Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Beaver Trail


On the Norwottuck Rail Trail late this afternoon.
The weather was so cool, we decided to bike the whole 8.5 miles.

These potato trucks were loaded up and ready to go.

Once you pass the Wal-Mart plaza, the trail begins a gradual ascent for several miles.
You know your finally getting near the crest of the climb when you get to this underpass.

Shortly after there is an 'exit' to Amherst center.


From there it levels off a bit and you start to get to these beautiful wetlands.





There are a lot of beavers in this area, here is a lodge they built next to the trail.



The beavers had been burrowing underneath the trail, an activity that had undermined the pavement, which collapsed in several areas this past spring during those heavy rains. The sections have since been repaired.



There were a few bird watchers out this afternoon, some stopped to watch this Egret hunt for food a few yards away.


At the end of the trail someone had put up this sign urging people to call their local politicians and get them moving on sorely needed trail repairs.



It would be a shame if the trail fell into serious disrepair. There are few trails like it.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like your part of the state. I'm in Boston but have friends out there. Like your pics of the natural happenings out there.

Tony said...

Thanks Rhea, what a coincidence you commented, I was thinking about going east this saturday to the Cape Cod Canal trail...

Mary E.Carey said...

We were on the bike trail the same day, maybe even the same time. (I wonder if I would recognize you from your Simpsons portrait.) Once, I saw guru Tom Devine there. The trail is a magnet for bloggers. One day, no doubt, if we had an infinite amount of time, we would all cross paths at the same time.

Tony said...

Yes, that trail is like a conduit between the two bastions of local bloggerdom, Amherst and Noho. You, T. Devine, Larry Kelley, that guy from the 'Northamptonist' all are hard wired to it. I have to tap in whenver I can, which I guess is often enough.