November 26, 2019

  • Temp mid 50’s partly cloudy
  • Playlist Best of Sam the Sham, Rod Stewart (Great American Songbook)
  • Wompatuck State Park
  • Miles 8.7
  • Total time: 3hr 40min

Holly Pond at it’s best

South Field at southern most section of the park. If your interested in seeing deer this might be the place to go around sunset.

There are several of these make shift shelters scattered around the park. Not to weatherproof.

If this tree was around water it would be a great place for a wood duck to set up nesting. But it isn’t so good chance a woodpecker will use it. I remember being around 6-7 and my dad lifting me up to view baby woodpeckers in one similar. Funny how you can remember something like that and have no idea what you had dinner last night

Most likely this is what the early settlers found. At least some one along the line didn’t screw this stream up.

Didn’t see shit all day but then saw three of these in less than ten minutes

November 22, 2019

  • Temp: 55 clouds and some rain
  • Playlist: none Madeleine Peyroux Glen Campbell Michael Buble
  • Wompatuck State Park
  • Miles 7.3
  • Total time 2:35

I walk this route a lot changing it up when I get to the end of the park. On this day after checking 2 weather apps no rain for 3 hours. Of course one hour in it starts to rain. WTH? Just a little wet as it was light showers.

Wompatuck State Park is in Hingham MA. It consists of 3500+ acres. It is an outdoors enthusiasts dream. There are many, many walking/hiking trails/bicycle trails. Also there are several ponds for fishing/kayak/canoeing. 250 campsites.

I really like the park as you can hike on different trails each time you go. The trails you pick: asphalt or wooded. Unless necessary I avoid the asphalt.

A little history: Of course it got it’s name from American Indians. The government bought the land for storage of ammunition during WW2 which was stored in large and small bunkers displacing family farms. Evidence of the farms are noticeable from stonewalls, old water wells, foundations and fruit trees. Ammunition was transported from ships docked in the Back River by train going through downtown Hingham.

I grew up in Hingham, my father was in the USN and was stationed at the depot at the Back River where he met my mother.

Over some wet areas you will find boardwalks. Useful for both bicycles and walking

Stonewalls abound with-in the park from farms that were previous here. They are usually straight but sometimes conform to the land.

Hidden off the trail is ruins of an old house including a partial foundation and dump. Among the brush is this old frame from a baby carriage.

This is whats left of Woodpecker Pond. Originally a small creek/brook that was dammed upped with a large berm to make a road for patrols when the park was used for ammunition storage. The pond is slowly returning to a brook as the edges fill in and work back to the middle .

November 21, 2019

  • Temp: 40’s clouds and sun, calm
  • Playlist: none (head clearing today)
  • Bog walk – Hanson
  • Miles 6.2
  • Total time 2:25

This walk starts from home. Really don’t like walking on pavement but the first mile plus is on a sidewalk. Nothing interesting ever happens on a sidewalk, OK sometimes it happens. Once you get off the walk goes in and around old deserted cranberry bogs connected by a small woods trail. The larger bog has small trees growing in and the smaller has trees up to 8 feet as been non functional for many years.

Bog walk Hanson
Maquan Pond with the sun out. The pond is part of town owned Camp Kiwanee
Maquan Pond with clouds out.
Interesting algae on stagnant water.