Walking with Friends

The trails at Norwell's Norris Reservation are wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

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While attending a memorial service for a friend in August, it occurred to me how walking together – and the conversation that usually takes place while we’re on foot and side by side – tends to enhance relationships. It might be two friends, or it might be romantic partners, or it might be some other configuration, via family or work. But especially when these walks become a regular happening, when they provide a weekly (or monthly or quarterly . . . ) time to check in with one another, the two people involved not only grow closer to each other, but also gain valuable insight into their own selves.

One of the eulogists for my friend related a story along those lines. She and our mutual friend had gotten to know each other when their children were infants -- new mothers pushing their strollers together around town. In later years, they would meet for walks in the woods, or on the beach, and their “walkies” (spoken in a British accent) became a steady and reliable way to keep in touch, and help one another remain grounded as they navigated the various channels through which their lives led them. I was touched by the story, and – since I too have been fortunate to develop a number of friendships by walking together -- it got me wondering if this is universal theme.

I suspect that it has something to do with one’s mind being dually occupied. Walking requires a certain amount of energy. The conversation often fuels the steps, but at the same time, the steps fuel the conversation. It’s different from sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee together. Perhaps it’s because we’re not looking at each other – instead we’re watching where we are going. There is a sense of freedom – to let the mind wander, to try out new ideas, perhaps saying them aloud for the first time. Some of my most memorable -- and revelatory -- conversations have taken place on foot.

Autumn is probably my favorite time for walking. It’s neither too hot nor too cold. It’s neither muddy nor buggy. And the fields and forests tend to be really pretty – at least around here, as the leaves and grasses turn color and begin to fall.

The list that follows includes some of my favorite places to walk with a friend. These spots feature trails that are – at least some of the time – wide enough for two (conversation can become awkward when there is a leader and a follower). And they are large enough that one can take a decent, hour-long walk without retracing one’s steps. All feature beautiful landscapes as well. Pavement – while often convenient -- has a distinctly different feel from sand or grass or the forest floor.

Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary - Winslow Cemetery Road, Marshfield. Fields, forests, boardwalks through a red maple swamp, plus the Green Harbor River. Managed by Mass Audubon.

Norris Reservation - Dover Street, Norwell. Numerous views of the North River and Second Herring Brook, with both cart paths and woodland trails. Managed by The Trustees of Reservations.

Nelson Memorial Forest/Phillips Farm Preserve - Union Street, Marshfield. Wide logging trails and narrower paths through forest with views of the salt marsh and the North River. Managed by New England Forestry Foundation and Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts.

North Hill Marsh, Duxbury – Mayflower Street, Duxbury. Woodlands, wetlands and varying types of trails around bogs and a large, bird-friendly pond. Managed by Mass Audubon.

Willow Brook Farm Preserve – 99 Barker Street, Pembroke. A former farm, now mostly wooded, with boardwalks and also a meadow trail. Managed by and Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts.

Luddams Ford/Indian Head River trails - Elm Street, Hanover. Follow the trail along a former railroad bed up one side of the Indian Head River. Take short detours toward the water for spectacular views. Managed by the Town of Hanover.

Whitney and Thayer Woods – Howes Lane, Cohasset. A huge network of cart paths and wooded trails, featuring glacial erratics (huge boulders) and some truly impressive rhododendrons. Managed by The Trustees of Reservations.

World’s End – Martin’s Lane, Hingham. This place has almost everything. Views of the ocean, the marsh, and Boston. Trails through the woods and across fields and along the shore. Wide trails, narrow trails, cart paths. Managed by The Trustees of Reservations.

Humarock/Rexhame Beach – Scituate and Marshfield. Many local beaches, due to geography, tidal restraints, or property lines, don’t permit much of a walk. But whether you enter from Humarock, near Fourth Cliff, or Marshfield, via Rexhame Beach, you will be able to cover a lot of ground.

Green Harbor/Duxbury Beach – Marshfield and Duxbury. High tide will impede your progress from Green Harbor, and without a sticker you will have to park at the inland side of the Powder Point Bridge, but if you time it right, you can walk for miles on what is probably the area’s most beautiful beach.

by Kezia Bacon

August 2014 
 

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

Watershed Walking Places

A bench overlooks the North River at the Packet Landing at Nelson Forest in Marshfield.

For three years now, I have been working in one capacity or another for the benefit of the North River and its watershed. People are often surprised to find out that even though my job involves preserving and protecting the river, it is a rare workday when I can actually get anywhere near the water. Most days I sit in front of a computer, writing press releases, article and newsletters, and doing the ret of the commonplace things one would expect to do in an office job.

Week after week spent answering the telephone, making photocopies and maintaining databases, it is easy for me to lose sight of the purpose behind my work. A few months ago I found myself slumped at my desk, struggling to meet yet another in a series of unrelenting deadlines, questioning why on earth I ever chose this kind of work. I was bored, uninspired. When five o'clock arrived, I walked out to my car with the intent of driving home and doing some serious "is this really what I want to be doing with my life?" soul searching.

I was so stressed out, I didn't even want to attempt the highway. I opted for the scenic route, and began winding my way home through the back roads of Norwell and North Marshfield. It was mid-spring, warm enough for a light jacket, and as I drove up the hill on Highland Street, I remembered that Nelson Forest offered some great public walking trails. Walking in the woods has always helped to unclutter my mind, so I stopped.

I headed down the trail, and as soon as I reached the woods, I knew I had made the right choice. How long had it been since I'd spent any time outside? I had forgotten how good the forest smells, how quiet it can be, how there's so much to observe there. I began walking downhill, choosing the path that led to the site of an old Packet Landing on the North River. Through the trees I caught a glimpse of the marsh, and then the river itself. I increased my pace until I was running; down the path, around the corner, and there I was there. At the river.

There was a bench, so I sat down and took a few minutes to look around. The sun was setting in the blue sky, the marsh was just beginning to show signs of green, the river was flowing with the tide out to sea. Watching the water, I felt more at peace than I had in months.

In a flash, it all made sense to me. I had forgotten why I do the work I do. It's not because I really enjoy working on the computer or talking on the telephone or planning fund-raisers -- the work itself is not the issue. It's the rivers, the watershed. I chose this line of work because I care about the watershed, because the river feels like home to me, because I want to give back to the community that has helped to shape the person I am today.

Now that it's summer, I spend time on or near the water as much as possible. I walk in the woods, I go kayaking, and sometimes I just sit on a rock beside the river and observe. And even though it keeps me inside for most of the day, even though my workload is the same as always, I really enjoy my job. All it took was a simple walk in the woods to change my perspective.

There are a number of great walking places on the South Shore. A few recommendations:

• Nelson Memorial Forest: 130 acres off Highland Street in North Marshfield, managed by the New England Forestry Foundation.

• The Norris Reservation: 117 acres off Dover Street in Norwell, managed by the Trustees of Reservations.

• The Tucker Preserve: 79 acres off West Elm Street in Pembroke, managed by the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts.

• Stetson Meadows: 144 acres of conservation land off Stetson Shrine Lane in Norwell.

• Driftway Conservation Area: 40 acres off the Driftway in Scituate.

• Corn Hill Woodland: 123 acres of conservation land off Union Street in North Marshfield.

Next time you're feeling stressed out -- or just in need of some fresh air -- visit one of these places and take a walk in the woods. You'll be glad you did.

by Kezia Bacon
August 1996