I'm more of a skater than an angler so I use any hike I can to check for ice. This week I went to Hammond Pond.
An easy walk on a wide trail leads through pretty forest to a wide spillway where you get a great look at Bloody Mountain. It's hard to say why someone would name a mountain Bloody Mountain. The youngsters who were with me were intrigued but they said we shouldn't stay too late in the day.
Ice is definitely trying to form. The boys whacked sticks as hard as they could to test it. A few loud cracking noises made exciting sound effects but also made it clear it's too early to start skating so we headed up the trail in search of mink or otter tracks along the brook.
The trail continues on a nice easy grade. We checked out an old scat that was full of bones and looked at liverworts with scaly patterns. The boys determined that Troll Skin is a better name than liverwort for the flattened, moss-like mats.
Although it's somewhat inconvenient for hikers and mountain bikers, the bridge being out over Black Brook was a good addition to our expedition. We easily forded it using what remains of a makeshift handrail strung by wire to some trees. There were a few large blowdowns that required some scrambling but we followed the trail all the way to the big open wetland at the end. There were deer trails everywhere. A good spot to go back for birding in the spring.
On the return we took the detour up to Bloody Pond. You have to pay close attention and follow the signs of footfall. The leaves and downed limbs made it easy to get off trail. You gain some elevation as you climb up and away from the stream. On the way up there's a nifty chimney through some boulders that made us think we were passing through a secret gate.
We had lunch on a nice knoll and headed back with a bushwhack down the stream and a second chance to see Hammond Pond. The side of the pond the trail follows was in the shade and the small hummocks along the edge looked like mysterious, dark islands. The ice looked thicker. We will definitely go back with skates as the temperature gets colder.
