Chestnut Hill Parking Lot Expansion and the Old Chesterfield Road Culvert Replacement Completed
Work on the Chestnut Hill Parking Lot expansion and the Old Chesterfield Road culvert replacement was completed on November 21st. On the same day (an a week ahead of schedule) the final clean-up of the log yard for the timber harvest east of Horseshoe Road completed. Go to the State
Parks website at:
https://www.nhstateparks.org/
Inge Seaboyer
Forester III
NH Division of Forests & Lands
Forest Management Bureau
Caroline A. Fox Research & Demonstration Forest
603.464.3453
Ingeborg.seaboyer@dred.nh.gov
foxforest@dred.nh.gov
Keene Connector Trail Closed
The Keene Connector Trail from Old Swanzey Road in Chesterfield to the west end of the Horatio Colony Preserve in Swanzey is closed due to a logging operation. It will be re-opened by the summer of 2017. Signs have been placed to this effect at the Colony Preserve in Keene, at the lower end of Old Swanzey Road, at Beals, at Kilburn, at Plain Road, and at Madame Sherri's. This sign is at Old Swanzey Road.
Pisgah Trail
"The Pisgah Trail", which is the name for the Wantastiquet-Mondanock Trail section through Pisgah, and uses sections of the Davis Hill, Baker Pond, Reservoir, North Ponds, Old Chesterfield Road, Nash, Fullum Pond and Beals Trails, has been signed from Kilburn to Beals. Thanks to Rob Konig of Keene for his work on this. The signs were purchased by the Chesterfield Conservation Commission.
Bear Mountain Trail Update
The Bear Mountain Trail route (across from Kilburn) has been flagged and can be followed out to the view site and beyond toward Brattleboro. The recent logging operation greatly obscured the trail at the east end but I have been reassured by Richard Hood, landowner, that he continues his support for the trail and for the FOP. A permanent trail route will be re-signed in 2017.
Fall 2016 Update Available
The Fall 2016 edition of Update the Friends of Pisgah newsletter has been posted. Click the Newsletter tab to check it out.
Pisgah Reservoir Trail Bridge Rebuilding
Friends of Pisgah will meet at the Horseshoe Trailhead at 10:00 Saturday, November 5th, to rebuild two bridges on the Reservoir Trail. The bridge materials are already on site and one of the old bridges has already been removed.
Friends of Pisgah October Trail Maintenance Canceled
Due to the messy, wet conditions with numerous trees down in the Park the Saturday, October 29th bridge building has been canceled by Pisgah Park Manager Whip Newell for this month.
Friends of Pisgah Annual Meeting
Mark the calendar folks. On Tuesday, November 15th at 7 p.m., the Friends of Pisgah will hold its annual meeting at the Winchester VFW on lower Main Street, on the second floor. We will be voting on officers and council members for the coming year, voting to adopt or reject revised bylaws, and getting a rundown on the extensive work that has been done in the park in 2016. Guest speaker, Kim Nilsen, will give a tongue-in-cheek slide show presentation about the geological history of Pisgah and how it was settled by men and women tougher than all of us TV channel surfers put together.
The agenda and proposed bylaws are attached.
October 22nd Keene Connector Hike
Keene Connector Hike
Join Antioch University, the Chesterfield Conservation Commission's Lynne Borofsky, and Tom Duston, President of the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions for a five- to six-hour hike along the Keene Connector of the Wantastiquet-Monadnock Trail. We will hike through the beautifully preserved California Brook Natural Area and Horatio Colony Preserve. Much of this hike will be through a landscape that is State of New Hampshire Tier I (highest ranked) wildlife habitat as determined by the NH Wildlife Action Plan. Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Horatio Colony Preserve on Daniels Hill Road- from there, we will take pre-arranged transportation to the beginning of the hike. Bring water and lunch and be prepared for moderately strenuous inclines, occasionally muddy trails, and lots of fun! Registration is required for this event. To register, please call 603-283-2115 (leave a voicemail with your name and number of participants registering) or email colonypreserve@antioch.edu. This hike is also cosponsored by the Horatio Colony Trust and Museum.
Public Lands Day Guided Hike to Old Growth Forest
On Saturday, September 24th, the Friends of Pisgah will hold a guided hike to a stand of old growth forest in the North Round Pond area of Pisgah State Park.
Interested folks may meet at 9 a.m. at the Horseshoe Trailhead parking lot at the very end of Horseshoe Road in Chesterfield.
The hike will be about three miles into the old growth tree stand and three miles out. Bring a small pack, plenty of water, a snack or a lunch with you. Bugs should not be much of a problem this time of year.
There will be a bit of elevation to ascend and descend both coming and going. The hike should not be strenuous but there is some length to it.
To reach Horseshoe Trailhead, travel Route 63 to Chesterfield Village. In the heart of the little village, turn east on the Old Chesterfield Road and pass the Chesterfield Elementary School. About 800 feet beyond the school the Horseshoe Road shows up on the right. Take that road a mile until the road ends at the trailhead.
Kim Nilsen
