Rattlesnakes in the Blue Hills!

A view from the Skyline Trail in Blue Hills Reservation.

It was a bright afternoon in May. I was hiking up a steep trail near the crest of Buck Hill in Milton, noticing about how warm the rock ledge at my feet felt, having absorbed the heat of the sun all day, and musing on how nice it would be to lie down upon it. And then I remembered that snakes like to stretch themselves out over warm rocks too . . . And that I had read something recently about rattlesnakes in the Blue Hills. . . And that maybe I should watch my step.

Given the fact that there were probably a hundred other hikers on the trail to Buck Hill that day, there wasn’t any cause for concern. Snakes don’t gravitate toward well-trafficked areas. But it got me thinking that I should educate myself more thoroughly on the matter. To put it mildly, I’m not fond of snakes. It would be better to know what to expect than to ruin a hike by imagining them lurking around every corner!

We typically associate rattlesnakes with the desert, and do not expect to encounter them close to home. However about 200 timber rattlesnakes currently reside in Massachusetts. Most often they inhabit wooded mountainous areas with steep rocky ledges and ample populations of rodents . . . although they are sometimes found in fields and wetlands too. Populations in our state are concentrated in the Berkshires, the Connecticut River Valley and the Blue Hills. Nationwide, they make their home throughout much of the eastern US, as far west as central Texas in the south, and to Wisconsin in the north. While they are abundant in the southern Appalachians, here in the northeast, populations are quite small.

The timber rattlesnake hibernates for the colder half of the year, but becomes active in Massachusetts around the middle of April. After emerging from the underground crevices in which is spends the winter, it makes its way onto rock ledges where it can bask in the sun to keep warm. (Like many snakes, the timber rattler is ectothermic, meaning it cannot regulate its own body temperature.) In the spring, activity is minimal, although some mating does occur. After mating, the snakes move away from the den -- males to dense forest, where the hunting is good; females to fields and less-dense forest, where temperatures are warmer. Baby snakes are born alive after about 4-5 months. They all return to the den in September or October, depending on the weather. The average life span for a timber rattlesnake is 10-15 years.

A brown Timber Rattlesnake. (Photo credit Anne Stengle/Mass Wildlife)

 The standard description of a timber rattlesnake includes the phrase “pit viper,” which sends chills up my spine. If you’re imagining a teeming pit of angry, venomous snakes (as I first did), please take my hand and we’ll back away from that erroneous image together. A timber rattlesnake is large – three to five feet in adulthood, 8-16 inches a birth, with a broad triangular head and rough-looking scales. It can range in color from black or brown to rust or dark yellow. The underside is light in color, sometimes with dark flecks. It has bands across its back and sides, but none on its head or face. Its tail is solid black, with a rattling structure at its end that grows with each successive shedding of skin, but is sometimes lost in that same process. The term “pit viper” refers to the pits on either side of its head – super-sensitive nerve endings that can detect radiant heat.

Timber rattlesnakes don’t eat people. Not even small ones! They prefer mice, chipmunks and other warm-blooded rodents, plus sometimes birds, bugs and amphibians. They hunt by day in the spring and fall, but become nocturnal in the summer, when their prey becomes more active at night. Here the sensory pits are especially useful – they help the snake to detect warm-blooded prey in the dark. Timber rattlesnakes see pretty well, especially when an object is moving, but they can also track prey via its scent, or by sensing vibrations in the ground.

A timber rattlesnake has two large fangs at he front of its mouth, plus a number of smaller teeth along its jaw. The fangs, which fold back onto the roof of the snake’s mouth and are covered by a sheath when the jaw is closed, are conduits for venom. Hunting consists primarily of lying motionless – watching and waiting -- with intervals of prowling. Attacking prey comes first. Injecting venom, the volume of which the snake can control, is a secondary measure.

When it comes to humans, a timber rattlesnake will strike and bite only as a last resort. When disturbed or threatened, it will rattle its tail, which should be enough to send most people packing. The timber rattlesnake prefers to be left alone, and will back away from a human if possible. It will probably fight back if touched, though. It’s helpful to know that the last reported fatality from a timber rattlesnake bite in Massachusetts was in 1791.

Due to declining populations, the timber rattlesnake is now an Endangered Species in Massachusetts. Its habitat has been diminished over the years, and a lot of lives have been lost through ill-fated road crossings. Just as much of a threat, however, is hunting. Whether it’s snake collectors, or people who come upon a snake and kill it out of fear, timber rattlesnake numbers have been greatly reduced in the past 25 years.

You may have heard recent news reports about a statewide effort to protect timber rattlesnakes. They would be captured in the wild as newborns, raised in captivity (at the Roger Williams Zoo) and then released to their birth area when they are old enough to fend for themselves. (This would amount to no more than ten snakes released per year.) Nothing controversial, until the release plan changed and there was talk about designating Mt. Zion, a 1400-acre island in the Quabbin Reservoir without human access, as their new home. “Rattlesnake Island” sounds like a horror movie, so there was a fair amount of public outcry. The issue remains undecided.

Sources:

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/natural-heritage/species-information-and-conservation/rare-reptiles-and-amphibians/endangered-rattlesnake-conservation.html

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/05/rattlesnake_island_how_many_ra.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/massachusetts-plans-venomous-rattlesnake-colony-on-island/

by Kezia Bacon

April 2016 
 

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

The Skyline Trail at Blue Hills

-->

Heading down a steep decline on the way up the Skyline Trail.

Here on the South Shore, we have plenty of walking places – the beaches, the woods, numerous trails around ponds and through meadows. But what we lack is places to hike. Living at sea level, there just isn’t much for those of us who wish to go vertical.

Well, . . . except for the Blue Hills! It’s so easy to forget that over 7,000 acres of open space lie just to the north of us. The Blue Hills Reservation, based in Milton, is home to 125 miles of walking and hiking trails. Many of them pass through forests and around ponds, but quite a few also lead up and down steep, rocky hills. The views from the top are spectacular.

Managed by the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the Blue Hills Reservation is open to the public every day from dawn to dusk. In season, it offers camping, fishing, skiing (cross country and downhill), swimming, non-motorized boating, and even golf. There are trails for mountain bikers and horseback riders, spots for picnicking and rock climbing, and an annual controlled and permitted deer hunt. Great Blue, the tallest of the 22 hills in the area, extends to an elevation of 635 feet.

The reservation extends from Milton and Quincy to Randolph and Dedham. The park itself has been open to the public since 1893, but long before that, the lands were home to the Massachusett, a Native tribe who referred to themselves as “people of the great hills.” When Europeans began arriving on our shores, they observed the hills from a distance and named them for their bluish color. You can view archaeological evidence of both Native and Colonial settlements within the reservation, and also visit the Blue Hills Weather Observatory, a National Historic Landmark.

People tell me all the time that the Blue Hills is on their list of Places To Visit . . . but they never seem to make it there. Perhaps it has something to do with proximity: it’s almost too close to plan a day trip around it, but too far away to stop by on a lark. Plus, there are so many trails to consider – where would you start? However I think that once you’ve been there, and you see how accessible the place actually is, those barriers aren’t so daunting.

I’d actually been hiking in the Blue Hills a few times before – maybe three times over the course of 25 years -- but I still felt like I had a mental block against it. So I decided to plan a group outing there. With friends invited along, there would be no backing out because it suddenly became inconvenient to drive up to Milton on a Saturday afternoon.

We began our hike at 1pm. It was mid-November, and even though the trail guide indicated that it should take us about 2 hours to complete the course, we had lots of little legs with us (7 children ages 5 to 9, plus one yellow lab) and were concerned about getting back before the 4:30 sunset.

Departing from the Houghton’s Pond parking area, we followed a footpath along the side of Hillside Street to the Reservation Headquarters. We found a trailhead just behind the headquarters building, and following the directions I obtained from the excellent Friends of Blue Hills website, within a minute we made a right turn onto the Skyline Trail.

Our plan was to follow the Skyline Trail up to Eliot Tower and then down again. I find, when hiking with children, it’s helpful to have “something” to see at the top. Following the blue blazes, we immediately began to climb uphill, over rocks and through some steep passages. Before long, we were at the crest of Hancock Hill, enjoying the first of many great views of the Greater Boston area.

The Skyline Trail led us up and down wooded hills, over terrain that was more rugged than what you’d typically find on the South Shore, but not especially difficult. Because of the fallen leaves on the trail, there were a few times when I opted to scoot down steep declines on my behind, rather than risk slipping on the smooth rock surfaces. The boys and girls in our group seemed energized by the challenges of scrambling up and over each obstacle we encountered. Every so often, we’d crest a hill and find another, different view of the city. Eventually we reached the turn-off for Eliot Tower.

Most of the trails in the Blue Hills Reservation are clearly marked, not only with blazes of various colors, but also with wooden signs, the names clearly spelled out. You can download a map via the DCR website, or purchase one at the headquarters or at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. I downloaded a PDF of the map, but finding the print to be small, I brought the file to a local copy shop and had it enlarged and printed in color. Another option is to download the (free) 16-page color “Discover the Blue Hills” booklet from the Friends of the Blue Hills.

Eliot Tower was constructed in the 1940s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Originally envisioned as a rest area of sorts for hikers, the rough stone tower and its adjoining shelter once featured a large stone fireplace, terraces with inviting views, picnic tables and benches, and restrooms. Much of this still remains, but only in a generally “rustic” sense. The restrooms are boarded up, and the doors have been removed from the shelter, so the wind blows through. However the views – especially from the top of the tower – are inspiring, and the tables and benches offer a welcome place to sit and rest.

The author an her son on the Skyline Trail.

After pausing for a snack at one of the picnic tables, our group began its descent. Again, using the directions from Friends of the Blue Hills, we turned at Marker 1066 and followed the blue blazes all the way back down to Hillside Street. It was a different trail going downhill, with plenty more rocks to scramble over. We were back to our cars by 3:30pm. Overall, it was a very pleasant way to spend an autumn afternoon. We will definitely be going back.

For general info about the Blue Hills Reservation,, including driving directions, visit the DCR’s page on Blue Hills: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-south/blue-hills-reservation.html

For more detailed trail and event info, visit Friends of the Blue Hills: http://friendsofthebluehills.org/

by Kezia Bacon

November 2015

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 19 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Blue Hills Reservation

The author at Blue Hills Reservation.

For years I’ve been aware of the Blue Hill Reservation, which spans parts of Quincy, Braintree, Milton, Randolph, Canton and Dedham. I’ve written about the Blue Hills Ski Area, but not the reservation itself. Truth is, I’m just beginning to get to know the place. And although I walked sections of it with friends two decades ago, it really hasn’t been on my radar. Until now.

This summer I signed up for a Meet Up group called the Blue Hills Hiking Club. Meet Up is a website devoted to helping like-minded people make connections. So for example, if you like to kayak but don’t want to go alone and have trouble finding friends whose schedules match up with yours, you can join a local kayaking group, and “meet up” with others in the group at designated times/places.

When I stumbled upon it, the Blue Hills Hiking Club sounded like a great idea – an opportunity to explore the Blue Hills with people who already knew their way around. Plus the club offered events nearly every day – hikes on various trails, with differing levels of ability. It took some time, but I finally found one that fit into my schedule.

So on a Sunday at the end of September, I headed up to Milton for the “Easy to Moderate Yellow Triangle Loop,” a hike that would take us up and around Great Blue Hill, and show us the way to the summit (an extension of the hike that we would save for another day).

Pulling off Route 93 onto Blue Hill River Road gave me a “not in Kansas anymore” feeling. One minute I’m on the highway, and the next I’m driving up a road lined with trees and picnic areas. Turning right into the heart of the reservation, I saw trailheads and wooded hills that reminded me of the national parks out west.

Blue Hills Reservation is huge – a 7,000 acre oasis in the middle of an otherwise bustling urban environment. And it’s varied – there are two large ponds (Houghton’s and Ponkapoag); rivers, swamps and bogs; 16 historic structures; and a total of 22 hills. A vast network of trails provides access to nearly every acre. The most popular feature is Great Blue Hill, which stands 635 feet tall and offers an expansive view of the Boston metropolitan area. Plus there is a museum and a weather observatory, both of which I will profile in future columns.

The park dates back to 1893, when the Metropolitan Parks Commission set the land aside for public recreation. These days the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) oversees it. Over the years it’s become a popular destination for those seeking a variety of recreational pursuits. Blue Hills offers easy flat trails, as well a steep rocky ones. Some are open to mountain bikes and horseback riders. Houghton’s Pond welcomes swimmers and anglers, and features a snack pavilion. Ponkapoag Pond offers a canoe launch plus rustic cabins for camping. The adjacent Quincy Quarries Reservation, managed by Boston’s Metropolitian District Commission, is open to rock climbers. And of course the downhill ski area is a seasonal favorite.

The hike I attended in September served as an excellent introduction to the reservation itself. We started from the trailhead behind the park headquarters (next to the Milton State Police barracks) and headed up a wide and sometimes rocky road. By “up” I mean “uphill.” It was much steeper than the average walk one enjoys on the South Shore, and I relished the challenge.

From there we turned onto a loop marked by yellow triangles, which went all the way around Great Blue Hill. I was grateful to be with a group, as there were numerous intersections on the 4-mile circuit. The DCR’s map describes the route as “rocky, rugged and hilly,” and indeed it was. I can see why runners and hikers who are preparing for mountain events do some of their training at Blue Hills.

Our hike lasted just under two hours. The 20-or-so attendants, ranging in age from late-20s to mid-60s, formed a loose pack, with a leader at the front and a “sweep” at the back to ensure that no one got lost. We stopped at major intersections for questions and quick breathers, but mostly kept moving at a steady pace. I will definitely be going back for more.

With 125 miles of trails in the Blue Hills Reservation, there is something for everyone. Maps are available online (see below) and also are for sale at the park headquarters. Trails marked with a green dot are gentler woodland loops. Red dots signify the rocky, rugged, more challenging terrain. Yellow dots mark the shorter loop trails.

Follow this link for more information on, and a map of, the Blue Hills Reservation.

(http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-south/blue-hills-reservation.html)

by Kezia Bacon

September 2013

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 15 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com