When is a Pond Not a Lake?

The weather continues to be spring-like. We had planned a different hike but were forced to change our plans when we came up against a big traffic jam on the way to Arcadia State Park. We settled on Tillinghast Pond which is owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy. The management area hosts 13 miles of trails which wander through a variety of ecosystems. You can also paddle Tillinghast Pond which seems, to my eye, rather large to be called a pond.¹ People also hunt and fish depending on the season, turkey season now, so we wore hunter-orange vests.

I have visited this area a few times over the years. However, this time as we set out on our counter-clockwise loop it seemed to me that things were different. The forest didn’t seem as dense. Part of that could be put down to the time of year.Previous visits have been in the summer or perhaps early autumn. We passed through an area that had been deliberately cleared. We passed the remains of a homestead (water heard in the distance; in or out-flow of the pond) then wound our way along the twisting trail into the first of several dead zones. I don’t know what types of trees they were (some hemlocks and pines; many deciduous) but I do know the trees were all dead. Had I taken a photo it would show a ravaged scene with some signs of new low-growing life coming up in the much more open area. Cycles of life: but I find myelf wondering if this cycle was caused by something that should not be present. The way the dead zones change the feel of the area is remarkable.

THe Flintlock Trail winds through a variety of ecosystems. Sometimes you move through a somewhat wetter area; sometimes drier; glades appear now and then sometimes clearly man-made. It seemed to me that there were far fewer birds about than we experienced in the woods at Maxwell Mays earlier in the week.

The big boulder of the day. The Flintlock trail wiggles a lot before reaching Tillinghast Pond. Sometimes it passes through stretches with exposed boulders but none as large as this one.

--May 14, 2020 at 11:32 AM. West Greenwich, RI, United States

Eventually after some climbing and descending (about 110 feet over the course of the whole loop - spanning the Flintlock Trail and the white-blazed trail) we caught our first glimpses of the almost glass-smooth Tillinghast Pond. We curled around the eastern end of the pond and soon came to the edge of the meadows and small dock that juts out into the pond. What a fine spot for a snack break.

Sitting on the dock of the pond, watching ripples roll away... We had a nice snack break here on the northeastern tip of Tillinghast Pond. A lone kayaker works his way west and we heard a hiker talking as he walked along the far shore (he and his fluffy white big dog caught up to us later).

--May 14, 2020 at 12:16 PM. West Greenwich, RI, United States

The medows are yet another ecosystem that you could cut across to save time but it is against the rules. The Nature Conservancy wants people to let the nature be and that is understandable. I wonder if there is an explosion of wildflowers in the meadows.

The pond appears and disappears from view and after a short road walk we dipped back into the trail network for the final walk back to the car. We saw a lone paddler and two walkers and one dog. A fellow was standing by a boat in casting his fishing rod. I am sure there were more people about because we counted 8 cars evenly split between the put-in point and the parking lot where we parked.

You won’t get a serious hiking workout in this area but you will enjoy yourself as you walk through forest, meadows, glades, and along the shores of a large pond.

---

1. The dividing line between when a body of water becomes a lake or pond is a bit squishy. This article provides some interesting insight into the terms. I don’t know how deep Tillinghast Pond is but suspect it isn’t that deep which is a big part of why it is a pond and not a lake even though it is likely about 12 acres in size. ↩︎

The Tides of Life

Top: not quite the highest of high tides but close.
Bottom: not the lowest of low tides but pretty low.
— Warwick, RI.

We are on a roll: two sunny days in a row. Tomorrow should be pretty nice too so perhaps a more typical spring is settling in here in the Ocean State. I decided to walk the beach at Rocky Point again. I was hoping to actually walk along the beach all the way to the pier that is being built. It is a rocky beach that is definitely submerged when the tide rolls in. Today, as the bottom photo in the duo-pic shows, the tide was out.

Unfortunately for me, I was not the only one to have the idea of spending some time outside at this modest state park. I encountered a handful of families goofing off on the narrow strip of beach. One fellow was sitting on searock soaking up the sun. Parents and their kids were playing along the surf-line. I put my mask on. But I still felt it was too crowded. Would I have felt that way before COVID-19? I decided to retreat to the paved path above (maybe 15 feet above sea level) the beach. Here I found more people biking or walking. A few dogs too. My peace was gone.

I think this may have been the greatest number of people I have encountered at Rocky Point. I wonder if more people will spend more time at parks since so many other opportunities to do things outside of the home are currently not available. While I am glad people are spending time in nature (such as it is in a former amusement park nestled amongst neighborhoods on the coast of Warwick Neck) I wish for fewer people so I don’t have to worry about viral loads being carried around.

Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge (and my eye)

My eye had been bothering me some before I went to the ER. I bet I’d be wearing dark sunglasses back then. Today in dappled but bright light I was more comfortable waring clearing lensed glasses.

--May 12, 2020 at 11:18:30. Coventry, RI, United States

Two weeks ago I spent the many hours in two ERs trying to learn what was up with my eye. The next day I went to a clinic for a closer check-up (based on the ER eye doctor’s recommendation). That visit lead to a return visit a few days later to see a cornea specialist. That visit determined that I needed sutures removed: they were loose or broken. For those of you with normal eyes this is something an ophthalmologist takes care of in his or her office: no muss; no fuss (snip snip you’re done pretty much). For me it is more involved: surgery requiring mild sedation. The surgery was scheduled but I think that was more challenging than normal because of COVID-19. COVID-19 certainly affects everything from the ER visit to time in the hospital. From a patient’s point of view forget visitors. The surgery went well and the sutures are no longer present and so my eye is much happier. I still do not feel as though I am reading as well as I should but that has been a long-term issue only worsened by the problem. I can tolerate normal light levels again which is good. And the maddening irritating feeling and pain are gone.

I didn’t have to walk up into the grass like Mom and I did last time when the tide was high. This isn’t miuch of a beach, certainly not one people will happily sunbathe on (those exist in Rhode Island but not here), but it is a beach nonetheless.

--May 11, 2020 at 11:16:00. Warwick, RI, United States

With the return of eye health I have been able to go for walks again. A return visit to Rocky Point on a blustery morning with a very high tide (not as high as last time but close) was one walk. I am so glad to have a wlk that is more interesting than a walk along neighborhood streets (all I really have back in Ann Arbor). Rocky Point is about 0.3 miles from the house. Sure, it is hardly a nature walk but it is more than a walk in on neighborhood streets.

I wonder where this boulder was located before the glaciers receded. As you can see it is quite large and no other boulders in the area are even close to the size of this one. Mom provides a bit of scale.

--May 12, 2020 at 11:20:22. Coventry, RI, United States

The trails are blazed various colors. I believe we entered along the white trail before following the Hemmitt Hill (yellow) trail. But what caught our attention here are the two great cavities in the tree. I suppose woodpeckers could have made them but they seem rather large and low. Maybe a barred owl lives in one but I don’t think they create the cavities. So, what did?

--May 12, 2020 at 11:23:12. Coventry, RI, United States

The bigger walk, though only a bit longer, was along some trails in the Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge. We strolled through the meadow into a dense forest where Carr Pond sits. Our walk, and perhaps many of them, do not really give you good views of the pond for long. Instead focus your attention on the forest. Perhaps you will see a fox, deer, wild turkey, or a snake (we saw the latter). Listen for birds and maybe even manage to identify some of them. Wonder what those great cavities in a tree might be or how long trees near the pond will survive assaults from beavers. Enjoy yourself.

Hurray For Nice Weather

It is a lovely day. Warm - too warm for the clothing I have with me , clear blue skies, numerous birds singing, and flowers blooming. It isn’t quite perfect but that’s because I can’t comfortably be in all that light since my eye is unwell (more on that in a week). But it is a fine change from the cloudy and rainy days we have had. Perhaps this is why so many cars are parked on the road by Rocky Point. You can’t park in the parking lot but you can park on the road. Fortunately our walk did not really expose us to the hordes that surely must belong to the twenty plus cars. We have walked the beach many times. This time the tide was very high. I’ve never seen it this high and suspect it was higher earlier given that the grass we walked upon to avoid getting wet was matted down. Days like today remind you Spring has really come into its own. And if the weather doesn’t convince you the activity of life from turkeys, to birds, to coyote will convince you. It does us.

A Walk In Rocky Point on Narragansett Bay, Warwick, Rhode Island

As of this writing, April 14, 2020, you can still visit state parks in Rhode Island if you walk or bicycle to them. Of course, you want to keep your distance from anyone you might walk past and wearing a face mask may now be required for any public outing (though I was not and am fairly sure the 3 or 4 other people I passed were not - they’re dogs certainly were not). It is important to get outside. Soak up the natural sounds, visuals, sensations against skin, smells. Remind yourself the world is larger than your house in a more active way than what any news program can provide.

A couple extra points:

• The quahog (pronounced, “co-hog”) boat is a common sight on the bay. My understanding is that these boats are typically one-person operations and I doubt they could be much more crew given the size of the vessels.
• The arch in the video was one of 11 arches sponsored by General Foods during the 1963-64 WOrld’s Fair which took place in New York CIty. The original arches had electronic message boards but by the time the arch came to Rocky Point that feature had been lost.
• I think I heard Northern Cardinals, European Starlings, Morning Doves, Song Sparrows. No doubt numerous other species made their presence known through their songs.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Life in Rhode Island During COVID-19 Pandemic

I came here just over a week ago. I probably should have come earlier though it would not have chnaged anything as far as how I and my parents are living. I am,, like everyone, trying to make the best of things. I am lucky I can spend time with family and not be alone. I am lucky that everyone is healthy and, with good hygene and care and luck, that will remain true. But during this time of impose isolation we can still be pleassantly surprised by the world. This morning as the sun tried to squeeze through the clouds we started to ntice flakes of white falling on to the front deck. Those flakes were snow. They’re not that visible on the front deck gazing out towards Narragansett Bay but turn around and peer across the backyard and voila: snow!

I am also fortunate that I can take nice walks in the neighborhood and not worry that I will run into people. The sun peeked out briefly but by the time I went for this short walk past some lovely floweirng forsythia and magnolia clouds had taken over and with the modest breeze constantly blowing it felt cooler than it probably was.

Grand Canyon Backpacking Trip and a Visit to Sedona, January 2020

A Day in Sedona, Arizona

Sedona is on the way to Phoenix from the Grand Canyon. In fact, Sedona is about halfway between the two points. When you have the bulk of a day to use up it would be a terrible shame to skip visiting this unusual quirky home of red rocks, canyons, forests, artists and their galleries, and the purported source of odd energies and vortices that influence the world in unusual ways. Toss in the fact that Joni, Doug, and Lil have never been there and Andy and I have not been in quite some time (12 years for me) and how can the chance to visit be reasonably passed up. Andy pushed us to be on the road not long after sunrise. I know I felt a bit of resistance to that but he was right to squeeze out the most of our time. It just felt like a push given the so-so sleep I think we all got mostly because when someone was awake someone else was asleep sawing logs with great enthusiasm. When we arrived at the Creekside Cafe for a hearty breakfast we were all ready for a good morning wake-up meal.

It was overcast but the day did promise to clear and temperatures were expected to push up to around 63F. That struck me as rather warm given Sedona’s elevation at about 4,500 feet above sea level. I wasn’t complaining. Just surprisingly warm. The plan was to have breakfast and then visit the Hike House gear shop and go from there with some gentle hiking, visits to galleries, visits elsewhere, and dinner before driving the remaining 2 hours to Phoenix.

Visit Hike House if you are interested in hiking the area. The staff we talked to clearly know the area and if you need gear I suspect you won’t go wrong buying from them. So a stop there can bear some good fruit both economically for them and for hikes for the visitor to tackle. It did for us.

I am pretty sure we did not visit the Church of the Red Rocks in 2008. In some ways it is not actually that interesting a building. It is a bit chunky featuring a spare design sense in the building and in the iconography. The setting is the important thing here. The red rocks of the cliffs the building nestles in sitting above the town of Sedona which sprawls out below showing off some spectacularly large homes that don’t necessarily fit well into the high desert scenery. It is worth a quick visit to absorb the scene. Under the right conditions I can see that helping inspire religious fervor but I think you’ll do better finding that somewhere in the canyons and rock formations where, with luck, fewer gawking tourists will be present.

Finding such spots can be a bit tricky. Our first try at Cathedral Rock was met with a trailhead parking lot that was full. After a quick return to the heart of town we tried a different location: Fay Canyon. Sucess. I won’t say it was not crowded but it wasn’t overwhelming either. By now, early afternoon, the skies had cleared and the temperature had pushed past 60F. Families were out with children of all ages and some dogs for good measure. It is an easy flat hike to the main rock formation people come to see in Fay Canyon. You could, and people do, explore washes that intersect the main dusty reddish-brown dirt trail that winds through juniper, manzanita, occasional cactus, and much more including slender trees with a deep rich red-brown smooth bark and small leaves that really catches even my eye (perhaps, according to Mom, madrone. Manzanita makes more sense as I look more into it. ). It is an easy walk into the box canyon that effectively ends a bit over a mile in at a rock formation that you can scramble up to gain some wonderful views of the surrounding area. I was able to do it with some effort even though I did not have a trekking pole which certainly would have helped ease my way back down though likely been a hinderance on the way up. Even with numerous other people and dogs milling about you can easily get a sense of the beauty of the place as you look out on the verdant (for the area) scene of flora, seasonal (not flowing now) stream, red rocks, and big sky.

There is a natural arch perhaps 0.2 miles off the main trail. Lil really wanted to see it. I was curious. We thought the others would be too. That was a mistaken belief and in hindsight I certainly should have known better right away that Andy would have waited at the unmaintained trail junction had he and the others any plan to go to the arch. By the time I was convinced they were not going there I had no way to get in touch with Andy and by the time I did have a signal (and he got the message) we were likely on our way back. We cost the others an hour. You have to worm your way through the unmaintained trail through a short wash, encroaching brush including cactus, and eventually scramble up through rocks ascending close to 200 feet to get underneath the arch where the best view of it can be had (well so some think). People also worked there way farther around and climbed atop the arch but that was not something we would attempt. Was it worth it? The arch is pretty and views into the box canyon are great. But it is a tough bit of walking especially if you lack depth perception. I am glad we did it; annoyed with myself for not realizing the others did not and then not just turning us about when we did. But, perhaps it really did work out for the best as our visit later to Boynton Canyon had a particularly Sedona-esque treat which we surely would not have had if we had gone there an hour earlier htan we did.

In 2008 we tried to go to the Boynton Canyon Overlook (my name) and got mixed up and explored deeper into Long Canyon. I suppose we misread the map-sign. We certainly misread it this time but only went an extra 0.2 miles out of our way. When we found the overlook we also found a Sedona resident there handing out what he calls Hearts of Sedona. Heart-shaped rocks embued with “special energies” from all over that you can use for healing. Part and parcel of the mixture of new age, mysticism, native American, and Eastern-inspired meditation beliefs that infuse many people’s beliefs here. Take it for what it is worth: belief is, after all, in the mind of the beholder. This fellow has been coming to this overlook with its two prominent rock formations, Kachina Woman and Warrior Man, for almost a decade.

I will diverge a bit here to share my opinions on Sedona vortexes (which exist elsewhere too if you believe). I do not think you need anything special to describe why a place affects people in certain ways. We , as a species, consider certain things beautiful. It is part of our nature. That nature is influenced by personal experience which is affected by those around us from closest family to the culture surrounding us. An external “divine” presence is not required. In fact I would argue that could detract from the place as how can something divine by definition really have anything in common with bits of consciousness that are as ephemeral as we are when compared to the size of the universe physically and temporally. It is enoiugh that forces of nature have sculpted places that we can then in our thoughts and feelings imbue with a sense of grandeur and wonder. In this respect Descartes is certainly on the right track (“I think therefore I am”) in discussing how we define our world by our existence. Others clearly disagree with this view calling upon something external to create the universe in a knowing fashion that we will find pleasing. To my mind that adds unecessary complexity and even a touch of hubris to the world that just is not needed. But some believe that way and that informs how they view the world for good and ill just as my beliefs do for me.

The walk to the overlook, a level spot between Kachina Woman and Warrior Man (are these names new age modern names co-opted from native American people who lived here or are they original to those that came before the white man? A quick dip into Wikipedia notes Kachina are spirits in the religions of various Native American peoples: supernatural beings that represent aspects of the natural world. ) is an easy one. I am pretty sure the flora changes here featuring more pines. More forest-like. But the red rocks, infused with their iron ore, still dominate. Look out to the east and you see Kachina Woman, west Warrior Man, south Boynton Canyon, and north modern urban sprawl. It is a juxtaposition of natural and human-made worlds that is jarring and a little sad in that the latter so clearly is just plopped down without regard to how well it fits in. Add insult to injury: it is loud with sounds of working engines and perhaps construction.

I suppose it is this combination of worlds that draws people in and inspires some to believe in things like vortexes of power. I am not denying places have special qualities just that we as thinking beings aware of our world and our place in it are the ones that create the special qualities. In so doing people like the flute player with his Hearts of Sedona add a special bit of character, an elan, to the place. He seemed sincere. He cares about the place and people. His concert played from atop Warrior Man was enjoyable and could be enjoyed superficially or deeply depending on how you feel about the man’s beliefs and your own. After all, for most of us music definitely brings forth deep feelings when it is the right type of music in the right setting. I do not agree with the player that it is our hearts that will save us and our brains that doom us. I think hearts, in the context of the emotional center as he likley means it, can be very shortsighted and destructive and it is our minds and consciousness that are what make us what we are both good and bad. Emotion alone is too close to mere instinct which is unthinking and merely reactive.

Can you tell the time spent in Boynton Canyon was time well spent? You can argue that Lil and my argue-ably greedy decision to visit the arch lead to the group getting to experience something only a place like Sedona with its combination of natural charm, artistic communities, and mishmash of people and beliefs from conventional to more esoteric could provide. We all got something from the experience and I do not think a vortex was required to make it happen except in the sense that people create a vortex with their beliefs that are influenced by the physical place that existed before we got there and should exist after humans have changed in ways we cannot determine.

The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the more commercial, influenced by the artistic, side of Sedona. I had a chnace to drop into the Melting Point studio and gallery which is where Jordan Ford works. He is the artist who created the glass bowl with its intricate tangerine sandblasted patterns. I bought the piece in Tucson and it was nice to have a chance to meet the man behind the work. We also visited other galleries just to see what was there. In at least one case I saw a black and white photo of a cactus alone in the desert that while nice doesn’t hold a candle (Andy agrees) to the photo I snapped in Cataline State Park. Is that our taste, bias, or is my photo really that much better? I guess I will never know. This was a good way to wrap up our time in Sedona before dinner at a Mexican restaurant (Javaina something) and the final 2 hour drive to Phoenix and the airport for our red-eye flight home.

Photos

Possibly manzenita. Wonderful color and an intriguingly smooth feel when touched.

--January 20, 2020 at 12:13:18 PM. Sedona, AZ, United States

I had to work to reach this point at the base of the pointing tall rock. Having a trekking pole would certainly have helped me get back down. Photo by Andy (I think).

--January 20, 2020 at 12:31:33 PM. Sedona, AZ, United States

Andy and I are sure happy at this spot with some fine views. Photo by Lil.

--January 20, 2020 at 12:37:12 PM. Sedona, AZ, United States

Another view of this fine spot with Ken and Lil. Photo by Andy.

--January 20, 2020 at 12:35:17 PM. Sedona, AZ, United States

It’s so different here: lush with trees. A cactus, prickly pear for sure like the one that zinged Lil shortly after I took this picture, appear now and then but trees rule here. Over it all are the iron ore infused rocks.

--January 20, 2020 at 1:12:29 PM. Sedona, AZ, United States

Almost there. I did get a bit closer. Pretty much right under the arch. But, I think the view is better from here. But not as many echoes.

--January 20, 2020 at 1:27:05 PM. Sedona, AZ, United States

We are happy at the arch. Take a break. After all, the trip is only half done. Gotta go back down.

--January 20, 2020 at 1:33:24 PM. Sedona, AZ, United States

I think the arch is more obvious from below but here you also hear odd echoes from voices near and far. Photo by Lil.

--January 20, 2020 at 1:36:21 PM. Sedona, AZ, United States

Kachina Woman is one of two major promontories rising above the land. Warrior Man is behind me. Boynton Canyon Overlook has some fine views. It is a very Sedona-esqe spot.

--January 20, 2020 at 3:01:00 PM. Sedona, AZ, United States