Red Flag Warning in Effect!

UPDATE: From noon to 8pm today, a red flag fire warning is in effect. The lack of rain for the past four days (last observed rain at the Lodge was a trace 5 days ago at 0.08"), plus (updated to strong) winds, (and updated to include lightning strike possibilities this evening/night) add up to a potential for fire.

At 9 am, it is 63 degrees and rising.
55% humidity
Barometer holding steady at 29.91 inches of mercury.
We did some more rock raking yesterday and hope to have the whole driveway in shape this week.
The squirrels and birds are busy this morning.

As of 3:36 p.m., it is 77.2 degrees and falling.
37% humidity and steady.
Barometer falling to 29.80" of mercury.

As of 7:18 p.m., it is 68.9 degrees F and falling.
52% humidity and steady.
Barometer presently stable at 29.77" of mercury.

Something as yet and heretofore unobserved here at the Lodge:
Someone used and locked up to the bikerack installed some three years ago this afternoon!
May it be but the first of many such observances.

Enjoy that sun

It looks like it's staying around for awhile!

We appear to have garter snakes that have taken up residence in the stone wall along the trail. We keep coming across them in the grass along there. We'll try to get a photo.

At 8:30, it is 59 degrees and rising.
Clear sunny skies
52% humidity
Fire danger is MODERATE

Trails are clear and dry. The Cascades are running ('though slowing; if you haven't seen them, we're heading into the dry season, so get out there!), as is the brook.

Memorial Day weekend

A lovely weekend for a hike, folks!

At 10 am it is 60 degrees and clear
57% humidity
Fire danger is LOW

C'mon through! The walking is fine!

Light Breeze, Sun

There is full sun in the sky and full shade on the ground here.
You have to love living on the temperate rainforest floor in summer time!

Presently it is 7:44 a.m.
The temperature is 50.0 degrees F and rising.
The humidity is 81% and steady.
The barometric pressure is 29.68" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW.

The Cascades Brook is flowing.
The Cascades has some flow.

The parking area is open and the trails are in good shape.

This is shaping up to be a goos Memorial Day weekend.

is this May?

Feeling and looking like April out there, at the most.
At 10 am, it is 48 degrees
77% humidity
Last night's rain brought the fire danger down to LOW.

Might the sky be possibly clearing?
ah...no. It's raining again.

It won't matter right now, but as the summer goes along, it's sad to think of what the sudden increase this week in the impervious surface in the neighborhood will do to the temperature in the brook. While there aren't fish that venture far upstream, it is a stream that is the right setting for brook trout if it had water year 'round, and there's been some talk of stocking it with the brook trout's smaller cousins that can stand lower water levels in the summer. The increase in temperature that comes with a bunch more asphalt feeding water straight into the brook won't be good for that, though.

More animals closer to home

Yesterday the junior rangers report a garter snake here on the lawn. About two feet long, he wasn't so much afraid of us as wanted to be left alone.
The geese across the street at Cook's Pond are the proud parents of five goslings. The neighbors report that there were six, but, well, Mrs. Mallard's mistrust of places where there were "turtles in the water" was well-founded!

At 2:30 this afternoon, under skies that are alternately sunny and cloudy, it is 63 degrees.
38% humidity
No rain to speak of. It keeps threatening, but none falls.
Fire danger is MODERATE.

Red Fox

Red fox.
Cascades West about 2:30 p.m.
I would say an adult.
Bottom of the hill on Silver Spring Road near the town (Paxton/Holden) bound marker.
Four witnesses in total as we were having a GWLT scouting of some sites on the land.

I think this may be the third time I have seen fox up there.

More Sunshine

Presently it is 46.9 degrees F (and rising), clear, and sunny.
There is a light breeze.
The humidity is 65% and steady.
The barometric pressure is 29.53" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW.

The driveway paving operation to the N and across the street to the NE is completed, though there are still cars parked out in Olean Street so keep an eye out.

The difference between the recent raking of 16 yds of 3/4" stone for a driveway surface and the way it melds into the woods is particularly well demonstrated by the contrasting laying of asphalt and the way the yard becomes an extension of the street right up to the house.

This is encouraging as the stone felt like an "addition" to the site and an alteration of the landscape. This weighed on my mind as we were raking it out. True it is better for groundwater recharge but the visual is what we live with.

In truth the stone is a lesser alteration visually, and I appreciate that more now.

Windy, Clear, and Pleasant

The sun is out, though it is pretty dark here at the moment, and there is a definite wind passing through.

We have now officially moved to "summer mode" here at the Lodge.
-
When the trees fully leaf in for the summer we spend most of the day in a fairly dark, and somewhat humid environment. It is the forest floor as our habitat.
-
Paradoxically, the winter, with no leaves on the trees, is particularly bright and dry.
-
I find this helpful in so far as I (Colin) deeply miss the sun over the winter so having an inverse sun cycle is really great.


Presently it is 8:10am here at the Lodge.
The temperature is 48 degrees F and rising.
The humidity is 63% and steady.
The barometric pressure is 29.29" of mercury and steady (yet low enough to show unstable weather potential).
Yesterday's rain showers didn't register any significant amount.
The USFS Forest Danger is LOW.

There have been a lot of hikers who went through this weekend. It was great to see you all.
There have also been a lot of folks stopping by the Lodge for Land Trust business.
Busy times here.

Finally a big thank you to George and the Dressers of Dresser's Tree Farm in Jefferson for the chance to spend yesterday morning planting frasier fir saplings. Great fun was had by all.

Bright, bright

The storm just blew over us last night. We got no measurable rain from what looked fairly impressive on the map.
At 9 am it is 57 degrees and rising.
58 % humidity
A dog walker just went through on his daily round.
Fire danger is MODERATE (interesting: we went through Douglas State Forest yesterday, and they had a sign up for VERY HIGH there. Have we gotten that much more rain?)

Almost minutes later two more hikers moving through.

Beautiful Spring Weekend

The time now is 2:54pm.

The sky is clear, there is a breeze, the sun is bright, and last night's rains have really topped the cake!

It is absolutely amazing out there.

Even the USFS Forest Danger is LOW.

Presently it is 72.1 degrees F and steady.
The humidity is 32% and steady.
The barometric pressure is 29.32" of mercury and steady.

Yesterday we got 0.47" of rain.
Since midnight we got 0.31" more,
For a grand total of 0.78" of rain.

The Cascades Brook is swollen and running.
The Cascades have flow.

The trail is in good shape and we have been having traffic here at the trail head all day long.

This is one of those awesome weekend days.
Grab it!

overcast

We were out this morning at the Bhatia funeral...

At 1pm, it is 57 degrees and cloudy
70% humidity (a bit of rain, but not measurable)
Fire danger remains MODERATE
Cascades are trickling
Two hikers just went by on the trail: don't let the rain deter you, either!

National Trails Day!

Please join the Greater Worcester Land Trust for clearing and blazing trails in celebration of National Trails Day!

Saturday, June 7th At Nick's Woods 8:30 am to 11:00 am

No Experience necessary

(Clippers, loppers, bow saws, and work gloves most welcome)

Please park at St. John's Church and meet at the end of Smith Lane.

RSVP anne@gwlt.org or 508-795-3838 X603

For more information about the land trust visit www.gwlt.org

Sunny with some wind

Not dropping off the map or anything...

72 degrees at 1:30 pm
32% humidity

Barometer holding steady at 30 pounds of pressure.

It seems we missed posting a red flag fire danger warning yesterday! I hope that didn't have any ill effects.

Today the fire danger remains MODERATE.

We have a pair of wrens who seem to be thinking of nesting in the big evergreens next to the house. The Junior Rangers are in great hopes that finally something might move into our birdhouses!

Michael Bhatia information

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral Mass on Friday, May 16 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Church, 151 Village St. in Medway. Calling hours will be held on Thursday from 4- 8 p.m. at the Ginley-Crowley Funeral Home, 3 Barber St. in Medway. Burial will take place at the family plot at the Valley View Cemetery in Ticonderoga, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Michael’s memory may be made to the Michael V. Bhatia Memorial Fund c/o Rockland Trust Company, 288 Union St., Rockland, MA 02370.

Michael Bhatia, Rest in Peace

Our condolences to Tricia Bhatia and her family today.
(Through this past spring, Tricia worked at the Land Trust, and we were glad of her help last week in digging post holes at Nick's Woods.)

Her brother Michael, a scholar on Afghanistan and a doctoral candidate at Oxford University, was killed, along with two American soldiers from the 82nd Airborne, by a roadside bomb last Wednesday. He was 31.

You can read The Boston Globe's coverage here.

So, so sorry, Tricia.

Ducks!

We have...ducks!

The Junior Rangers report in that they have seen, several times now, a mallard pair (this morning just one of them) in the brook between Olean Street and Cook's Pond. We suspect they may be nesting down by the pond. We hope if they decide to cross Olean, they will take the culvert under the street, as we have no friendly Officer Michael on hand to help them cross!

A hike this morning the length of the Cascades Trail! There was a pretty impressive wind up on the hill this morning. No trash (well, except for the remains of the old dump on Cascades East, which practically qualify as antiques now!). There has, unfortunately, been someone out with a knife blazing the trail: it isn't good for the trees, dude! Not to mention that carving "John 3:16" into a tree is not a great evangelizing technique!

The trail itself is in good shape, 'though the sign pointing the way onto the Silver Spring Trail up from the Cascades Trail is down (and now propped up). We also could use a bit more blazing (with PAINT!) right there, to make the Cascades Trail clearer.

At 10:30, it is 48 degrees.
63% humidity
Overcast skies, but steady barometer
Fire danger is MODERATE
No rain to measure yet today.

Chillier than you'd think out there.

Clearing skies

The rain looks as though it is mostly moving out. Chillier than it has been, though, so you'll want a layer if you're heading out.

At 1 pm, it is 58 degrees
57% humidity and falling

Barometer holding steady at 29.65 pounds of pressure

Last night we got .12 inches of rain.
Forest fire danger is LOW

Cascades to Newton trail

A hike this morning on up the Cascades trail to the Newton trail brought at least one very busy woodpecker into view. Trails are in good shape; no litter, little erosion. Stream is running full.

At 7am, it is 49 degrees (it's barely risen in the last hour).
76% humidity
Cloudy skies
Barometer is holding steady

Still no fire danger, but I'll venture to say it's LOW (the whole US Forest Service website is offline)

Rain, rain

Warm but rainy this morning.
So far today we've had 0.04 inches of rain. It's amazing how what feels like "a lot" doesn't add up to much.
The falls are running.
It is 60 degrees at 10 am
93% humidity

And I'm thinking of sending the U.S. Forest Service an email to complain about their map!
The trails at this point are just damp, so the going should be fine for most of today unless the rain really increases.

Another beauty

At 4:30 (sorry for the late post!), it is 72 degrees
26% humidity
Barometer is falling; clouds are coming in tonight
US Forest Service is still down...

Clear skies...

and the pollen count is climbing!
(Hey, maybe we should be posting that!)

Beautiful day out there, and the Cascades are still running.
At 8am, it is 52 degrees.
74% humidity
US Forest Service is currently offline, so we're guessing that the fire danger is still LOW.
Barometer is holding steady

Monday Rocks!

And so the big truck came with 16 yds of 3/4" stone for the driveway and parking area.

Only problem is that it now looks like the 16 yds. isn't really enough.
That seems impossible when you look at the size of the truck, but....

Well, we will rake it out and see how far it goes.

Presently it is 8:20am, sunny, light breeze, and very green.
The temperature is 50.4 degrees F and rising.
The humidity is 79% and falling.
The barometric pressure is 30.00" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW.

The trails are soft with periodic puddles.
The Cascades Brook is running, and there is some flow over the Cascades.

The skies clear

Finally this afternoon, the last batch of clouds headed out and the sun came out.
We've had 0.08 additional inches of rain here.
It is now 55 degrees
87% humidity
There is NO fire danger
The trails will be wet at least through tomorrow.
The Cascades are running and will continue to run for the next few days.

Fire danger is out!

The fire danger, for the first time in some weeks, is nonexistent!

A good day to go out with a torch and cut up a car!

We didn't post here today because all at the Lodge were out bright and early to Nick's Woods, along with many volunteers. A mountain of trash, including a car, a refrigerator, a hot water heater, a snowblower, eight or more tires, were collected and hauled out! Three gates went up! Hot dogs were cooked and eaten. A good time had by all.

HUGE THANKS to those who braved the chilly wet day and came out to work!
A particular shout-out to the driver of the CLAW who hauled out all that metal!

Here at the Lodge at 9:30 pm, it is 41 degrees
97% humidity
Barometer holding steady (we're between storm systems, from the map)
0.12 inches of rain today

And I will vouch that it is wet and chilly!

Mark your calendars now for a National Trails Day event at Nick's Woods on June 7th!

Rain coming through

It looks as though the rain is heading out.
It is damp out there, so if you're going out on a hike, you'll want to be dressed for it.

At 9am, it is 42 degrees and overcast
We got 0.12 inches of rain last night
89% humidity (not presently raining)
Fire danger (as of last night) is MODERATE

Calm Before the Storm

There is a calm before the storm on two fronts.

Firstly, there is a series of storm clouds associated with cooler air coming to rest on New England fro the next three or four days.

Secondly, there is a massive Earth Day cleanup at Nick's Woods coming for this Saturday morning with all of the gear, planning, delegation, and lead work you would associate with such an enterprise.

It is the later which delayed today's post.

Presently it is 8:15pm.
The temperature is 52.7 degrees F and falling.
The humidity is 38% and steady.
The barometric pressure is 30.03" of mercury and steady (yet indicating rain.)
The USFS Fire Danger Class is MODERATE.

The brook is notably slowing and the falls have flow but no frothing white.

There will be improvements made to the parking areas here at the Lodge starting on Monday as well.

Some 16 yards of 3/4" stone are ordered from Worcester Sand & Gravel for an early Monday morning arrival. This is all going to get raked out by hand so there will be some interruption in the parking and access at the Olean Street trail head for a day or two. We are hoping to get the lower lot raked out first so as to have as little a disruption as possible. No worries for this weekend however.

Not as warm as it looks

We've had a busy few days here at the Lodge, planting new things. Yesterday we got in an apple tree in the front (someday, we hope, you'll see the flowers as you come up the trail) and three new rose buses along the stone wall that edges the trail as you come through the clearing. Today, we put in lettuce in the garden and what we hope will be the start of a raspberry thicket over against the bound line to the south.

It's sunny today, but not as warm as you'd guess. As of noon, it's just 49 degrees.
Barometer is holding steady
45% humidity
The fire danger is back down to MODERATE
Cascades are running white
The trail is drying out after all the rain. Do stay on it, as erosion will continue to be a danger through the spring.

Cascades ROARING, Brook near flood stage

Yesterday we received 1.38" of rain.
This morning we received 0.20" of rain.

This is a total of 1.58" of rain in less than 24 hours.

As a result the Cascades are back to a white frothing mass.
The Cascades Brook is full to the brim and has overflown into the alternative channel to the north, and has filled some low pools near the banks as well.

No danger of us getting to flood as the rain is clearing out on the radar map.

Nevertheless the Cascades are quite impressive again!
The trail is soft but is decent shape.
Come on by to take a look for yourself.


Presently it is 7:35am.
The temperature is 51.3 degrees F and steady.
The humidity is 98% and steady.
The barometric pressure is 29.53" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW.

Sunday I also noticed two new blooms in the woods: Red Trilium and windflowers.

Rain

Here comes the rain!

We already have registered 0.04" this morning.
Sound like nothing?
Well, it is more rain than we have gotten in the last two weeks combined!

Rest assured, the storm is just getting going and there will be plenty of rain from this storm before things clear out in a day or two.

Presently it is 8:45am at the Lodge.
The temperature is 43.3 degrees F and steady.
The humidity is 95% and steady.
The barometric pressure is 30.00" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Fire Danger Class is MODERATE as of yesterday, but that will be dropping.

As yet the trails are only damp.

The brook and Cascades are flowing BUT as yet there has been no notable increase in flow (big surprise at only 0.04")

* * * * * * *

11:45am and we are up to 0.20" of rain

* * * * * * *

10:15pm and we are up to 1.10" of rain.

Saw a rabbit hop across the driveway tonight.

45.7 degrees F steady, 98% humidity steady, 29.71" of mercury and falling.

Leafing in

Each half day shows a notable increase in the leaf coverage out here.
The rains predicted to come and go in the next two days, and the solid rain for Monday and Tuesday should complete the transformation.

Presently it is 9:30 am at the Lodge.
The Temperature is 55.0 degrees F and rising (rapidly).
The Humidity is 48% and falling.
The Barometric Pressure is 30.12" and steady.
The USFS Fire Danger Class is HIGH.

There is a light breeze.
The brook is running.
The Cascades have some small flow over the top.
The trails are in decent shape.

Enjoy summer's opening act.

The Magnolia has Bloomed!

More spring here at the Lodge.

The Magnolia has bloomed its white pink flowers.
The trace rainshower we had Wednesday night encouraged the grass tremendously.
The Trout Lily yellow flowers are out on the forest floor.
The leaves on the trees increase by the half day such that the view of Cook's Pond is rapidly fading away to reflected light in the trees.

Presently it is 9am
The temperature is 60.4 degrees and rising.
The humidity is 35% and falling.
The barometric pressure is 30.09" mercury and steady.

I believe that it has been 10 days since we have had any recordable rainfall.
As a result the USFS Fire Danger is VERY HIGH, with it falling to HIGH to our south and east.
Be thoughtful in the woods and avoid open flames, eh?

The brook is still running and there is still a small amount of flow over the Cascades.

The trails are in good shape.

It is a beautiful day.

Here at the Lodge we have three farm gates that arrived yesterday by MassAudubon pickup from the Leicester Agway.
A 10', 12', and 16' 1 x 3/4" diameter pipe x 50" tall.
They are awaiting an,

Earth Day installation at Nick's Woods on Saturday May 3rd.

Nick's Woods is in between Rte. 122A Grove Street and Holden/Brattle Street on the Worcester Holden line.
We will be doing other site improvements, a cleanup, there will be food and T Shirts for RSVPed Volunteers!
If you are interested in participating in that event call GWLT at:

508-795-3838 ext 603

How much difference did that rain make?

As of yesterday afternoon, the observed fire danger in Central Mass was up to HIGH, with a pocket of VERY HIGH up along the Vermont/New Hampshire border. It remains to be seen how much of a difference that rain that went through last night made in our dry forests. As the National Weather Service has posted a RED FLAG WARNING for Worcester County meaning a strong fire danger with high winds, low humidity, and warm temperatures, it appears not much. That went up at 4:30 this morning.
At 7:30, it is 60 degrees and rising.
Clear skies
74% humidity (evaporation right now from the grass)
Barometer is steady

If you've seen anyone out with a lawn mower in the past few days and caught the cloud of dust that follows them, you know that it is DRY out there.

Too beautiful to post!

Sorry that we haven't been posting over here...we've been out and about early in this gorgeous weather we've been having. Can you believe it is only April?

At 1:30 it is 82 degrees (in the sun!)
29% humidity; the fire danger is back to MODERATE
Steady barometer.
Trails are dry right now.
The brook and the falls aren't quite down to a trickle, but they will be soon if we don't get some rain.

Hope you are all outside!

Leaves!

Today has more sunshine, but there is a new difference.

Here at Cascading Waters, where it is a tiny bit cooler than the rest of the City of Worcester, we have leaf buds and early leaves as of this morning generally in the trees of the property.

Now we are getting somewhere!

Presently the temperature is 63.5 degrees F and rising.
The humidity is 34% and falling.
The barometric pressure is 30.24 " of mercury and steady.
The USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW.

The trails are in good shape though there is a tire and brake part dumped at the bridge on Cataract Street. Got to work with the city on that.

Cooler, Cloudy, but Dry

An early post today.

It is 6:49am and cloudy and the air is still.

The temperature is 45.0 degrees and steady.
The humidity is 86% and steady.
The barometric pressure is 30.27" and steady.
The USFS Fire Danger Class is MODERATE.

Due to lots of brush fires getting out of control the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and local fire chiefs have banned brush pile banning.

The trails are in good shape.

The Cascades Brook is running, and there is a bit of flow over the Cascades.

The Magnolia tree is ever closer to popping open this morning.

Happy Patriot's Day (Observed.)

More sunshine..... but there is still no rain

Another day of warmth and sunshine, but no rain, and no rain predicted for the near future either.

The plants are all popping.
The magnolia's huge buds have burst quite suddenly.
Sprouts of trout lily, day lily and the like are popping up.
Skunk cabbage like leaves are in low spots and along the banks of the brook.

The brook still flows, and the Cascades still have some water going over them.

Presently it is 9:54am with a light breeze.
The temperature is 54.7 degrees F and rising.
The humidity is 64% and falling.
The barometric pressure is 30.18" and steady.
There is no rain, and there has been no measurable rainfall for just over a week now (8 days back was 0.51")
As a result the USFS Forest Fire Danger Class is HIGH.

Yesterday saw a fair amount of traffic at the trailhead, with some folks parking on Olean Street.

Get out there and enjoy the weather on the trails!

Great Spring Saturday

As of 8:00am

A nice warm, sunny morning.

You will note plants are beginning to pop up in the woods and some of the earlier native plants and some of the invasive bushes are showing activity.

The trails are in decent shape, and there isn't too much mud to speak of.

The temperature is 55.5 degrees F and rising.
The humidity is 67% and steady.
The barometric pressure is 30.00" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Forest Danger Class is MODERATE.

There is flow in the Cascades Brook and a little bit of flow over the Cascades.

Nice day for a hike

The forestry job is over (they were here well into the afternoon).
At 7:45, it is 49 degrees and rising (it's gone up 10 degrees in the last hour).
48% humidity
Barometer is steady at 29.9 pounds of pressure
Fire danger is still HIGH.
The cardinal was singing his heart out this morning at 6 am!

Tree trimming

Should you come through Cascading Waters this morning, please don't be alarmed at the presence of men with chainsaws. A neighbor has asked to trim and cut some of the trees on CW which overhang his property. After much discussion (including with our GWLT forester), the trees they are taking and trimming are carefully marked and selected.

So they aren't taking everything down! Really, it's okay.

Also entertaining, if you're into people being up in trees!

The bloodwort is up!

A sure sign of spring!

These little white flowers are among the earliest forest bloomers. They bloom, in fact, before they get their leaves out. You'll find them all over Cascading Waters once they're all up. These I found out by our back stone wall; the ones under the tree cover are a little behind and will be up in a day or two.

A health note: as much fun as it is to pick off a flower or leaf, smear yourself with the red sap, and run around yelling, "I'm bleeding! I'm bleeding!" (thus the name), the sap is toxic and can destroy skin cells. So don't.

Beautiful day

The junior rangers are reporting today. They say that:
It is sunny and still a little chilly. It is getting warmer (and warmer and warmer...)
It is 55 degrees and 37% humidity
(pretty dry)
The barometer is flat (holding steady)
The fire danger is HIGH

The trail is good.
The waterfall is running and so is the brook.

Here is a bunny we found next to the tent platform last week. We didn't get a picture until after he hid under the platform, though:

Earlier Mornings

Well the tilt of the earth and the time change have brought us spring.
The lack of constant rain and snow clouds helps too.
There was light from the sun to be seen in the pre-dawn sky at 5am.
If you are up it makes returning to sleep pretty hard.

It is still early enough in the spring to freeze things overnight and so it did last night.

Presently it is 6:30am and clear.

30 degrees F and steady (wait for the sun to get things heated)
73% humidity and steady.
30.03" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Forest Danger Class is MODERATE.

The Cascade Brook is flowing, and there is some flow over the Cascades.
A jogger just passed by on the Cascades Trail with a dog.

Clear and Chilly

At 8:30 it is 42 degrees and rising (it's gone up ten degrees since I've been up!)
Clear and sunny with some wind
Fire danger is back down to LOW
Barometer is steady at 29.9 pounds of pressure
Cascades are running nicely!

Moments of Sun

Right now there are moments of sun in between the two storm systems.
It is warm out, wet, dripping, with lots of puddles.

As of 8:00 am:
The temperature is 48.6 degrees F and steady.
It is 98% humidity and steady.
The pressure is 29.50"of mercury and steady.
The USFS Forest Danger Class is NONE (Big surprise there!)

The trails are wet, soft, with puddles.

The 0.47" of rain that fell has primed the brook and the Cascades, which are seeing some flow.
Additional rains, particularly if they are heavy, should really get things cooking at the Cascades later today.

The birds are making the most of this lull in the storms.

Fun Observations

HAWK, with cargo.

Firstly, as I was heading south on Olean Street from the Reservoirs, I stirred up some wildlife.
There was a juvenile red hawk sitting in the brush by the side of the road eating a small rodent.
He was ok with cars passing by in the road, but a bike coming up the shoulder was closer than he was prepared to accept and it surprised him.
He grabbed his snack, and about two fist-fulls of dried leaves because of the sudden rush, and flew low across Olean Street to cover.
It was pretty funny to see a hawk flying with apparently with just a prized clump of dried oak leaves.

FOREST FIRE WARNING, note.

The other item of note is that the USFS Forest Danger Class is MODERATE/HIGH at the moment.
We are riding the line between the areas with Worcester North as HIGH and Worcester South as MODERATE.
I would think that todays rains and the rains to come will settle that back down again.
Nevertheless, the HIGH is something we haven't really seen this pretty dang wet spring.
So, the lesson: Don't play with matches in the woods, yesterday.

RAIN?

The rains we had this morning didn't amount to much.
The rain gauge didn't get enough to register.

Rain's a-comin

(those of us will allergies and colds will attest that a front is moving in!)

No rain yet, and the barometer is holding steady so far.
Overcast.
Current temperature at 9 am is 44 degrees
64% humidity

The brook is running briskly, as are the Cascades, and a weekend of rain will only make them more spectacular.

The Haze is Burning off into Another Nice Day

Presently it is 8:10 am and hazy with a hint of partial cloudy burning off as the sun rises.

The temperature is 51.8 degrees F and rising.
The humidity is 94% and steady.
The pressure is 30.03" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Forest Fire Danger Class is LOW.

Spring is arriving.
Crocuses pop up only to get rooted by the skunk's nibbling overnight.
We only get to see the colorful petals on the ground.
The moss is a very healthy green, and the grasses are trying to make a go of it.

The trails are in good shape.

Another nice one

Another clear spring day: get out and enjoy it!
At 7:30 it is 32 and rising
87% humidity with a few clouds
Barometer holding steady
Fire danger is MODERATE

The Cascades trail saw plenty of traffic yesterday: people, dogs, and a least one bike.

Another Nice Day

While as yet it is still cold outside, it is clear, and looking pretty good.

Presently it is 7:30am and clear with a light breeze.
The temperature is 34.0 degrees F and steady as yet (give the sun a chance!)
The humidity is 86% and steady.
The pressure is 30.33" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Forest Danger Class is MODERATE.

Expect soft trails with localized puddles and wetness.

Probably a good day for hike.

Bright, sunny, and warm

There is a gentle breeze and full sun drying out the forest.
The lawn has been wet enough and warm enough to have developed into a large sheet of moss out in front of the Lodge.

The song birds have begun to move back into the neighborhood from the songs we heard this past weekend.

Presently it is 8:45am.
The temperature is 39.4 degrees F and rising.
The humidity is 83% and falling.
The pressure is 30.30" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Forest Danger Class is LOW.

The trails should be soft today with spot puddles.

So far traffic on the trail has been light this morning.

Damp

A damp, but not rainy, morning. There was also no rain last night
A very happy golden retriever just bounded up the trail ahead of his people!

It's 40 degrees at 11:30.
85% humidity
Barometer holding steady today (looks like the clouds are trying to clear, too)
Fire danger is LOW

Cloudy, wet, dripping, but not raining.... right now

Presently it is 10:00am and cloudy with no breeze.
Since midnight we have had 0.20" of rain on top of yesterday's 0.75".
Everything is wet and there is much dripping from branches but no active rain.

The Cascades Brook is full and running.

The Cascades are quite attractive with a curtain of white water and several ribbons of white rushing water across the rock face.

The temperature is 42.4 degrees F and steady.
The humidity is 98% and steady.
The barometric pressure is 29.80" and steady.
The USFS Forest Danger is LOW.


All trails are wet, muddy and soft, so please be careful as you hike not to promote erosion by straying from a trail to avoid puddles.

Lots of Rain Means a Full Brook and Running Cascades

It is 7:52 pm,
42.4 degress F and steady,
98% humidity and steady,
29.68" of mercury and falling.

Today we have had 0.75" of rain.

The Cascades Brook is full, though not quite at flood stage.
The small dams of leaves and twigs made by the spring floods have filled up into pools of water.
The brook is white with the movement of water.

Meanwhile, at dusk, the Cascades are readily apparent as a bright white of moving and foaming water coming down the dark rock face of the hill in low light.
It is as if the moving water is luminous.

A few more days of this and we might just manage to get the brook to flood stage and the Cascades really running!

Everything is wet and muddy.

The low pressure of the storm and the burgeoning allergy season are an interesting mix for the sinuses.

Let the rains begin

Presently it is 7:35am and overcast, raining, and the air is pretty still.
It is 34.7 degrees F and steady,
It is 88% humidity and steady;
It is 30.09" of mercury and falling;
The USFS Forest Danger Class is LOW.

Since midnight there has been 0.31" of rainfall and it is still falling.
The National Weather Service and the Regional radar show rain in a band from the midwest to Massachusetts that will be over us all weekend long.

There is so much water up in the wetland at the top of the Cascades that pretty much any rainstorm can energize the Cascades Brook and the Cascades. Right now they are running gently and I fully expect them to continue and to increase as the weekend progresses.

The ground is definitely, fully muddy and very soft.

Be careful out there as these are the conditions that lead to soil erosion. This would be a particularly sensitive period that bars mountain bikes.

Rain Coming!

According to the National Weather Service there will be rain starting from tonight after 3am until Monday morning on and off every day.

Pull in the laundry and some firewood.
Throw the tarps over any equipment.

Pull out the mucking boots.

The clouds are over Pennsylvania on the radar map.

Presently it is 4:53pm and it is:
50.5 degrees and steady,
28% humidity and steady,
30.24" of mercury and falling.

Bright, sunny, and promising warmth

Presently it is bright and sunny here at 8:00am
The temperature is 30.2 degrees F and steady.
54% humidity and steady
30.39" of mercury and steady.
The USFS Forest Danger is LOW.

There is no breeze to speak of.

The ground did lightly freeze last night helping make the trail less soft this morning especially after all of that rain we had.
It is supposed to get very warm today.
That will be very pleasant, but will also reveal portions of trail that are very soft to muddy.

There is some flow in the Cascades Brook and there is some water coming off of the Cascades.

Clear skies after the storm

Did you catch those thunderstorms last night? They were really quite something! Here at the Lodge, the thunder bounces off the ledge by the falls, so it really echoes.

Clear skies this morning. Looks like a lovely day.
At 10:30, it's 40 degrees. 47% humidity.
Barometer is still rising with 30 so far.
Fire danger (as of yesterday) is LOW.
Quite a bit of wind.

If it continues to warm up, you'll want to watch out for muddy areas of the trail. A stroll down the Holden trail yesterday afternoon was more of a skip and a jump in spots. All the little brooks along the old Cataract Street cartpath are babbling and burbling, however. And the falls are quite something this morning. Go for a walk!

Wet, cloudy, and warm

Since last night we have 0.20" of rainfall.
Last night we had 0.35" of rainfall.

As a result the Cascades Brook and the Cascades have a bit more life and flow in them.

Presently it is 7:35am and
the temperature is 54.3 degrees F and steady,
the humidity is 98% and steady,
the pressure is 29.91" of mercury and falling, and
the USFS Forest Danger class is LOW.

Things are decidedly muddy and the ground didn't freeze overnight.
Pockets of rain over today seem likely from the radar map.

Red Skies at Morning

March may not go out like a lamb today, but the sunrise was spectacular this morning if you caught it around 6:30! (Cascading Waters)

We have already had a number of hikers moving through this morning.

Presently it is 7:25am and partly cloudy with a light breeze.
The temperature is 29.8 degrees and rising.
The humidity is 79% and steady.
The pressure is 30.50" and steady.
The USFS Forest Fire Danger is MODERATE.

Bikers have also been moving up and down Olean Street.

Folks look to be getting in their exercise outdoors before the predicted weather system gets a chance to swing in.

Warm weather, sun, all that is missing are leaves!

The time now is 2:08pm and it is sunny and warm:
The temperature is 48.0 degrees F and rising;
The humidity is 35% and steady;
The pressure is 30.56" of mercury and steady;
There is a light breeze.

We have been having hikers move through all day.

The moss is decidedly green and I would begin to expect buds and leaves in our near future if this keeps up!

There are spots of mud and occasional puddles, but on the whole most trails are fairly dry.

Sunny and cold

Just met a student photographer in the driveway, taking advantage of the sun to get some nature photos in. Good luck to him!

Today it is brilliantly sunny and clear.
Temperature at 1 pm is 34 degrees with a breeze
54% humidity, and the snow didn't accumulate enough to count.
Barometer is still rising at 30

Nice day for a hike, but bundle up, especially if you are heading up the hill!

and a not-so-warm spring day

...though we have avoided the snow!

at 2:30, it is 33 degrees, and still playing the line between freezing and not.
94% humidity and .24 inches of rain so far today.
Not currently raining.
Barometric pressure steady at 29.

Cold and wet. We even had a bit of sleet earlier.

Warm Spring Day

The fifty degree day is very very welcome.
Too bad it is clouding over with a threat of rain in the air.
That's spring for you.

Right now it is 1:25pm and:
50.4 degrees F and rising;
38% humidity and steady;
29.94" of mercury and steady;
USFS Forest Fire Danger is MODERATE.

Enjoy the warmth!
There is a fair amount of soft and muddy ground out there after last night's freeze. Be prepared for muddy spots.

Snow? Again?

We woke up this morning to just a dusting of...snow? again?

Ah, well.

At 9am, the brook is running fast and a Junior Ranger reports that the trail is "muddy." Only a bit, though, as it again froze overnight.
Current temperature is 39 degrees and rising
90% humidity and raining gently
Accumulation so far today is .04 inches
Barometer holding steady at 29

Cascading Waters Property Monitoring Report

The good, the bad, and the ugly are all laid bare in a property monitoring report.
Without this sort of honest analysis it is impossible to fix problems and to improve the user experience of the public access and wildlife on Trust parcels.
When you come out and have a genuinely lovely day along the brook know that there is a gritty work side for the Rangers and Volunteers over the course of the year to make that experience possible.

March 25th, 2008
Started out at the Lodge at 4:00 pm ended at 5:30pm.

Route: Walked north along the boundary line to the SW corner with Cataract Street, then N along Cataract Street to the NW corner, then E along the property line (excepting the swamp in the NW corner) to the property jog half way along the N boundary line, crossed the stream and walked E on the Cascades Trail to the driveway entrance, then walked N to the NE corner on Olean Street, then W back to the jog halfway along the N bound, then S on the Olean Street edge to the SE corner, then W along the boundary line to the Lodge. Walked back and forth along the N side of the Cascades Brook.
Evidence of Property Use: Good amount of trail traffic based on the lack of leaf litter. Purple compact 'clown car' of five-six high school youth who hiked west on trail while monitoring. They came to hang out, one of them smoking illicit stuff, one of them needed to be chased off (actually just a yelled "Hey!") from relieving himself in the brook in broad daylight (completely aggravating). They were surprised and quickly altered behavior when confronted from a distance. Compared to the typical actual hikers as users we see each day I have to say that this was dispiriting, but I was glad to be there and to stop this ridiculousness. They mostly hung out and watched the falls then went and sat in their car in the parking lot for a while. They left no litter and cause no further problems.
Man Made Alterations: There was loose brush that was cut and thrown over onto the property in the NW, but not a ton of it and thankfully so. Not sure what best to do on this count. Generally the property was free of alterations. The small trees and bushes planted over the last two years were still present and showing life to some degree.All in all pretty good.
Natural Alterations: The brook has had a number of flood and near flood stages and the whole of the property shows evidence of it. There are cleared paths lacking leaf litter where overland streams flowed, mostly in the SW and NE corners of the property. There are evidences of erosion on the brook edges from the high flow. There is evidence of high wind with a number of blown down trees (like over five and some quite large.) The secondary branch of the brook that runs more northerly after the mini falls on the property is looking like it got flow and like it might become the main branch if we keep getting these big rain storms at some point. The property is changing with the brook thinking about new routes. There are also shelves of leaf and sticks piled up by floods that now retain pools of water in the brook.
Trail Conditions: Good overall. No terrible trail erosion spots. No mud holes. The rise on the western terminus next to the brook and the bridge could probably benefit from a hand rail at some point if that were possible. Blazes were good.
Water Related Issues: None of any particular concern.
Abutter Issues: Construction debris and yard waste present, but mostly removed by the end of the monitoring walk.
Property Signage: The boundary line could use posting with GWLT bound markers. That would likely help keep construction debris and yard waste down from hired hands. Also could benefit from a property sign on Cataract Street both for Cascading Waters and for Cascades Park.
Wildlife Observed: Sad to say none. That was partly due to my single-minded focus on finding and bagging trash though. There was a great Pileated Woodpecker I got to see fairly close this morning up at Cascades West, but nothing on the monitoring walk.
Plants Observed: Tons of plants observed! See below.
Woody Plants: Red Maple, Ash, Norway Maple, Sugar Maple, Shagbark Hickory, the Balsam Fir and White Pine Planted a whiles back on the bound line. There was more but I didn't make a list so this is what I recall.
Non Woody: Not much observed to be honest. It is too early in the spring for a lot of that stuff.
Other Comments: Lots of trash was collected during the walk. 4 large bags in all. Still need to go back and work away at the 10 year old + green carpet half-buried on the N boundary line near the NW corner. All obvious trash was removed from the whole of the property including the brook. Collected the most trash along the two street edges. Collected a fair amount of trash next to the three residential abutters and in particular a lot of building debris overflow on the N property line. Plenty of evidence of alcohol consumption on the Cataract Street edge N of the bridge over the Cascades. Some other evidence of illicit activity there as well. Might consider a monitoring device. Found a "No Parking 10pm-6am Both Sides" sign pulled down and half buried. Dug it out and propped it up.
Photos: None taken. None needed.
Annotated Map: No.
Illustrations: No.
Work Project Needed: Dig a new hole, get some concrete and reinstall the abused "No Parking" at night sign for Cataract Street. Install GWLT property boundary signs.

Out like a lamb?

This is the last week of March, and, while we've been lucky in our lack of storms, it's a bit too chilly to say it's really going out like a lamb. It's below freezing every night lately.

At 8 am, it's 26 degrees and rising.
50% humidity
Clear skies, with the barometer holding steady
Fire danger is MODERATE (not enough rain lately?)

Busy day on the trails lately: kids up on the Cascades, hikers, and at least one biker. Cars in and out of the parking lot all day.

Enjoy the sun!

Another Sunny Day in the Cascades

8:30am along the Cascades Trail
There is a very gentle breeze.
The temperature is 28.0 degrees and rising;
The pressure is 30.18" of mercury and steady;
The humidity is 50% and falling;
The USFS Forest Fire Danger is NONE.

The trail is frozen as yet.
The brook is running, and the Cascades have some flow.
The radar map promises an excellent day out here.

Lots of hikers

Lots of hikers coming through today.
Both on foot from the neighborhood and in vehicles.

The utility shed got a new temporary (4 mil) roof today.

Presently it is 6:15pm and clear with a light breeze:
It is 38.7 degrees F and falling;
It is 31% humidity and steady;
It is 29.74" of mercury and steady.

Sunny with a breeze

Right now it is sunny with a breeze, but nothing like the crazy winds we had yesterday.
Those winds shredded the temporary plastic sheeting on top of the utility shed.
We all needed another project anyway.

Yesterday I was out on the property pulling down the old subdivision flagging from years back, and the wetlands flagging from over a year back.
Since the property is well protected now, and a new surveyed plan is recorded, there is no reason to keep the lot lines proposed for the subdivision by the previous developer.
The wetlands lines were part of defense of the waterways, wetlands, and natural resources of the site while adjacent development was going on.
Since those flags only have a legal validity for a number of months and the adjacent development is completed there is no reason to keep that up anymore either.
Since all of this flagging was "defensive" in one way or another it is great to be able to pull it down with comfort that the challenges have receded.

The neat part is that now the trees, bushes, and stream are the focal point and not the pink, orange, blue flagging tape on trees.
A definite plus!

Right now it is 10:05am and we have hikers.
The temperature is 35.4 degrees F and rising.
The humidity is 40% and steady.
The pressure is 29.77" mercury and steady.
The USFS Forest Fire Danger is NONE (They worked out the kinks in posting.)

While walking the property it is clear that there is need of a litter patrol before the vegetation leafs in. Among the weirder items removed yesterday was the inflatable tube and a green inside-out umbrella.

On a more positive note a number of the trees and bushes planted in previous years are out there and still alive. In particular there are a number of Balsam fir and White pine planted for screening in some far distant day that have made it through their second and first years respectively.

The brook is running with icicles hanging off of low branches and sticks and the Cascades have a little flow as well.

Junior Ranger reports

A junior ranger's trek to the mailbox gives us the following report:
"It's cold and sunny. The brook is running fast. The trail is very frozen. I saw squirrels."
She would also recommend wearing a coat!

At 10 am, it's 33 degrees
Clear and sunny
47% humidity and very windy
Unless conditions have changed, fire danger is LOW

Hawk sighting

This just in from Caretaker at the Lodge:
"I was walking up from Olean Street after fetching the paper when my eyes caught a big white swoop in front of and before me. The full sized hawk went about ten feet over my head and swooped up to land in a branch some 12-15 feet up in a tree. He had noted me as he went by and turned nonchalantly to watch me pass directly underneath him. It didn't phase him in the least. He did not have a strongly "red" tail. Once in the Lodge I watched him swoop low above the front lawn before landing in a tree over by the Cascades Trail to look for unsuspecting birds, mice, etc. It was pretty wild to have such a large bird moving by so close. After last night's skunk and looking out over the very green carpet of moss out front I cannot help but feel that nature is waking up to the fact that this is the vernal equinox and spring is here!"

Wet, cloudy, but hopeful

Presently it is 7:30am and cloudy.

Last night it rained as much as all of yesterday, so add another 0.39" to the mix.

It is 36.3 degrees F and steady.
It is a very damp 98% humidity and steady.
The pressure is at 29.26 and falling.
The radar map shows clearer skies coming in.


The Cascades Brook is full and the Cascades are running.

There is no getting around the fact that the trails are muddy, especially and we didn't get a ground freeze last night. Wear muck wear and keep to the trails even if they are muddy, lest you damage the surrounding woodlands. This trail etiquette was offered by the Godfather of the East Side Trail the other day and it is entirely appropriate to the season.

Snow isn't gone yet

We did get some snow last night, which is quickly being washed away by cold showers. That smell of thawing is still in the air, though! Wear your waterproofs if you head out today.

At 9am it is 33 degrees
90% humidity (light rain)
Rain accumulation is too small to measure as yet
Barometer is still falling

UPDATE 12:14pm
Though this seems crazy with snow falling last night, and rain today,
the USFS lists the Forest Fire Danger as MODERATE.
My guess is that it was right up until the skies opened and that tomorrow it will be low or none.

UPDATE 11:00pm
At 10pm a skunk was wandering across the driveway. He headed off of the driveway and headed east going up the Cascades Trail towards the bridge.

Today saw 0.39" of rain
Also the USFS got things worked out and today's Forest Fire Danger Class was LOW.
That makes much moire sense.

Presently it is 34.9 degrees F and steady;
It is 98% humidity;
The pressure is 29.47" of mercury and falling.

Spring is coming!

One of the junior Rangers here said it this morning: "Spring is coming!" You can smell it in the air.

Still rather brisk out there this morning, but at least the mud is consequently frozen!

At 9:20 it is 34 degrees and rising.
43% humidity
Clear skies and barometer is steady.
Fire danger is LOW

Sunshine and Wind

8:30 am here at the Lodge.

The wind is constant with occasional gusts.
Presently it is 26.8 degrees F and steady.
Usually the sun warms things up nicely but the wind is helping to keep the temperature down by blowing away the solar gain. Hang in there the sun always wins.
The humidity is 53% and steady.
The barometer is 30.27" of mercury and rising (implying more good weather to come!)
The USFS Forest Fire Danger is NONE.


The blades of grass have a suspiciously greener look to them, as does the moss.
Thursday at 1:48pm is when the sun crosses the equator and we have Vernal Equinox.
Spring is very nearly here.
What snow remains look like it has been orphaned.

It is worth noting that at present the ground is still frozen solid.
Get you hike in early enough and you can avoid the mud.

Pleasant, if Cloudy Day

Fair amount of traffic at the Cascades up on Cataract Street.
Some traffic here at the trailhead as well.

Presently it is 1:35pm;
It is 40.6 degrees F and rising;
75% humidity and steady;
29.85" of mercury and steady;
The USFS Forest Fire Danger is NONE.

The ground is wet, but not nearly as muddy and boggy as last week.
There are a few isolated spots of snow and ice but they are fairly infrequent.

There is some water coming down the Cascades and the Brook continues to babble.

UPDATE 4:10pm:
The trail traffic and sightseers at the Cascades continue all day long despite the cloudiness.
A very excellent thing to see!

Presently it is 42.8 degrees F and rising;
It is 65% humidity and falling;
It is 29.85" of mercury and steady.

Snow, rain, wind and..... a hike!

This morning there is a hike from the Lodge starting at 9am that is a joint MassAudubon GWLT endeavour.

Presently it is 8:13am snowing,
33.8 degrees F and steady;
97% humidity and steady;
29.59" of mercury and steady;
and USFS Forest Fire Danger is LOW.

9:00am UPDATE:
The hike was called off by MassAudubon on account of the weather.
The hike will be rescheduled.
Presently it is 33.8 degrees F;
97% humidity and steady;
29.62" of mercury and steady.

The brook is babbling, and there is a little flow on the Cascades.

10:10am UPDATE:
The snow that was not predicted has now blanketed the woods.
34 degrees is pretty marginal for snowfall, but there it is, and it was cold enough last night where it stuck and built up.
Yesterday's 50 degrees and brief moments of sun are just a memory.

There are few spots of snow from earlier in the winter here and there, but even they are looking modest like memories.

A nice, warm, and cloudy day next to the brook

The rain never manifested today.
Thus we had a warm in the 50's day.

Today also saw another crew head out to boil sap at Nick's Woods led this time by Joanne.
The buckets were at the overflowing point and she simply couldn't bear to think of the lost opportunity.

Presently it is muddy but warm and decidedly cloudy at 6:41pm:
46.6 degrees F and falling;
51% humidity and steady;
29.71" of mercury and steady;
USFS Forest Fire Danger is LOW.

Sticky

While it continues to be below freezing at night, it is bouncing back up in the forties each day. The trails, therefore, are pretty sticky (except first thing in the morning). Dress your feet accordingly!
(plenty of "mud" tags lately!)

At 5 pm, it's 41 degrees
Clouds coming in; barometer falling
34% humidity

And, speaking as someone who did yesterday, I'd recommend against falling in the brook. It's rather chilly.

Waves of Rain and Snow

Back and forth all morning there have been waves of rain and snow.
Right now it is a thick and heavy layer of snow falling.
If the rest of the morning is any judge a layer of rain will follow and melt it all away.

Right now it is 11:58 am:
35.6 degrees F and steady;
96% humidity and steady;
29.47" of mercury and falling.

While at the moment there is a blanket of snow generally the trails are just wet with patches of compacted ice from the storms going back a ways.

Dusting of snow

It was just cold enough this morning to give us a bit of snow before it switched over to mist.
33 degrees
95% humidity
The precipitation was small enough not to register.
Fire danger is LOW

Tubing?!

Ok, so someone is feeling pretty ridiculous.

Inflating a tube and throwing it in the Cascades Brook? In March?

It hung up just below the small falls in the midst of Cascading Waters.

Whoever was looking for attention, well, you got it.

Another Bright, Clear, Cold Morning

As of 7:45 am it is bright, clear and cold.
The temperature is 22.3 degrees F and steady;
The humidity is 56% and steady;
The pressure is 30.06" of mercury and steady;
The USFS Forest Fire Danger is LOW.

These are the perfect conditions for maple sugaring.
Nights below freezing, and warm days over freezing.
The buckets out at Nick's Woods should fill up nicely for Roger tonight.

Above is a picture of a dedicated Volunteer Ranger keeping an eye on the 'high tech' boiling operation in the woods.

Presently the ground has refrozen, and will turn to mud.
The Cascades are running with a good coating of ice around the edges.

We had hikers here yesterday admiring the Cascades.

Having gotten later into the season, with the sun rising at a higher angle at this time of day we are getting the bright reflection of the sun off of Cook's Pond again up here in the Lodge. The time change has also filled more of the working day with sun. Spring is marching our way.

With any luck we will get the 'run-down' mailbox back up and in operation today.

Maple Sugaring at Nick's Woods

As a side note the Greater Worcester Land Trust has been tapping and sugaring sugar maple trees at the Nick's Woods property in North Worcester (there is a large sign on Rte. 122A.)

Saturday the stage was set by Roger, Mike, Kim, and Bob (with critical technical assistance from Richard) with tapping and hanging buckets (in the rain no less.)
Sunday afternoon saw the first boil of the season led by Roger.
Today I worked with a crew to boil down some 6 plus large galvanized buckets of sap.
Tonight we were boiling that down further to "finish" the syrup on the stove.

Final result: 2 quarts of Worcester's own Maple Syrup!

This is our third year of making maple syrup here in Worcester and the results never fail to amaze me.

Presently the Lodge smells nice and the refrigerator is chilling it down.

Clear, Cold, Frozen Ground

After yesterday's "mud day" it went down real low last night.
It was 21 degrees and rising when we first took a look this morning.

Presently it is clear with a wind at 8:45 am:
23.7 degrees F and rising;
58% humidity and steady;
30.21" of mercury and steady;
USFS Forest Fire Danger is LOW.

Yesterday saw hikers come through to view the Cascades running strong.
All of the rain and warmth has limited but not eliminated the slick icy spots.
The overnight freezes add to the mix, but it is still easier than the large extents of packed snow turned to ice.

The Cascades are running with iced edges due to spray and the brook is moving fast with icicles in spots.

It is a beautiful day.

High pressure system

(as some of us can attest from our sinuses!)

At 11 am (thank you, Daylight Savings!) it is 33 degrees
Clear skies and barometer still rising
48% humidity
Very windy
Bundle up if you're heading out

The Cascades are spectacular this morning!

Lots of water

Rain over today: 1.15 inches!

And the falls are ROARING!

Rainy day

While we already saw one enthusiastic golden lab go through with a walker this morning, we're imagining that there won't be many more today. While it is not actively raining now, it did quite a bit last night (.35 inches) and will again later.
Right now it's 35 degrees.
98% humidity
Cloudy skies

There's very little snow cover left, but LOTS of mud!
And the Cascades are roaring this morning.

Hikers Report from the Trails

(this warmer weather is bringing everyone out!)

A hike late yesterday of the Newton Trail showed it in good shape. There's a bit of mud scaling the hill, but nothing insurmountable. The brook is in full spate and quite a fun crossing.

Connecting to the Cascades trail to head down to the Lodge, we quickly discovered that even the switchback spur is a difficult, slithery descent. The mud, the leaves, the rapidly disappearing snow cover all combine with the steep slope to make it a tricky, possibly muddy, hike (slide?) down.

(This is especially true if you're under four feet tall!)

Unless you're really up for this, we'd recommend descending the Cascades trail from the other end!

Mud season

It looks as though we've just reached mud season. Plan your footwear accordingly!

At 2pm, it's 46 degrees (it's been rising today).
Lowest humidity in some time: 55%
And the clouds are rolling in!

If you plan on hiking, get it in today if you can, as it looks to be a wet weekend!
On the other hand, if we get as much rain as they're forecasting, the Cascades should be spectacular by Sunday!

Downed in the line of duty

You may note the absence of our friendly green mailbox at the end of the driveway.

Fear not! Vandals have not gone after it!

It was downed in the line of duty this morning by a friendly carpooler, steering between the tree and erring on the side of the mailbox.

It might be down for a bit with the ground frozen.

Hikers Report from the Trails

Asked the hikers returning for a trails update:

Pretty icy up there!
And very wet in spots.

The streams are swollen enough where we had to do some fording of streams as well.

The Cascades are beautiful.

Really nice!

(NOTE: They were both hiking with poles)
Thanks Lee!

And then the Ground Froze

This morning we woke up to cold temperatures and a frozen ground.
As things were sopping wet and muddy yesterday this promises to be helpful, for the morning at least.

The phone is back. Thus we post from the side of the brook again.
Probably some technical problems down at Tatnuck Square where there has been a round-the-clock encampment of Verizon folks for several days now.

Presently it is 8:07 am and sunny:
It is 33.6 degrees F and rising;
It is 74 % humidity and falling;
The mercury is at 30.06" and rising;
The USFS Forest Fire Danger is LOW;
The radar map for the North East is clear.

We have hikers out there this morning!
A very pretty day for it.

The brook is swollen, but not nearly as much of a rushing torrent as yesterday, and the Cascades are running, but more subdued.

Good day for a hike.
If you are out early focus on traction, and if you head out later focus on waterproof.

The Weather Breaks

The sun is out.
There is a wind.
The earth is drying out.

And the phone has no chance at being repaired before Saturday at the earliest.

Break out the oil lamps!

Lots of Rain!

Lots of rain..... and no phone service.
No phone service, No internet.
No internet, No Blog entry from the Lodge.

I have to say that it's funny, the Lodge is definitely in the city, and in a neighborhood.
Heck, it is in between two streets!
Yet, it is also at the edge of hundreds and hundreds of acres of open forest.
It is on a trail, next to a brook, below the Cascades.
There are no buildings behind it.

When there is 6" of snow on the ground and no shovelling has taken place the lodge feels more remote and deeper into the forest.
When there is a shoveled path or trail, but it isn't possible to get the vehicle up to the lodge it is not quite as remote, but it requires a short hike uphill to get there and again feels a bit more in the forest.
In a strong wind and rain storm with trees falling around the house it is decidedly remote and sort of wild.
Loss of electricity, excitedly remote.
And now, a new wrinkle, no phone service.... remote.

The ability to call, to log-in, to chat is gone.
The place of the phone in tying you into the world is pretty big, and pretty noticable when you are on a psychological fringe of the forest.
It is unexpected, exciting, and a project to fix.
It is also a cell phone deadspot for most carriers.

Yesterday we had 0.51" of rain.
As of 9:00 am we had another 0.59" of rain.

There is still snow on the ground, though a fairly thin layer that all but disapears when you step on it.
The brook has swollen well beyond its banks (there are smaller trees in the brook.)
The Cascades are definitely running, and have some volume!
The northern side channel of the brook has water, but no flow as yet.

As for the trail, it is in fine shape, and is very visible.
Traction is key, and waterproof is next in line for priorities.
Tricky spot is the rise from Cascading Waters to Cataract Street where is is slick and icy and right next to the brook.
As the ground is pretty frozen and snow covered head in away from the brook bank and walk on the snow, as it is safer and won't expand the trail or erode away the ground cover.

As of 9:00 am the conditions were cloudy, but no rainfall:
35.4 degrees F and steady;
98% humidity and steady;
29.47 " of mercury and still falling.

The Cascades are quite nice and the Visitors Parking Area is open and clear.

Spring weather

I'll spare you the truism about New England weather and how fast it changes. Suffice to say the enormous amount of snow that we got on Saturday is rapidly disappearing ('though I'd say the snowbanks will be sticking around for awhile).

Great day for a hike, if you don't mind getting a bit damp (looks like rain on and off all day) and have mud-resistant footwear. And watch out for the occasional patch of ice: it's sent more than one person sprawling already here this morning!

At 12:30 it is 44 degrees.
97% humidity and misting.
Barometer holding steady.

Heading up today

The forecast calls for the temp to head up into the forties today. If that happens, we should have some good melting going on, taking care of some of that ice that has formed over the weekend.
At 7:45, outside temperature is 24 degrees.
74% humidity.
Skies are a bit overcast, but, as the barometer is rising, those clouds should be heading out.

Hikers!

First and foremost the visitors lot is open (Thanks for the help Karl!.)

Yesterday we had three groups of hikers going through (that we noted; there could have been more.) Today also saw three groups pass through the trailhead.

Yesterday, after the snow fell, and we shovelled, and shovelled, it got really warm and the previously fluffy snow compacted. We never got a good read on the depth. The National Weather Service registered 5.5" up at the airport (the record being 6.9" in 1904, so close but no cigar), and we will just have to go with that.
Then we retired to the lodge for lunch. So it snowed some more. The executive decision was made that we'd just let it be. Luckily it was only a short squall and didn't amount to much and the sun took care of that.

As is typical lately it immediately froze solid last night after a good period of melting. Expect slick spots on the trails mixed into the snow.

Tomorrow promises to be very warm. Play hokey and jump on the trail!

Presently it is 9:00 pm:
26.6 degrees F and steady;
58% humidity and steady;
30.18" of mercury and rising;
USFS Forest Fire Danger is LOW.

The brook is running and fighting to keep doing so.

For the fun of it imagine all the snowfall we have had this season out on your lawn at once, all 68.2" of it! This year the snow is keeping us all in shape!

Snow Snow Snow!

There is at least three to four inches out there without even measuring.
It is coming down with an enthusiasm that implies even more!

We have already had activity in the Visitor lot this morning.

The trail is buried.

Presently it is 9:00 am and snowing:
26 degress F and steady;
91 % humidity and steady;
29.80" of mercury and falling;
USFS Forest Fire Danger is LOW.

We will get out there to measure the depths in a bit.