Table Rock: circa 1870

On this excursion into the Connecticut River Valley the goals were more hiking and historic rather than geologic, although the latter is most always inescapably tied in to all I do. Making my way up the old mountain road, I set off to search for Paradise and the Garden of Eden. These names were very much tied to a section of mountain terrain and already in use by the late 1860's where I came across the first written reference. My journey took me over old Kellogg Hill (another archaic name) to one of the Valley's finest vistas - or "prospect" as they use to say. At one site I passed at least a half dozen conglomerate erratics - not native to this immediate area - strewn about as if it were the playground of the Gods - perhaps the Titans. One boulder carried the weight of two trees growing upon its top surface. This whole are is set back above a magnificent escarpment with Paradise - and its beautiful ravine - being it's northern boundary. Finally turning back - and upward - I climbed up into a commanding length of conglomerate ledge where one Giant's face of stone peered down upon me. Making my way the mountainside to my car I regrouped to head into the Garden of Eden. Also setback from a lengthy escarpment the old site likely existed with in cirque - or corrie - several of which exist in this area carved out by the glaciers of long ago. Eventually I passed an outlook with an old survey station marker and reached a spring fed swamp located within the top portion of a double cirque. The outlet for this marvel of nature is a stream that leaps over the escarpment forming a superb cascade. On the return to my car, I did some checking into the walls of the cirques where a partially buried stone wall spoke of times long ago forgotten. The way home - I took the lazy man's approach to Sugarloaf whose road is now open for the season. King Philip's Seat/Lookout, or Table/Jutting Rock as it is sometimes know, has been fenced off for years and views of it mostly hidden by foliage.

Underneath Pulpit Rock
Some of my very best times do not involve a rock - or a cave - or even being outdoors. On one marginal weather day I had the pleasure of meeting the family at a local farm in the central Berkshires to talk over the history of (one of many) Pulpit Rock. Although it never was ascertained if this rock was preached from by a real clergyman, the conversation went on to talk of many sites and bits of history throughout western Massachusetts. Nearby is a (previously unknown) quarry that provided stone to the building of two local churches. I will revisit Pulpit Rock and its caves at a future date for further investigation.

On the way to, I tried my hand at photographing Tory Cave but the stream it lays upon was much too high to cross. In the process I hiked on up through what has sometimes been called Tory Glen. A beautiful example of sylvan wilderness.

The Bear's Den

For me personally, I have two significant reminders regarding the outdoors during early May: black flies and allergies. With inclement weather rolling around New England, I set out to see just how far I could get on a somewhat gray day. Heading up north to meet with the Mohawk Trail, I then continued my journey a bit farther north ending up at Pelham Brook about 5 miles south of the border with Vermont. The Stone Face/Profile Rock was my goal and I hoped to solve its mystery once and for all. A number of visits to this area, including the local historical society, have been made and finally last Fall a likely candidate was found in a stream side boulder. The first problem (after locating it) are the two postcards depicting it are quite different. Sure, certain shapes and striations on the rock are similar, but that's about it. The rock I gave careful examination to has some similarities with the two images but not enough for me to say definitely this is it. So it seems it will have to remain the likely Stone Face/Profile Rock.

On the return to the Mohawk Trail, I quickly looked into an old copper mine then headed on east into the northern portions of the Connecticut River (or - Pioneer) Valley. Turning north once again, I ended up at the Bear's Den, this time less than a mile south of Vermont. This is an ongoing project to revisit some old sites around northern Franklin County that haven't been seen in a few years and update my information. Bear's Den is formed in argillites where the bedding plane is tipped nearly vertical. Weathering has taken out a significant mass of rock making for a large chamber in the hillside.

Working my way farther south, I ended up again in the location where I've been researching the history of local rock formations in the Connecticut River Valley region. I proceeded to investigate the new set of ledges discovered on my last visit a week and a half earlier. Some natural chimneys, along with very small gravity slide and weathered out shelter caves were found. I've been looking over ledges one by one to see if I can find a match with historical data. On this day, I looked into another nearby ledge in search for "Warner's Ledge", but once again I came up empty handed. Nearby was Etta's Nook, so with the rain beginning to fall, I wandered on in to shoot a quick set of photos for my HDR (High Dynamic Range) project. Castle End is the gateway to this set of ledges and on my way out I did photos for a panoramic picture.

Cross Rock



Balance Rock

Dabbling in the area of HDR photography, I ventured out to my favorite old proving grounds at the Balance Rock State Park. Here one can find an assortment of old relics in Cross Rock, Split Rock, as well as one of the Northeast's best know perched erratics in Balance Rock. Although the jury is still out on how useful HDR may be in my own projects, it can produce some 'lush' results. In the end - it still comes down to lighting.

King Philip's Cave

Continuing on once again with the Connecticut River Valley rock formations, I worked a series of precipitous sandstone ledges. Niches exist in these cliffs including one minor cave formation known locally as King Philip's Cave (King Philip also had his "chair" at Table/Jutting Rock). Hopping over to the east side of the Connecticut River, I took on conglomerate based bedrock. In this region I reexamined familiar old sites with names long ago forgotten. Some of these included Fern Cascade, the Arch the Fissure, and a possible site for Wild Cat Den. This whole area is a fascinating piece of geology with a long extended ledge which is a hanging wall of a fault. Fern Cascade leaps over this wall with the Fissure being a natural passageway between the wall and the Arch. The Arch is a massive detached section of the hanging wall that itself has separated, with its own natural passage running through it. The likely Wild Cat Den is a boulder cave formed from fallen sections of the same ledge. In another region of town, I parked at another popular cascade that also has its own archaic name in Munsell's Cascade. While hiking through the woods another splendid ledge with its own marvelous rocky formations was discovered. But being close to the end of my day - I left it for future exploration. But one quick stop was made at the spot formerly know as Stony Hill, somewhat chopped up by a latter day highway relocation. It was from this location several pieces of antique photography show beautiful views of the Connecticut River and the mountains on the far side.

King Philip Rock/ Quinsnicket Cave formation




Cobble Rock

Vacation has once again arrived and I raced out ahead of incoming inclement weather to try and get a couple days in. Back in the late 1990's I spent a considerable amount of time in Massachusetts just to the north and east of the Rhode Island border. It is here I returned to a favorite old haunt of mine in Boulder Cave which is really a large glacial erratic with a modest overhang to it. Split-off pieces complement the "cave" experience by forming a crude exterior wall. To my surprise, a measurement of this big boy boulder came in with a girth in excess of 100 feet. Slightly closer to the Rhode Island border, I looked into a series of ledges where both conglomerates and the red slates of the Wamsutta Formation presented themselves. Much of a mystery to me was a small cave formation I examined here some 10 or 11 years ago. I thought I clearly remembered its location but it did not turn up on this visit. Finally moving into "Little Rhody" I used the Warner Trail to access rocky areas in the northeastern most parts of the State. A hiking group that passed through this area in recent times logged a small cave, although none presented itself on my inspection. Zipping over to the Town of Primrose, a geographic site from its history called the Blunders was investigated. This was a pass between two elevations of land that was a favorite picnic spot for residents in days gone by. On to another old favorite in Cobble Rock which itself was a favorite in olden days and graced many an old postcard. A couple of cave-like features and one other perched erratic also grace the area nearby.

On the second day I finally got to visit several sites that have long been on my list. Snake Den Park with its old quarries, and, ledges that use to be home to reptilian species. Hipses is an erratic that was part of the ancient boundary when Narragansett Indians sold land to Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island. History records this as an Indian rock with its cave-like openings. One local person mentions Indians training to make arrowheads at this site. Also not far away: an ancient soapstone quarry used by Native Americans. Evidence suggests pottery made from rock at this site may have ended up as far away as Cape Cod. Ending my day were further explorations into Lincoln Woods where rumors of caves have occasionally surfaced. My journey took me to Goat Rock, Pulpit Rocks, old marble quarries, the Druid Circle, and a rocky formation some associate with both King Philip and H. P. Lovecraft.

Early spring brings the Boston Antique Photo Show which is not in Boston but out in Middlesex County. Following that I get the chance to visit Worcester County on the return home. This year I returned to the Wachusetts Reservoir region. Two "profile rocks" have shown themselves on old postcards. In-between those sites, I investigated a "Lover's Leap". The legend here is of a Native American couple, from different tribes, leaping to their deaths rather than allowing their opposing tribes to separate them. Apparently a couple of antique newspaper accounts mention other occurrences of people falling from its lofty ledges. The first profile rock is an isolated boulder lying close to the main highway. The second, exists (or existed) in an old railroad rock cut. It is indefinite from the old postcard what exactly is the 'profile' at the rock cut, but a couple examples were seen on my own visit. It also seems probable, after photo and image comparisons, some small portion of the rock mass may have changed over the years. And on the way home, a visit to the final resting place of John Smith the Hermit who made his home in a nearby rock shelter cave on Hermit Mountain. Toby, his favorite cat, is buried just to the rear of John.