On Sunday Feb. 7^th, I led a snowshoe hike thru the Hume Trail on the south side of the Notchview property. Jim, Pat, John and Jake have really improved the skiing on what is called the “dog loop” in the area. There are now four fields that offer groomed trails around their perimeter.

               But the reason for this blog is not to discuss the great skiing but the great snowshoeing in this area. Besides the Hume Trail which is strictly a snowshoe trail in the winter, there are lots of fields to explore and the Hume barn to visit.

               The Hume trail meanders along Hume Brook where people can see the work of beaver and the damage done by the Dec. 2008 ice storm. Then the trail turns sharply south and up into a spruce forest,where it winds thru second growth woods. This trail was once part of a demonstration forest / woodlot with wooden markers driven into the ground with numbers on them. An accompanying brochure described what the area near a given numbered post contained. The posts remain but the brochure is no longer used and the area has grown and changed since it was first put into use.

The trail continues thru the woods and climbs up into one of the fields . I have seen sign of owls, coyotes,beaver, deer and otter while exploring this trail at various times of the year.

We used the tunnel under Rt.9 to get over to the Hume side of Notchview and not everyone knows about this tunnel that Col. Budd insisted that the state install when they built the new Rt.9 so that he could safely move his cows across to the pastures on the Hume side. The tunnel is usually slick with ice during the winter so skiers don’t use it very often but snowshoers with modern snowshoes can negotiate this tunnel easily. I spent a morning this past fall clearing the bushes that have grown up on either end of the tunnel so it is easier to get thru now. A nice trail leads from the tunnel to the wood road leading to Hume fields and the trail.

I am amazed at the large number of people who have discovered snowshoeing this year at Notchview. Just about every time I am out skiing or snowshoeing there are signs of snowshoers enjoying this wonderful winter wonderland. If you haven’t tried it, plan on doing so soon.I think you’ll see how much more country you can discover off the beaten path.

Glenn Roy

Colin Harrington, M.Ed.
Special Education
Amherst Regional High School
Amherst, MA 01002

Have you seen the windmill at Jiminy Peak? When I was there on a blustery day in December ,
I skied as close as I could get to check out the sound from
the spinning blades. From a couple of hundred yards away it was hard to hear at first above the sound
of the wind. It sounded a bit like a jet flying high overhead ,
 overlaid with a rhythmic whirring as the massive blades swiped
 across the sky. I felt a little less guilty that day knowing that
clean energy was powering my ride to the top. I'm a big fan of windmills.
I'm an even bigger fan of cross-country skiing. I'm lucky to live where I can walk out the door
and put on my skis. I use a pair of wide waxless with
partial metal edges paired with sturdy NNN BC boots - just the thing for breaking trail in variable
conditions. I like backcountry skiing, but it can be a lot of work.
 At Notchview, just a ten-minute drive away, you'll find me
on lighter gear. Why? Because the trails are packed down and smoothed out, I can use skinny skis to
skim over the surface of the snow. Groomed trails are  relatively new
phenomenon for cross-country skiing.

When I was in high school in the
seventies we'd ski the course before the race to set the track.
 If the snow was really deep, we'd snowshoe first. Now specialized
equipment is pulled behind snowmobiles or snow cats to prepare the snow for our skiing pleasure.
 Notchview has a tiller. This piece of equipment is like a giant rolling pin
with teeth that churn up the crust and knock the air out
of deep powder. A heavy plastic comb sculpts a corduroy surface behind while hydraulic pans press
parallel tracks firmly into the snow. Skate skiing in particular would be
impossible without this type of trail preparation. I'm glad we have these
machines; they make skiing easy and fun!
It's a fact that today's grooming uses more energy than we did back in the day. Compared to a downhill
area though, it is just a drop in the bucket.
Cross-country skiing is still the greenest skiing around. The next time you come to Notchview
remember that your choice for winter fun is a good choice for the environment.

 

Hal Westwood
Berkshire Trail Elementary School
Grade Five

We are preparing for another great ski season at Notchview. The visitors center has installed rain gutters to keep the walkways ice free and  new entry steps are being installed as I write this thanks to Ed and Pat.

The trails have been cleared of debris from last winters ice storm and the guys are putting finishing touches on the trails and getting the groomers up and running.

We had a dusting of snow in Bates Field and woods on Sunday Oct.18 but it has melted now.The outer trails including Whitman are being cleaned up and should be ready for the first snow storms.

Another volunteer and myself have been doing plot surveys in Bates Woods all summer long and have been gathering data on the overstory,understory, and herbaceous layer of the woods so the data can be entered into a plot plan for Notchview. We have gone from battling black flies and mosquitos to freezing our feet in 40 degree  weather. Getting out in the woods every week has been one of the best things I've done this summer.

Winter is just around the corner so get those skiis ready !!!

Glenn Roy

It’s March 22^nd, and spring has officially arrived. Although this Sunday morning at Notchview, the wind was swirling the light snow flurries over the almost bare fields as a reminder that winter doesn’t always heed the calendar in the Berkshires. 

 The reservation is changing daily now, though, and it doesn’t take more than casual observation to see some welcome signs of a new season.  Red-winged blackbirds and Grackles push their way north in noisy flocks, Robins appear in open fields, Bluebirds start checking out the nest boxes we forgot to clean out last fall, a lone Song Sparrow in the hedgerow starts working on his voice lessons, and, of course, the Woodcock perform their remarkable “sky dance “at twilight at the edge of the wet field.  To me, these all serve as a perennial reminder that with vigilance and action, we’ve managed to avoid the “ Silent Spring “ that Rachel Carson so eloquently wrote of in her bringing to light the drastic effects of unbridled pesticide use on our environment.

There will always be new threats, but familiarizing ourselves with the natural world is the first step in giving us an edge for their early detection and a reason to mobilize for positive action.  Introducing like minded individuals to the Trustees broadens that base of action and helps keep us all informed about current threats to the quality of our precious open space.

So, when you bid farewell to another winter, don’t forget that this property has a four season appeal.  Bring out a field guide and come to Notchview during the other three seasons to learn about the natural history of a truly unique and remarkably diverse Trustees property.  Check the calendar for events and I hope to cross paths with you in the field.

                     Ed Neumuth

Moonlight skiiing took on a new twist on January 9, 2009 with a haiku/renga form theme.
  There was a table set up with books and a very easy going haiku
coach (me) to chat it up  and engage skiiers coming in from a run to try wrtiing haiku
and or if in a group, a renga form to celebrate the full moon
in winter skiiing experience. Simply put, Renga in this situation is a loose
series of haiku that succeed one another in a kind of flow that always
brings a smile and most times a kind of cheer. The event was very successful
and many people participated. This kind of thing appeals to the outdoor
experience and outdoor people. It is traditionally a full moon event. Here
are some outcomes of the experience:

Venus shines
on the bald horizon
cold sky

plant days
skiiing clear lines

white round light
casting tree shadows
guiding me

CH Val kemp and Kathy Samuels
and...

quiet snow
blankets the ground
refreshes the soul

Val Kemp

and...

sparkling sky
breezing down the glades
pines peeking through

wet breath with beating heart
now rest comes

Val Kemp and Kathy Samuels

and...

steep hill
snow is fast
rude awakening around corner

Bill Arduser

This event was a lot of fun and so was Moonlight and S'mores on 2/6. I had one of those
magical skiiing events when it was cold but I felt warm and the
moon was bright and the woods were quiet and I was alone in the back
country. I know others had a great time too because it was a big crowd. The boy scouts kept
the energy going along with the larger skiiing group as we
toasted s'mores by a little camp fire near the ski rack. But today it is all
melting! Spring is near and I am looking forward to the first Star Party with Aruna Hill
on Saturday 04/25 when we get the big telescopes out and see
the spring sky deep space style. Next one is May 16, and something new for this activity
too this year is brewing, or should I say, grilling, as the Friends of Windsor are planning
a barbque event to precede the Star Party on Saturday August 15.
 We are also planning to view that Friday night 8/14 starting at dark.

 A lot going on at Notchview these days. i'm planning to get my
skate skis more active with the spring snow, particularly if it
freezes and gets fast. In the meantime I am changeing from violet to red klister.
 Is that the way to go with the classic skis? Everybody talks about
wax and I always like the sticky stuff with a kick this time of year. I
probably sound like the novice that I am but it works for me. Any comments?

Colin Harrington

		Bread and Jam 10 Classic Results by category    3/7/09   Notchview
		5 Km
J5 M	1	Oscar DeFrancis	42:39
J3 F	1	Lilly Zogbaum	38:53
	2	Claire Dileo	38:54
	3	Amelia DeFrancis	39:21
J3 M	1	Elliot Bertrand	??
J2  F	1	Laura Nolan	48:45
	1	Mackenzie Hitchcock	48:45
J2 M	1	Luke Costley	40:07
	2	Josh Harrington	43:19
	3	Daniel Dermody	43:27
J1 F	1	Cate Costley	43:00
	2	Meghan O'Grady	48:45
J1 M	1	Terry Fowler	35:04
	2	Patrick Joslin	35:28
	3	Dylan Dethier	36:01
	4	Bill Prescott	37:02
	5	Kyle Dempsey	38:53
	6	Jordon Tuboly	39:08
Senior M	1	Sam Kapala	33:48
	2	Tom Keefe	35:27
	3	Aaron Bond	36:10
	4	Matt White	38:43
F3	1	Hillary Greene	40:10
M3	1	Matt Voisin	37:27
M4	1	Chris Trager	34:36
	2	Bryan Atwood	38:46
	3	Patrick Ferri	39:16
	4	Jason Kahn	43:58
	5	John Harrington	52:05
	6	Ken Kuttner	55:46
	7	Chris DeFrancis	42:40	5 Km
F5	1	Heather Bargeron	49:18
	2	Lea Finck	52:55
	3	Ruth Wheeler	54:11
M5	1	Robert Quigley	37:47
	2	Ed Hamel	37:57
	3	Peter Rayton	40:11
	4	Gary Miller	41:46
	5	Harry Rock	43:30
	6	Mike Duffy	47:10
	7	Steve Feldman	47:35
	8	Carl Cignoni	48:43
	9	Kim Boas	53:56
	10	Dennis Duquette		5 km
M6	1	Vic Laport	44:18
	2	Lenny Collins	48:03
	3	Frank Stasz	49:25
	4	Dave Whitcomb	52:17
M7	1	Bill Wilson	61:59