OUR COMMENTS - SEPTEMBER,
1997
We just returned from a summer visit in early August to our mountain forest, having spent a week at the nearby Sunday River ski resort as participants at the biennial meeting of the Appalachian Trail Conference. Clear skies were present during the week and we enjoyed incredible views of the valley and nearby Mount Washington from Joe's Ledges near our summit. We made one exploration of the interior and inspected water bars constructed two years ago to control skid road erosion. We were impressed that our handiwork was still functioning after two years of spring and fall floods.
We finally were able to hike to the base of the high cliffs in the center of the property, as discussed in our last "Comments" column, and found lots of rock outcroppings suitable for bear dens. There is still a considerable portion of that tract left for future exploration. Growth in all of the open areas has been phenomenal during the past three years and the old skid roads are becoming difficult to locate. The log landing near the front of the property was an open clearing when we first saw this forest property in 1993. That clearing is to be the site of our home or cottage some day and is now being overtaken by young birch and six foot tall aspens. I have a lot of work for next spring.
During this visit we joined a number of ATC members for a seventeen mile canoe tour on the Androscoggin River from the Shelburne Dam to Bethel, Maine. From the river's fast moving waters we were able to gain another perspective of our First Mountain, as its cliff face dominated the river valley on the first section of the tour. The Androscoggin shoreline has been preserved and protected from development, not as a result of anyone's foresight, but because of the river's history as one of America's most industrially polluted rivers. We hope that the river can continue to be protected from shoreline development now that its waters are designated class B, and swimming is possible. As a testament to the river's new health, we were privileged to observe a bald eagle, an osprey, several great blue herons and king-fishers, and a moose on our paddling journey.
I'll be going back to the property in September, after attending the Granite State Woodlot and Wildlife Management Course in southern New Hampshire, and the next "Owner's Comments" will be posted after that visit.
Larry
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