Chapel Brook(Ashfield, Ma)

Chapel Brook, a nice, small preserve located in Franklin County Massachusetts offers hiking opportunities along tranquil Chapel Brook and up to Chapel Ledge, as well as other trails.

After crossing the road, a trail leads down to a series of waterfalls.  Chapel Brook was anything but tranquil after last night's heavy rains.  

Three successive falls can be viewed by following the banks of the creek.

Powerful cascading water.

After crossing back over the road, a trail begins to climb up through the woods.  Wooden steps help in a couple of the steeper areas.

From the base of Chapel Ledge looking up at the enormous 100 foot rock face.

A small clearing in the woods along the trail provides a glimpse out into a secluded house and meadow.

An old rock wall in the woods.

After a fairly short distance, you arrive at the Chapel Ledge and its views.

Although not a very high elevation, the views are still terrific.

Looking east.

Rock ledges.

A quiet, secluded home.

Pure, undisturbed country.

Looking down off the ledges.

Views along the ledges towards the nearby hills.

A nice spot to relax.

Through the trees.

From another ledge looking back at the main rock ledge.

A very rural area with a nice country house nestled into the hillside.

Here I am enjoying the views.

A very enjoyable, nearly perfect day.

Landis Arboretum and Schoharie Creek Preserve

Spring can be a challenging time of year, as the forecast changes hour to hour and town to town.  Mostly cloudy skies at home gave way to beautiful blue skies in Schoharie County, as I headed to Landis Arboretum in Esperence.  Landis is a well known destination in this region, known for its plant sales and beautifully landscaped gardens.  It is also, although unknown to many, a great place to hike.

There are nearly 4.5 miles of trails, most short and fairly easy for walking.

Much of the trails were very soggy and dep mud was unavoidable in many areas.

A relaxing spring day under "big red".

Near the Great Oak is a clearing with gorgeous pastoral views of rolling countryside.

A view from the clearing, down the hill.

Much of this area is rural and provides beautiful views of farm country.

The Great Oak, which is one of the highlights of any visit to Landis, was struck by lightning a couple of years ago and bares the scars today.

The green woods of springtime.

Spring time is an interesting time of the year to view the foliage in reverse.

Narcissus.

There were many volunteers on this day, working the gardens.

After hiking a couple of miles at Landis, I headed a little north to the Schoharie Creek preserve in the town of Charleston.  It is a fairly new preserve with a mile and a half of trails available.

Near the trail head is a large meadow with pleasant views.

The trail leads down to the banks of Wiley Creek, a peaceful ,babbling brook.

There are several, nice cascades to view from the trail.  You must leave the trail to get a better view of any of the falls.  The biggest waterfall is down a steep embankment and not easily viewed.

The trail eventually leads to the shores of Schoharie Creek.

This is a very secluded and quiet area along the river.  

Looking south.

Schoharie Creek flowing north, eventually emptying into the Mohawk River near Forth Hunter.

Reflections looking north towards the bend in the river.

Clermont State Historic Site

After taking a look at the forecast and seeing brighter skies to the south, I decided to head down to Clermont State Historical Site, located at the Columbia County/ Dutchess County line and located along the banks of the Hudson River.

The beautiful sprawling lawns are one of the main attractions to this site.

The Hudson River begins to widen appreciably in this section and views from the lawn are unbeatable.  Here is a nice view to the southwest with Saugerties on the opposite shoreline.

Plant life and wildflowers are really flourishing now.

The Catskill Mountains can be easily seen across the river as well.  Overlook Mountain and Plattekill Mountain are the main peaks to be seen.

The skies really began to clear out as the day wore out, affording even better views.

A lone fishing boat soaking in the beautiful spring day.

Seven generations of Livingstons lived on these grounds.  The mansion has been beautifully restored to its 1930's appearance.

The mountain view on a clear day such as this, inspired the name of the Livingston estate-"clear mountain".

Robert Livingston purchased a half million acres back in the 18th century and at one time around the Revolutionary War, owned every bit of land visible from their front steps.

What was once 13,000 acres, is now 502 acres of protected land, with up to 5 miles of trails available for hiking.

The gravel road leading to the mansion.  This is a popular venue for wedding and other various ceremonies.

There are many beautiful wildflowers to view at the estate.

The first lilacs I have spotted, with their wonderful aroma.

There are four formal gardens on the property, which can be accessed along the walking paths.

A barge heading up river.

This is a wonderful spot to enjoy a picnic, with plenty of tables, benches or rolling green lawns for relaxing.

Arryl House ruins can be seen along one of the old carriage roads.  This former mansion burned in 1909 and all that remains today are fragments of the brick and stone walls.

Another river view from the carriage road.

Early blossoms.

May's green landscape is very welcoming after the long, dormant winter.

Clearing skies.

Bees and dandelions.

A carriage road.  I walked in complete solitude on this day.  A very peaceful, easy walk.

More new blooms.

Swampy reflections.

The amount of new plant life is dizzying this time of year.  It is certainly a nice time to get out and about for a walk.  Walked about 2.5 miles total today on what turned out to be a very nice day.

Ended the day with a nice short paddle on Nassau Lake as the moon's beams reflected on the calm waters.