Mix of sun and clouds . Decided on the Buzzy Brook Trails at Sunkhaze but to go the long way round to see the falls Faith and told us about. I pulled into a drive next to the falls and broke through some ice to mud below. The ice was quite thick and I could move neither forward nor back but only spray up mud all over the front of the car. As I was trying to figure a way out of this dilemma a man in a truck stopped. He didn't have a chain but offered to go to his house and get one. While waiting a took a picture of the falls which are pretty as described.
The man returned quickly because he was able to borrow a chain from a man who lived nearby and helped us out of the ice. We thanked him profusely , cleaned the mud off the windows, and proceeded onward. In the past we had never bothered to stop at Ash Landing because it is shown as a very short trail but saw a gated forest service road and thought that might be it and decided to check it out.
After a short distance the trail ended. We couldn't tell if it was a large pond or marsh but did not seem to be a stream and we didn't see a way around it and turned back after Kelley had a swim.
Further along the road we came to an actual parking lot and thought this must be Ash Landing. We parked and started off along a short trail that had another short trail off to the left leading to a stream and a information kiosk about wetlands.
Back to the original trail we found that it soon ended in woods and we returned to the parking area to head for the Buzzy Brook Trails.
After not driving very far we came to a gate and found the road had been closed ( it's apparently a private road). Ok- we will drive back and come at the trails the way we usually do by going up Rte. 2, not imagining that access to the NWR would be blocked. But a short distance up the Stud Mill Road we found another gate and we could not get to Buzzy Brook. We gave up on the refuge for today and headed back toward home. On the way we stopped in Old Town and walked around for 45 minutes before continuing homeward.
Just one of those days that don't go the way you planned them to go.
No questioning looks from Kelley? She remained remarkably quiet through all of this.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I am so sorry your introduction to the Falls was so... muddy! That's the kind of thing I worry about, being out alone, but people are nice and that area (further along the road by the Falls)is surprisingly populated. Are you reporting some roads that are usually open into the Refuge were closed?
ReplyDeleteHi John - she was on the back floor while I was trying to get the car out - not too happy.
ReplyDeleteHi Faith- Yes, people are nice - not the first time someone has come to my rescue. There is a section of the Studmill Road - marked on the map above that is closed- can't get to the Buzzy brook Trails. You can still access those off County Road. Do you know anything about the Ash Landing trail?
ReplyDeleteNo, I have never entered the Refuge from the Stud Mill Road! I have repeatedly taken Oak Point and Carter Meadow and another unmarked trail that I cannot find a picture of and I do not remember where it is in relation to the other two. I have a booklet "Tales of Sunkhaze" published in 2003 by the Friends of SNWR-- Old Timers' stories of being in that area. There are two theories about the name: Indians gathered ash there for baskets or it was a landing for logs waiting to go down the Stream to the River. All long before the Stud Mill Rd. I will have to seek it out. Faith
ReplyDeleteAlso- the Ashe Family from Bradley were the loggers with their horses, hence "Ash" Landing; perhaps it is supposed to be Ashe.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information Faith- If I had to guess I would think the family name had something to do with it.
ReplyDelete