Hiked On August 16, 2025

If you want to be no fun at parties when the topic of hiking in the Berkshires comes up, you can mention the fun fact that Mount Greylock--the shining star of Berkshire County and the highest point in Massachusetts--is actually part of the Taconic Range  and not in the Berkshires at all. The same can be said for the entire "Greylock Range," including Saddle Ball, Prospect, Fitch and Williams, among others.  The tallest point in the actual Berkshire Range (also the Hoosic Range) is Crum Hill, which is mostly in Franklin County...and you can't climb it because of a wind farm at the top.

There...party buzz killed.  You are welcome.  We went up Mount Williams recently to get in shape for Mount Monadnock after that long hiatus from "serious" hiking which I have mentioned in earlier posts.  It was a fabulous climb.  However, at almost seven miles and around 2,400 feet of elevation gain (as an out-and-back)...we should have reversed the mountains! It may not be as legendary as Monadnock, but Williams hits harder.

In any case, it was a great hike.  The weather was beautiful and--while hot--not as bad as most of the summer has been.  There were a bunch of Appalachian Trail through-hikers heading north which kept us on our toes.  Most of them were friendly.  A few were trying to eat up the miles to Katahdin and shot past as if we were trees in the way.  That was fine, too.  We weren't there to hang out with them either. 

The only thing to say about the start of the hike is that there is a gun range nearby!  The first mile or so is flat...but there can be gunfire...very, very close gunfire. We kept moving, of course, and I suspect that--knowing that they are adjacent to a state park--they have kept the guns pointed away from us.

After the gun range, the trail began to climb.  There were a few actual switchbacks which is a rarity in New England but much appreciated both by us and the cruising through-hikers.  The incline was steady and moderately steep with no real scrambles or hazards.  Then, after another mile, the trail opened up to a view of Williamstown and Williams College in the distance. Yes, they are all named after the same person.  Ephraim Williams was a militia colonel and landowner who died during the French and Indian War.  The war was part of a larger series of conflicts somewhat confusingly named the French and Indian Wars (note the "s").  He died in Lake George, New York in 1755 near the close of the entire series.  

Along the way we met a fellow hiker and his dog. He mentioned that while he was researching this hike, a great deal of the reports stopped at the overlook.  We concluded that probably there were a substantial number of people who thought it was the top!  In actuality there is an intersection right at the view.  Straight-on leads to Mount Prospect.  A turn left (and down) leads to the actual peak of Williams still over a mile away.  This final stage is a mixed experience.  The forest is pretty.  However the trail undulates at the moment when our legs were getting tired.  Of course, it undulated on the return trip too! Near the peak, one crosses the access road to Mount Greylock, itself.  It can be a strangely dispiriting experience to be reminded that your six-plus mile hike could have been under one mile.

Still, the "hard way" was the best way this particular day. Mount Williams is worth the time and effort.  Yes, the title of Massachusetts' fourth-tallest is a somewhat unimpressive one.  However, it is a workout and an adventure.  With great nature and good views.

Hiked On August 8, 2025

We managed to get out on a hot Friday for a warm-up hike over Mount Toby in Sunderland, MA.  Every state seems to have a Mount Toby so it is worthwhile noting the address.

We have been trying to get back up to "hiking shape" lately.  Allison has been wrapping up her doctoral work.  I have been getting settled in my new congregation.  We both engaged in an elaborate move. I put in a small garden and have been stretching myself with a great deal of "new owner" activities that have left me a tad fragile. Normally we are climbing 4,000 footers this time of year.  However, we aren't really ready for that just yet.  This hike--a 6 mile loop with a short spur that ends with a brisk climb totaling around 1,000 feet of elevation--was designed to get us moving once again.

Readers of this weblog will know that we already climbed a couple of local mountains across the street from our house. This time we drove 15 minutes to the Mount Toby State Forest.  Yes, this is part of why we moved west to Franklin County.  We--and especially I--have spent a lot of time out here in nature.  Now the commute is so much easier to manage.  It was a little eerie, in fact, to hop in the car with our gear, not stop for snacks, and end up at the trailhead in the amount of time it took to drink my first cup of coffee.

There are a number of places to park along the perimeter of the State Forest.  There is a veritable nest of trails, many of which intersect with a road. We chose one of the longer approaches for the reasons I already mentioned.  We needed the practice! On All Trails our route is labeled as "Mount Toby via Sugar Farms to Summit to Tower Loop".  It may go without saying that those are the trail names...but I said it anyway.  We went counter-clockwise to hit the mountain last.  Going the other way, I suspect, would have been a bit easier.  My legs were pretty tired by the time I hit the foot of the main ascent.  If that thing was just a little taller we would be having a different sort of conversation.

The highlight of the long approach was the spur off Sugar Farms Trail to the "Caves".  They weren't actually all that cave-like.  However...they were massive holes in the ground and that was fun.  We spent some time there exploring and then moved on.  The trail up to that point was fairly accessible and the caves seemed to be a popular picnic spot.  There were a few other groups there and evidence of at least one more.  The caves themselves seemed best not to mess with.

Things remained flat for quite a while after returning to the main trail.  We passed through a forest of mixed trees and vegetation.  In many places the canopy was rather thin, particularly where maples dominated.  There we found a number of grassy areas which created multiple pleasing layers of green.

Heading up was--as I mentioned before--a bit of a chore for me.  Al sprinted ahead shouting warnings and encouragement as I grappled with the steepest parts.  I kept going by reminding myself that I was the one who chose the route for the day.  Also, I remembered that we have some bigger plans soon.  With this in mind, powering through was the only choice!  My personal philosophy is that all hikes are hard.  It depends on the day and the body whether we breeze through whatever challenge faces us.  Still, it was a good, solid test for things to come.  It could, for someone else, be an ultimate goal to work up to!  That is also fine. It is a lovely way to spend the day.

We didn't see anyone along our long, looping approach.  However, there were a few groups at the top, happily lining up to get the view from the fire tower.  The tower is the only panoramic view.  However, the general forest walk was also pretty. We went down the way they came along a relatively short--maybe around 2 miles--relatively gentle service road.  That was nice, too, though the gravel fill used to top the dirt road was slippery in places.  There were a number of other side-trails each promising a different distraction.  However, those will be for another day.

​ We hit the car with little trouble.  I suggest finding your own route to the top.  Bring plenty of water and snacks.

Earlier I mentioned two other hikes in the area.  ​Here are my posts for Mount Tom and The Seven Sisters.  These are both old posts from my "How It Began" series.

Well I'll tell yah...  We finished!  Regular readers will know that I have a category on this weblog where I planned to reflect on each leg of that journey.  You can refer to it for sections #1 and #2.  I stopped posting for a variety of reasons.  However, the biggest is that this journey south-to-north the length of Worcester County---and therefore the width of Massachusetts--just didn't have enough variation for that level of granularity.

That said, I highly recommend it. A "section" hike of this sort is worthwhile, particularly if you want to get a sense of the local landscape.  Rev. Sarah Stewart, my hiking partner for this endeavor lives on Worcester, itself.  I thought I might end up there as well.  After all, the journey through time that we took encompassed my search process.

It may be worth noting that my first post for this trail was July 28, 2024.  What a year it has been...

In fact, as I went looking for pictures for this post, I found others; the final pictures of my time in Natick and at Eliot Church, the first pictures of 2nd Church, many, many photos of many, many houses that we visited but did not move to.  This walk took us a while. We paused for injury and weather.  Our longest gap was probably waiting for me to recover from a fall on the ice the same day I preached my candidating sermon.  However, in the end...we did it.  Sarah ordered the official patches.  I still owe her $5.

I do have one suggestion for anyone who wants to do this particular hike.  Do not hesitate to break it up!  We did reasonably well with that but then common sense abandoned us. We decided to hike over Mount Wachusett and the Crow Hill Ledges in one day...in the snow.  We managed, but we were very tired by the end.  In fact it was worse than that! One of us fell through the ice as well.  Cold and exhausted, we finished that section with very few pictures but one epic story...so maybe it was OK in retrospect... 

Anyway, No one will know or care if you do it straight through or in a certain amount of time.  This is not that kind of trail.  It is for enjoying and reflecting.  It is--as I said earlier--about getting a sense of place and sometimes of history.

The trail, itself--with adequate pacing--is not that difficult.  Most of the elevation is in that section with Wachusett and the Ledges.  If it wasn't winter we would have been fine there as well.  With that said, every hike is a challenge.  You are in the woods.  The trail is well-maintained in some spots and not in others.  Take your time.  Also, this is not a dog-friendly trail!  This may be important to some of you.  Much of the trail runs through various off-limits sections.  Any Audubon property is a no-dog zone.  There are good reasons for this so it is worth respecting the rules.  I took my dog out with us once or twice when it was clear we wouldn't be entering those areas...but it was tricky and required some work.

Obviously I am posting this to bring closure to the project.  Even though there was a sameness to the landscape, it was beautiful.  There is no shame in just spending time in the woods, right?  I do have a few posts that--while they were not directly about the Mid-State--cover the trail and its environs.  So here at the end, I thought I would share some links...

First, there are two posts for the very beginning of the Mid-State.  They are cleverly called Mid-State Section 1 and Mid-State Section 2.  These both have some greater detail and advice.  They also give a good sense of the road sections, which are greater in the southern part of the trail and then peter out once one gets north of Worcester, itself.

Then there are a few other posts that cover parts of the trail, particularly that northern part.  They are also listed in "Section 1" but may be worth posting again with some commentary.

Mount Wachusett: Out of these three bonus posts, going south to north, this would be the first of the areas you would encounter.  We began in the same lot as the hike in the video, which I did as an out-and-back on a very hot day. The video documents that hike. The actual essay is about a shorter walk.  I love Wachusett and am pretty sure I have done all the trails by now.  It is one of only two legit mountains in the eastern part of the state.  The other is Watatic, where the Mid State symbolically ends...

Crow Hills Ledges:  We really should have stopped here after Wachusett and saved the Ledges for another day.  We were really too tired, wet, and cold to enjoy the view!  That said, I recommend this as a loop.  Also, the video has some more pictures of what we saw on our epic slog.

Finally, my favorite mountain, Mount Watatic.  As with the other two posts, the video and the essay are of separate hikes.  That said, there is only one way up Watatic.  It is easily the best bang for your buck with beautiful views and less effort than one might think...but it is still a mountain!

About a week ago I got my car back from the body shop.  I had two claims on it.  The first was from January.  When I realized that I would probably have to change churches after 22 years it made me a bit distracted.  I survived the Advent/Christmas insanity by focusing on work and, of course, on the actual holiday itself.  However, When the new year began there was nothing to distract me from the massive changes ahead.  Anyway, in a state of general overwhelm I managed to gently back my car into a metal barrier at a local gas station, damaging a rear door while leaving the barrier blissfully unaware.  After the "accident" I didn't have the spoons to get it fixed, so I spent six months driving with a slight dent, a blue streak on the door, and a piece of trim flapping in the breeze.

The second claim was a gift from my son, who was raised in the 'burbs with a mailbox screwed to the house.  He backed the car over the regular old rural delivery mailbox at our new home, surgically removing the car's bumper.  That was much more recent, of course, and the proverbial straw that forced me to do something.  He has been distracted, too.  We all have.  However we are settled in to our new place in Franklin County.  I have a month under my belt at 2nd Church of Greenfield.  We are moving on.  Life is fine.

Allison and I even got to go for a hike last weekend!  That was a fun return to normal.  We live in a valley along the Millers River with trail heads pretty much everywhere.  It was just a walk in the "neighborhood" that I would describe further but...we are supposed to keep hiking traffic down thanks to the presence of a VERY popular rock-climbing site.  Its popularity can create a few bottlenecks for hikers, climbers, and residents alike.  Suffice it to say...if you know, you know.  If you would also like to know...just email me.  Everyone involved is very friendly, just also concerned about the ecosystem.

The hike itself was short and lovely.  There was a classic Massachusetts hiking view.  No great snowy or craggy peaks...only a gentle hill across the river and just a hint of Watatic to our east if you risked your life on the ledge to see it.

​We need to get back in shape after a long hiatus of life interfering.  Al's dissertation still lurks but the "search and call" is behind us.  Getting back out will be a slow process, but a pleasant one.

One thing I have been thinking about lately is how location can change a person.  I feel like I am in the process of becoming at a rate that feels unusual to me.  In Natick I wasn't stagnant by a long shot.  However, now I am moving among different people, with a very different congregation.  I have been pushed spiritually, socially, and physically. Also I am back living in the country.  For the most part I have only visited it for the last two decades. Before that, it was just life.  Now the re-entry is...interesting. Nature is overwhelming here--or feels like it.  There always seems to be a reason to head outside. I am planting a small garden now and planning for the springs of '26 and '27. I am always discovering mysteries in the soil and beds that I am now responsible for.

When I get out of work I come home, put on a different sort of work clothes, and then move brush, or fix the mailbox, or plant the flowers and the vegetables...or perform any number of tasks for the slightly-falling-down house that was built in the late 19th Century.  I am trying to remember the skills I was taught by my grandfather starting 40 years ago and ending a quarter century ago. Then I will read up on whatever needs reading up on.  Then I will do more church work and hang out with the family. 

​I will no doubt write more on this at some point.  For now I am trying to enjoy the ride and the different sort of busyness.  We shall see where we end up in the end.  However, I am happy with the new start.

HIKED ON: August 7, 2024

All walks tell a story.  Most of the time we do not articulate it.  Maybe many of them are just a laundry list of errands; "I bought a coffee then walked to the office then walked to lunch," and so on.  However, some try to be more.  A person or persons get together and try to create an adventure that will underscore or celebrate the story of a place or thing.  The mid state trail is one of those walks.  The "story" gives glimpses into the landscape, economy, history and people of Worcester County.

This, of course, is the second leg of our journey.  The first--a walk through and around the Douglass State Forest--was wooded.  This hike starts in a similar way, with a few miles left of Douglass.  This area had been more heavily populated and industrialized in the early 20th Century.  Similarly to our first hike, there was ample evidence of previous habitation.  Now, however, nature is clearly in control. After the park, the trail dips between country roads and forested back yards until emerging in downtown Oxford.

Most of it was lovely.  The road parts were a bit hard on the feet but the traffic was lighter than we had feared, which was nice.  There was also a slight navigational challenge.  Maps of this route are constantly being updated as the Worcester branch of the Appalachian Mountain Club negotiates with towns, businesses, and homeowners for access to the forested areas on their various properties.  Growing up in New England I am familiar with sometimes-jealously-guarded borders.  It cannot be an easy task. That said, they seem to be doing a good job of it!  Many times our maps (we were using both Google maps and the Alltrails app) would have us on yet another road.  However, the signage informed us of another compact that squeezed a half-mile more of forest for our enjoyment. Life has been crazy lately.  However, I am tempted to volunteer for the local AMC. Right now I am grateful for their work.

As for sights, there was a nice old graveyard about halfway through the day's journey.  We stopped for our break there and re-arranged our rain gear.  The stone markers went back to the 18th Century and--presumably--the first white settlers on our route.  There were a number of working farms as well, and many rolling fields.  Much of the area reminded me of Dutchess County New York, where I worked on my grandparent's farm in the summer and fall when I was a kid.  There were roads and road crossings that required our attention but...mostly not.  In general it was an easygoing 11.5 mile trip!

A couple of notes: Be sure to bring enough snacks!  While you will be on roads for about half of this section, there aren't really a ton of places to provision. Also, consider a reflecting vest or your hunter orange gear.  The roads--not surprisingly--don't have very wide shoulders and there are no sidewalks.  I would think twice about bringing your dog for this same reason.  Also, think hard about your footwear.  The roads are hard and smooth but many of the "backyard" portions are rocky and--at least in our case--wet.  There seem to be a number of seasonal riverbeds involved in the current route. You could also make a great case for hiking poles even though there are those road parts.

Finally--as I mentioned earlier--be sure to take your time to looks for signs and blazes.  The trail is a living document and you can miss a turn easily.  We sure did. In our case we landed in a cul-de-sac and turned around.  However, in the forested sections you could end up wandering through someone's yard very easily.  A best it is a mild trespass.  At worst, you could also startle the many dogs and livestock you encounter, creating chaos for yourself and others!

All told it was a good trip.  I had been dreading the roads a bit but they were fine.  From our map it looks like the next section will be similar.  Then--north of the City ---the green spaces are closer together.  Something to look forward to...

Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert.  --Isaiah 43:19

I have been thinking about this quote from Isaiah a lot lately.  I find it reassuring to think that the Great Whatever that encompasses all of us is always starting anew in a perpetual cycle of beginnings, endings, and in-betweens.  Right now I am in the midst of endings and struggling to find the trailhead for whatever comes next.  Mostly that is an OK place to be.  However, it isn't ever easy.

Perhaps that is why I recently started a manageable new thing. Sometimes an achievable goal can help us practice for harder ones. The way the world is right now, we can all use the practice.

The Mid-State Trail runs the roughly 90-mile length of Worcester County from the border of Rhode Island to the border of New Hampshire.  I have explored a good chunk of its northern end but done very little with the space south of the City of Worcester.  Worcester is New England's second largest municipality.  However, it drops off fast, meaning that while there is plenty of road walking, most of it is in the woods.

​This project is more gentle than the mountain climbing "lists" that I spend much of my time with.  Also, Worcester County is much more accessible to me.  I can work on it when I can and put it away when I cannot. Finally, it is an area I enjoy exploring.  For the last two decades I have lived in the 'burbs.  By just heading that little bit west of my home I can pretend that I live somewhere else. I wrote up a few of those previous hikes on the trail, therefore...

​I will put a number of links at the bottom of this post so you can learn more about Mid-State!

The trail has its roots in the 1920's but came to fruition quite a bit later.  It was finally completed some time in the 1980's and is now maintained by the Worcester Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club.  They are always recruiting volunteers.  I should look into that. Anyway, the goal was--and is--to maintain a long trail that ties together the numerous smallish parks that decorate the maps of Central Massachusetts.  The first sections were in the North, where the road walks are not that intense.  Mounts Watatic and Wachusett are two major gems in the region going back before colonization.  As I noted in a previous post, Henry David Thoreau had some things to say about that area as well. ​Again, links to previous hikes are below.

My goal for this trail has always been to hike from one end to the other, using car-spots to prevent too much doubling back.  While I have explored it a great deal, I am a completist by nature and the gaps in my geographical mind-map bother me. My friend Sarah Stewart is doing this with me and will be providing that other car.  She actually lives in Worcester so the commute, while fairly simple for me, is even easier for her.  An added benefit is that Sarah is also a preacher, so we can talk shop without bothering our spouses.

Even though I said that we are hiking south to north, we walked this southernmost section in the other direction.  This was thanks to some complications.  First, I had a meeting, which threw a wrench into our plans.  Second...there is no parking lot at the ​actual beginning of the trail.  So, after much thought, we found that the simplest thing to do would be to start at the parking lot at Route 16, head south to the beginning of the trail, then turn north to hike a few miles back to the main entrance  to Douglas State Park, where we put our southernmost car.  In the end, it took about 7 miles of walking to complete the first 5.5 mile section.

The entirety of this day's walk occured inside Douglas State Forest.  The trail, itself, was relatively flat and featured some views of one of the few Atlantic White Cedar wetlands in the region.  Apparently there is a boardwalk over part of it.  However, if we cross it at all, it must be on a different day.  Along the way we stopped talking to listen to the birds and to notice the abundance of bear scat on the trail.  We didn't linger too much thanks to the presence of a large number of singing insects.  There were also blueberries and a blueberry-like fruit which seemed related to the "bilberries" I ate in abundance while hiking in Scotland. More research and eating is necessary...

There was also evidence of former human habitation.  Cellar holes and stone walls dotted the forest.  Also, the trail, itself showed evidence of being a road earlier in life.  I have done some research in what the area might be...but I haven't come to any great conclusions.  The next section will start in Douglas as well, so maybe by then I will have something to report.

That is all for now.  It is fun to start on a new thing, particularly one without a deadline that gets us outside, moving around, and breathing the fresh air. When the end to a beginning seems attainable. It helps with the less attainable ones, right?  In any case, it strengthens us for the journey and adventures of life.

Hiked on May 5, 2023

One of the ironies of our current hiking project is that I don't get out to western Massachusetts very often.  Part of the reason is that it feels so far away from our home in the east.  While it is closer to us than many of our New Hampshire hikes, it still feels farther.  That said, we finally got out to hike the famous Mount Greylock.  We had driven up--because that is a thing--but it was special take the slow route.

I am glad we did it.  Greylock is the tallest peak in the state and, while it doesn't break 4,000 feet, it has the atmosphere of something larger.  Our primary reason for choosing this particular day had to do with flooding in the north.  All these big mountains release massive amounts of melted snow this time of year.  Greylock does too.  However there had also been massive amount of rain in northern New England making both hiking and driving difficult.  The southerly position of our hike today meant that not only did we not have much rain, we also were on a peak where the snowmelt had already occurred.

So...  here is our hike!  I highly recommend it, particularly if you live in the Bay State.  We have many pretty and impressive natural sights that sometimes get neglected for what is right above us on the map.  We should be proud of what we have!

It really was snowing and raining for most of the time. However, the gray moodiness for this hike worked well. The trail along the long ridge undulated and the the snow shifted slightly under my feet. The rain and mist rising up from the warming snow was atmospheric, creating the sort of environment that must have inspired a writer like Tuckerman. He preferred to keep to himself, after all. In 1860 when he published his first and only book--perhaps unimaginatively named "Poems"--he received a confused response. Many of his friends and acquaintances among the New England Literati didn't actually know he was a serious writer before their complimentary copies arrived. Tuckerman's book was only a mild commercial success. The response from his transcendentalist and romantic friends like RW Emerson, Jones Very and the Longfellows indicated that he had potential. However, only Nathaniel Hawthorn seems to have actually enjoyed it entirely.

In spite of their surprise, his early readers saw moments of brilliance, particularly in his collection of sonnets. They praised his close observation of nature. Later he would be described as a writer of herbariums. His focus on the minutia of the natural world could--when his writing was on point--create an immersive effect prized by people interested in their relationship with the world around them.  His description of beans--in a poem ostensibly about coffee but really a story about some local characters--is typical of that work;
"The bean, the garden bean I sing--
Lima, mazagan, late and early
Bush, butter, black eye, pole and string
Esculent, annual, planted yearly"

He was also known to make up place names and allude to people he invented as if they were from the Bible or ancient literature.  The dude could create a world, which is something that--as a gamer and reader of speculative fiction--is something I can get behind.

That said, not all was happy in his life.  Most of his poetry is dark. His later poems--after the death of his wife--are even more gloomy.  As a young man he retreated out to Greenfield to be away from society and from the many connections cultivated by his family.  He was the brother of a famous botanist, Edward Tuckerman, and a composer, Samuel Tuckerman.  Henry Tuckerman--another writer--was his cousin. Far from Boston, apparently, he could be his romantic self. 

​In the early 20th Century, Tuckerman was rediscovered...or...in some ways discovered for the first time. But the discovery was brief. At least it got him a monument, right? Now you can find his work in some anthologies of poets from the era. However, the easiest way to read him is to get his one book for your e-reader. After all, it is free online.

There is more about Tuckerman and about the hike in the video below.  The only problem with it is that I incorrectly--and repeatedly--identify the seat as being Deerfield, the town immediately to the south of Greenfield, where it actually is.  That's embarrassing..

Hiked on February 14, 2023

This was a spontaneous hike.  Thursday's weather looked hideous as usual and I wanted to see the sun!  I decided, therefore, to hit Route 2 and head over to the High Ledges Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary on a Tuesday to catch the view.  I had been saving it for a perfect day...and this was pretty close.  The loop I chose was around 5 miles and featured an undulating landscape with a small mountain, a fire tower, a valley, and some hills.  The snow was fairly compact to start and then it got loose as the air warmed it up.  This made footing a bit of a challenge...and I brought out the micro spikes.

I could use the workout though.  There has been quite a bit going on.  The church is wrestling with some big questions.  Finally, I have a few weeks of sabbatical starting soon.  I will give thought to the church's questions then and add in a few of my own....

I say all this now because hikes like this are a series of small decisions.  This week on a Tuesday I decided to get up and get going.  I decided where to go.  There were all kinds of micro decisions that helped me to focus on the day. How would I get there? Would I do both the out-and-back to the tower or just the ledges themselves? Was this a good use of my time? How would I deal with the vagaries of weather?

Also, on this trip, I decided to do some more extensive filming.  It has been a while.  Many of you are aware of my interest in 21st century communication.  This weblog is part of that.  My podcasts are as well. For a long time I was into making youtube videos of sermons, church news, meditations, music and--during the plague--entire worship services.  Sometimes this meant collaboration.  At other times I worked on them by myself.  I got into it through a series of small decisions that brought me joy.  A series of small decisions may bring me back...or maybe they come to nothing.  It is too early to tell.

If we use the model of "Sabbath Walks" that I write and talk about here and elsewhere, all of these endeavors--these choices made and sometime pursued--fall into the category or "frame" of dialogue or creativity. On this hike, for example, the choice to film meant stopping and starting; recording sections of trail, talking to the camera while imagining future viewers, editing after getting home while re-living the excursion, and improvising a soundtrack.  I had to make decisions about equipment.  If I keep doing this there will be more decisions to make as some things may need replacing.

There are many little steps. After all to even get to the point of recording there was research. There were skills that could use some improvement through repetition.  That said, I am learning. While this decision may not lead to anything more, it just might...probably in surprising ways.  After all, nobody thought the skills I learned from my "hobby" would help hold online worship together during the early months of Covid.  Ultimately we found somebody more skilled. Of course, nobody thought that the skilled person we found would be a beloved former member of the D&D Club and the Snow Posse who had moved away.  Decisions keep on rippling out, don't they?

Anyway, I have included the video.  I think it is pretty good for a first attempt!  I also started a Sabbath Walks YouTube page that you can subscribe to to get notifications.  Just click on the video above and hit "subscribe." I may decide make more of these moving pictures.  We shall see.  Both I and the church are looking for ways to communicate.  Perhaps this is the way.

Here is to your decisions and dialogues.  I hope you have found something to bring the sabbath "walk" to life regardless of what it is or how you go about it.  Many blessings on your travels until next time.  I will see you out on the trail.

Hiked on February 2, 2023

Somewhere along the way of this project, it appears that at least a few people got the impression that I am particularly rugged or outdoorsy.  I am not of course. I am just a suburban dad transitioning to empty-nester with a bad back and sore knees.  I prefer a room and a bed--preferably my own--to a tent or sleeping platform. It is just that I find the Transcendent in nature, and that helps get me through the week.

I have been doing some workshops on Sabbath Walks.  I have been pitching them as "mindful walking" workshops because the word "sabbath" appears to make some folk uncomfortable.  Maybe it is because "sabbath" is a religion-word.  I like it better, though, "mindful" is way too broad.

Anyway, It is at these events--and the conversation around them--that I have noticed this disconnect.  People will come up me to say it is all very interesting...but they cannot go on a big hike.  Usually this is for physical reasons, which I totally get.  The only issue is that I am not talking about hiking.  I am talking about walking and even that has more to do with sitting.  The process is all about perspective and intention.  Are you paying attention to the world around you?  Are you letting your experience influence your understanding through reflecting on your context?  Then you are more than good.

Actually I haven't gone on many big hikes lately.  Work has gotten in the way.  So has the weather.  I do get out every week but all of my Sabbath Walks in 2023 have been in Massachusetts.  It is a good thing that we have so many great opportunities to get out in nature here!  Yes, it will be hard to cultivate "likes" in the same way when the views are less dramatic and the physical effort may also be.  That said, I have enjoyed immersing myself in the land close to home. 

Some of the best hikes lately have been repeats.  I trundled up Mount Watatic again and again.  The Graces and the Crow Hill Ledges still stand out.  One of the best walks I had was my usual four-mile round-trip stroll downtown...but at night.  This made all the difference. 

What I really want to talk to you about though, is the Assabet River Wildlife Refuge.

I have to say that ​I only recently really clued into its existence.  I went over there because the weather in New Hampshire was turning dangerous and I also had the need to find something more accessible for a group Sabbath Walk in the spring.  As I mentioned earlier, people think that these walks need to be challenging.  They do not.  I was--and am--searching for places where a person could walk a few feet to find a pretty place to sit. If they wished, they could move on for a more challenging workout...but they wouldn't have to.  When you are in a group you need both "easyish" and "hardish" options, so everybody gets what they want or need.

Now, on this hike  I had expected to see wildlife...and I did.  What was surprising, though, was the large amount of evidence of previous human habitation! Many of the trails were unusually wide and there were patches of old, cracked pavement in places.  Also, right where I parked was the foundation of an old tavern dating back to 1700.  However,  the most remarkable thing was the proliferation of immense concrete bunkers tucked away in the forest.  Each had a massive metal door that was barred and locked like some dystopian Hobbit hole.  Since my trip I heard from friends who had been in one.  The description seems to fit as they appear bigger on the inside. The one they visited was vast, cold, and oppressive.

Now, I later learned that there were 50 of these bunkers in the park.  Therein lies a story. First, of course, this land was wilderness. Then it was occupied by native Americans. Then, as Europeans came to this continent, it was a neighborhood for a long time.  That is where the old tavern came in. Later Henry David Thoreau would pass through to visit friends.  In fact, it stayed a agricultural community until 1942.

Then, as the Second World War heated up, the land was seized by eminent domain.  The people were moved. There were about 100 of them and they claim their compensation was 10 cents on the dollar. Their houses and the tavern were destroyed.  In their place were  those big bunkers, to store ammunition for Fort Devens.  After a while this annex was sealed off and abandoned. Finally, in 2005, it was opened to the public.  When I told this story in church and asked if anyone had been there only my eldest son raised his hand.  His high school cross-country team ran there.  Otherwise it is a new park to pretty much everyone I know.

As you walk along its trails today there is all this evidence of the past.  There are so many layers of humanity.  Some of those layers tell peaceful stories of life lived in the usual ways.  Others tell stories of fear, displacement, and violence. 

Now, the story of this refuge can be read as a parable. With any good parable we have choices to make about how we approach it and where we see ourselves in it. We can imagine ourselves in the position of The Native Americans, or the early colonists, or the neighborhood right before the war...all of them swept away.  Perhaps instead we could see with the eyes of those massive bunkers stubbornly demanding our place in the midst of the wilderness. They are solid, powerful, obnoxious even…but largely irrelevant to the world moving around them.

Or…we could see ourselves in the refuge, itself; adapting to our current context to serve current needs and connecting to the ecosystem that sustains us.  Whatever we choose--and at times we have probably felt ourselves in all these categories with more besides--this walk reminds us of the fullness of time and the power of creation to alter our understanding of what "truth" is. 

It is a thoughtful place for a walk, or a sit, or a stand. I spent a couple of hours there.  Then I went to a bar and wrote the beginnings of a sermon--here is the podcast version--with this story as its inspiration.  That is what is supposed to happen on a sabbath walk.  There should be a physical and mental challenge, then a new insight gained and a dialogue created.  We make sense of our reality through reflection, after all.

\My step counter says I walked 8.5 miles and there was much more to explore. I will definitely be back there soon.

Thoreau actually wrote a poem about travelling though this area.  The Old Marlborough Road exists as a road outside the preserve, but inside it continues as a perimeter road to the park.  I hiked it.  It was mostly quiet, with a few strollers and fat bikers.  Anyway...here is the poem. It isn't necessarily one of his best, but it helps to give life to the people who used to live there. Also the page describes the area a bit. In my sermon I said the refuge is in Sudbury and Wayland.  Of course it is actually in Sudbury and Maynard. After twenty years living here my geographical references are still those of a Mainer.  By way of reparation, the link is to a Maynard historical site.

Update: ​I finally got around to making a video of my most recent hike here.  So if you are interested...here it is!