Some pics from Leverett, Greenfield and Shelburne Falls after Hurricane Irene blew through western Mass.
Showing posts with label Leverett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leverett. Show all posts
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Downspout
We finally honored a long-promised return visit to Rattlesnake Gutter up in Leverett. It was beautiful the last time we were up there in the late winter of last year. Back then the melting snow was gushing melt water down the sides of the ravine in several narrow spontaneous waterfalls. The individual waters then united into a roaring stream in the center of the ravine and cascaded over or between massive ice-encased boulders. The large, abundant boulders were dropped in this ravine when it was a spillway for the most recent glacier, about 14000 years ago or so...
Now, after a nearly biblical 40 days and nights of rain, we were expecting similar torrents of water on this visit.
This time, we started at the top of the hill and made our way down the old Rattlesnake Gutter Road. The old road is pretty much a non-stop ascent/descent, depending on which way you look at it. It's not particularly steep, but rarely level; so it surprised us to see several bikers taking the challenge.
Near the upper end, there are tall rock walls lining one side of the gap. This is actually where the road and ravine got it's name; the locals used to hunt rattlers sunning themselves on these cliffs...
Formations like this always make me wonder what use the Native Americans might have made of them, long ago. I imagine the top of the rock face would have made an ideal vantage point to watch over this well guarded, hidden pass...
The tall rock walls begin to drop away the farther down the road you go, and the gap to the side begins to drop into a deep ravine, with massive moss and plant-covered boulders cluttered about far below.
The road is gated at both ends to prevent auto traffic, as it is narrow and in some spots the sides have washed out, down into the depths.
The water was just trickling up here near the top of the hill, and slowly strengthens the lower we descended, but never getting to the amounts I was expecting with all the rain. I guess I didn't take into account all the vegetation absorbing all the moisture, before it made it into the streams. And absorb it did. The whole gap was a downright vernal, primeval environment.
Things were uber-thick and lush, with moss blanketing almost every rock surface in healthy green plant life.
What surplus water the plant life wouldn't use, was apparently forwarded to the thirsty fungi world.
This particular tree had some impressive residents...
And on closer inspection, the residents themselves had residents.
Some kind of Rhinoceros beetle, I'm guessing... (looking in your direction for answers, bug people...)
The geological marvel that is Rattlesnake Gutter is as impressive in the summer as in the winter, but in different ways; not least of which is the heavy leaf cover...
...it's another prize for the mind and spirit, in the unspoiled forests of Leverett. After a while, even the kid was slowly pulling the ipod buds from his ears, zombie-like, and taking in a deep, awakening breath of ol' Ma Nature...
We were glad to be able to get back here for another look...
Now, maybe again in Autumn..?
Now, after a nearly biblical 40 days and nights of rain, we were expecting similar torrents of water on this visit.
This time, we started at the top of the hill and made our way down the old Rattlesnake Gutter Road. The old road is pretty much a non-stop ascent/descent, depending on which way you look at it. It's not particularly steep, but rarely level; so it surprised us to see several bikers taking the challenge.
Near the upper end, there are tall rock walls lining one side of the gap. This is actually where the road and ravine got it's name; the locals used to hunt rattlers sunning themselves on these cliffs...
Formations like this always make me wonder what use the Native Americans might have made of them, long ago. I imagine the top of the rock face would have made an ideal vantage point to watch over this well guarded, hidden pass...
The tall rock walls begin to drop away the farther down the road you go, and the gap to the side begins to drop into a deep ravine, with massive moss and plant-covered boulders cluttered about far below.
The road is gated at both ends to prevent auto traffic, as it is narrow and in some spots the sides have washed out, down into the depths.
The water was just trickling up here near the top of the hill, and slowly strengthens the lower we descended, but never getting to the amounts I was expecting with all the rain. I guess I didn't take into account all the vegetation absorbing all the moisture, before it made it into the streams. And absorb it did. The whole gap was a downright vernal, primeval environment.
Things were uber-thick and lush, with moss blanketing almost every rock surface in healthy green plant life.
What surplus water the plant life wouldn't use, was apparently forwarded to the thirsty fungi world.
This particular tree had some impressive residents...
And on closer inspection, the residents themselves had residents.
Some kind of Rhinoceros beetle, I'm guessing... (looking in your direction for answers, bug people...)
The geological marvel that is Rattlesnake Gutter is as impressive in the summer as in the winter, but in different ways; not least of which is the heavy leaf cover...
...it's another prize for the mind and spirit, in the unspoiled forests of Leverett. After a while, even the kid was slowly pulling the ipod buds from his ears, zombie-like, and taking in a deep, awakening breath of ol' Ma Nature...
We were glad to be able to get back here for another look...
Now, maybe again in Autumn..?
Friday, July 3, 2009
Mattenylou, This One's For You
Frequent 'in the valley' reader and commenter, and Masslive Nostalgia Forum poster 'Matteny' (or is it Mattenylou?) mentioned to us the existence of an old coke kiln located in Leverett, up near the scenic Rattlesnake Gutter ravine. We headed up that way Friday afternoon to see if we could find it.
We tracked around some of the back roads in the area of the Peace Pagoda and Rattlesnake Gutter, and took in some of Leverett's fine scenery, but could not find the kiln. We were about to give up when we finally asked for directions from a local, who happened to be pedaling by. She directed us to 'Old Coke Kiln Road'...duh.
It was a non-paved but drivable road...
...and we kept an eye out until soon we saw the kiln, tucked in and almost hidden behind some overgrowth, right next to a newer nondescript warehouse building...
The whole carload at first emptied out and tried to get in for a closer look, and we found a big opening on one side.
...but unfortunately we found the opening to be protected by an impassibly deep moat.
The moat was all my intrepid compatriots need to see. Sensing the tick danger in all the overgrowth, they scampered back to the car, leaving me to find another route on my own.
(I'm sure bloggerette would have ventured on with me, if she could walk...)
I made my way around to the other side amid waist-high overgrowth, and found another way in. You can tell it used to be a pretty big coke operation going on here, with the remains of old walls, iron beams and brick debris everywhere.
The kiln itself is really pretty massive, I'd say about 30+ feet wide and at least as high. It has two large openings, one higher one, which used to cross over the aforementioned moat, and another, lower one, on the back side. All around the circumference and near the base are tinier, evenly spaced openings where bricks are missing; perhaps used to let air in for the fire?
I assume the upper opening is where they'd toss the bigger pieces of wood on the fire...
and the lower door where they scooped out the charcoal (or coke)...
The structure is pretty old and some of the thousands of bricks that it's made of are beginning to crumble, so I can see why the locals haven't really kept the place cleared and touristy.
Still, I had to take a quick look inside.
It's pretty much what you'd expect to find in an old kiln, with the inside blackwashed from decades of smoking.
The slightly domed ceiling is a marvel of brickwork, with hundreds of them set in concentric circular patterns, supporting their own weight.
It was a little disconcerting to stand under that old roof, as just one falling brick could mean the end of this loyal adventurer's travels.
Hmm. Lets get back outside...
Blazing my way back to the car, some large pollen shaped puffs that had been floating all around in the tall vegetation landed on a leaf nearby...
...to reveal that they were not pollen at all, but in fact some weird, wispy insect that I don't think I've ever seen before...
I'd better send this example to 'About Amherst's resident entomologist for analysis...
Now, since we're in the area, let's get another, more summery look at Rattlesnake Gutter...
We tracked around some of the back roads in the area of the Peace Pagoda and Rattlesnake Gutter, and took in some of Leverett's fine scenery, but could not find the kiln. We were about to give up when we finally asked for directions from a local, who happened to be pedaling by. She directed us to 'Old Coke Kiln Road'...duh.
It was a non-paved but drivable road...
...and we kept an eye out until soon we saw the kiln, tucked in and almost hidden behind some overgrowth, right next to a newer nondescript warehouse building...
The whole carload at first emptied out and tried to get in for a closer look, and we found a big opening on one side.
...but unfortunately we found the opening to be protected by an impassibly deep moat.
The moat was all my intrepid compatriots need to see. Sensing the tick danger in all the overgrowth, they scampered back to the car, leaving me to find another route on my own.
(I'm sure bloggerette would have ventured on with me, if she could walk...)
I made my way around to the other side amid waist-high overgrowth, and found another way in. You can tell it used to be a pretty big coke operation going on here, with the remains of old walls, iron beams and brick debris everywhere.
The kiln itself is really pretty massive, I'd say about 30+ feet wide and at least as high. It has two large openings, one higher one, which used to cross over the aforementioned moat, and another, lower one, on the back side. All around the circumference and near the base are tinier, evenly spaced openings where bricks are missing; perhaps used to let air in for the fire?
I assume the upper opening is where they'd toss the bigger pieces of wood on the fire...
and the lower door where they scooped out the charcoal (or coke)...
The structure is pretty old and some of the thousands of bricks that it's made of are beginning to crumble, so I can see why the locals haven't really kept the place cleared and touristy.
Still, I had to take a quick look inside.
It's pretty much what you'd expect to find in an old kiln, with the inside blackwashed from decades of smoking.
The slightly domed ceiling is a marvel of brickwork, with hundreds of them set in concentric circular patterns, supporting their own weight.
It was a little disconcerting to stand under that old roof, as just one falling brick could mean the end of this loyal adventurer's travels.
Hmm. Lets get back outside...
Blazing my way back to the car, some large pollen shaped puffs that had been floating all around in the tall vegetation landed on a leaf nearby...
...to reveal that they were not pollen at all, but in fact some weird, wispy insect that I don't think I've ever seen before...
I'd better send this example to 'About Amherst's resident entomologist for analysis...
Now, since we're in the area, let's get another, more summery look at Rattlesnake Gutter...
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Good Will
Christopher and I were sent out on a simple mission last Sunday: To deposit some old clothing in the nearest Goodwill box.
Kelly had taken our recent change of residence as an opportunity to separate some of my best 90's-vintage apparel and bundle them up for reissue to the needy. Being a bit of a pack rat, the clothes weren't too easily wrenched from my still living hands and before I agreed to let them go I had to be shaken out of several personal delusions to squarely face some hard truths, namely:
a.) that Grunge will never make a comeback,
b.) 5 sweat jackets is more than enough for any one man, and
c.) I will never, ever, ever fit comfortably into a size 'L' button shirt, ever again.
Best to box up the clothing and the memories, and send them off to people who might actually make use of them.
Chris and I set out on this mission about 1-ish on Sunday. Unfortunately, it was a particularly sunny day and we were soon drawn in an entirely different direction; north towards..whatever. Surely we'll find some other Goodwill boxes along the way...
We were motoring up route 116 occasionally stopping here or there to snap some pictures. Chris handled the repeated halts and tedious waiting by ignoring me and immersing himself in Bill Bryson's hilarious book 'A Walk In The Woods'. A veteran blogging passenger, Chris knew how the afternoon was going to pan out and had made sure to grab a book off the shelf when we left.
Letting the vehicle take us where it may, we found ourselves over by Puffer's Pond in North Amherst, where a cool looking, half-frozen waterfall was attracting the attention of passerby's.
It looked cold.
Real cold.
We continued north and passed through peaceful Leverett center, where their classic 1774 congregational church still stands.
The design around the windows for some reason reminds me of that famous painting 'American Gothic' and it's dour, hard-living characters.
We motored on; me mostly listening to the radio and stopping for pics, and Chris mostly buried in the book and looking up to ask which state we were in. Just a little farther north I got the notion to see what the Peace Pagoda looks like in mid-winter garb. A short uphill walk from the parking area, and the gleaming Pagoda emerges fantastically as always from the New England woods.
The snow surrounding it only served to make the white paint brighter.
the Coy-fish pond was frozen over, hopefully sans the Coy fish...
I walked around snapping pics while Chris found a seat in the sun and plowed on with the book. He was already half way through it at this point. I have to hand it to the kid, he's a voracious, and fast, reader.
Now if I could only pry him from his other voracious habit, video games...I took a break myself and sat down on the bench, resting against the Pagoda in the shining sun and taking in the great view below...
It is truly peaceful on this hilltop, and always a great place to think, reflect, or read. The sun was starting to get low and we finally had to get moving, and start making our way back to the car.
The walk back down was with refreshed, subtle feelings of peace and good will.
Goodwill...d'oh!
Almost forgot. Better find those boxes and get the donating taken care of before we get back home....
But first, just a couple more winter-scenery stops, since we were in the area. First, a look at the famous Leverett sawmill which evokes visions of modest 19th century industry.
21st century activity now surrounds it and the classic old sawmill is the focus of a rehabilitation campaign...
In keeping with the whole 19th century New England vibe I was now feeling (Buddhist pagoda visit not withstanding), I made one more stop for a quick gaze at a modern New England farm, and their livestock enjoying the last rays of a glowing sunset.
Alright, where are those Goodwill boxes...A run through several shopping center parking lots in Hadley produced none that we could see, but we did encounter a couple of PlanetAid boxes across from Atkins Farm on route 116 on the way back. Hmm...Planet Aid, Goodwill; tomato, tomatto...
Hopefully wherever those clothes end up Grunge music and flannel outerwear is just now coming into style...
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