We spent a day in December walking in the woods along and above the Beaver Flow Trail with Alcott Smith. A renown NH naturalist and retired veterinarian, Alcott was to speak on how animals prepare for winter. It was an educational hike sponsored by Northeast Wilderness Trust in this forest we know and love, so we were pleased to support both (we also love to learn new stuff and hike around aimlessly). It seemed like a perfect way to spend a Saturday.

The new CATS trail off Cook Road (South across Shirley Forest Property) is almost complete. It connects Beaver Flow Trail to Cook Road directly across from Boquet Mountain Trail, so hikers don't have to walk the half-mile up Cook Road to continue on to the next trail. An ambitious hiker can now start at Ferris Road and traverse the Bobcat Trail, Beaver Flow Trail and Boquet Mountain Trail all the way to Jersey Street. Crossing Walker Road and Cook Road would be their only connection to the outside world.

This weekend I had the opportunity to take a group of people out to explore the Forest Floodplain area along the Boquet River in Whallensburg, NY. This was a hike sponsored by the Northeast Wilderness Trust who, with the help of Eddy Foundation, are working to preserve this ecologically important area located off the sharp turn on Cook Road East of Back Kettle Farm.