Lost in the Woods

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A view of the Indian Head River from the Hanover side.

 We had been walking in the forest for more than an hour. We were still on a trail, but it did not seem to be headed in the right direction . . . or in any particular direction. A few times we’d had to retrace our steps: either the trail would end in a No Trespassing sign, or in someone’s back yard, or it would disappear entirely. We were lost in the woods.

Not that we were entirely lost! We had followed a very clear path up one side of the Indian Head River in Hanover. We had crossed the river at State Street in Hanson, and followed a trail back into the woods in Pembroke, with the intention of finding our way into the Wildlands Trusts’s Tucker Preserve, which wasn’t all that far downstream. But we never found it. So we sort-of knew where we were, but not really.

This was a familiar predicament. I’d walked the inviting, scenic trails along the Indian Head River before. At least once, I’d found my way back to the parking area on West Elm Street, via the 78-acre Tucker Preserve. But once or maybe twice before, I’d been similarly lost: on a trail, but not the right trail.

The landmarks were familiar – I’d been there before. But I couldn’t be sure if they were the right kind of familiar. Just because we recognize something doesn’t mean it’s what we’re looking for.

I went away recently for a long weekend: a yoga retreat at Kripalu, in the Berkshires. I spent my afternoons on the hiking trails in the mountains behind the retreat center. I’d been given a map when I arrived. It included not only the mileage of various trails, but also the level of difficulty and an estimation of the time required to complete each hike. Map in pocket, I was far from lost.

Looking out on Monks Pond.

 The first day, I chose the trail to Monks Pond. It was a steady uphill climb, and rather muddy. I really had to pay attention, so I wouldn’t slip. One of my objectives for my time away was to gain some perspective. What would I like to achieve, going forward, and what would I need to change, in order to get there? The muddy uphill path seemed like an apt metaphor. I tend to choose the more challenging routes. I make things harder for myself than they need to be. And thus over time, certain kinds of suffering become familiar. It’s like being on that trail that leads to nowhere: it’s not the right trail, but it’s familiar, so it takes me a while to figure out that I need to find a different route.

Standing in a stream, attempting to clean the mud off my boots.

Back to the Indian Head River. So we were lost in the woods. We had at least two options. One was to attempt to retrace our steps, and hope to find the trail we’d missed before. At worst, we could cross the river again at State Street and go back the way we came. Another option was to consult our smart phones. I’d been meaning to download a trail GPS app, but I hadn’t yet. However I did have several, more general, street mapping apps. Quickly we determined that while we were nowhere near the Tucker Preserve, we were quite close to houses and roads. We chose a back yard and very quickly passed through it, to the street. It wasn’t quite so pleasant, walking at the roadside instead of in the forest, but at least we knew where we were going. And twenty minutes later, we were back to our cars. I have since downloaded a map.

On the South Shore, we can get lost in the woods, but how lost are we really? We don’t have any wilderness here. Even our largest conservation parcels aren’t all that big. We follow a trail, and even if we lose your way, we eventually come upon  a house or a road. As soon as we find civilization, we can find our way back home.

I’ll be heading back to the Indian Head River soon. Now that I’ve been lost there at least twice, I am determined to get my bearings and learn the layout of the intersecting conservation properties that line its banks. Next time I’ll start on the Pembroke side, though, and walk from the fish ladder, into the woods where I know there’s a plainly-marked trailhead for the Tucker Preserve. Also next time, I’ll be sure to bring my map.

 by Kezia Bacon

April 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

New Ideas for Fall Walks

We are fortunate to have so many different conservation areas here on the South Shore. Thanks to the good work of the Trustees of Reservations and the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts, the amount of open space in our region that is accessible to the public continues to grow.

All fall approaches and the weather becomes cooler, I find myself drawn to taking walks in the late afternoon. Judging from the “crowds” (if you can call them that) I encounter at Marshfield’s Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Kingston/Duxbury’s Bay Farm, and Norwell’s Norris Reservation, I am not alone.

But this season, rather than visit my old favorites (as much as I love them), I’d like to try some new walks. Recently I consulted Jessica Schultz, the Director of Stewardship at the Wildlands Trust, for recommendations on some new places to visit. Maybe I’ll see you there this fall!

Tucker Preserve, Pembroke: Sidney and Harold Tucker donated this 78.6-acre property to the Wildlands Trust in 1993. You can access it via the Indian Head River Conservation Area, at the fish ladder in Pembroke. From West Elm Street, walk from the parking area along the south side of the river and into the woods. Once you reach the footbridge that crosses over a stream, you have entered the Tucker Preserve. The property extends from there along the river, as far as the island. There is a loop trail with a couple of spur routes. Beyond that is private property, so mind the No Trespassing signs. (1 hour)

Striar Conservancy, Halifax: This 164-acre preserve along the Winnetuxet
River was donated to the Wildlands Trust in 1999 and 2000 by Steven and Brian Striar and Soozen Tribuna, and purchased in 2001 with help from L. Knife and Son, Inc. and the Sheehan Family Foundation. Access is off of Route 105, also known as Thompson Street, about 2 miles south of Route 106. There is a parking area at the trailhead. The trail meanders along the river corridor to a former millpond and a field beyond. Trail maps are available on site. (1 hour)

At the Striar Conservancy in Halifax.

Halfway Pond Conservation Area, Plymouth: This 409.6 acre area is comprised of numerous smaller land donations and purchases over the last 20+ years. Access is available at several locations, but the primary trailhead parking area is on Mast Road, about 2 miles south of Long Pond Road. Trail maps are available on site. There are many trails throughout the property, and visitors can also paddle kayaks or canoes on the pond, or simply walk the road along the shore. Unlike many ponds in the Plymouth area, Halfway only has a handful of homes on its shoreline, so it feels wild and remote. This area abuts Myles Standish State Forest, with additional hiking opportunities. (2 hours)

Phillips Farm Preserve, Marshfield: This 40-acre property was purchased through the generosity of multiple donors in 1999. Together with the Town of Marshfield’s Union Street Woodland and Corn Hill Woodland, and the New England Forestry Foundation’s Nelson Memorial Forest, all adjacent or within walking distance, it forms a giant open space parcel that could keep you occupied all day. The network of trails that links the separate properties leads you to numerous views of salt marshes and the North River, through hemlock, beech and pine groves, and so much more. The Phillips Farm preserve is accessible from Highland Street, or you can park in any of the adjacent properties’ parking areas – two on Union Street, and one more on Highland.

A terrific resource for more information on walking places and other open space areas on the South Shore is the Wildlands Trust’s publication “Lands in Trust.” You can contact the Wildlands Trust at 781-934-9018 or visit www.wildlandstrust.org

By Kezia Bacon-Bernstein, Correspondent
August 2005

Kezia Bacon-Bernstein'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.