Sarah Kohler (MA)

Sarah Kohler has some interesting photos and a video presentation (that I don't know how I missed until now) you can find here: http://www.wikistones.org/

and here: https://vimeo.com/153282149

West side of Baralock Hill, Groton

I call it "Badacook Hill" in the video, because of a pond nearby.

Ice covered stone wall

I see the snake head too, Tim. I'm just not sure it is deliberate. This wall starts below at a wetland, comes straight uphill to here, near a fold in the hill with a bit of moisture. Also near the fold: the ending of another wall perpendicular to this first one.

Last weekend it was a bit slippery over southwest of Horse Hill.

Closer

Appetizer

Coming up: what is that in the distance [you need to click in to magnify]?

Traces of ceremony - another bit of Hopkinton State Park

I thought a first walk after the snow would be better to the south, and picked an un-explored piece of Hopkinton State Park: the headwaters of a couple brooks at the northeast foot of Saddle Hill:

I found a small mound at the lower left edge of the large red outline, and a seat/enclosure in the middle of the lowest red outline. The blue outlines marked where I could cross the road without being in someone's yard. The outlines to the right did not get visited as I went, instead, to visit the "picnic" sites just east of there. The impulse to go to where the water starts was correct and, had I been systematic, would have brought me eventually to those main 'picnic' site. But I knew about that and was interested in the bits of woods west of the main road.

Minor finds:

I would have missed this except my plan called for skirting the wet areas and so I turned slightly here and, at that point, noticed a small mound.

I was having a conversation with myself about how I did not need to see the pile because my feet brought me to it anyway and it is easier to notice things when you are stepping on them. Not too competent searching, but it worked out with the aide of reasonable planning. The next item was more noticeable and also part of the plan to follow the brooks inside those red outlines. This is in the southernmost one:

These features are similar to ones at College Rock.

Seen from the car in Hopkinton

Hopkinton State Park - Between the Picnic Areas

I am afraid I have forgotten who told me about this site. It's a beauty.

Inside the loop road:

Also check out outside the loop road, to the west:

 Nice stack, in the background.

These are classic examples of what I call "marker piles". They are evenly spaced, more or less in a grid. Vertical sided. I assume they had a calendrical function because of the explicit, site-wide, geometric properties. "Marker" because they are like tic marks on a 3D ruler.

Arrowhead Fragment Video

In lieu of showing something new, here (and scroll down) is an old video that is kind of fun.

Alaskan Natives protest commercialization of Native Spiritualism

https://www.yahoo.com/news/alaska-native-group-slams-planned-shamanism-event-215547004.html

New England's "Top 40" Blogs

We made the list! See #25 here:

https://blog.feedspot.com/new_england_blogs/

Remember the woods?

Maybe I'll just post some random pics from last season.

Millstone Hill

College Rock, down by the brook:

The old trail (also College Rock) (a zigzag on the left of the picture):

Here it winds its way between piles:

Darn that's pretty!

The place is a museum, in case you haven't been.

Cranberry Hill Lincoln. Now there is an old line of rock piles:

Lovell Reservoir:

These places are pretty, as you drive past. Suspect, though, that the woods are full of these:

These

And these:

Ooh. I forgot about that orange rock on the right:

That's enough for now. Plenty more pictures where these came from.

Buried in snow

I suppose it goes without saying that there is no going outside for walks at the moment in Middlesex Massachusetts. I guess some people are probably cross-country skiing and - hearty souls - snowshoeing, but at 12 F and quite windy, I am not going out. There are no rocks to be seen and it is a great opportunity to laze about for a few weekends.

The Giant Stone Snake (ME)

Sherry Wenninger photo

More here: http://wakinguponturtleisland.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-giant-stone-snake-me.html

Anyone know about Mt Kidder?

A reader asks:

I just saw the site:  http://rockpiles.blogspot.com/2015/01/mt-kidder.html

I guess Mt. Kidder is the same place as Kidder Mountain? If so, do you know if there is still a grave slab there, in memory of Col. Reuben Kidder. I live in NC and know a lovely 97 year-old lady who is descended from Reuben.

The best rock piles of 2017

Jan 6, Flagg Hill With Joe.


Jan 14:
Theories of trails, cross roads, and site locations.

Jan 26:
Fieldtrips to Sandy Pond with the Ladies from Harvard.

Feb 13:
More theories of trails and horizon padding - ghosts seen in the powdering of snow.

March 30:
Piles from Hillman Minnesota. [Later we heard more about ones from Redwing]

Many public meetings about rock piles, from Rolf Cachat Schilling to NEARA

April 17:
Wonderful new finds from northern Concience Hill, Westford.

April 3:
A nice little place in Groton, where it is hard to find things..


May 4:
Rock pile at bottom of vernal pond. A surprising number of experts emerge on the subject,


May 8th
Rectangular mound with hollow - made of dirt. Looking at the photo, I remember this was one of the nicest things to find - in a place where there were not many loose cobbles available.


June 20:
Rediscovering Mavor and Dix's propped boulder from middle of nowhere Lunenburg:


June 22:
Above Above the Falls with the FFH

Aug 16:
Redwing Mn cairns.

And the energy seems to fade. In many other places I went looking for rectangular mounds and, usually found them. EMC bulldozed a beautiful site. Took some nice walks with friends, especially down in Hopkinton and Holliston. Where the piles are so pretty:


More and more people out finding rock piles on their own.

Oct 30:
Revisiting the Valleys of Cranberry Hill Lincoln:


Nov 28:
A quartz fish effigy (I guess).


Nov 28:
Concord Female Effigy Gone.

More walks, with friends to Abbot-Reed -Powell in Harvard. And with sons on South Manoosnoc.

and