Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Getting closer to Mt Wachusett

I think this is the first time I can legitimately include Mt Wachusett in the map fragment. This goes along with my explorations honing in from the south. Well, on the topo map I had noticed this nice brook going up from the road (East Princeton Rd) leading to a little swamp, so I tried to get in there. These areas can be pretty impenetrable with the Mountain Laurel, so I found it easier to head up hill where there was less undergrowth. In the end I decided to finish climbing the little hill - you never know when you might find something up near the top, although most of my finds in this area have been down low near water. But I went up there anyway cuz the walking was easier and was rewarded:
I call this an "aperture" pile because of a deliberate (I guess) hole through the pile:This is looking out over the beginning of a gully, a few yards below the stone wall that runs across the hill but not quite over the highest point. I climbed up there too, but this seemed to be the location of interest. You would think this vantage point, with a clear shot at Wachusett only a few "feet" away would permit focusing on the mountain. But no, that aperture is pointing west-ish and not towards the mountain. So there is no obvious connection.

I was suspicious that this pile was in good shape and isolated. Never trust an isolated rock pile.
But if you look to the left in the above picture, there is tumbled second rock pile there. Facing back uphill:I am left with the impression that both piles are contemporary but that the well built aperture pile is a reconstruction. And a recent one at that.

2 comments :

Ted Hendrickson said...

Very cool pile. Of course it is just from looking at the photo, but does the pile look kind of recent? Something about the lack of lichen and minimal debris...

pwax said...

Absolutely it looks recent. Its broken-down companion looked considerably older.