profile and locating a few other faces in the rocks. Next was Eastern Point and (Old) Mother Ann. Then on to the Stage Fort Park where its rocky shore got a look over. Day Three: Hitting the road before dawn even broke, I moved up the coast to Ipswich, passing by the Devil's Footprint, and arriving at the coastal beach for my trek up along the sandy shore. A bit more north was the Skull and the sun likes to rise almost over the rock making photography impossible. Locating the rock (not looking very skull-like these days) I finished up my work just minutes before the sun made it's way above the horizon. More to the north - and west - is a real big boulder - the Stickney Boulder. A couple of other rocks - Split Rock and Cradle Rock - are suppose to be in the area according to an early 1900's geologic piece on Essex County, but over the years Split Rock is the only other one that has showed itself. Journeying still farther north into Newbury, I checked on two sites. One is suppose to be the location of Gerrish Rock and a balance rock. There are several erratics in the area and for the time being I will go with the largest, most interesting one as being Gerrish Rock. But not much showed that could be called a balance rock, so nothing definite on this one. Second stop took me to the area of Haystack Boulder to look for others reported to be in the area from the aforementioned geologic piece on Essex County. Not much came out of this stop so I dove into the local history room at the library. Then returning several towns southward, I decided to give Martin's Rock another go. Between the town hall and library (same building) I finally discovered the rock - and school it use to be behind - are both gone now. So we can close the file on this one short of any other history and photos presenting themselves. Then into the woods once again for a look at the large - and small - Agassiz Rocks. The large is certainly large and up there in being one of the top three sized boulders in Massachusetts. Final stop was to quickly run into an old quarry site where the Chief Wingaersheek profile was suppose to exist. Definitely not looking very chief-like in modern times. Day Four: Dropping south out of Cape Ann, I had a report of sea caves to investigate along the coast. Also in town I tried (unsuccessfully) to gather more information on locations for the Three Sisters (3 boulders) and Tilting Rock. The best I could come up with was a couple names of people to contact in the future. I continued on down the coast to return to Sunday's site in the Cradle. Just past low tide, it was once again accessible. I drove around and around trying to find a back way into Lynn Woods mentioned to me on my Spring visit but this was to no avail. Sandwiched in there was a quick look in the northern part of town where an old book reported a cave to be. An interesting area but now packed tightly with residential homes. Afterwards, I packed it in and headed back on down to the Mohawk Trail stopping briefly in Fitchburg to measure Moses Rock. It's 'spring' was running despite the drought like conditions of the past few months.

[9/30]A beautiful fall day in the Berkshires and a chance to do something a bit different. On this day, two local historians - and authors - from South Berkshire, joined me on a trip to the remote and secluded Sky Peak Cave. [see view looking out of the cave at the bottom of this page] This is one of the sites sometimes mentioned in connection with the meeting of authors Melville, Hawthorne, and Holmes. However, most do not consider it a realistic possibility. Sky Peak exists in a series of ledges, providing very difficult access.

Lots to talk about after four beautiful Fall days on the road. Day One: Rolling towards the South Shore by way of the tri-county area of Plymouth, Bristol, and Norfolk counties, I dropped in on an old site: Devil's Rock. The Rock was said to possibly have a claw, scratch, or footmark formation somewhere up near the top. A rope ascent was necessary for this project and upon reaching the top, one with VERY vivid imagination might interpret one or two markings as some sort of Devilish formation. The next site was a real jackpot: The Devil's Footprint, thought to possibly be 'lost' was discovered. Interesting is that this formation resembles a king sized human shoe print. Slightly to the east, another town was the site of Solitude Stone with antique inscriptions out of the 1800's. More to the north, I dropped in on what was an early 1900's entertainment facility built upon a lake. Here lay the site from two old postcards Perch and Drum Rocks. Most signs of the old facility are gone now but the rocks still remain, the old views somewhat obscured by overgrowth. Turning to the east, I stopped to expand upon an earlier story I investigated about an old gold mine and a grand example of a stone face, now destroyed. Finally, I did arrive on the South Shore to set up for the next three nights. Day Two: In the very early morning light, I moved down the coast to the site of a couple famous rocks located along the shoreline. Lover's Rock (mostly buried in sand) still sits out on the beach. I then headed a bit south, and inland, to look further into a Pulpit Rock I started investigating back in June. Some nice hiking was to be had in the local woods but no rock was to be found. This is the same town that also has two listings of Devil's Footprints and information on all three sites seems to be in short supply. Further in from the coast lay a giant boulder laying in the back of a small park devoted to a herring run. Moving back north and out towards the coast once again, I picked up on an ongoing search into one town, who's history - including postcard images - is replete with stories of rocks. Here I finally found the long sought after Toad Rock. I took a shot at finding Aunt Betsy's Rock. The adjacent town found me in the local historical society chatting with the local expert on various sites in his town including Daniel Webster's profile rock formation. I then hit the road to look up Daniel Webster, tried to look up the Devil's Pot and Well (shoreline acccess nearly impossible here), stop by one more resident's house, and drove by the Devil's Punchbowl on a couple occasions. Jumping back into 'Toad Rock' town I passed by Bound Rock, saw Rock Raymond, and finally located Landing Rock, looking somewhat more submerged than in the golden age of postcards. Day Three: Taking a bit of a break from my immediate vicinity, I rolled northward through the morning traffic into Quincy. Looking for Benjamin Butler's profile, I was ultimately unsuccessful. One local expert (at the local fire station) thought Ben existed in an area of well know ledges but had eroded away. Then 'biting the bullet' I drove on in through the southern suburbs of Boston to eventually land up in Franklin Park. Here is a locale just filled with history. I set about hiking a large portion of the woodland sections, examining many of the perched and balancing rocks located there. Returning to a small cave found on my last visit, I found it unoccupied, as opposed to my previous visit where the cave was 'in use'. Eventually I did find one rock to match an old postcard image of Balance Rock at Franklin Park. But many other features from the Park's past remain unidentified. Not too far away were the Allandale Woods where pleasant hiking brought me to Table Rock, a small outcrop of the Roxbury Conglomerate topped by a small erratic. Afterwards, it was time to move on to the local library to work a cave lead on the area that has so far proved fruitless. I returned once again to the South Shore communities to take up some study time in a local library where a fair amount of information was gathered. This included stories of old mines and a cave! Day Four: I returned once again to a local harbor at dawn's early light to search one more time for the elusive Nubian Head Rock. I have to wonder if it's buried, needs a really low tide to view, or maybe it might be the one with a close resemblance I saw that morning. Finally before leaving town, I successfully sought out the Old Man of the Rocks and found a great possibility for Aunt Betsy's Rock. I dropped in once again (one town over) to take a few photos of the Devil's Punchbowl, drove one more town to see the 'Bouve Boulder', then moved on from the South Shore for good - at least this trip anyway. Norfolk County was the destination for my final three stops. Pausing briefly at the Oven's Mouth (small historical cave), I next stopped to further an investigation started previously on a cave, with two possible locations given. Not much was added to what was already know. Next I looked into the local Devil's Footprint but my finds were not conclusive. I made one more stop at an Indian Cave, coming across an old canal site, before heading on home.

As I await the much anticipated influx of cooler Fall weather, I swung on out into the northern portions of Worcester County. My goal was to hit three libraries for the ever important information. Two I had good contacts with and the third, I had never visited. Taking the third one first, I found it not to be open! Because of a ... road race??? So, I took the opportunity to take a quick look at the local State Forest, a possible location for a picturesque scene of some rapids on an early 1900's postcard. Moving on to the next town, next library, I was able to hook up with some local historical society members. The purpose here was mostly to see what they might have in the way of old photography, especially on the Cat Rocks, located last year. Not much luck with that but, lo and behold: the long lost location for Sunset Rock, sight of early 1900's KKK meetings was uncovered! Also in there: a possible location for a cave showing up on a old postcard of the area. Heading back to the West, I dropped in on library number three, reacquainted myself with my librarian contact and set to work sifting through their section of histories on the local towns. Luck was with me as I found the much needed publication I had intended to look for in the closed library. Here was an 1899 picture of the area's "Big Rock", largest boulder found to date in Massachusetts, west of the eastern coastal areas. AND: a story detailing a local cave! After finishing up on the library research, I headed back out into the heat and humidity to see if anything could be made of a site on a map from the 1870's called "Stone House". In the area from the map, a nice natural stone shelter (house?) was located. Moving back up - and out - onto the Mohawk Trail, I decided to ride it all the way in to the northern Berkshires in search of the Indian Head depicted on an old postcard. Once source told me they thought it could be viewed traveling west, but after my journey, I am inclined to believe it may exist in the rocks as one travels east.

Returning once again to the Connecticut River Valley, I was out to work the history behind four early era postcards. First up was a "boulder knoll" by prolific postcard producer Eddy Make (one Charles Eddy) out of Ware, Massachusetts. This particular site had quite a history all its own as the former location of a Methodist camp/retreat, now a community of some rather unusual looking homes. Afterwards, I began a more northerly trek up the Valley to look into the former site of some falls and dams. My host that day, Ed (thanks for the coffee and donuts!), gave me a good accounting of the history behind the stream, falls, factories, and dams that use to be part of the area. Next stop north was a lovely deep and secluded glen with numerous waterfalls and its own postcard showing 'profiles'. Although the rock formations exist to this day, I would say the profiles depicted (such as they were) were more an illusion of light than shapes and forms in the rocks. Next: I took advantage of being near a convenient spot to jump over to the eastern side of the Connecticut River and headed on south. Here lay, what I thought might be, the site of a giant boulder presented on another old postcard. A tough identification on this one, but with a few photos taken back home, I was able to confirm this old gem as the modern day "Devil's Football", or Edward Hitchcock's "The Magnet" from the Victorian Age of geology.

Three days were devoted to sites primarily in the "Ocean State" - or Rhode Island. Day One: Coming in by way of the Blackstone Valley, I headed to a state fishing area where a large boulder and Indian shelter were reported to be. No luck here - or at finding the local library open, despite its posted hours as being so. But nearby was the highest point of elevation in Rhode Island, so I took the opportunity to vist Jerimoth Hill. My next destination was a tough search to find. Two excursions into the hot, buggy woods, sandwiched around talks with local people, were needed to locate Indian Rock. Trolling on South, I made a quick visit to some Indian cave/shelters that I first saw some years back on an earlier visit to the area. Turning east, I made a quick pass through the area to search out Witch Rock but without additional information, this might be a tough one to uncover. Next, the highway took me toward the metropolitan areas of the State's capital where I was to set up for the next two nights. But first, I had to check out an inscribed rock on the shoreline of the upper regions of the Narragansett Bay. Slightly to the south, I unsuccessfully searched out a profile rock formation written up in an old news article from the 1800's. And still slightly farther south - cave formations existing in the suburbs of urban Rhode Island. Day Two: I had come prepared with six cave leads existing in the southwestern sections of the state. In the end, one was dropped due to time constraints and two turned out to be the same site. This left me four actual sites that were worked. The first stop of the day was successful. After a very muggy trek into the woods, and search through thick mountain laurel, "Narragansett Cave" was found. The second site was an area of already know caves and my directions were somewhat convoluted, so I suspended the search after awhile. I assume the lead may pertain to an already know cave but I'll work it at a future date. The third was the duplicate references but a moderately extensive length of broken ledges contained several respectable caves. The fourth turned into quite an adventure. A very rough location of the old farm where the cave was suppose to lie had been obtained from a local historical society member. Upon rolling into the area, more definitive information was impossible to find until a chance meeting with a local business man whose family name was that of the old farm I sought out. He was able to refer me on to another local man living near the old farm site who then took me to meet the present owner of the property and cave. But, despite two searches of the woods, the cave did not turn up! Another day, I'll be returning. Day Three: Another one of those unproductive - but very necessary days. I searched a ragged hill on the outskirts of Providence to see if any of the large glacial boulders pictured in past historical photos might exist. None found. I then rolled on into a town in adjacent Massachusetts to begin a search for Devil's footprints. Between the library and town hall, I could only come up with a couple names to contact. Back into Rhode Island, I tried to search out "Love Rock", an ancient land boundary and rendezvous spot for lovers. More contacts - however information in the local library suggested that another site I need to locate - Lover's Leap - may exist on this town's boundaries, with the town old postcards show it to be in. Finishing the day - and trip - I ended up in the suburbs of Worcester to look into another Devil's Rock. Slight success may have been found when a librarian heard of a rock with "shapes" but a visit to the area could not confirm this.

I had intended to examine caves located in the foot hills of the State's highest peak - Greylock. Construction on it's southern access road made that partially impossible. Coming around - and in - off a more northerly portion of the main highway allowed me to visit Sugarloaf - site of a number of small dens and caves mentioned in old historical records. Just prior to this, I had the opportunity to track down the site of a previously unknown (to me) waterfall which had turned up in a very old, and very rare, postcard. Lastly, I got to take a look at a 'historical cave' (not much of a real one) that was mentioned by famed cave explorer and author Clay Perry near Brodie Mountain. It consists of a large overhang with a couple of 'dens' extending back into the ledge.

Attending a very small paper/postcard show in the central Berkshire region, gave me the opportunity of check on a nearby report of a cave. In the end, what presented itself, was a karst area of the smallest order. It did indeed have everything there: one diminutive cave, others too small to enter, insurgence(s), a resurgence, and polished marble. Nearby was an old 'lime' quarry (Stockbridge Marble: Unit e), probably used to provide flux in the town's former iron manufacturing industry.

Venturing out into the sweltering heat, I had the opportunity to hook-up with the President from one of the local historical societies. We then proceeded to a local residence's home where an unusual rock formation had been unearthed in the process of landscaping. Photos were taken; and ice tea was served by our gracious host. The information gathered is going into an article for their local newspaper.

Two days of R&R were taken south of the border down in Connecticut. First up was an old section of the New Haven and Northampton rail line that has been turned into a bike path. This is also the very same route that a previous canal wound its way on up through the Nutmeg State. The Quinnipiac River Gorge was next, also a paved path from the former days of commuter traffic. Finishing off the first day was Meriden's Hubbard Park encompassing the spectacular Hanging Hills and Castle Craig. Below the cliffs, old carriage roads lead through the woods and the site of an old postcard showing a giant rock, likely tumbled down from the adjacent cliffs. In keeping with the theme of old trolley routes investigated in this area, the Connecticut Trolley Museum at East Windsor was visited on Day Two.

Near Fall-like weather in early July? Seizing the opportunity, I rolled back on into the Connecticut River Valley to scour the mountains for ledges, rocks, and caves. I had one more hunch as to the location of the lost "Warner's Ledge" to look over, so up the old, narrow, one lane mountain road the truck putted. Just past the falls formerly named Silver Cascade, I ascended on a path leading to a set of conglomerated ledges. A few caves presented themselves but no match was found for the ledge I was looking for. I decided to move on to another section of the mountain range to visit the "Home of the Rocks" from the Lovell/Peck project on old photography and writing of the region. While taking a breather, after trudging up a steep incline to the base of the ledges, I noticed a possible match for the antique image titled "Curve Rock - Looking South". This is one site I know the general location for but never could locate the exact site. However, the quality of the image I own is rather poor and I still could say for sure the site had been found. Moving farther along the cliffs I realized the lighting (despite foliage cover) was near ideal for photo shooting so I gave the Grand Porch another go. Descending down into the rocky vestibule out in front of the Porch, I rounded the corner into Titan's Pasture. Here lies a modest cave formed in the gravity slide manner that is known in this region of the State to cavers. After gathering information of this particular cave, and examining more overhanging caves just to the south, I returned to the highway to stop at a historical society in Franklin County. Despite their advertised hours concurring with the time of my visit, they were closed.

One of the corridors I often travel in heading East out of the Berkshires takes one down through Hampshire County. Just in the time spent on the highway one can visualize a veritable feast of geology and history. There's Chalkstone Ledge, site of an old soapstone mining operation. The same Town was frequently quarried for whetstones, important in the sharpening of scythes back in days of old. Farther along, rock is still quarried for decorative landscape use. Here we also have a Counterfeiter's Cave, a Devil's Den, and a Bear's Den 'Gorge'. Then we are brought into a town known both for a 'cave' where General Burgoyne reportedly stayed near, as well as a rocky abode one Rhena Meekins briefly resided in. But on this particular day I was returning to the Connecticut River, former land of big tobacco crops, to once again examine several ledges of conglomerate, yielding one small cave. Nearby one can stand at the top of a great headwall, or 'cirque', as described by eminent Amherst geologist Benjamin Kendall Emerson in an early 1900's GSA bulletin on the area. Next stop was to the South where I passed through the same Amherst and into the Notch. Taking on part of the M&M Trail, I visited the Horse Caves. At these massive overhanging ledges on Mt. Norwottuck, legend says Daniel Shay sheltered his horses on one particular night of the ill fated Shay's Rebellion. Likely, this is also "Devil's Cavern" listed in a late 1800's USGS geological bulletin.

Headin' on down into the Land of salt marshes and cranberries, it was a lot of mileage, a lot of 'leg work', a lot of talking with the folks, and yielding small - but still important - returns. Add in there five gorgeous libraries and all-in-all not too bad of an adventure! Day One: Rolling along most of the length of the Cape (Cod, for those not in the know) we reached Hokum Rock in the early morning hours. The name is derived from an Indian whose use to reside in its sheltering rocks and call out "Who come?" when he heard someone approaching. Then onward east to spend time in the first of my local library stops. Afterwards, heading on out to the ocean, Devil's Rock was found still sitting on the seashore much like it has since dropped by the glaciers many years ago. I had another report, of an Alms House Rock, in town but stops at the local historical society and town hall proved fruitless. [Update: In writing the local historical society, I was able to come up with a location for this rock.] Coming back to the west, I took a quick stop at an 'old friend' in Sacrifice Rock and took one more look at finding a companion boulder in Wishing Rock. Several rocks were seen but without something more definitive it would be impossible to put a positive id on Wishing Rock. Further to the west, I set up camp in one of Massachusetts' expansive state forests and after a brief rest headed on out once again towards the Buzzards Bay region. Here I tried to find landowners for the Indian Pound Corn Rock and another of the many Devil's (footprint) rocks. No luck at this point, brought me back to it's local library where I got a chance to look over some old archeological reports on the region. I left the library and cruised town looking for the 'Horse Neck' rock without success and took a shot at finding an 'alternate approach' to the local rock that 'Joe' has lent his name to. Then I returned for another try at Devil's Rock. This time I WAS successful! Day Two: Returning to just over the east side of the Cape Cod Canal, I worked my way south towards Falmouth. On the way I investigated a Great Rock from out of history (and a road named after it) but it was not to be found. Coincidentally (or not?) a large gravel pit seems to have taken over part of the area. I also looked into the site from an old postcard of some giant boulders on a local beach but they were not to be found either! So, I moved on down into Falmouth and Beebee Woods to look at a couple of its glacial erratics including George's Rock and Redoubt Rock. I next came northward trying to investigate a number of references from local history including the Devil's Dumping Ground, Where the Devil Broke His Apron Strings, an inscribed rock (Sal N Pry), and a balanced rock. In the case of the first three, access was near impossible due to discontinued roads and land restrictions. The latter (Balance Rock) was not found but (surprise!) housing has sprung up in the general area. I retreated to the local library to cull through some more regional history. Time to head back over the Canal and on up the coast! Stopping to visit White Horse Rock, I then ran past the former site of Nick's (now destroyed) Rock. One more library stop where my 'source' was not in, but gathering what information I could, I went on out in an attempt to find two sets of Devil's Footprints and, at least an access point, to begin a search for the local version of Pulpit Rock. Nada on all accounts and I slunk out of town to my next investigation: Wolf Rock. Ah - no luck here either and the local town hall, with limited hours, was not open! Day Three: In the early morning hours, I folded camp and moved on out to Rt. 495 in search of (the) Hand Rock. With some rough directions, I most likely located it but could not confirm it (or if it might be the same as an 1800's reference to "prints of naked hands and feet") as most local offices were still closed. I made a decision to return to two towns from the previous day and give it another go. I found the town hall, closed from the previous day, now open where great success was to be had. Following up, I went on up and located Wolf Rock with its old time folklore of a colonial couple taking refuge there with their three children from (you guessed it!) an attack by wolves. The rock had been lost to modern Man but recently 'discovered' in clearing land for a home. Then we gave the library, in the town where the Devil and his TWO set of footprints were suppose to lie, another shot but my source could not add anything to their exact location. BUT she was able to give me a bit more of a definitive location for Pulpit Rock. This I saved for the future. Farther to the northwest, in the extreme northeast section of Bristol County, I descended upon one more library (after lunching at Sachem's Rock) in search of that town's own Devil's Footprint. Could they be the same as an earlier reference to "Rock with hoofprints"? A modest amount of information was gleaned, including, indirectly, that the 'hooprint' rock may be the Devil's print. A 'footprint' photo was found, and in their book collection, a photo from another town mentioning Flowerpot Rock and its destruction for construction of the local Wal-Mart! Also 'found' was a librarian, originally from West Roxbury, who filled me in on what was happening down that way. I took a stab at finding the Devil's print but no go here. Bug (and tick) infested woodland made for a short, unpleasant investigation. This one will be worked on further at a future date. But time to head back out onto the highway home...

As I prepare for the next great adventure, quite a bit of research time has been put into the eastern end of Massachusetts - especially the southeastern portions. One old article surfaced from a late 1800's Syracuse, NY newspaper describing a cave in Middlesex County and how one local resident fell on into it. One has to wonder if it would still exist. Local libraries and local individuals have been most generous in supplying historical information and so a number of 'Devil's footprints' wait to be investigated as well as rocks/caves with Native American legends associated with them. And - holy smokes - Dan Webster's profile has just shown its 'face' in an old history on the South Shore area!

Near perfect weather gave the opportunity to revisit some old haunts from the past. This time it was the area of northwestern Worcester County. Initially skirting the perimeter of Quabbin Reservoir (and one wild turkey strutting across the road) the first destination was the Great Rock in the Woods. Originally portrayed in a late 1800's publication, it is one of the larger glacial erratics west of the eastern Massachusetts coastline. But Great Rock is not an isolated erratic, so on this visit I wanted to get an idea on the size of other large boulders scattered in its immediate vicinity. After accomplishing this, I moved on to another part of town to search out its local version of the Bear's Den. Although no real cave exists, a number of craggy ledges have been pointed out to me as the probable site of 'the Den'. Further to the southeast, a worthy cave does lie (well - worthy for this section of the State) in Cats' Cave. A large ice floe made negotiating it's vertical entrance somewhat difficult but one is rewarded by standing passage at the bottom. Moving a few towns to the northeast I dropped in on one of the many King Philip's Rocks across Massachusetts. Here on the River's edge it is told Philip stopped one night with his captive, Mary Rowlandson of Lancaster, whose written account of her captivity became an early American literary classic. Upon finishing here, I turned back towards Franklin County to see one of its own Bear's Dens tucked away in a conglomerate ledge just inside the wooded edge of an old farm field.

The rains finally abated and it was time to hit the highway. My first stop on this adventure took me into the Boston suburbs to check out the site of a "Devil's Den". While no cave presently exists, it is said in the not too long ago past one did before it was filled in. Close inspection leaves me with some doubt if a cave was ever here. Then on to a favorite of mine: the Middlesex Fells Reservation. An old map shows the location of "Cudjoe's Cave". Most likely this referred to a niche in the local ledge where some rock had been ejected out in the recent geologic past. I walked back by Panther Cave for a photo update before moving on a couple towns to the northeast to put some work in on Tower Caves. I am in the process of determining exact location for Tower Caves as they lay on the border of two towns - and two counties! Slightly more east - and north - brought me into suburbia where Indian Rock still exists out in back of a local neighbor's yard. The reference section of the local library was next for background information on the Pirate's Glen. Finally I pushed on into Pirate's Glen, relieved to see it - and its cave - still survive despite being surrounded by local neighborhoods. Day Two: At dawn's early light it was out to the coast. Rolling into Marblehead, a number of geologic features have been listed in its past history. Unfortunately, only minor success was to be had by visiting Castle Rock. This is a case where much more preparation will be needed before a return trip. Coming on down the coast, the next stop was Swampscott and home to The Cradle: a type of roofless cavern, or geologic rift in the seacoast rocks. Lynn brought me to Red Rock and a massive boulder sitting on the shore. After a little reconnaissance along a neighboring town's coast where old maps showed caves to be present, I headed back on into Lynn and its library where a bountiful harvest of information awaited me! It turns out the massive boulder on the shoreline was none other than Sliding Rock. Also Great Frog Rock was once known as the Great Dwarf Rock. I'm going to be a long time digesting all that came out of their reference department. Then tooting around town I took in Lover's Leap and Sadler Rock before heading on up to Lynn Woods. Despite covering a large tract of land in the Woods, my attempt at finding Forest Castle failed. I did make a large circuit that included Burrill Hill and Tower, the appropriately named Boulder Trail, Union Rock, and Dungeon Rock where information at the Lynn Library says a "Sleeping Pirate" formation exists. A quick run up to the north to check on a large boulder shelter used by sheep in the past was also fruitless. Any surprise: housing development has taken over the area. Day Three: This day started out early by heading north, up the coast, to Gloucester. Covering a tract of Dogtown to look for an archeological site, I took in vast expanses of boulder fields along with small boulder caves. Driving on up the western shoreline of Cape Ann, I came around its northern point to stop in at Halibut State Park. Here I checked into the possibilities of caves, saw some early signs of quarrying activity along the shoreline, and checked out the northern portions of the Atlantic Path. Afterwards, I drove south down the eastern coastline trying - once again - to locate rock formations pictured on old postcards. In this case, "Profile Rock" and "Rockport's Oldest Inhabitant" (a reclining rock-face formation) still remain unaccounted for. Moving inland I made another attempt at confirming the site of Martin's Rock. Nothing definite here and I'm beginning to believe the rock formation may no longer exist. With the afternoon wanning away, it was time to turn westward and home. But not before dropping in on northwest Middlesex County. Here lay two extraordinarily large glacial boulders known as House and Barn. Both, especially the House, rank among the largest in the State, west of the coastal areas.

[4/1] At this point we seem to be 'flirting' with Spring. Stretches of nice weather and then we go back into some that's not too nice. Also "not to nice" is a late winter illness that descended upon me just as a period of Spring weather arrived. But - with one day left in this present group of fair weather days, I decided to pack up, go out, and see how far I could get. It was obvious early on my 'bug' was not going to let me get too far. Heading on down into Hampshire County I picked up on an investigation started last year. Strange as it seemed, an old 1898 geologic map showed a body of limestone to exist within a much larger area of granite. The site was located and nothing obvious presented itself, but some interesting rock samples were collected and brought home for further analysis. Then on over to the eastern side of the Connecticut River where the hanging wall on a fault awaited me. This is the same area where Victorian Age photographs such as The Arch, The Fissure, Fern Cascade, Chain Cascade, Twin Cascade, and Gem Cascade were taken. I examined the fault wall for a distance south where one more minor waterfall awaited. Also in there is a conglomerate talus cave, possibly a match for the long lost Wild Cat Den. By then my legs and lungs were screaming "Mercy" and it was time to retire home to cold medicine and antibiotics.

We've not quite reached the Ides of March, but it seems Spring is trying to make it's breakthrough. Nothing productive accomplished on this day except filling my lungs with fresh air and stretching the legs in the outdoors. I trolled on through the northern Berkshires visiting a very small waterfall. It is a great time to do some good old reconnaissance work, looking off into the woodlands for rocks and ledges. Stopping off on the way home for some 'liquid refreshment', I struck up a conversation with a longtime Lanesborough resident offering plenty of information on one of my favorite towns! Looks like I'll follow the pattern I started in past years by heading on down into the Connecticut River Valley where the spring season gets a jump start on us up in the Berkshires.

As I look up from my favorite seat in the coffee cafe by the window, I am reminded of the old adage about how quickly the weather in New England can change. Brutal cold and winds swirl about the parking lot. Ah - but the high-octane coffee is warming as well as the project I've been working on. It was over half a year ago that I was lucky enough to stumble onto a collection of old newspapers in a Quabbin area library. Within those papers was an early narrative from the late 1860's by the Rev. David Peck describing areas within the Connecticut River Valley . I am almost finished with a transcription from those digital pictures taken during much warmer times. And a good half of Peck's story deals with a tour - by horseback - through those mountains. Many of those sites are familiar to me and as I go over his story, in my mind I can see his mountains, gorges, rivers, and cascades. Now those are the kind of thoughts to truly warm one's soul! Unfortunately the good Reverend died at a relatively young age or who knows what other wonders he might have described - and left for future generations to enjoy.

Ah - well: It was inevitable that the brutal cold winter would return. Not that I've never made it out during the cold. A couple past winter trips were quite memorable. One included a winter assault on Monument Mountain including it's Hawthorne's Cave with frozen waterfall. Also down in that section of the County I made a push into the purgatory known as Ice Gorge - at least to the beginning sections. Trying to traverse a rocky gorge with ice and snow laden boulders would not be too cool of an idea. BUT I am keeping an optimistic face on and hoping to be back on the road within two months. Two new cave leads await in Middlesex County. And much rocky seashore - some new to me - is to be explored in the early months of the upcoming season. Some, history records', is replete with sea caves, grottos, and other geologic curiosities.

The 'old homestead' lies less than a quarter mile from the trolley route that some years ago wound its way north through the Berkshires. Along the way was a park - Berkshire Park - that the Berkshire Street Railway hoped would drum up business for its fledgling trolley business. Included were a dance pavilion, carousel, and rides on burros. One old postcard even mentions the Tower on Crystal Rock. All signs have disappeared after 80 plus years but I decided to hike the ridge in back of where Berkshire Park use to lay and see what might be found. Nothing definitive on where 'Crystal Rock' and its tower might have been. But at the most advantageous spot on the ridge for a view (360 degrees without the present day trees) a large exposure of quartz was found, some white, some almost clear, including a 15 foot ledge right below the summit area. A little beyond lay a gigantic quartzite boulder with its very own cave!

Past Trips - 2006

For those of you that are into such things - and want to take the time to sift through all of this - here are my notes in 'raw form' Without dates, or photos, but in chronological order starting with the latter part of the year and working back in time.

Unorthodox winter weather continues, leaving the possibility of other adventures that would have waited till Spring. However, the final two days of 2006 were spent in the relative comfort of my favorite seat at the local coffee cafe. Here a substantial updating was undertaken to a portion of my notes that cover northern New England. Slowly, the groundwork is being laid for a future project that will take me across all of New England in search of a very particular type of geologic phenomena. BUT local lake, Onota, is drawn down to record low levels exposing shoreline that may not have been seen for many a year. It was a good chance to check out what usually lay beneath the waters, including rocks with many old carvings. I also gave it a go at looking for Pulpit Rock, pictured only once on an old postcard montage of rocks of local fame. Alas, the rock is either long gone, or so altered, it is now unrecognizable.

Absolutely astounding! With but a week to go until Christmas, it was in the upper 50 degree range and the woods bare from snow. Using the opportunity, I rolled on into the southwest corner of Hampshire County to get photos and measurements on Big Rock/Balance Rock. Almost 60 feet in circumference, its average height on one side was around 9 feet, and the opposite side about 12 feet high. Then moving on down into Hampden County, I climbed on up a boulder field to a ledge containing two very small caves. These had been entered a few years back by means of a home-made scaling pole. Farther on to the east was the big prize of the day in English Grass Cave. This revisit from years past was intended to more accurately plot its location (out in the middle of nowhere) and further understand its geologic makeup. Indeed, just inside it's entrance was a large pegmatite mass which the local bedrock geologic map showed to be in this vicinity. And with foliage lacking, a great view of the surrounding hills and the Westfield River below was to be had. One drawback to this time of year: just after the middle of the afternoon, dusk was already beginning to settle in.

Never have I pushed on into December but who could resist the perfect day of crisp temperatures, blue skies, no snow, and a Sunday reprieve from the hunting season! Thus, I was allowed to catch up on a few odds & ends that needed to be looked at. Up first was a large boulder field in western Hampshire County, previously seen in a driveby this past Spring. Then heading on north into Franklin County, I hiked in on cross country ski trails to the hill top of Lone Boulder Hill and its three state view. Oh Yes - the Lone Boulder is also present here, just off the brow of the hill. More to the north - and east - up in the region near Vermont was my next destination. Settler's Cave, a very small cave formation, was looked over to determine its exact origin. Nearby: the Oven was further examined as part of on going studies into carbonate rock caves in this region of the State.

With the annual Thanksgiving trek and cookout on the Appalachian Trail, my outdoor season for this year effectively comes to an end. Occasionally I will pop my head out the 'door' during the cold weather but for the most part I'll be content with starting on next year's plans. Among the areas that will be looked at early in the next spring included Essex County, southern Worcester County, and a long overdue look into cave leads in western Rhode Island. So stay tuned!

A raw November morning brought me back into western Hampshire County to further investigate the story of John Remington and Deadman's Cave. First stop was to try and locate some old Remington home sites and although the general area was located, no cellar holes were to be found. This may be due to their natural - or unnatural - obliteration or just that they were missed in the search. And even so, there is no guarantee that John's home was at this particular location presented on a hand drawn map that may lead one a bit astray. It seems a new source of information will be needed to further pursue this rather lurid tale.

Traditionally, I try to visit Connecticut around the first half of November. Although primarily a social trip, I usually do get to ramble a bit of the countryside. On this visit old sections of the Waterbury to Milldale trolley route were sought out. This also included hiking at Panthorn Park in Southington. And with that in mind, several days after my return to the Berkshires, I decided to look over some of what remains of the local trolley route. Close to my own home, sections of the elevated roadbed were still visible that once carried the Berkshire Street Railway north on its way to Adams and North Adams.

Rapidly heading towards the close of another season, I had the opportunity to kill a few birds with one stone. A postcard show was slated for the northeast Quabbin region and I owed some copies of old photos to the local library as well. So I started the early morning hours coming in on the Mohawk Trail and dropping south into Worcester County. A report of a cave was leftover from the summer months and, indeed, a fair sized porkie den lay nestled away in the top of ledges pointed out to me by a local man on my earlier visit. Farther south I made a return visit to what was named the Williamsville Features. Here an impressive ledge had collapsed, forming blocks of rock stacked much like fallen dominoes. Within these rock piles lay an assortment of small caves. Then on to the postcard show and library. Upon leaving town, I continued my way south to do measurements on the giant erratic Sampson's Pebble or Flint Rock. This worthy boulder measures 75 feet around and probably somewhat smaller in weight than the nearby Rum Rock; with both falling far short of the area's champions: Big Rock and Great Rock in the Woods. Also in the immediate vicinity, I gave a quick look to the local Indian cave - really just a split rock formation. Indian and Whitefield Rocks, marking important events from the past, lay still farther south. Indian Rock traces its history back to the King Philip period of Native American unrest. While famed clergyman George Whitefield made use of his rock (now partially obscured by brush) for sermonizing during the first half of the eighteenth century.

The annual Essex County/Cape Ann adventure got kicked off at dawn's first light. Trying to update the current status of Pirate's Glen, I found myself wandering amongst suburban neighborhoods, surrounding a modest sized tract of land that one has to wonder how it survived. I left with indefinite conclusions about this important piece of historic property. Wandering a bit farther north, I did a portion of the lovely Lynn Woods, taking on a trail new to me. It eventually took me on up to Dungeon Rock (sometimes said to possess a 'Witch's profile') and Union Rock - a huge erratic. I made an attempt, through another section of the park, to (unsuccessfully) locate an erratic, sometimes locally known as Shoemaker Rock. Still farther north, to the famed Cannon Rock; then on into Peabody to locate Lookout Rock. This, unfortunately, proved unsuccessful (or just possibly inconclusive) but changes in the area may be an explanation and Lookout Rock may no longer exist. Also on the list of 'possibly gone' might be Wigwam Rock as a second attempt to locate it, it did not turn up amongst the several other erratics seen. But the 'Butts' does indeed still exist, laying along a stream, in the middle of big city environment. Then on up into Gloucester to consult with a local expert before heading on to the location of the Chief Wingaersheek profile. A further search of the Joppa section of Town with no "Old Man' in sight. On to the shoreline at sunset saw the Lady of Rock/Great Stone Face catch the last rays of a setting sun. Second day: On into Dogtown to check on a possible archeological site. After navigating an immense boulder field, a fellow traveler made me aware of a hunting season in progress. Thereafter, I stuck to the trail and returned via Babson's Boulders to successfully search out those I hade missed in the past. Next, I went on up to the Goose Cove Reservoir to see more of Babson's influence in numbered stones for old cellar holes. But I primarily was looking for the site on an old postcard depicting a waterfall. It was not to be found. After lunching at the Halibut Point State Park, I worked several parts of the Rockport coastline checking them against old postcard images. I revisited the Great Gargoyle and an area sometimes called the Giant's Stairs. Pulling out of 'Glawsta' early on the third day, I took on the Boston morning traffic to drop down into Middlesex County and an urban Bear's Den. Getting away from the City, I moved out to the northwest to the Brother or Two Brother Rocks, ancient landmarks from the 1600's. The final Middlesex County stop before turning home was the Wolf Rocks and local version of Castle Rock - a large deposit of erratics upon the brow of a hill.

Way out in the northern part of central Worcester County lay the Cat Rocks. These were brought to my attention by a set of stereoviews done by a Leominster photographer during the late 1800's. The ledges comprising the "rocks" have mostly crumbled to talus so a few minor caves are present. In one area, though, some gigantic blocks of rock have fallen to form the better of the caves. I then tried my hand at finding the proverbial "needle in a haystack" in the form of Sunset Rock, somewhere in central Worcester County. Despite bouncing around between a couple towns, a couple times, no rock was found to match my old photograph. Although an area State Park did have an Native American rock shelter. One more "needle in a haystack", in a town bordering Quabbin Reservoir, was not found either. But before pulling out of the area, an old favorite "Rocking Stone" was visited.

Kicking off the busy Fall season, I returned to my beloved mountains within the Connecticut River Valley. With a second article from the Rev. David Peck (1869), the initial part of the adventure turned out to be more of a geographical reconnaissance. Many of the names for the summits he wrote of, many of the views he described, just no longer exist. On this morning, I ascended a col between what use to be known as "Russell Hill" and "Heartstone Mountain" before turning to ascend to the plateau-like summit of Heartstone. No views left here of the Valley and Connecticut River laying below but then Peck's "Paradise", where one first begins to ascend, has now grown to woodland. Moving on to another section of the mountain range, I endeavored to find a more efficient access into a set of ledges explored on several previous occasions. While bushwhacking in, a "noble ledge of conglomerate" (to paraphrase Rev. Peck) was encountered that boasted it's own unique geologic features, including several small caves. Coming through Hampshire County, on the return trip home, a quick drive by was made to see into a mystery. A late 1800's geologic map shows a lens of "limestone" existing, surrounded by granite bedrock. Unsuccessful on this trip, I will return before winter, better equipped and better informed. A couple more towns to the west, I got the chance to get a better look at a project from years ago. This was one of those old "leads" from out of the books by famed cave author, Clay Perry. The "Bear's Den Gorge" really isn't a gorge as much as a rock exposure (no cave here) that bears once, presumably, use to hang at.

Working the 'list', I returned to Franklin County. One very small cave needed some basic geologic testing to determine if it might have been formed in carbonate rock, therefore, be a solution cave. In this case - the answer was "Yes" for Wildflower Walk Cave. Moving on to an adjacent town, I looked into a report of "Crystal Caves", possibly being some overhanging features under a ledge. This proved fruitless as no overhangs (thus no caves) existed and the whole area appeared to be some ancient trap rock quarrying venture.

Heading 'South of the Border' (which, in this case, means Connecticut) for some R&R, I opted for a more cultural experience. Day one was spent primarily in Hartford with the first stop at the Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art. Interesting painting here of Fort Dumpling on Connanicut Island, Rhode Island, where I've spent time in the past climbing rocks on the seacoast. Next up was the Old State House, then over to the Connecticut River for the dragon boat races. Finishing up in Town, was the old Butler-McCook home, oldest single family private residence still existing in Hartford, occupied until 1971, thereafter becoming a museum. The second day saw hiking up on the border of Cheshire and Prospect to visit Roaring Falls. On the way home, a waterfall awaited, running under the highway near the Massachusetts-Connecticut border.

It is often said: In life - you win some and you loose some. And so it goes in this business. Day One of three days out, brought me into the southern suburbs of Boston, home to the Roxbury Conglomerate. While exploring a state park, a parallel investigation was begun into the possible origin of several early 1900's postcard showing a group of Boy Scouts on an outing. On these cards, references were made to the Blue Hills, Hyde Park, and Stony Brook. While in the area a number of conglomerate features were visited including Rooney Rock, Bald Knob, Overlook Ledge, and the Perch. Next up, a slight jaunt to the east to search for Sally's Rock, past home to a hermit. Alas, urban sprawl has encroached upon the Rock, right to its very base! Swinging farther on southeastward, I reached the land of the South Shore. Here a grand example of a perched boulder, upon an exposed bedrock ledge, awaited me. Originally, this boulder had been written up in both the town histories of Weymouth and Hingham. Pushing a bit farther southeast, I revisited a rock used by King Philip as a meeting spot, now located in the back of a suburban development. Turning towards the Atlantic coastline, an unsuccessful attempt was made to find someone available upon an old estate to provide information on its Toad Rock. Turning once again, to parallel the coast, I moved one town northwest to drop in on its historical society, followed by a ramble through the nearby woods to look for the local version of Rattlesnake Den. Although, a confirmation could not be made on the exact site of the Den, a previously unknown cave was to be found! On the return trip through the woods, the route took me past Burbank Boulder. Day 2 was an early morning walk in Cohasset's Wheelwright Park, home to Big Tippling, Little Tippling Rocks, and the Devil's Chair. Moving over one town, several hours were spent in the library's local history room, revealing significant amounts of information on the local history/geology scene. This will provide the basis for many years of future research. Moving from town to town, one more historical society and one more library were visited. Day 3: An attempt was made to further verify a local cave site found last year as being one mentioned in a late 1800's town history. Best guess here is the cave from last year is not the local historical site. Then back on down to a local harbor at low tide for one more try at locating the Nubian Head Rock. Despite assurances from a long time local resident, I have my doubts that the Nubian still may exist. Time to leave the coast and move 'inward' to investigate the story of a stone face. Apparently, it was destroyed during the 1920's for a road project and, at one time, an old gold mine even existed near the site. But between the local library and historical society library, a photo was to be had of the Face! A couple more towns away, an unsuccessful try was made to locate a rock with a Native American profile upon it. One more town over, brought some disappointment as I had been incorrectly informed of a shortcut into Devil's Rock which I had hoped to measure for the 'Big Boulder' list. The local library was unable to provide anything in regard to the historic site: Robber's Cave.

With Fall right around the corner, plans are under way for one of my busiest - and favorite - times of the year. First - some valuable time is being put into revamping and upgrading computer equipment and record keeping. The transcription (for the most part) is finished on Centennial Rock, and the present information on big boulders in the Quabbin region - as well as deciding what additional information will be needed - is presently under review. It does appear the area's long held 'champion' of glacial erratics - Rum Rock - will be displaced by at least one of the other rocks in northwestern Worcester County. There may even be a King Philip site down in the southern regions of the County that may take its place on the list. The Fall projects are too numerous to list - so - let's just bring it on!

The Old Man in the Mountain, near Bash Bish Falls, was sought out, bringing me to the farthest reaches of southwestern Massachusetts. Despite a good confirmation of this rock's location, it was not found. Chances are it may lay hidden by tree growth, or even succumb to a fate similar that of its 'cousin' up in the New Hampshire mountains. Another attempt will be made - sans foliage. Shifting more eastward, one of the many Bear's Dens in the State was revisited to confirm a second - and easier - access to this locale. Raptors hovered overhead as I ascended into the ledges to get a closer look at a 'companion' cave known as Ghost Cave. A bona fide ghost exists, painted on the back wall of the cave some years ago. There is a story that Ghost and Bear's Den were physically connected at some point in time. Possible, considering their relatively close proximity. Certainly, they have a geologic connection due to their formation within the massive talus blocks of the ledge.

The hideous heat wave finally abated, giving way to temperatures more reasonable for summer. An opportunity to visit the eastern extremes of Franklin County! Up first were Indian Cave and Wabeek Boulder. Indian Cave is one of those sites of local lore - and exaggeration - as it was written that hundreds could shelter beneath its rocky canopy. Wabeek (now split into two very unequal sized portions) has its named carved upon it, as well as the writing "In the beginning". Then on into the eastern regions of Quabbin Reservoir where much remains to be done. On this day, measurements of Rum Rock were undertaken to see if its reputation as the area's largest glacial erratic can remain intact. Nearby, the local version of Indian Cave was also paid a visit. Next up was the local library to spend several hours culling through old issues of their newspaper. Success was to be had in the form of two articles by the Reverend David Peck from 1869 on geologic features in the Connecticut River Valley. Afterwards, two other sites were quickly checked, one mentioned by the local librarian and one from a U.S.G.S website, for glacial boulders. Then time to pick up the Mohawk Trail back west into the Berkshires.

Since the purported site of "Dead Man's Cave" in western Hampshire County was not that far off, I decided to give it a go and start working on its location. A somewhat similar story exists in local legends, but in their version, Dead Man was found in a sub-cellar rather than a cave. It seems two family homestead sites exist in the immediate area where the story is said to take place, but cannot be tied directly to the individual involved. This, despite some assurances from a local man that one of these IS the site!

Persevering through the summer doldrums, I've brought my 'investigations' more indoors with sporadic jaunts into the regional outdoor scene. A second trek to the northern Berkshires was effectuated to (for the most part) transcribe John Brown's inscription on "Centennial Rock" and the date of 1876 was confirmed. Checking around with my sources, I am looking to locate the "Old Man of Bash Bish" profile formation but this looks to be a good trip after the hot weather breaks. Local library archives alerted me to the wealth of information done by local author, and cave explorer, Clay Perry as part of his preparation for his now classic books on New England caves. One story that was written too late to be included in those books is the tale of "Deadman's Cave" over in western Hampshire County. Again, when cooler weather presents itself, I will take to the hills in search of the site.

In between the heat and the rain, I dropped in on a couple local sites. It seems the weight of Balance Rock in Lanesborough, one of New England's most famous erratics, is questionable. For years it has been said to be 165 tons but that may be the result of just quoting the same historical reference over and over. It was brought to my attention through a local newspaper article from the early 1970's, that is false, and in reality it is 365 tons! Is it or isn't it - will be determined. Then shooting on over to Adams, I was able to locate the second of two inscribed rocks done by Captain John Brown of Cheshire, right around the three-quarter mark of the nineteenth century. One is know as Brown's Boulder and located not far from Balance Rock in Lanesborough, the second is sometimes known as Centennial Rock.

Attempting to push on with some projects through the hot summer months, I took on central and western parts of Worcester County. Beginning the day out in the vicinity of Leominster, I further investigated the report of 'Cat Rocks' on a list of antique stereoviews by Leominster photographer E. G. Davis. I was able to confirm their existence and rough location through a local source, but attempts to access the site from two different directions proved unsuccessful. A return trip for the Fall is already planned. Moving on slightly westward, a search was made for a king sized glacial boulder appropriately named 'Big Rock'. This big-boy erratic was measured with the help of a uniformed local law enforcement officer and looks to weigh in at just under 1,000 tons! This puts it into a category with some of the area's largest erratics including Rum Rock, Flynt Rock/Sampson's Pebble, and an unnamed boulder down in a region bordering the Quabbin Reservoir. While canvassing the neighborhood for Big Rock, one of the friendly locals brought me up to a previously unreported ledge and caves. Onward I pushed farther west to look at the origins of some early 1900 U.S.G.S photos as well as Indian Head Rock. Despite what a more 'recent' photo (25 or 30 years old) showed, the Indian Head lay buried deep within the forest on a hilltop ledge. This guy is also a perched erratic probably weighing in at somewhat less than 100 tons. So after extracting myself from some dense underbrush, I moved on into the next town south to try and gather information relating to four views pictured on both sides of two stereoviews. Two of those views show rocky formations but only one is labeled, with "The old ledge at Grandpa Cleveland's home". This gave me the chance to sit and chat on the porch of an elderly gentleman's house, who was able to provide much in the way of information. Then it was farther south where I dropped in on the owner of one king sized erratic to leave off some historical information on his big boulder. By then it was time to swing around the southern end of Quabbin ("Land of many waters") Reservoir to head on back into the Berkshires.

While taking a bit of a 'breather' during the hotter, more humid season, I had a chance to take in a postcard show in the southern Berkshires sponsored by a local author and historian. A couple interesting postcards were to be had: two in a bin marked only as "western Mass" and showing a rock with a tree growing out of it, along with a one of a great rocky chasm and river. Neither had any markings whatsoever to identify them. The latter seems to be of the famed Chesterfield Gorge but the former - a more interesting mystery! After the card show I jogged up through the rain to see if it might match old Split Rock in Lanesborough. Not quite a match but Split Rock - along with an adjacent boulder - were partially denuded of their mossy covering, revealing antique inscriptions from long ago. Also in Lanesborough, is a famous rock that came to be known as "Brown's Boulder" complete with inscriptions from the 1800's to go along with a story of failed romance. Apparently, Mr Brown failed more than once, as a bit father north - and east - is another of his inscribed boulders that I am presently tracking down the location and story on. AND - a visit to the local library to consult old atlas maps, has yielded clues to the location of rocky formations located way out beyond the confines of the great Quabbin Reservoir. AND a long held mystery of just where a cave once existed in the famed cliffs of Newport, Rhode Island, was finally solved thanks to another piece of old photography!

Returning to Essex County and the most northeastern portion of the State, I reacquainted myself with a couple of sites first visited some years ago. The Devil's Den and the Devil's Basin are both old lime mining sites that were long ago forgotten, or just plain neglected, as the forests have grown up and surrounded them. The 'Basin' was searched for a formation seen in old photography that could almost be a representation of old Satan's 'head'. The profile was still to be found along with some small deposits of iron ore leeching its way into the old quarry hole. While over near His 'Den', the Devil's Pulpit stood quite conspicuously, having been freed from the dense overgrowth that has surrounded it in more recent times. Before leaving Town, Gerrish Rock and the local version of the 'Balance Rock' were also visited. Then it was time to drop southward onto Cape Ann. After setting up camp, the shoreline was scoured for the Lady of Rock/Great Stone Face which was found staring skyward while I was cruising about. Then it was over to a section of Gloucester formerly known as Joppa to begin a search for the Old Man of Joppa formation. Day two brought an unsuccessful search for the Chief Wingaersheek profile, a look at the Goose Cove section of Dogtown, as well as a short jaunt in along the main road to Dogtown Square. Another section of Joppa was searched, but still no 'Old Man' was to be found. Breaking from the stifling heat and the relentless pursuit by vicious mosquitoes, I combed through the archives at the Rockport Library. Before heading out from the Cape on the third day, I took on the bugs one more time to visit the local Bear's Den and it's own version of George Washington/Stone Face profile. Then three stops were made on the across the state return, to visit local historical societies and libraries at Leominster, Princeton, and Barre. Here, I was searching for old photography and information on several local sites of geologic phenomena, including Indian Head Rock and Cat Rocks. A successful location was to be had for Indian Head but with summer thundershowers beginning, it was time to turn homeward.

Ok - I admit it. I've got a bit of a 'geek streak' and I love libraries! Always searching for that ultimate 'info fix', I dropped in on the Adams Library to do some background research on a couple past projects from that Town. A substantial amount of information was gleaned from their archives. On the way out of town, I looked over access to several cave sites located there that will be checked out in the future. The real treat came on the way home when I hooked up with a local expert working a roadside farmstand.

What could two rocks and one cave karst have in common? While thumbing through Russell Dunn's latest book Trails with Tales [see farther down this page], I began to wonder if his entry of 'Rabbit Rock' at the Cobble in Tyringham, might have a rock structure similar to south Berkshire's 'Elephant Rock' and even the Beartown Karst. Beartown is a karst and cave system of the most minor nature, only interesting from a geologic standpoint, but offering close to nothing in the way of caving. In the end, all three features turned out to be formed from a highly calcitic marble, but Rabbit Rock a little less so than Elephant Rock and the Beartown Karst caves. Since I was down in the southern Berkshires, I took the opportunity to look into two or three old postcards from the Montville section of Sandisfield: one of some falls and a curious one of Big Rock. The falls were located without too much effort as a small set on the Buck River. After conversing with a couple local residents (and one glass of ice tea over local history), I ascended a local mountain top where Big Rock lay buried away in the forest.

Working with two old sources of information, an AMC trail guide and the database left from the former north (Berkshire) county caver, I set out to see what one might find. The old trail guide mentions a feeder trail to the Appalachian Trail existing way back when. Upon arrival there seemed to be a trail still remaining but the access situation looked to be a bit sketchy. SO, going in by another route I tracked down the site of a cave listing in the old database, listed as "Serpentine Cave". The bedrock geologic map does show a deposit of serpentine rock in the area and, after a modest amount of bushwhacking, the site was found. Alas, the 'cave', like many of the ones in the database that had been previously sought out, left a lot to the imagination.

With a bountiful list of sea caves awaiting me, I dropped in on a kayak demonstration to get the scoop on the whole scene. Paddles, boats, life jackets - ah, it was good to be out on the water again!

Please allow me to shamelessly put in a plug for author Russell Dunn's latest book "Trails with Tales". And no - not because yours truly makes 'cameo appearances' within, but because of it's splendid combination of history and the outdoors. Russell is best know for a series of waterfall guides in New York and his book does cover a lot in eastern New York, but a nice section on the Berkshires of western Massachusetts is included within.

During the 1960's through the 1980's, a man from the northern Berkshires was quite active in the area of cave exploration. Before leaving the area, he managed to leave a considerable wealth of information behind, including the location of an old lead mine. On my trek in through the woods, I was greeted by a thundering sound emanating from the deep and rocky chasm, whose bottom was not quite visible, but lay off to my side. Soon I ran into two old bridge abutments that use to carry the ancient road across the ravine. At this vantage point I could see a flume and a set of waterfalls. Ah - but I left the investigation for my return and pushed on, crossing both streams farther up. After awhile, and a steep ascent up the hillside, the old mine entrance was located. Partially flooded - but still within the realms of exploration - I carefully picked my way in across logs and rocks exposed above the water line. In all - maybe just over 100 feet before it dead-ended. But back to the chasm: What a feast for one's eyes! Two streams, one coming down a flume-falls and the other dropping over two sets of falls, combine and flow through a deep and craggy canyon where several other sets of falls await. This trip could not have been better timed as two weeks of rains, and one heavy downpour the night before, made for an incomparable spectacle...

A rumor/report of a 'cave' at one of Mt. Greylock's foothills has been floating about for several decades. In one version, it references an "old geology report". My guess is that report would be none other than Dr. Hitchcock's on the Geology of Massachusetts (1800's) as he mentions an identical location, two streams disappearing underground, and his theory on how caves might be formed in such a manner. So with the rains hopefully coming to an end, I packed up and headed out to visit some contact zones in the mountainous regions described by the reports - and Hitchcock. The unfortunate results were, very little in the way of marble was seen despite the presence of the marble unit of the Walloomsac Schist (or Owm). And certainly water aplenty was cascading off the mountainside but none was seen to go underground. However, confusion may be had here as the old name for Mt. Greylock was the same as one of its present foothills. SO that site - in the old report - might just be anywhere!

With the black flies feasting away, and the allergies raging away, it was onward - back into Huntington to work its resources list. First up were the Cook's Cascades; small, but still they managed to catch the attention of an 1800's photographer who put them onto a stereoview. Also present were some old foundations, a possible site for a mill from the past. I then hoped to climb into one of the local mountains to begin a search for ledges, rocks, and old mining sites, but access was very indefinite so this was postponed to another time. Next up were another, and somewhat more interesting set of cascades, on Bromley Brook. Finally, on the return home, Fish Mouth Rock (possible archeological site?) was located in the woods.

Returning once again to the mountains in the Connecticut River Valley, we find this year to be much like two years ago when a drought of information slowed down this particular project. However, working with what I already have, more ledges were checked, this time in the vicinity (and up to) old Moss Cascade. Interesting stuff as several sets of these ledges formed terraces in the mountainside. Graves Ledge was in the vicinity so I dropped in to gather GPS data and figure out some of the land boundaries and who owns what when it comes to all its rocky formations. On this visit, I got a second chance to visit the monolithic Fortress Rock. The return home saw a quick look for a bed of "limestone" (probably marble) plopped in the middle of a granitic mass of bedrock, showing itself on an 1898 geological map covering a section of Hampshire County. Another passing look was also given to find Martha's Rock/Cave.

The Westfield River winds its way through many beautiful towns and I made the first, of what will be several, visits to one of those towns: Huntington. A rather lengthy list awaits me of natural - and some not so natural - features to look into. On this day I dropped in on the old Town of Knightville, taken away to make room for an Army Corp flood control project. Still waiting was the monstrous Leaning Rock, itself, dwarfed by the even bigger Knightville Dam in whose shadow it stood - or "leaned". Also on this trip, downstream was a picturesque gorge, and the site of two waterfalls were sought out.

Day one of a three day adventure saw me down in Bristol County where my first stop was an area replete with boulders of Dighton Conglomerate. Checked out/into were local legends Great Rock, House Rock, and two stories of a cave in the local woods and a picture on an old postcard of a rock called "The Playmate". Locating Playmate and the cave may be a task of Herculean proportions without something more definitive in the way of information, but many other boulders scattered throughout the woods were examined. Then it was on to Dighton itself, and some splendid examples of the "type locale" for its native conglomerate, along with a few minor caves. Next in town were the remains of the Council Oak Tree, standing for hundreds of years, little remains of the one majestic tree that King Philip use to meet under. Also in town were the Beals' Rocks from antique postcard days. Continuing south, another relic pictured on old postcards, was the Hanging Rock. Then swinging east, and north, a stop was made at the rock where the last 'official battle' in King Philip's War took place: Anawam's Rock. Other sites and other rocks occasionally get mentioned as the 'correct' site of Anawam's stand and one of these was given a quick look. It was then on to (another) Great Rock and a chat with a local history expert before moving on to the local Indian Oven. Finally, before closing out the day, a quick - and unsuccessful - attempt was made to find the regional version of the Devil's Footprints. The second day brought me to Hiding Rocks Cave, the site of another local Native American legend. Then I put in time searching out the possibilities (and local library) of Tiverton and Little Compton's coasts for sea caves. While searching for Speaking Rock, a local resident did alert me to a couple of sea cave formations. A quick visit was made to Wilbour Woods to update my photos of Indian Rock/Awashonk Stone. With low tide approaching, it was time to move west over into the Narragansett Bay to look into possible sites for Captain Kidd's, and other sea formed caves. Both brought moderate success as a couple new sea caves were located. On day three, I was out on the Newport Cliff Walk with the early morning light and Seal Rock - another image out of the golden age of postcards. Then I headed back in to Tiverton and the Weetamoo Woods, Wildcat Rock, and small talus dens. My late cousin, Edward Hitchcock, mentions in his "Final Report on the Geology of Massachusetts (1841) "one of the largest bowlders (sic) I have ever seen of coarse graywacke conglomerate" lying just south of the Massachusetts border, along the river, in Rhode Island. I did seek out mentioned 'bowlder' but 165 years can change a river's bank and now the area is a big oil depot. Cutting north through Massachusetts, I once again dropped into "Little Rhody" for a visit to Massasoit Spring and an Indian mortar, King's Rock.

Another picture perfect spring day and this visit took me to a remote set of mountains above the Mohawk Trail and close to the Vermont border. This area offers a perfect blend of geology and history in numerous rocky animal dens and caves, along with former settlements from the post Revolutionary War era. Little is left of the former homestead sites but, of course, the rocks still persist.. One of the main features in these hills is a distant, and long forgotten, Bear's Den. An old road use to wind its way up through the hills and westward into the next town. That has all but been obliterated. GPS data, in comparison with detailed maps, was used to get a rough feel for what territory it once may have covered. But in covering a large expanse of acreage, a massive ledge of schist was encountered, parts of which had broken apart and fallen to form talus dens for the local animals, while the spring runoff had formed numerous cascades of a smaller nature. Afterwards, I moved to a nearby tract of land to take a quick look for "Spirit Rock" listed in an old history on the area. The 'scenic route' was taken on the way home in an effort to contact individuals having a large glacial erratic upon their property.

Just the absolute perfect day to be in the outdoors and feel the earth, once again, beneath my feet! After taking in the Boston Antique Photo Image Show in northwest Middlesex County, a stop was made in northeast Worcester County. Here I checked into a reported "Half House (Rock)" that showed itself on an old stereoview circa 1870's. The effort was a success and Half House was found. While in the neighborhood, I dropped in again on the Devil's Pulpit/Pulpit Rock.

With one of the best beginnings to Spring in recent memory, I jumped in with "both feet" and a three day outdoor marathon. The first day brought me to the northern Berkshires and the site of two old postcards from its Golden Era. One was of an old reservoir with small natural falls below, and a bit farther downstream, a beautiful relic out of the past in an old stone arch trolley bridge and more falls. Day two brought the first trip of the season back into the mountains east of the Connecticut River. The goal on this visit was to more familiarize myself with an area written about, circa 1870 by the Rev. David Peck, as Paradise. A paradise indeed as it was bordered by a rocky, stream filled ravine and small falls, a precipitous cliff with unparalleled views of the valley, magnificent exposures of conglomerate rock ledges, and another tract of wilderness Peck called the Garden of Eden. I eventually moved farther north to Peck's "Home of the Rocks", part of the rocky formations photographed around 1870 by John L. Lovell. Here, I made an attempt to do my own photographic interpretation of Lovell's "Rock Shadow" but it proved a near impossibility as the 135 plus intervening years saw the view mostly shut off by tree growth. Much better luck was to be had at my second attempt of capturing the inspiring "Curve Rock". And day number three put the old Ford truck back on the road to journey up and over into Hampshire County to begin a search for a set of rocks pictured on an old postcard by the rocks' owner and dated 1913. While in Town, I dropped in at old Campbell Rock for photos and talk with a gracious, friendly local dude.

Late winter blessed us with a very Spring like day! I jumped on the opportunity to get some long neglected geologic reconnaissance out of the way. The goal on this day was to examine 'contact zones' or areas of two adjacent bedrock formations. Under certain circumstances, karst areas can be formed with the possibility of cave development. This trip yielded nothing positive but it allows me to cross it off my list and move on.

Another sunny, crisp winter day lured me out to look at rock formations near the base of a local mountain. There has been a report of a 'den' of some sorts used by local youths over 60 years ago. Nothing quite matched the available description but several insignificant talus caves were visited.