Up to Stevens Cabin

		June 11 '12 Walpole VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

1448hr  Derry Hill Rd Walpole   20 deg. C  Elev. 229m
I hiked up to Stevens cabin with Evvy this afternoon.  I was curious to see how the old cabin fared in the recent storm. There were sections of  trail up to the cabin that had been completely washed of sticks, and pine needles.  But there was no serious erosion anywhere. Long extinct beaver ponds were swollen, and bullfrogs hollered the familiar “gar-rump”. The cabin itself was just as solid as could be. No damage whatsoever.  I took the liberty of sweeping inside the cabin. I thought John Stevens might have appreciated it, though he’s been gone for years now. Evvy was quite certain she had found some mice under the bunk bed. The mice or chipmunks were safely holed up within the enclosed bed frame..
I continued to look for evidence of white tail deer Odocoileus virginianus, because I feel strongly the population in the immediate area has declined steadily the last ten years. I found one set of deer tracks but that was it.
I found a pile of leaf litter, and pine needles heaped up, and concluded a Bobcat had been by.  Nearby scat confirmed this.   Perhaps the area is a Bobcat litter box, where he returns to.  I will plan to set up a camera there in hopes of catching the hard evidence. I have one camera set up near the edge of a recently created hay field.  Last year, I watched as hunter after hunter lay in wait there.  Several deer were taken in that field alone.

After the storm

Fay Falls lower pool

Flash floods hit New Hampshire last week.  Many roads, including the road I live on, were washed away and impassable.  The soil is beyond saturated. In fact the slope behind my house now reveals its granite foundation.  The water continues to stream down, from all over.

I went to Fay Falls in Walpole yesterday out of curiosity.  Ordinarily the lower falls is a peaceful spot, where you can watch native brook trout Salvenis fontinalis.  Now all around the upper and lower pools, the devastation can be seen.  Long, wide wash areas with virtual no top soil, reveal boulders and smaller rocks.

The upper pool with its falls, is nearly 4' deep in the middle.  I have seen several trout individuals here, but the water is churning so that it was difficult to see any fish.  This photo doesn't do the scene justice.  Trees hang down across the falls, and newly exposed rocks around the pool, make walking very difficult.








I observed copious downed "green" branches.  Several live trees like this Quaking aspen Populus tremeloides.  Notice the blackened leaves believed to be black leaf fungus.

Here is a White pine Pinus strobus bough with new flowers.  Both trees are typical upland species. 

New fungi are everywhere, and Hen of the Woods Polyporus sulfureus is a wonderful edible.  I have found some, but they had already been ravaged by slugs.   This fungus is a form of Ganoderma applanatum, a.k.a. Artist's Conk.  They are called Artist's Conk because the underside can be drawn upon using a stylus or other drawing implement. This years fungi promises to be a "bumper crop".

I found this lush patch of vines spread across the ground.  Several faint blue flowers emerged from the mat. 

Unidentified vine with light blue flower clusters

Last but not least, my dog Evvy wallowing in new pools.  She was in her glory running from pool to pool, laying in the water, occasionally dipping her head beneath the water.