Ski Trek in the Town Forest by Dave Jourdan
It was a wonderful afternoon for a cross country ski trek. Lynn and I entered the Town Forest off theGuinea Road near Jim Steele's house, and headed along the trail, breaking new tracks in the unblemished snow. Luna scampered along beside us on her little sheltie legs, nipping at our poles with each plant. The trail was easy, with a few rolling hills and meanders to add interest to the peaceful setting. It was so quiet that we could hear the foghorn at Goat Island, 5 miles away!
As we moved deeper into the forest, tracks of many animals crossed our path or occasionally joined it, though they were clever enough to avoid an encounter with our "ferocious" little dog. Soon we found
fresh snowshoe trails that tied in to primitive stream crossings and led to adjacent lands. We followed a few side trails until our time and energy was exhausted, then enjoyed a brisk ride back on our earlier-made trail.
In an hour and a half, we only saw a fraction of one of the smaller forest holdings. There is MUCH more to explore, and we are looking forward to years of hiking and cross-country fun on the Conservation Trust lands.
Dave Jourdan (Jan 18, 2008)