Alcott Smith and Adair Mulligan led a nature hike yesterday through the northeast portion of the Trescott Lands in Hanover from the Dogford Road entrance in Etna.
We headed north, gradually climbing Paige Hill. The first animal tracks we came upon were left by a bounding fisher. Each track was the impression of all four feet as the fisher landed with its front feet, arched its back, and placed its rear feet in the same spot before giving a powerful thrust. Here is Alcott giving a demonstration of this action.
We came upon many deer tracks as well as tracks and nipped pine branches indicative of red squirrel. I stepped away from the group to get a photo. I didn’t notice until I saw my photos that Alcott was demonstrating something with the back of his snowshoe.
After this spot the climb got steeper.
We stopped at a clearing. Hugh Mellert told of the Tax Day blowdown that took out many pines in this area.
We found deer teeth marks on some stripped maple and bear claw marks on red pine.
We headed west to reach Knapp Road and took it downhill to the south. Just before we detoured to the west to a great Prospect Hill lookout, we stopped to check a map. Here Alcott told us about water channels in tree bark. One was very evident on the tree holding the map.
We got to a nice view of Parker Reservoir, although the day was a bit hazy.
Adair told about a photo I took on an October, 2012 hike, and Hugh mentioned how one could zoom into it and see details. You can CLICK HERE to get to photos from that hike and CLICK HERE to get to two photos that you can zoom into and explore.
We headed downhill and back east to Knapp Road. Adair told of a 2013 winter hike where we reached several huge porcupine trees. You can see those trees if you CLICK HERE.
Here are some more photos I took during our three hour hike.
