Despite the fact that it is now December, there is no snow yet. Personally, I'm glad because it makes hiking a lot easier. This trail is part of the Anne Stokes loop in the Madame Sherri Forest, in Chesterfield, NH. I took Evvy over there for a few hours. When we got there we bushwacked around the first beaver pond you see at the entrance on Gulf Rd. It was relatively easy because I just followed the well worn paths created by the beavers(below).
We explored the massive granite cliffs, and boulders that form a great ravine where the beaver ponds are. I counted three ponds in all. The oldest pond was at the highest point and had several inactive beaver dens. A great dam was created at this pond. The active beaver den is now in the first pond.
I found evidence of porcupines all around the boulders, at the cliffs. I noticed that this ridge of cliffs continued far up the hill to Daniel Mtn. At the intersection of Daniel Mtn trail, I continued to the right on Anne Stokes loop. This part of the trail gets steep fast, but the climb is well worth the work. At the top are some awesome views to the south, and the later to the north. Not a soul around. I could not imagine a more peaceful moment. We continued down the narrow footpath to Indian Pond. The pond was even more tranquil. I counted four beaver dens on the pond, though several were very old and sunken. Past hikers had come to this spot and built campfires, which I disapprove of. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful place. I imagined camping out there, and wondered how many others had.
We continued down the path, and I decided to sit down for a snack while Evvy explored. She had endless energy, always moving, leaping, tracking smells. I felt ashamed I had not ventured to this place before, ever! Madame Sherri Forest is so close to where I live, there is really no excuse for not going there. I had visited the ruins many times, but never really hiked beyond that. I'm so glad I did, today. There were still green ferns, in addition to the Evergreen Ferns that stay green all winter long. The large stands of Mountain Laurel(?) were everywhere. Even if there was wildlife around, they would be completely concealed. It was magical walking through these areas. I felt like I could have stayed out there forever. My imagination wandered with abandon. Most of the hike was through hardwoods, with islands of Hemlock.
The hike down the north side of the mountain(?) was precarious with steep, loose rocks, and roots. At times, the trail was so steep, I stepped down backwards, like you would, going down a ladder. I made sure my cell phone GPS was enabled just in case I had a fall. You never know. As I get older I have to consider that I'm not as unbreakable as I am today. Don't get me wrong, I'm not frail. I'm still pretty hardy, but the thought of falling out there, alone was disconcerting. It would suck, and unfortunately Evvy isn't trained to go fetch help. She wouldn't leave me anyway. So I just made damn sure I didn't fall. I had a walking stick, which offered support.
When we reached the bottom of the hill, we popped out at the first beaver pond. This time on the travelled side. On this side there is a very active beaver den. As I got closer to it, a beaver slipped under the water. He didn't slap his tail as they usually do when sounding the alarm. I hoped I would see him pop up again, but he stayed out of sight.
Evvy and I spent some time at the castle ruins. I noticed a predominant theme in the stone work. Sets of three arches. A set of three in the "grand staircase", and also behind the house in the foundation. At the trail head there is a photo of the house before it burned down. The three arches were a part of the window arrangement as well. I wondered if the Madame were reaching for the Holy Trinity, ironic since Antoinette frequently entertained sordid parties where who knows what went on? I would have loved being a bug on the walls of the house during those years. What a hoot!
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