Recon

Ah - reconnaissance. What can be said about the word that has lent so much to the world of caves and caving. Perhaps in a not so literal sense one could use the word as a search through history as well.

On one cold December day it took me out to a region near the base of the Taconics. And back in time as well, as around twenty five years have elapsed since my last 'reconnaissance' of this area. A cave was found here those many years ago by a couple caving associates and I was lucky enough to visit it with one of them. But the passing of time has brought a new generation of cavers along and one was interested in the site so out I went to try and relocate the cave.

Time has also changed the area significantly as large houses and large developments have encroached upon the old woodlands. A thorough search by myself failed to located the cave, and coordinates from the earlier era, may prove that it was covered - or destroyed - in the process of construction.

However, it has been found that coordinates from long ago are not always right on the mark so the cave may still be hiding out there. A second trip was planned soon after digesting all that came from the reconnaissance trip, but it seems winter may now delay things until spring once again returns.

For geo aficionados, it is an area laying in the C unit of Stockbridge Marble, which not far away, contains (at least partially) the renown Massachusetts cave Great Radium Springs. So although the cave that was sought is not significant in the speleological sense, it would be disappointing to lose. Either it's existence or location.

A resurgence in the Stockbridge Marble

Of granodiorite and conglomerates

Glacial erratics in the Williamsburg woods

A two stop visit. The first took me to the land of Williamsburg Granodiorite and schists intermingled with quartz and occasional bits of pegmatite. This was a geology hike and field trip put on by the Williamsburg Woodland Trails

A lot covered glacial geology (kame terraces amongst the features seen) but a healthy amount of those schists, with quartz, along with granodiorite was to be found. According to local bedrock geo maps, some marble is around but not in this immediate vicinity. Unfortunately, our hike fell upon the extreme northwest sections of the Easthampton Quadrangle and, to the best of my knowledge, no bedrock geology map was ever produced for this quad. Normally there would have been some fine views (indeed - the name of the trail is "Big View") but VERY gray, overcast, and drizzly conditions were the order of the day.

Finishing up, I continued over to the Connecticut Valley if only for a brief trip to work on my old project involving antique photography of rocky formations. Two more old stereoviews came into my possession and it was my goal to set up "Then & Now" views. With that accomplished, a leisurely bit of time was spent looking into fallen blocks of conglomerate rock that had formed a small cave. Probably that mentioned by famed geologist Hitchcock and probably the 'lost' Wild Cat Den.

South of the Border

The traditional November Connecticut visit! In recent years, I've been able to slip in a little 'work' while making my way down to my eventual destination in the Waterbury area. On this occasion, a stop in the southern Berkshires. I had just enough time to make a quick dash into the woods to look over a giant erratic recently brought to my attention by two local historians. And good Lord was it ever big! A quick pace proved it to be probably over 80 feet in diameter. My estimate was seventeen to eighteen feet high. I cannot recall any other freestanding boulder in the Berkshires of this and it may sneak its way into the Top Ten biggest in Massachusetts.

Continuing my way on into Connecticut, I eventually looked up a number of other erratics lying about Cheshire and Wallingford. These probably torn from the Hanging Hills of Meriden eons ago. A stop at the restored lock of the old Farmington Canal was included.

Erratic at Wallingford

The second day included a look at a rock that was cut through as part of a trolley route that descended Southington Mountain into Marion by way of Merriman's Curve and a former bridge over the rock cut on Route 322.

The old trolley route heading down towards Marion

The Lost Cow

Sinkhole entrance to the Cave of the Dead (Lost) Cow

On a very cool and crisp autumn morning, a chance to bring things full circle after 45 - or so years. Joining eight other cavers, we were off to relocate the (somewhat) lost Cave of the Dead Cow. This is something my Father and I had sought out during the latter half of the 1960's.

Coordinates left to us from the 1980's got us to the general area. At least a couple more hours were devoted by the group to finally locating the modest sized sinkhole entrance. Once finally explored, it was discovered the discontented cow that fell in circa 1938 (or its remains) had now vanished since the 1983 exploration.

On the return - several other karst features were looked over including a resurgence, and two caves: Privacy and Crapper Caves.

Seeking the Balance...

Some of the gang at Balance Rock

A perfect day for a perfect hike! Joining Williamsburg Woodland Trails, and over thirty other hikers, an ascent was made to The Balance Rock - another old favorite of mine. Then along the ridge, with one view down the Valley into Amherst, before descending to - and returning - via an old discontinued back road.

The Last Hurrah...

...as far as this year's vacation schedule goes. The site was my traditional Essex County adventure. Landing in Peabody on the first day a more extensive exploration was made on one on three glacial moraine sites I've come across in recent years. This extended exploration yielded many perched/balanced erratics and probably a half dozen old quarry pits. The day was finished visiting the M S Foley Stoneworks where fine sculptured artwork in stone can be seen - and bought.

Perched boulder on the Peabody moraine

Day two saw me complete what I considered the primary mission of the trip: circumnavigating the peninsula of Marblehead Neck. Along the way, an island was visited to check into a possible cave sighted from shore last year. No go on this one. However, a small eroded formation was seen nearby whose 'cave effect' was enhanced by a small rock plopped into its upper reaches. The trip took me around the lighthouse at Chandler-Hovey Park and south along the east side of the Neck. I was especially on the lookout for an old Victorian Age attraction known as The Churn. Basically it looked to be an eroded dike chasm from all the images I have seen. Nothing I saw really struck me as being that site. However upon my return and, subsequent viewing of aerial imagery, I did confirm that a narrow dike chasm I saw was indeed the Churn. The south side of the Neck provided an excellent outcrop with two more dikes, one being partially eroded away. I finished up my visit to that section of Essex County going up to Salem Neck where a small seaside cave formation had been located the previous year. Although it appears to be formed in a number of boulders, the boulders (at least some) seem to come from the very same section of bedrock.

The Churn @ Marblehead Neck. Circa 1870s

My third day saw me returning to place that has been left aside for quite awhile: Dogtown. I had come across a story mentioning a 'deathmatch' between a young lady and a band of pirates back in the early days of Cape Ann. The story says she killed - or mortally wounded - the pirates and they were buried under a boulder at Dogtown. I located the alleged site, explored a bit at another site around Tent Rock, then moved on to another section of Dogtown. This took me into one of the rockiest sections of DT where the woods are nearly completely floored with deposits of glacial boulders. One of outstanding size was located before picking my way through the boulder field and returning via a designated hiking trail.

Tent Rock @ Dogtown

When it came to my last two days I had to make a decision as to more time on the water (not the most ideal conditions) or to put in more time hiking, which I was greatly enjoying at this time. Also, being my last visit to the area this year, I wished to spend some time at favorite spots that had not seen for some time. But I started the days adventures returning to the site of the pirate deathmatch, accessing it from a different direction. Along the way I came across another marvelous boulder with carving that indicated it was a boundary marker between the Towns of Rockport and Gloucester.

Finishing up at the deathmatch scene, I moved on and explored a trail that had caught my attention out in West Gloucester. It led to a possible quarrying site (something rare for this part of town) and a splendid perched boulder that sat with either end on two rocks below. The rest of the day was indeed spent at two favorites in Rafes Chasm and the old Stage Fort Park.

My fond farewell (for this year anyway) to Cape Ann was up to Rockport with a visit to one of its Profile Rocks. Then it was time to move on to other objectives in Northern Essex County. The first was a more comprehensive examination of the Nubble Squid. The second (finishing my day) was an old mining prospect for silver. This whole area was once one of the most heavily mined areas in Massachusetts. Numerous minerals were take from the ground including the site of the earliest lime operation from the early days of our Country.

Old silver mining site

The Narragansett Bay

Landing on the west shore of the Narragansett Bay, it was my intention to kick off fours days with further water-based explorations of the rocky coastlines in the Bay. On this day I went south looking over the coast of the Bonnet, and an area just to its south. At that point I paddled across the West Passage of the Narragansett Bay to re-examine a section of Conanicut Island (Jamestown) seen in June. What I thought to be a cave previously was merely the all too typical recess and shadow in the rocks.

The second day was devoted to exploring a number of sites on the northern portion of Aquidneck Island. A stand old growth forest managed to escaped the ravages of time. Then I fulfilled a long desire to look at some of the coal history of Portsmouth, examining several shoreline sites while also looking at a couple possible future kayak put-ins. Sandwiched in there was a quick walk by a section the old Hessians Hole, part of the early Portsmouth history. Finishing the day: a long awaited trip to another historic site: Lawton Valley, once the location of early grist mills.

The Falls at Lawton Valley - circa 1870s

I returned to water and coastal explorations on the third day. This time from Jamestown itself. Leaving the Fort Wetherill area, I re-examined some sections visited last year and was pleasantly surprised by the find of a shallow sea cave. One (Pirate's Cave) has been reported in this area for many years and this is the only likely possibility I have ever come across. Then it was only to shoot across the mouth of Mackerel Cove, leaving granite behind for a more slaty Rhode Island Formation. Cruising down the coast I saw another possible cave site and visited (unfortunately at high tide) a number or rocky formations including the Bay's major sea formed cave. On my returned, I looked over the two recently discovered cave sites while capturing photos. The day was closed out by a low tide visit to a site on Aquidneck visited the previous day, revealing much more rocks including fossil bearing formations.

Sea formed cave on the Narragansett Bay

Day four saw me leaving Aquidneck Island and making my way up to the Snake Den. A multitude of old granite quarries exist here as well as the rocky ridge know as Snake Den. Some small cave formations do exist here. I attempted to work a nearby site known as Round Rocks only to find roads into the area closed - or non existent. A later aerial view search reveals the area now incorporated into a massive quarrying operation.

The rocky Snake Den